I can see losing rear end grip, with the better tires in front, under the circumstance you described. But, quick steering maneuvers to dodge a kid on a skateboard, or something falling out of a truck... or slamming on your brakes to avoid rear ending someone (fairly common) it would seem better to have the better traction tires in front.
The Mohave R/S is a tire under the Arizonian Tire brand. Discount Tire sells Arizonian tires. Arizonian Tires appear to be made by the Kelly Tire company.
IMO, you would be much better off buying four of something else. The Mohave R/S gets very poor ratings at epinions.
Here is what physics dictates in the scenarios you describe: In all cases I assume that the worn tires are still service capable, not bald.
Kid on'board - if you are doing a fairly low speed (30-40 mph), on dry pavement, makes no difference as you should be well within the tolerances of any tire - no skidding, either end. At a higher speed, or on a low friction surface, you will lose the end with less traction first - so you might avoid hitting him head on, but that lose tail end could just run over him...
Slamming on brakes. Try this in a pickup with an empty bed, see what happens: You slam on brakes, weight transfer happens, and the tail end wants to come around... only thing keeping it where it should be is the grip of those tires.
For most people, in most situations, it is easier to control a sliding front end, than it is to control a sliding rear end. This is why auto manufacturers dial in some degree of understeer (sliding front) rather than oversteer (sliding rear)
Tom and Ray Magliozzi (the "Click and "Clack" zanies of the radio show "Car Talk") recently said in their newspaper column "If you have one pair of tires that's better than the other, the good ones should always go in the back. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but you never want to create a situation where the front of the car noses down during emergency braking and then the rear end of the car slides around or spins out."
I offer this for what it's worth --- their advice is usually well researched.
by someone else. A local mechanic talked about trying to listen to their presentation at a media talk show conference. He was refused entrance to their talk during the trade show at the door because he was a mechanic. He said they have someone else looking up answers while they do those silly talk bits about dumb, unrelated stuff after a caller asks their question.
And this may be so, however this does not change the correctness of the answer. They are not the only ones to put this out there, and many of us have experiencial data to add.
There are differing opinions. Though I believe only one to be true. But as with everything in life. Do what you like just don't do it near me...thank you very much.
And for what it's worth I'm glad I don't live in the same state as Jipster.
Wrong, it wasn't the spelling. I wasn't sure if you meant experimental or from experience. :confuse:
Either way I put new tires on back with tires with 50%? tread X-Ones on the front. But I drove always aware of the difference, but on snow and especially slushy snow it works better for me, repeat, for me. :P
BUT I now have Symmetrys with about 40% tread and I'll probably replace all four before the snow flies after reading all this.
I have a 2001 Honda Accord EX-V6. Mileage is 44K. The tires(original Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus - P205/65R 15 92V) are completely worn out. At the present time my budget is very limited, however I don't want to sacrifice on safety and reliability. I've done quick research and came up with the following list of options:
In addition to safety and reliability, my requirements include good traction in dry and wet conditions, but not necessarily in snow or ice. I don't drive faster than 90 mph or aggressively. Driving mode: city/highway mix.
What do you recommend me to choose and why? Maybe you'd have other options. I have to make decision very soon, so quick replies are much appreciated.
First, stay away from Pep Boys and the donuts that they market as tires.
Secondly, where do you live? If you live in a snowy climate, I'd give the nod to the CECs over the ASX, simply because they're one of the best all-season performance tires in the snow/slush. If snow isn't a concern, you'd do well with either if them IMO.
Tirerack.com has General Ameri-G4S's on sale in your size for $50 each. I've bought tires from them numerous times and been very satisfied, and I know many other people who would also recommend Tire Rack. Granted that price does not include shipping and installation, but keep in mind you don't pay sales tax (if you are not in a state that one of their warehouses are in). You can have them shipped to yourself and have any local garage install them, or they have a list of local installers who they will ship directly to, and most of the installation prices are on the website...the process works well...see their website. So far as the specific tire I mentioned, they came as standard equipment on my Ford Taurus...they were fine...nothing exceptional about them, but a fine basic tire with reasonably long wear.
