Newbie has tire questions

[mcsquish]

OK, here?s the situation, I am ?lucky? enough to pick up a golf ?divot remover? in my rear tire. And since there are two nice holes close together, I?m told it can?t be patched. Since we have AWD I am thinking if I put one new tire on it would be a bad thing, plus I don?t want to buy a new stock tire. I have posted in the market place area looking for a used tire. So my thinking is that if I have to buy two new tires (can I do that, I have 18,000 miles), I might as well get four new ones. Now I am keeping my stock wheels since I just painted them, so do I put 215/45-17, or is there a better size (ie: 225/40-17 or 225/45-17)? I?m also thinking of getting Pirelli PZero Nero M&S, Yokohama AVID H4S, Bridgestone Potenza RE950, or Kumho ECSTA ASX. Any thoughts or comments would be welcomed.

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Vapor genie reviews

[team23jordan]

Pzero nero M&S really sucks in snow

IMHO, RE92 is better in snow than pzeros

 

anyways, if i were you i'd go with Ecsta ASX in 225/40!!

oh and you wanna get all new 4 tires

[SubieRU]

 

anyways, if i were you i'd go with Ecsta ASX in 225/40!!

oh and you wanna get all new 4 tires

 

Why not the stock size? How are they handling in light snow?

I'm looking for new tires too, and so far have limited my choices to the Kumhos, Avon, and Toyo Proxes 4 (A/S).

[GloriousDay5996]

my new tires kick a**!!! (and yes, the stock portenzas suck.) they're BF Goodrich g-force N/A KDW N/Ts 225/45R -17 90Y. They're really sticky without being a total race tire, and have great all weather grip. Really quiet too. Upping the size also alows me feel the road realy acutely, and they give the LGT a nice, sportier look. I love them! And, they weren't too expensive, only $642 for the set + installation/balancing/etc. at discount tire. i HIGHLY recommend you check them out.

 

Tire Details - Discount Tire Co.

[LarryCrowell]

Changing tire sizes will change the tire diameter, which will affect your drive train ratio, speedo, odometer, etc.

 

215/45-17 = 24.62 inch

225/40-17 = 24.09 inch (-2.2% error)

vehicle rides lower, better accel, worse mileage, more revs per mile

225/45-17 = 24.97 inch (+1.4% error)

vehicle rides higher, worse accel, better mileage, fewer revs per mile

 

Assuming the wider tires don't rub, its your choice given the facts above. But I would stick with the stock size.

[mcsquish]

I think I am going to stick with the stock size, but I can't decide which tires to get. I've been reading everthing I can find and it is confusing and contradictory. The test numbers say one thing, but the reviews say another. ???? Thanks for the replies. I remember reading a thread on different tires on here, but I can't find it now.

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AIRSOFT CLIP

[LarryCrowell]

I have a 2005 OBXT at 26K with the OEM RE92A tires just about worn out. Tire size is 225/55-17. I studied the Falken, Yokohama, Sumitomo, and Kumho all-season tires. I just ordered the Kumho ECSTA ASX tires from TireRack. They are W-rated, 420-AA-A, asymmetic, non-directional (this is important to me as I prefer to cross-rotate tires). There is a Kumho $40 rebate in effect until 2006-12-31. Tires, shipping, and mount & bal at WallyWorld will grand total $365 for me. Based on the OEM RE92A rating and my experience, these new tires should go 42K miles.

[TSiWRX]

mcsquish -

 

What are you looking for from your tires?

 

Performance? - wet, dry, or all-season?

 

Or are you more interested in low noise and increased compliance?

 

How much are you willing to spend? And to add to the equation, if you cited "performance," are you willing to spend the money to run two sets of tires - one summer, one "winter" specific?

 

[mcsquish]

TSi+WRX, At this point I am looking for all-season, but of course on the preformance side. Since I am south of Bowling Green, I don't get the snow that you do. So I was thinking of running just one set of tires/wheels. I'm thinking of around $110 a tire, I know that's not exactly a lot of room to work with. But unfortunately that's all I can afford right now and since I have a tire with fix-a-flat in it, I would like to get new ones very soon.

