My life? Millions and millions of course. As I said, I'd rather replace and be safe. But I'm not 20 years old and invulnerable. Hence my question: Would driving a tire flat damage the sidewall to the point it is unsafe?
I need backup to convince my son that even though he plans on living forever, it pays to be safe.
Of course if you were asking that because you want to sell me life insurance I understand.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
most likely yes. i work in a michelin owned store. it has been my experience both personally and professionally that 99% of the time visible damage will occur. it is what you can't see that is the problem. our techs. are TIA certified and still can't detect every defect in a run flat. a tire with a undetected problem is a very dangerous thing. having been near a number of dramatic air releases i can tell you if you don't know what your doing don't do it. :sick:
got the tires on our 2005 Odyssey replaced yesterday. Got 30K out of the OEM Michelins (the rears I think were at 4/32, so they had a little life, but the fronts were done, especially on the edges).
Wet traction was pretty much gone, so I just had it done now. Was going to wait until November (pre-snow) until I drove it in the rain last weekend. Not good.
Put on Yokohama Avid TRZ. Thankfully there are finally some other choices in the weird size Honda used. $91 a piece from Tire Rack.
1st impressions: Nice ride, and amazing to have bite and grip again. Went around an off ramp, and they just held the road, no slide and no squeal. Seem to be quiet. Haven't put too many miles on yet, so will see how they do.
Only problem is I don't think they balanced them right (or there is a defect, but hopefully not!) There is a bit of a shake in the wheel at highway speeds that wasn't there before. Now I just have to find time to take it back.
Also had the alignment done (1st time checked, my bad!), and it was out on 3 wheels, so that might account for the rounded fronts.
So much nicer to have new, safe tires. Not impressed by the life of the Michelins, and wet traction disappears fast.
I have 16K on the MXV4s on my Accord, and the tread looks like new, but those babys are already sliding all over the place in the rain.
There was a woman at the tire place with a V6 Accord getting hers replaced, at lower miles, well before the tread wore out because the wet traction (or lack of same) was scaring her so much!
If it is the 20 year old K car you referred to in another forum, you can probably find decent private brand tires for about $60-$70 a piece installed. No need to put Michelins or Goodyears on a 20 year car. I always take a look at the tires my mechanic uses on their cars.
okko, in a previous post you stated the Michelin Hydroedge was "top of the line"... when being compared to Yokohama TRZ and the GY Tripletred. My OEM tires on my Mazda MPV are "H" rated tires, which only Goodyear carries. How reluctant are tire stores to put on a different rated tire than the OEM's? Seems like it is done quite often, but most literature from tire dealers and manufacturers say to stay with the OEM speed ratings.
My experience concerning the speed rated tires is that I'm nowhere near traveling @ the max speed that they're rated for...I went from the OEM Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus which were "T" rated (118mph) to the "S" rated (112mph) for my 2001 Honda Accord 4cyl sedan, & never looked back...Did the same for my wifes 2003 Honda CRV, but went from horrible Bridgestones to the Michelin Harmony (huge improvement concerning ride/noise/tire wear).
These Harmony's are great tires, & are wearing very little considering the amount of driving my wife, & I do...They're great tires for wet, & snowy conditions (lots of rain these past few weeks here in WI - no problems as I cruise on by those driving 50mph - I'm going 70mph on the freeway).
Sorry to babble on, but getting to the point I wouldn't worry about the speed rating as long as you're replacing your OEM with a quality product such as the Michelin Harmony's :shades:
it is the policy of the store where i am that we will use a higher rated tire with no reservation. but understanding how that tire is rated is part of the issue. most tire shop don't want to deviate from oem speed rating or air pressures. but it is my experience most people never approach speed value rating on their tires. in other words the tire store is going to look at the speedometer of your car to determine your tire rating. it is a good idea to stay pretty close with traction and temperature ratings
I have to agree about the Harmonys. I replaced X-Ones which were a great winter and ice traction rubber in a touring style, quiet tread pattern. I put on the Harmonys because of previous XH4 good experience and liked the tread for snow and water. They're great.