Any cons about buying tires at Walmart Oil Change & Tire? The pro is that they are about $100 less for 4 Goodyear Tripletred tires than 2 other tire stores I've looked at. This includes valve stems, mounting and lifetime balance and rotation.
Assuming that the tires are new, fresh rubber (checking manufacturer date code on sidewall), my concerns would center around the expertise of the person doing the work - my wheels cost way too much to have some bonehead damage one of them.
The other concern would be how much hassle you are willing to put up with - how convenient, how long a wait etc... and of course, there is the potential sales pitch for other services - we got you in with the low price, now how 'bout some balljoints? LOLOL
I don't see any reason to not trust them. They will be at least as good re customer satisfaction as any other tire place. I have two relatives who work there, and the company is interested in customer satisfaction, and not to "rip off" customers.
I'm considering following your lead and get Versados 235/50/17 for my 05 Avalon XLS with stock wheels. I imagine that you may have put about 15,000 miles on your Versados by now. Can I ask you for a last-minute update or any advice before I place my order?
Has anyone else had a similar problem? I brought my 2004 Honda Accord EXV6 coupe in for State Inspection and found that all four tires had tread separation. The tread was separating from the side walls and looked like retread tires. Bridgestone asked if the inflation was correct and if the pressure was correct. Yes to both. And not all four separating the same way. Thanks FJB323
are these the original tires on your car and what would be the in service miles. if they do have a problem then it would seem that the inspection has served it's purpose. the question most likely was is the inflation pressure correct. check the dot# for the age of the tire this will also tell you something about your tires.
I'm going to take a wild guess that you have at least 50 series tires - AND that what you have are cracks.
1) It is extremely unlikely to have 4 tires that are separated. 2) Low profile tires are more prone to this type of cracking, especially if the inflation pressure isn't up to snuff.
While these cracks look just plain dangerous, they are, in fact, relatively benign. The worst that will happen is the outside rubber will peel off, but the casing will stay intact.
Nevertheless, the cracks are a reason for adjustment and the Bridgestone folks should not give you any resistance.
Believe it or not all four tires DO show separation the entire circumference of the tires, not cracks. You can on two of them see through the separation to the belts or bands. I brought all four to a Bridgestone dealer and they are having a rep. inspect them. The manager agreed they were unsafe. I had written to see if anyone else had a similar problem to bolster my issue with Bridgestone
Anyone have experience with these tires? From what I've seen on Tirerack.com, they look to have a very meaty tread with good siping to increase wet traction to lessen hydroplayning. That's my main objective now since my work accident due to the lack of traction after a slight rain storm. At a very low speed, my truck lost all traction and crashed head on into a large palm tree. My life changed forever with that accident, as did my family's, so any tires we buy now have to have superior wet traction or else we move on. Have also heard good things about the Toyo Versados also. My current goodyear RS-A's on my Civic aren't the best in the wet stuff with a bit over 10k miles and will probably swap them out before they reach 20k. Any suggestions for superior rain tires would be greatly appreciated.
Michelin makes an excellent wet traction tire called the the pilot primacy. This features Michelin's asymmetrical tread face. The inner is comprised mostly of a silica based rubber compound which increases your wet traction. This compound coupled with a water evacuating tread pattern helps you stick to the ground even in the worst conditions. The outer face of the tread is comprised of a carbon black based rubber compound (dry weather traction). This together with a blockier tread pattern on the shoulder increase your cornering capabilities and traction on bone dry asphalt. I was privileged enough to put this tire up against the RSA's you currently have on your Civic on a wet track and the difference was unreal. In a BMW 330i, I was having difficulty getting the RSAs to hookup in the water. The Primacys on the other hand grabbed and stuck. They had their limits don't get me wrong, but the difference was night and day. Michelin truly does have the best research and development programs of any tire manufacturer. I would and have recommended them to all of my family members.
First time here, usually hanging around in the Infiniti G35 forums.
I'm in the process of ordering a Winter Tire/Wheel package from Tire Rack. During Checkout, it gives the option to enter a "Referral Number", which in turn discounts the final price a little bit.
Anyone have any ideas on where I may be able to get my hands on one of these?