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Bbw Amateur

[itsme]

I would say to chech out Tirerack.com for the best price. I got 225/35/19 for $111 ea. With shipping and install I paid $567.34. I got the General Exclaim UHP they have a 380 treadwear and are Y rated. They ride much smoother then the Falken ST115 I replace. I know you here "Generals" and think cheap but, read the reviews on tire rack. They got the highest rates of all the tires by the people that bought them. Just read the reviews. I'm glad I did.

[TSiWRX]

^ Two good, affordable, choices above.

 

Also, since you're not going to be seeing much snow, honestly, 225/45s aren't going to be much of a problem for you, especially if you desire a bit more footprint. Most of the tires in your desired segment have excellent water-channeling designs, so the increased likelihood of hydroplaning should not even remotely be of-concern.

 

Similarly, where you are, I think that the roads are decent enough year-round that even if you ran 225/40s, you'll still be OK. Neither one will really affect your "felt" (nor, honeslty, "true") performance by much - but you will pay a slight real-world penalty in terms of steering feel/accuracy if your chosen tires have softer sidewalls (combined with the 7"-wide rim and the larger tires; note here that proper inflation can help overcome this quite a bit) and/or if you dislike a slight increase in tramlining. Another penalty which you may actually "feel" in the real-world is the added carcass weight of the larger tires, again, this may or may not be "felt" by your hands through the steering wheel and how you perceive the car to handle.

 

In addition to the two tires listed above, while neither the Pirelli PZero Nero nor the Toyo Proxes 4 excel in the snow/slippery winter stuff, both are quite capable handlers year-round, otherwise, and should suit your needs very well.

 

Also to-consider, based on your budget, is the Falken ZIEX ZE-512, which boasts superior wet-weather capability (although it does give up some dry-weather traction as compared to the Pirelli and Toyo mentioned previous) - however, these tires are known to not be the longest lasting....especially if their pressures are not consistently and routinely monitored. For a high-mileage vehicle, this may not be the best choice. The ZIEX, though, are favored up here in NE-Ohio as a very decent all-season performance tire which exceeds the capabilities of both the previously mentioned Pirelli and Toyo when the white stuff starts falling from the sky (note, though, that the ZIEX are still *far* from being true winter tires, and you should still use due-caution in the slippery winter stuff, as their limits can easily be exceeded with enthusiastic winter driving!).

 

Others to consider include the Avon, as well as the Kuhmo, which are both excellent bargains that don't give up much - if any - performance at all when compared to the premium brands in this sector.

 

Best of luck!

[mcsquish]

wow, thanks! That's alot of good info. I'm glad to see someone suggest Avon since I haven't heard of them, but I see they have good reviews and numbers on tire rack. I think I've narrowed it down to Avon Tech M550 A/S, Continental ContiExtremeContact, or Falken ZIEX ZE-512.

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BLOWJOB HARDCORE

[chenc544]

wow, thanks! That's alot of good info. I'm glad to see someone suggest Avon since I haven't heard of them, but I see they have good reviews and numbers on tire rack. I think I've narrowed it down to Avon Tech M550 A/S, Continental ContiExtremeContact, or Falken ZIEX ZE-512.

 

Falken 512 is a pretty decent budget performance tire. Decent grip in dry and wet but my experience with it on snow has not been the best. In light snow it does ok but I have problem with traction on un-plowed street. On my old Celica I actually ran the 512 on the front for summer and swap it to the rear with the Nokian WR to the front for the winter.

 

Avon M550 gets great reviews on TireRack but it's still fairly new compare against the history of ContiExtremeContact. If dry pavement performance is more important to you I would go with the Avon but the Conti would be better in the snow.

[TSiWRX]

Falken 512 is a pretty decent budget performance tire. Decent grip in dry and wet but my experience with it on snow has not been the best. In light snow it does ok but I have problem with traction on un-plowed street. On my old Celica I actually ran the 512 on the front for summer and swap it to the rear with the Nokian WR to the front for the winter.

 

^ On totally unplowed streets, strangely enough, brother, I've had the opposite experience. As long as it's either ONLY POWDER or powder/slush, I've had no trouble at all.