Wear looks to be spectacular so far. Speed ratings? I'll never drive over 80 in these so it doesn't make any difference.
Okay, 1000 miles on the new tires on my '05 TL. They offer a much smoother and quieter ride over the OEM Bridgestone Turanza EL42s. Handling seems fine, maybe a bit more understeer? No issues in rain, awaiting the snow test... So far, I like 'em!
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Harmony's are great tires; you'll pay more, but IMHO if ya drive quite a bit you'll appreciate a quality product such as these tires...I too have heard alot of good things concerning both the Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread, & Comfort Tread for those whom are looking for new tires.
On a side note - I'll never buy anything from Bridgestone/Firestone...That mess with the Ford Explorers, & "passing the buck" by Bridgestone/Firestone onto Ford still gets me ticked off :mad:
If anyone is interested in a fairly inexpensive performance tire that perform very well in dry and wet conditions, check out the Falkens. They are all-season, but not sure how they would perform in snow given I have a separate winter tire/wheel set. I caution though, they do wear faster than your standard tire....a compromise to get better traction given it is a performance tire. In fact, last year, I had a set on my Subaru Outback for summer, and after 5 K miles, the outer edges were worn 50%. Alignment was OK, inflated to Subaru specs. No explantion from Falken, but they gave me a credit towards another set. This time, I keep them inflated 4 lbs more than Subaru recommended, and wear is not an issue. The combo of a loaded car (on a road trip) and soft sidewall may have contributed to premature wear.
Looking for suggestions on replacing tires on 2004 toyota 4runner limited 4X4. Mostly highway driving. In Buffalo, NY, so need to deal with a little snow..Any suggestions.. Thought about Goodyear Fortera Triple Treds..but not sure if it is worth spending almost $200 per tire..thanks
Got these for the wife's Mazda 3 and they are actually pretty decent performance tires for the price. Sears ended up price matching the cheaper local Mazda dealer plus an additional 10% since they boast that they will do this is you can find the same tire cheaper. They did try to weasel out of their promise at first but the wife dug her heels in and they agreed that they were the exact same tires. We saved almost $55.00 on the set of four so we were pleased. They are wearing very evenly and are real grippy in the rain, which was the reason I chose them for the car. Nice meaty tread also. But she's rough on tires, already had one replaced with the road hazard we got with them...well worth the price! I've got Eagle RS-A's on the Civic and will buy another brand when they wear out. I really like the new Toyo Versados but expect they will be somewhat pricey in the 205/55/16 size I need. And the Toyo dealers down here in the Ft. Lauderdale area are few and far between, there's like only two within 20 or so miles. Her Mazda came with Toyo's as the oem tires as a matter of fact. I'd bet the Mazda dealer sells them also. Will check when the time comes actually. Bet they'd take my $ to put tires on a Honda.
don't stress on the toyo's. goodyear has a stand alone brand called feirce they have a good selection of z rated and other tuner tires for around 100.00 a tire.
Look at the Yoko Avids too. I just put a set on our Odyssey, and so far, they work very well. I was thinking about the Versados too, but they were quite a bit more expensive, since Tirerack didn't carry them. Plus, I didn't see any reviews.
The tire store dude was high on them, but he ended up recommending the Yokos too.
I need to replace tires on a 95 v6 4Runner with 145k, current tire make and size is Bridgestone A/T 693, LT225 75 15; would like your opinions on what to get that would be comparable in performance... any info appreciated.
I have to agree about the Harmonys. I replaced X-Ones which were a great winter and ice traction rubber in a touring style, quiet tread pattern. I put on the Harmonys because of previous XH4 good experience and liked the tread for snow and water. They're great.
You say X-ones were great winter tire and quiet. You say the Harmony is also great. I am considering X-Ones for Ody. Could you expound more on the differences you have noted so far between X-One and Harmony. Thank you.