I was reading Click and Clack's (the car guys) column this morning. They quoted a tire expert and engineer as saying not to worry about overinflating a tire... in terms of it being dangerous. A tire would have to be inflated to 200 psi before it would burst. The real danger would be driving on a serverely underinflated tire. Just something to think about the next time you forget that tire gauge.
Makes inflating a tire close to (38 psi, which works out to 85% of) max sidewall pressure, (mine are almost all 44 psi) almost a no brainer.
This is offered in light of your observation, the overwhelming majority of so called tire problems are due to so called under inflation.
Truthfully, despite good faith intentions, I have recently let the interval for one vehicle go to 7 months. Luckily, I am in the habit of running the oem so called high speed T/P recommendation at 35#s. When I checked the TP after 7 mo it had gone to 30 psi, which coincidently is the normal oem recommendation.
Over-inflation to the point of sudden static explosion (while stationary at the air pump, for example) is not really a problem, as you pointed out. It becomes more of an issue under rolling conditions, since a severely over-inflated tire will really affect the way the vehicle handles, and the way the car reacts in emergency maneuvers. I also suspect (but have no data to back it up) that the over-inflated tire would be more susceptible to bursting upon significant impact, like hitting a ridge in the roadway at speed.
I agree, I keep mine over inflated by 4 lbs over spec (auto). Except remember that if you have AWD, most manu require that the tire be inflated according to manu spec, or else it cause issues with the AWD system, or at least they could use it as an excuse if problems did arrive.
i think what jipster is saying is that if you have a low tire it is probably safer to air the tire by sight than to run it low on air. be advised tires that have been ran underinflated do not respond to inflation in the normal sense. say you going down the road and notice you have an inflation problem. the first thing you do is look for air. pull in shoot the air to the tire. not a good idea low air pressure generates heat weakens the tire. let it cool some before you air.
My suggestion is use the station gauge if you can and over inflate a hot tire by 4-5 pounds if you can't wait for it to cool some--if it was running too hot to touch. Then stop up the road and see how it's doing compared to others in temperature and pressure.
I heard the same show and was more than a little concerned that it was not made clear that no one - THAT MEANS NO PERSON!!! - should use anything approaching these values.
There is a reason why the tire sidewall has a maximum pressure written there.
But I have to admit, that in the context of the question Click and Clack were answering, the comment was useful.
A few psi above what the vehicle manufacture specifies is OK, but I think anything more than 5 psi is not only not much of a benefit - It is also unsafe.
>but I think anything more than 5 psi is not only not much of a benefit
Are we talking about cold pressures here? I routinely run 4 over cold and then when tires heat up (not much on the rears) at higher speed the pressure goes up more. With higher inflation I can tell lower temps on the fronts plus I like the better driving feel on the particular car and tires I have. I don't recommend it for others without their experimenting.
I got my new Goodyear Tripletreds put on my Mazda MPV minivan today. Very happy with the price I got and the tires. Originally quoted $820 for 4 tires, lifetime balance and rotation,tax etc. I asked a Goodyear Auto Service Center to match the price Walmart had, which they did... lowering it down to $698. When I went in today Goodyear was offering a $40 cash card which was doubled to $80 with use of Goodyear credit card, which I obtained. So it ended up only costing me $618 for my Tripletreds. Ride is smoother and the van handles even better than before, dry weather traction great. Did seem a little noisy on concrete, but I have kids so I'm sure that noise will be masked. :shades:
The only time I, or anyone else involved with tires for a living, refer to tire pressure, we always are referring to cold pressures - unless pressure buildup is specifically mentioned.
1) Watch the age of your tires. Rubber degrades over time and even though the outside of the tire may not show it, the inside rubber knows how old it is. This is indepepent of how many miles are on the tire. Even unused tires may be unfit for service - like a spare.
The limit seems to be 10 years, but in hot climates - AZ, CA, NM, NV, TX, and FL, the limit seems to be 6 years - and, of course, if you don't live in the "great white north" US - meaning MN, WI, etc. - you should use something in between.
2) You are going to have increasing trouble finding 14" tires. They are rapidly exiting the market place. You may find Coker Tire a good resource in the future.