 

I feel, instead (both on rather powerful FWD vehicles as well as my LGT), that they're decently sure-footed in powder and slush, however, once there's true ICE on the ground, then these tires are at a lost-cause....

 

Also, it seems that if the temperature actually drops far enough below freezing (probably around 15 deg. F. ?), these tires do start to give up some grip as their compound is not optimized for such extremes. Typically, I have no problems at all "when it's snowing," but after the snow stops and the temperatures really plummet, it seems that they're slicker than what I usually feel them to be in the wintry stuff.

 

What pressures do/did you run?

 

The other thing I've found with the Falken ZIEX is that they are *extremely* sensitive to inflation temperatures - almost as bad as the RE92s in that respect. Even a couple of PSI off, and they're a totally different story.... I tend to maintain winter "cold" filling pressures of 38/36, F/R, and they seem to do well in snow/slush.

[mcsquish]

Thanks again for all of the gteat info!!

OK, I think I have decidded on the Avon's because at alot of the places I reviewed, they got good marks. Also because TrireRack offers Road Hazard for them and not the Continental's. Since that is what started this whole adventure, it's important.

My next question (just to show how little I know about modifying cars) is, I was/now am thinking of going to something other the stock 215/45-17. I looked up the tire info for 225/45-17 and it said that the numbers were from a 7.5" wheel, then looked at LarryCrowell's and TSi+WRX posts and went "I'm dumb!" What might be the drawbacks? I understand and I think I know what the larger contact patch, heavier tire, and sidewall flex will do but I guess is there any real bennies to plus sizing?

I can't thank you all enough for all the great info!!

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Amateurtube

[mcsquish]

Well I just wanted to thank everyone again for putting up with a newbie & giving up some good advice. I placed my order with Tire Rack yesterday & they should be here today. WOW, that's fast!!

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NEVADA MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

[LarryCrowell]

My next question (just to show how little I know about modifying cars) is, I was/now am thinking of going to something other the stock 215/45-17. I looked up the tire info for 225/45-17 and it said that the numbers were from a 7.5" wheel, then looked at LarryCrowell's and TSi+WRX posts and went "I'm dumb!" What might be the drawbacks? I understand and I think I know what the larger contact patch, heavier tire, and sidewall flex will do but I guess is there any real bennies to plus sizing?

 

Going from 215/45 to 225/45? Increases your tire diameter from 24.61" to 24.97", which is a +1% error in your speedo & odo & drive ratio. Assuming they don't rub.

 

If you want to worry about all this, here's how to calculate tire diameter.

 

Let Width = the tire section width, i.e. 225

let Height = the tire section height, i.e. 45

let Wheel = the wheel diameter, i.e. 17

 

Tire Diameter = (0.000787 x Width x Height) + Wheel

 

i.e. 24.61 = (0.000787 x 215 x 45) + 17

 

The 0.000787 is a lumped factor = 2 x 0.01 / 25.4

[mcsquish]

Thanks Larry, I saw that before and wondered how to figure that. I decided to go with the stock size because after talking with a buddy that just went through this with his TT. He said with a 7" rim and a 225/45 the tire may look a tillle funny and the side wall may roll over in hard cornnering (he's rode with me before). Plus I really didn't want a bigger tire and nobody that I could find makes a 225/40 in a all season. So these will work untill I can afford new rims and tires.

Thanks again everyone.

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Granny plum

[LawGT]

MCsquish, how do you like them avons?

[mcsquish]

I think I like them. MUCH better in the wet! The only problem now is that I have a vibration that I can't find. I'm wondering if my tires are not completely round. I found a wheel that somehow got bent, I tried to fix it but I still have the vibration. I have had them balanced twice now and I am waiting to get a newer wheel mounted to replace the fixed one. I don't think that's the problem since the vibration is felt in the steering wheel and sometimes in the pedals. But I'm not sure since I have never had a AWD car before. Other than that I do like the better grip, but the vibration is confusing.??

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HEALTH STORE

[mcsquish]

Just an update for anyone looking into getting these Avons, I am sending them back to Tire Rack since I can not fix the vibration problem they have created. I had them ballanced three times by three different places and no luck. I called Tire Rack and they said they would take them back. I like the way these handle, but I can't handle the vibration.

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Colorado Dispensaries