I think the X-Ones are discontinued. That's why I went to the Harmonys. The X-Ones had a more continuous tread ring around the tire making it quieter, but it had a rubber that stayed flexible in cold and thus stickier on ice and packed snow.
Hi Just a quick question. My father has a 95 Windstar & is in need of tires before the winter hits -- he is thinking of putting on 215/75/R15's on when I believe it currently has on 205/75/R15's (Michelin's I think). Just wondering about potential problems? Says he "thinks" (He's 81 & stubborn old farmer!) that he has rims from a Chrysler that will fit? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks
My Mazda 5 has 15.5K miles and the two rear OEM Toyo tires need to be replaced. There is wear on the inside on both rear tires. Had the tires rotated at 6.5K miles then 1K miles later drove 7500 miles on a cross country adventure. Road noise began at 15K miles which was 2 days before getting home from the trip. I brought the car in to have the tires rotated. My mechanic, not the deal informed me the the tires needed replacing and suggested I go to the dealer. The dealer offered no assistance.
(BTW I constantly checked the tire pressure and inflated the tires when necessary. I also changed the oil during the trip, but now wish I had also rotated the tires.)
Anyway, now I'm in the process of ordering two Yokohama AK540 tires.
My question is do the new tires get placed on the front axle? I am asking this question because I have read that new tires should be placed on the rear axle, but if I do this then the front tires will not be rotated for another 5K miles.
yo are right, normally the tires with more tread go on the back, but that will lead the fronts to wear out sooner. If those tires are still "like new", you should be OK putting them on the back to even out the wear.
Most important though, get a 4 wheel alignmnet. That looks to be the reason your rear tires were shot (they wore funny), probably out of toe in the back.
Thanks for the quick response. I am getting a wheel alignment when I have the tires mounted, and will make sure to request that I want a 4 wheel alignment.
if their both 15in. rims there is no need to change rims. this can cause more trouble than the tire size change. as long as the tire doesn't interfere with the strut or brake line it should not be a problem.
My experience with auto service in Boston Metro South area: I was looking for two sets of tires (winter and summer) for my car, both sets were to be special orders, because most, if not all tires in shops are All-season type. I visited several shops (shown in random order): BJ's, SEARS, NTB, Town Fair Tire, Sullivan's Tire, Fairstone, SAM's and one shop with name I do not remember in Braintree, Avon and Norwell. Also, some very little, but good experience with ChryslerJeep dealership in Randolph.
The winner is NTB in Avon. Overall-very good. Reasonable prices, knowledgeable stuff, no long wating time. Although every place tried sell tires they have in stock(some harder, than others), NTB guys understand, that if you are looking for particular type, which they do not have in stock, it is reasonable to place special order to satisfy the customer. I dropped extra set of rims for winter tires, when tires arrived NTB mounted and balanced them at convenient for them time, so I would not wait extra time unnecessary. Some small (?) details. For example, in order to pull off rims, you need to remove plastic caps, which covers bolts and use special small extra piece in order to remove one of them. I forgot to tell NTB guys about it and give them proper pieces of equipment. Guess what? They do not need it, not only they know how it should be done correctly, they have those pieces in shop. Simple? Read below my experience with another shop. Also NTB workers were able to answer my questions and explain. They checked (for free) alignment of my car and it came out a little bit out of the line, so it was fixed before I started drive new tires. BTW they have discount for alignment time to time. Their collection of items they pulled off the tires is interesting, as well as example, what might(will) happen to your tires if alignment is off. They'll give you print outs of alignment of your car before and after (with red and green marks).
ChryslerJeep in Randolph. Overall-very good. Just would like to thank you, guys. I came for an inspection, they put front license plate on my car for free and did everything quickly. The only negative (which I am not sure their fault at all)-dark mark(grease?) inside (front right pillar ?) It looks like when they put inspection sticker, they touched it. But again, I am not sure it's their fault.