3) The problem with WSW's is that there is a delicate balance between making white rubber flexible (which yellows) and making it white (which tends to cracks and / or flake off).
Some tire dressings tend to make this situation worse as they dissolve the rubber and release the oil suspended in the black rubber, allowing it to migrate into the white rubber.
Care should be taken when selecting a tire dressing. Use ones that contain antioxidants and anitozodants (AO's, for short) and reject ones that dissolve rubber. A quick test is if the treated rubber rubs off on your finger, quit using that dressing.
I have a 2000 V6 Honda Accord. The car came with the Michelins and were replaced with the same tire at 51,000 miles. I now have nearly 25,000 on the replaced tires. My complaint is although the tread wear is not bad, however the tires were over $100.00 per tire, the tire noise is now nearly unbearable. I am considering replacing the Michelins. I have read good comments about the price, ride, durability and low noise of the Kumho tires. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Capriracer: Thank you for your thoughts and opinions as they are sensible. These tires in question are SR4's, two years old with 2200 miles on them from America's Tire Co. They have been yellowing ever since I purchased them. For cleaning, I use Westley's Whitesidewall Cleaner with a brass brush followed by scrubbing the black part with Dawn.
Perhaps the tires were old stock when I got them, however, there is no flaking off when cleaning.
The WSW on our other car are Michelin X's with 80,000 miles and they clean up just fine.
This is a shoulda, coulda, woulda situation where I should have replaced the 14's on the Mustang with another set of Michelins.
If you want a smoother,quieter ride consider Goodyear assurance comfort treads. 85 or so a tire, 80k warranty. Negatives are don't handle as well a Michelins and mpg drops 1.5.
Thanks Blufz1 for responding. Why do you suggest Goodyear over Kumho? I read several tire reviews at www.discounttire.com and most spoke highly of the comfort, treadwear and quiet ride of the Goodyears but poorly about traction on a wet surfaces.
Dunno about the Kuhmos. I got the comfortreads and am very pleased with the smoother ride. Agree the wet and other handling and mpg is not as good as the oem Michelins. Check out tirerack to get lots of surveys and info on any tire you are considering. Hope this helps.
Thanks, I will. I plan to have a Discount Tire employee check out my tires on tomorrow just to see if the extreme noise I am hearing is possibly the result of some kind of defect in the tire. In a way, I hope it is since I paid for all types of coverage when the tires were bought.
I have 4 relatively new (maybe 5K) Michelins on my Accord and I'm having an issue with one specific tire more than the others.
The tire looks VERY low but after attempting to inflate it at a gas station, both my pen-type pressure gauge and the air pump gauge had it at about 40psi....with no real visible difference.
My friend tells me that the green caps on my tire stems mean that they were inflated with Nitrogen. Is that true and if so, could that have to do with my weird acting tire?
Any help would be appreciated. I'n not too excited about screwing up a brand new Michelin tire. Thanks!!
The nitrogen would have no effect on the tire pressure response of the tire. The only things that would have an effect is if the tire is different from the other tires (look very carefully at the numbers on the sidewall), if the wheel is different, if the vehicle is much heavier on that one wheel, or if the one wheel is sitting on a bump when you look at it. I have to assume the one tire is not totally defective (missed a step in manufacturing).
Try moving that wheel to a different position on the vehicle and see if it looks the same.
What you are saying is on the mark. If they are all the same sized tire/wheel, I would just make sure that each tire is the recommended (or the t/p you wish to run) TP, such as 40 psi F/R. I would only rotate at the oem recommended rotation miles, i.e. @ 10,000 mile rotation cycle.
I didnt feel like reading through all 316 pages of advice so i figured this would work. Right now my truck is a 1987 toyota pickup 4wd. And it has 35-12.50-r15 tires on it with a 5'' lift. I would like to take the lift off and put stock tires on it. What i was wondering was, what size rims i would need to buy, and what size tires would look okay.
I would check the oem owners/shop manuals (or even places like the tire rack) for the size options 225/75/15?. The real advantages; almost everyone who manufactures tires has models in this size, those sizes tend to be WAY cheaper, (than current sized 4 runners) yet you can get very high quality tires to less costly ones, to be sure.