Now, negative, so-so or no experience:
Sullivan's Tire: no negative, nor positive. So-so.
Firestone: It was one of the first places I visited, because Firestone has one of winter tires I was considering. Overpriced, they tried push tires I was not interested in. I ended up with tire rotation with them. Remember plastic caps I mentioned above? They moved my car into shop and 5 minutes later I realized I did not give them those two small pieces, they needed. I went inside and noticed guy was looking for them in the trunk of my car. I asked him "do you need two pieces?' he said"no, just one, to unscrew bolts". I asked him how he removed plastic caps. The answer was "With screw driver". I looked at rims. Every area around bolts had 2 scratches. Alloy wheels... Do not get me wrong, I "polished" curbs couple times with them (parked too close, well, negative distance between rim and curb, let's put it this way:-))... But if you are mechanic, do not you understand it is not the way it should be done? Would you drill a hole in a hood to open it? I glad he did not try unscrew those bolts with hammer. Although they offered discount on tires, I left. For some reason, Sullivan's Tire, place with no name and Firestone had no customers at the time I visited them.
SAM's: All-season tires only, but they recommended other shops, including winner-NTB. Thank you, SAM's guy.
BJ's: All-season tires only, they tried look for winter's, but "winter" pages in their book has been removed.
Town Fair Tire: might be a good place, but again, tried push their stock items, which I was not interested in. Busy, but have time to explain and show what they have. Overpriced a little bit.
Sears: waited in line for about 10 minutes, no assistance, everybody busy, left. No experience.
Place I do not remember name of: I was told their boss do not like special orders, they tried push tires they had in stock. Left.
So, once again NTB in Avon and ChryslerJeep in Randolph, thanks. Good job.
10-4 over steer is not exceptable. when the rear passes the front you make an [non-permissible content removed] of your self. you heard it first here on car space
Try buying two new tires at Costco. You will have to mount the new ones on the fronts yourself. Either they put it on the rear or they will not sell you the two tires period.
I don't buy anything at costco. And the local quality store put the tires where I stated they go after suggesting they put them on the rear. However that doesn't mesh with the tires I had and safety in driving for my case.
Tire Rack doesn't seem to get the same ratings on tires I have found very good, so I don't give them complete credibility. If you're looking for a review of the reporter's writing, I'd give it a "C." Typical reportage and little a braggadocio trying to show great scientific knowledge.
A little edification here. If the original commenter lives in a non-snow region then his experience may vary. As I said I had Michelin X-Ones with more than half tire tread and I added Michelin Harmony (great tire, which IIRC Tirerack didn't think much of when I read their reviews, probably because it wasn't a "performance" tire) to the car. I live in an area where we get snow. I wanted the better-gripping tires on the front in case we got a rare, but occasional heavy snow. If you can't control the front wheels moving at reasonable speed, it doesn't make any difference what the rears are doing. Sliding in a turn and hitting the curb because the lesser-gripping tires are on front makes no sense.
In the spring it was time to rotate the wheels and they went to the rear. I had the X-Ones on the front during the summer and replaced them the next fall when I had another crisp, edgy set of biting tires on the front for the winter snows.
More on the Tire Rack author about hydroplaning is that the rears have the path cleared for them when the front tires attempt, successfully or unsuccessfully to displace the water as they pass through/over it. The rears, you recall, had 60% depth and are able to handle water. That of course would vary if you're driving a little car with less weight on the rear. The rears are driving through a cleared area much like you see when you follow a car in a rain.
Tire Rack doesn't seem to get the same ratings on tires I have found very good, so I don't give them complete credibility. If you're looking for a review of the reporter's writing, I'd give it a "C." Typical reportage and little a braggadocio trying to show great scientific knowledge.
I read the article in question, and it does not seem to have much to do with any particular bias or preference to a type of tire. Rather, it seemed to be a simple examination of the science and actuality of what happens to a car in low traction situations. Overall, I've found the Tirerack (and Consumer Reports, and Car & Driver) to offer me something that I don't have the opportunity to do - drive a lot of different rubber on the same car over a short period. I understand the biases toward "performance" in each sampler - what Consumer Reports places value on is different from Car & Driver, etc, etc.
Sliding in a turn and hitting the curb because the lesser-gripping tires are on front makes no sense.
When you say that hitting a curb makes no sense, I would agree... the point of the article is that the slide will happen anyway, however for most drivers under most conditions it is easier to control a sliding front end than it is to control a sliding rear end. So in the scenario you suggest, the sliding front might result in going straight ahead, the sliding rear could result in a spinout.
Your specific situation is a wild card for me - you have mixed tires on the car, and whether the vehicle is front, rear or all wheel drive would probably have some impact.
I'm more concerned about driving in 2-5 or more inches of snow with icy pack under it sometimes from being traveled. I adjust my speed. If it's raining I'm not driving too fast for the conditions including water standing in depressions on the pavement. My response was to the original posters with the blanket statement taht one way is the only way.
I have LeSabres front wheel drive. The best way to replace tires is all four. But I had intentionally worn two much more than the others but kept them even by rotating correctly and frequently (do it myself in the driveway). I have 4 Symmetrys that have worn beautifully and will probably replace all four even though they have 40% tread depth left before snow season.
>When you say that hitting a curb makes no sense, I would agree...
Slushy snow that has been driven on and sometimes has salt in it is the worse for traction when turning. A good tread bite makes all the difference in the world. I want the front wheels to have that tread bite in the circumstance I'm describing.
there seems to be some misunderstanding of of the rear tire issue. no tire will give a performance beyond road conditions. this is also why people with all wheel drive cars scare the hell out of me. a tire may enhance your ability to increase your speed and control in a straight foward motion on snow and ice,but does very little to change your stopping distance or side grip under speed. the problem with putting high tread on the front and low tread on the rear again doesn't matter when traveling in a straight line. the problem occurs at hiway speeds while cornering. this many times happens near the apex and with out warning. and your right it causes a spinning action with the result of sending the car backwards into oncoming traffic. if your car won't steer from the front you need 4 tires not 2
Good points. Bottom line, if you are only replacing two tires, put the new tires on the rear. There are people who much more then I do about tires and handling. Why should I question them? It's not like they have anything to gain from giving false advice.
Just bought a 94 Civic DX Sedan. It came with Mohave R/S tires, the ones of the front need to be replaced, the back ones look real good, old owner says they have about 28,000 miles on them, never rotated them. Was thinking about getting two new Mohaves for the front, but would like to know what people think about them, who makes them? Or should I by four of something else. Thanks for the help.
I previously posted that the new tires should always go to the rear. BECAUSE Obviously the new tires have more tread etc. so are less likely to have a problem. This is a safety issue and has nothing to do with front or rear drive. If you had a blow out would you want to have some control over the blow out or not? If the older tires are on the front and one blows you have the stearing wheel in your hand and have a means of control, If you put the older tires in the rear and one blows you have NO control where the rear is going.
Repeat. The new tires always go to the rear. For safety.
Have a 2000 Landcruiser, with 80k - after 7 yrs, I decided to dress up the old lady with a new set of wheels / tires - went with Alba 18" AL 477 chrome wheels and Sumitmo HTR Sport tires - 285-60/18. Had them installed in early May... fast forward till Sept 15 - have had 4 sets of wheel balancing done, to no avail... vibration every time over 45mph...I am about ready to put the old wheels / tires back on and get my atty involved... anyone have any ideas as to what is going on? Thanks in advance
I sometimes run a demonstration unit where we take a car, put new tires on the front / worn turns on the rear, and drive the vehicle in a large circle. Part of the circle has water running across it
If the water depth is right and the vehicle speed is right, the vehicle will spin out every time. This doesn't happen when the tires are reversed. At worst the vehicle goes straight and once the vehicle leaves the wet area, the driver can safely drive back onto the course.