Comments
IMO, you would be much better off buying four of something else. The Mohave R/S gets very poor ratings at epinions.
Kid on'board - if you are doing a fairly low speed (30-40 mph), on dry pavement, makes no difference as you should be well within the tolerances of any tire - no skidding, either end. At a higher speed, or on a low friction surface, you will lose the end with less traction first - so you might avoid hitting him head on, but that lose tail end could just run over him...
Slamming on brakes. Try this in a pickup with an empty bed, see what happens: You slam on brakes, weight transfer happens, and the tail end wants to come around... only thing keeping it where it should be is the grip of those tires.
For most people, in most situations, it is easier to control a sliding front end, than it is to control a sliding rear end. This is why auto manufacturers dial in some degree of understeer (sliding front) rather than oversteer (sliding rear)
I offer this for what it's worth --- their advice is usually well researched.
by someone else. A local mechanic talked about trying to listen to their presentation at a media talk show conference. He was refused entrance to their talk during the trade show at the door because he was a mechanic. He said they have someone else looking up answers while they do those silly talk bits about dumb, unrelated stuff after a caller asks their question.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Don't find experiencial in dictionary--not sure what you mean. However the Mazonni brothers are showmen.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
And for what it's worth I'm glad I don't live in the same state as Jipster.
Experiential knowledge is knowledge gained through experience as opposed to a priori (before experience) knowledge.
Thanks for reminding me that spell check is crucial. I hope the rest of the message was clear.
Either way I put new tires on back with tires with 50%? tread X-Ones on the front. But I drove always aware of the difference, but on snow and especially slushy snow it works better for me, repeat, for me. :P
BUT I now have Symmetrys with about 40% tread and I'll probably replace all four before the snow flies after reading all this.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I have a 2001 Honda Accord EX-V6. Mileage is 44K. The tires(original Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus - P205/65R 15 92V) are completely worn out. At the present time my budget is very limited, however I don't want to sacrifice on safety and reliability. I've done quick research and came up with the following list of options:
1. Kumho Ecsta ASX (VR) - $375 installed
(Discount Tire)
2. Continental ContiExtreme Contact (VR) - $356 installed
(Kauffman Tire)
3. Futura Touring HR or VR - $311 or $362 installed
(Pep Boys)
In addition to safety and reliability, my requirements include good traction in dry and wet conditions, but not necessarily in snow or ice. I don't drive faster than 90 mph or aggressively. Driving mode: city/highway mix.
What do you recommend me to choose and why? Maybe you'd have other options. I have to make decision very soon, so quick replies are much appreciated.
Thanks!
Secondly, where do you live? If you live in a snowy climate, I'd give the nod to the CECs over the ASX, simply because they're one of the best all-season performance tires in the snow/slush. If snow isn't a concern, you'd do well with either if them IMO.
The other concern would be how much hassle you are willing to put up with - how convenient, how long a wait etc... and of course, there is the potential sales pitch for other services - we got you in with the low price, now how 'bout some balljoints? LOLOL
I'm considering following your lead and get Versados 235/50/17 for my 05 Avalon XLS with stock wheels. I imagine that you may have put about 15,000 miles on your Versados by now. Can I ask you for a last-minute update or any advice before I place my order?
Thanks,
havalong
FJB323
1) It is extremely unlikely to have 4 tires that are separated.
2) Low profile tires are more prone to this type of cracking, especially if the inflation pressure isn't up to snuff.
While these cracks look just plain dangerous, they are, in fact, relatively benign. The worst that will happen is the outside rubber will peel off, but the casing will stay intact.
Nevertheless, the cracks are a reason for adjustment and the Bridgestone folks should not give you any resistance.
Have also heard good things about the Toyo Versados also. My current goodyear RS-A's on my Civic aren't the best in the wet stuff with a bit over 10k miles and will probably swap them out before they reach 20k.
Any suggestions for superior rain tires would be greatly appreciated.
The Sandman
First time here, usually hanging around in the Infiniti G35 forums.
I'm in the process of ordering a Winter Tire/Wheel package from Tire Rack.