This has been demonstrated with all new tires / all worn tires/ RWD / FWD and the only combination that consistently spins the car out is new tires on the front / worn tires on the rear.
This has been demonstrated for 100's of people (they drive the cars)
If I were to put you in the car, I'd make you a believer, too!
you might try putting the old tires back on and see if the vibration goes away. if it does then you can find the bad tire or wheel. hopefully you are having them balanced with the hunter GSP9700 straight trac system. we see problems with other stores not being able to please there customers after the sale of these types of tire wheel combinations. are you getting any pulsation in your brakes.
Comments
My life? Millions and millions of course. As I said, I'd rather replace and be safe. But I'm not 20 years old and invulnerable. Hence my question: Would driving a tire flat damage the sidewall to the point it is unsafe?
I need backup to convince my son that even though he plans on living forever, it pays to be safe.
Of course if you were asking that because you want to sell me life insurance I understand.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Wet traction was pretty much gone, so I just had it done now. Was going to wait until November (pre-snow) until I drove it in the rain last weekend. Not good.
Put on Yokohama Avid TRZ. Thankfully there are finally some other choices in the weird size Honda used. $91 a piece from Tire Rack.
1st impressions: Nice ride, and amazing to have bite and grip again. Went around an off ramp, and they just held the road, no slide and no squeal. Seem to be quiet. Haven't put too many miles on yet, so will see how they do.
Only problem is I don't think they balanced them right (or there is a defect, but hopefully not!) There is a bit of a shake in the wheel at highway speeds that wasn't there before. Now I just have to find time to take it back.
Also had the alignment done (1st time checked, my bad!), and it was out on 3 wheels, so that might account for the rounded fronts.
So much nicer to have new, safe tires. Not impressed by the life of the Michelins, and wet traction disappears fast.
I have 16K on the MXV4s on my Accord, and the tread looks like new, but those babys are already sliding all over the place in the rain.
There was a woman at the tire place with a V6 Accord getting hers replaced, at lower miles, well before the tread wore out because the wet traction (or lack of same) was scaring her so much!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
These Harmony's are great tires, & are wearing very little considering the amount of driving my wife, & I do...They're great tires for wet, & snowy conditions (lots of rain these past few weeks here in WI - no problems as I cruise on by those driving 50mph - I'm going 70mph on the freeway).
Sorry to babble on, but getting to the point I wouldn't worry about the speed rating as long as you're replacing your OEM with a quality product such as the Michelin Harmony's :shades:
Wear looks to be spectacular so far. Speed ratings? I'll never drive over 80 in these so it doesn't make any difference.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
On a side note - I'll never buy anything from Bridgestone/Firestone...That mess with the Ford Explorers, & "passing the buck" by Bridgestone/Firestone onto Ford still gets me ticked off :mad:
Krzys
I've got Eagle RS-A's on the Civic and will buy another brand when they wear out. I really like the new Toyo Versados but expect they will be somewhat pricey in the 205/55/16 size I need. And the Toyo dealers down here in the Ft. Lauderdale area are few and far between, there's like only two within 20 or so miles. Her Mazda came with Toyo's as the oem tires as a matter of fact. I'd bet the Mazda dealer sells them also. Will check when the time comes actually. Bet they'd take my $ to put tires on a Honda.
The Sandman
The tire store dude was high on them, but he ended up recommending the Yokos too.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
You say X-ones were great winter tire and quiet. You say the Harmony is also great. I am considering X-Ones for Ody. Could you expound more on the differences you have noted so far between X-One and Harmony. Thank you.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Thanks
(BTW I constantly checked the tire pressure and inflated the tires when necessary. I also changed the oil during the trip, but now wish I had also rotated the tires.)
Anyway, now I'm in the process of ordering two Yokohama AK540 tires.
My question is do the new tires get placed on the front axle? I am asking this question because I have read that new tires should be placed on the rear axle, but if I do this then the front tires will not be rotated for another 5K miles.