During Checkout, it gives the option to enter a "Referral Number", which in turn discounts the final price a little bit.
Anyone have any ideas on where I may be able to get my hands on one of these?
Thanks!!
before it would burst. The real danger would be driving on a serverely underinflated tire. Just something to think about the next time you forget that tire gauge.
This is offered in light of your observation, the overwhelming majority of so called tire problems are due to so called under inflation.
Truthfully, despite good faith intentions, I have recently let the interval for one vehicle go to 7 months. Luckily, I am in the habit of running the oem so called high speed T/P recommendation at 35#s. When I checked the TP after 7 mo it had gone to 30 psi, which coincidently is the normal oem recommendation.
Over-inflation to the point of sudden static explosion (while stationary at the air pump, for example) is not really a problem, as you pointed out. It becomes more of an issue under rolling conditions, since a severely over-inflated tire will really affect the way the vehicle handles, and the way the car reacts in emergency maneuvers. I also suspect (but have no data to back it up) that the over-inflated tire would be more susceptible to bursting upon significant impact, like hitting a ridge in the roadway at speed.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
There is a reason why the tire sidewall has a maximum pressure written there.
But I have to admit, that in the context of the question Click and Clack were answering, the comment was useful.
A few psi above what the vehicle manufacture specifies is OK, but I think anything more than 5 psi is not only not much of a benefit - It is also unsafe.
Are we talking about cold pressures here? I routinely run 4 over cold and then when tires heat up (not much on the rears) at higher speed the pressure goes up more. With higher inflation I can tell lower temps on the fronts plus I like the better driving feel on the particular car and tires I have. I don't recommend it for others without their experimenting.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Who makes a WSW that doesn't yellow out for a 205X70X14 size?
Advice appreciated.
The only time I, or anyone else involved with tires for a living, refer to tire pressure, we always are referring to cold pressures - unless pressure buildup is specifically mentioned.
I have 3 thoughts on your yellowing WSW problem.
1) Watch the age of your tires. Rubber degrades over time and even though the outside of the tire may not show it, the inside rubber knows how old it is. This is indepepent of how many miles are on the tire. Even unused tires may be unfit for service - like a spare.
The limit seems to be 10 years, but in hot climates - AZ, CA, NM, NV, TX, and FL, the limit seems to be 6 years - and, of course, if you don't live in the "great white north" US - meaning MN, WI, etc. - you should use something in between.
2) You are going to have increasing trouble finding 14" tires. They are rapidly exiting the market place. You may find Coker Tire a good resource in the future.
3) The problem with WSW's is that there is a delicate balance between making white rubber flexible (which yellows) and making it white (which tends to cracks and / or flake off).
Some tire dressings tend to make this situation worse as they dissolve the rubber and release the oil suspended in the black rubber, allowing it to migrate into the white rubber.
Care should be taken when selecting a tire dressing. Use ones that contain antioxidants and anitozodants (AO's, for short) and reject ones that dissolve rubber. A quick test is if the treated rubber rubs off on your finger, quit using that dressing.
Hope this helps.
Perhaps the tires were old stock when I got them, however, there is no flaking off when cleaning.
The WSW on our other car are Michelin X's with 80,000 miles and they clean up just fine.
This is a shoulda, coulda, woulda situation where I should have replaced the 14's on the Mustang with another set of Michelins.
Again, thank you for your reply.
The tire looks VERY low but after attempting to inflate it at a gas station, both my pen-type pressure gauge and the air pump gauge had it at about 40psi....with no real visible difference.
My friend tells me that the green caps on my tire stems mean that they were inflated with Nitrogen. Is that true and if so, could that have to do with my weird acting tire?
Any help would be appreciated. I'n not too excited about screwing up a brand new Michelin tire. Thanks!!
Try moving that wheel to a different position on the vehicle and see if it looks the same.
I didnt feel like reading through all 316 pages of advice so i figured this would work. Right now my truck is a 1987 toyota pickup 4wd. And it has 35-12.50-r15 tires on it with a 5'' lift. I would like to take the lift off and put stock tires on it. What i was wondering was, what size rims i would need to buy, and what size tires would look okay.