Thanks for any feedback.
Gideon.
Most important though, get a 4 wheel alignmnet. That looks to be the reason your rear tires were shot (they wore funny), probably out of toe in the back.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Thanks for the quick response. I am getting a wheel alignment when I have the tires mounted, and will make sure to request that I want a 4 wheel alignment.
Gideon
I was looking for two sets of tires (winter and summer) for my car, both sets were to be special orders,
because most, if not all tires in shops are All-season type. I visited several shops (shown in random
order): BJ's, SEARS, NTB, Town Fair Tire, Sullivan's Tire, Fairstone, SAM's and one shop with
name I do not remember in Braintree, Avon and Norwell.
Also, some very little, but good experience with ChryslerJeep dealership in Randolph.
The winner is NTB in Avon. Overall-very good. Reasonable prices, knowledgeable stuff, no long wating time.
Although every place tried sell tires they have in stock(some harder, than others), NTB guys understand,
that if you are looking for particular type, which they do not have in stock, it is reasonable to place special
order to satisfy the customer.
I dropped extra set of rims for winter tires, when tires arrived NTB mounted and balanced them at
convenient for them time, so I would not wait extra time unnecessary. Some small (?) details.
For example, in order to pull off rims, you need to remove plastic caps, which covers bolts and use special
small extra piece in order to remove one of them. I forgot to tell NTB guys about it and give them proper
pieces of equipment. Guess what? They do not need it, not only they know how it should be done
correctly, they have those pieces in shop. Simple? Read below my experience with another shop.
Also NTB workers were able to answer my questions and explain. They checked (for free) alignment of
my car and it came out a little bit out of the line, so it was fixed before I started drive new tires. BTW they
have discount for alignment time to time.
Their collection of items they pulled off the tires is interesting, as well as example, what might(will) happen to
your tires if alignment is off. They'll give you print outs of alignment of your car before and after
(with red and green marks).
ChryslerJeep in Randolph. Overall-very good. Just would like to thank you, guys. I came for an inspection,
they put front license plate on my car for free and did everything quickly. The only negative (which I am
not sure their fault at all)-dark mark(grease?) inside (front right pillar ?) It looks like when they put inspection sticker, they touched it. But again, I am not sure it's their fault.
Now, negative, so-so or no experience:
Sullivan's Tire: no negative, nor positive. So-so.
Firestone: It was one of the first places I visited, because Firestone has one of winter tires I was considering.
Overpriced, they tried push tires I was not interested in. I ended up with tire rotation with them. Remember
plastic caps I mentioned above? They moved my car into shop and 5 minutes later I realized I did not give
them those two small pieces, they needed. I went inside and noticed guy was looking for them in the trunk
of my car. I asked him "do you need two pieces?' he said"no, just one, to unscrew bolts". I asked him how
he removed plastic caps.
The answer was "With screw driver". I looked at rims. Every area around bolts had 2 scratches.
Alloy wheels... Do not get me wrong, I "polished" curbs couple times with them (parked too close, well,
negative distance between rim and curb, let's put it this way:-))... But if you are mechanic, do not you
understand it is not the way it should be done? Would you drill a hole in a hood to open it? I glad he did
not try unscrew those bolts with hammer. Although they offered discount on tires, I left.
For some reason, Sullivan's Tire, place with no name and Firestone had no customers at the time I visited them.
SAM's: All-season tires only, but they recommended other shops, including winner-NTB. Thank you, SAM's guy.
BJ's: All-season tires only, they tried look for winter's, but "winter" pages in their book has been removed.
Town Fair Tire: might be a good place, but again, tried push their stock items, which I was not interested in.
Busy, but have time to explain and show what they have. Overpriced a little bit.
Sears: waited in line for about 10 minutes, no assistance, everybody busy, left. No experience.
Place I do not remember name of: I was told their boss do not like special orders, they tried push tires they
had in stock. Left.
So, once again NTB in Avon and ChryslerJeep in Randolph, thanks. Good job.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
link title
I don't buy anything at costco. And the local quality store put the tires where I stated they go after suggesting they put them on the rear. However that doesn't mesh with the tires I had and safety in driving for my case.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
A little edification here. If the original commenter lives in a non-snow region then his experience may vary. As I said I had Michelin X-Ones with more than half tire tread and I added Michelin Harmony (great tire, which IIRC Tirerack didn't think much of when I read their reviews, probably because it wasn't a "performance" tire) to the car. I live in an area where we get snow. I wanted the better-gripping tires on the front in case we got a rare, but occasional heavy snow. If you can't control the front wheels moving at reasonable speed, it doesn't make any difference what the rears are doing. Sliding in a turn and hitting the curb because the lesser-gripping tires are on front makes no sense.
In the spring it was time to rotate the wheels and they went to the rear. I had the X-Ones on the front during the summer and replaced them the next fall when I had another crisp, edgy set of biting tires on the front for the winter snows.
More on the Tire Rack author about hydroplaning is that the rears have the path cleared for them when the front tires attempt, successfully or unsuccessfully to displace the water as they pass through/over it. The rears, you recall, had 60% depth and are able to handle water. That of course would vary if you're driving a little car with less weight on the rear. The rears are driving through a cleared area much like you see when you follow a car in a rain.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Stop by and check out today's Alternate Route and share your weirdest flat tire story.
I read the article in question, and it does not seem to have much to do with any particular bias or preference to a type of tire. Rather, it seemed to be a simple examination of the science and actuality of what happens to a car in low traction situations. Overall, I've found the Tirerack (and Consumer Reports, and Car & Driver) to offer me something that I don't have the opportunity to do - drive a lot of different rubber on the same car over a short period. I understand the biases toward "performance" in each sampler - what Consumer Reports places value on is different from Car & Driver, etc, etc.
Sliding in a turn and hitting the curb because the lesser-gripping tires are on front makes no sense.
When you say that hitting a curb makes no sense, I would agree... the point of the article is that the slide will happen anyway, however for most drivers under most conditions it is easier to control a sliding front end than it is to control a sliding rear end. So in the scenario you suggest, the sliding front might result in going straight ahead, the sliding rear could result in a spinout.
Your specific situation is a wild card for me - you have mixed tires on the car, and whether the vehicle is front, rear or all wheel drive would probably have some impact.
I have LeSabres front wheel drive. The best way to replace tires is all four. But I had intentionally worn two much more than the others but kept them even by rotating correctly and frequently (do it myself in the driveway). I have 4 Symmetrys that have worn beautifully and will probably replace all four even though they have 40% tread depth left before snow season.
>When you say that hitting a curb makes no sense, I would agree...
Slushy snow that has been driven on and sometimes has salt in it is the worse for traction when turning. A good tread bite makes all the difference in the world. I want the front wheels to have that tread bite in the circumstance I'm describing.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
the problem with putting high tread on the front and low tread on the rear again doesn't matter when traveling in a straight line. the problem occurs at hiway speeds while cornering. this many times happens near the apex and with out warning. and your right it causes a spinning action with the result of sending the car backwards into oncoming traffic. if your car won't steer from the front you need 4 tires not 2
Repeat. The new tires always go to the rear. For safety.
BH
With all due respect:
I sometimes run a demonstration unit where we take a car, put new tires on the front / worn turns on the rear, and drive the vehicle in a large circle. Part of the circle has water running across it
If the water depth is right and the vehicle speed is right, the vehicle will spin out every time. This doesn't happen when the tires are reversed. At worst the vehicle goes straight and once the vehicle leaves the wet area, the driver can safely drive back onto the course.
This has been demonstrated with all new tires / all worn tires/ RWD / FWD and the only combination that consistently spins the car out is new tires on the front / worn tires on the rear.
This has been demonstrated for 100's of people (they drive the cars)
If I were to put you in the car, I'd make you a believer, too!