Time for Tires/Tyres
Posted by: matthew_k
Time for Tires/Tyres - 11/04/2005 18:42
It's time for new tires, as my old ones have started to self destruct on the wheel. A few days ago I noticed a whacking sound when I drove above 40mph that seemed to happen every tire rotation. It of course went away shortly before I took it into the mechanic. I couldn't figure out what would only do that at high speeds until I checked the treads of the tires and found a long strip from the inside corner was missing exposing the steel belt. It seems like the tread is ready to seperate the rest of the way, so the car isn't going anywhere besides a tire shop at this point.
It's a '01 Honda Prelude, with 53k miles on the orginal Bridgestone Potenza RE92's. They've been good tires, lasted though some heavy driving and never let me down even now while on their death bed. The size is 205/50-16 if that makes any difference.
What should I look at replacing these tires with? Cost isn't a big concern, though value is. The car never sees snow, but it does see a good amount of rain in the winter. Do I need all season, or does no snow mean summer tires are fine? Any specific reccomendations? I'll probably spend this evening reading tirerack reviews and order tomorrow.
Matthew
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 11/04/2005 19:19
Tire Rack has a good selection mechanism with professional and customer reviews.
If you were happy with those tires, though, why change?
Posted by: matthew_k
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 11/04/2005 19:31
Well, I read somewhere that the original equipment tires are marked up because people want to replace their tires with "the same ones". Given that honda was in the position of buying a couple hundred thousand tires that would be "good enough" for everyone in the US, I figured there's probably something that would fit my exact needs better than the one size fits all choice. Howerver, if it turns out that there isn't, I'll be happy buying the same ones.
Matthew
Posted by: Ezekiel
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 11/04/2005 19:54
What you want to do is write down the numbers on the side of the tire. They'll be something like P215/60R16. This is the magic number you'll want to talk to tire dealers quickly. That number tells them a) the tire diameter b)the rim width and c)the aspect ratio (sidewall height to rim width).
A more detailed explanation is here.What more money buys you in tires is usually better traction, better tread life or a quieter ride (not usually all three in one tire, you have to make tradeoffs).
The two most important thing you can do to make sure your tires last are: check your tire pressure frequently and keep your car well aligned. That and don't hit a nail.
Of course you'll have to take into account whether you want a dedicated summer/rain tire or if you want an all-season radial.
-Zeke
Posted by: amgine
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 11/04/2005 20:06
I'd recommend yokohama ES100's. Unless you plan on taking this car to a track, they'll be a good combination of performance/tread life.
plus, they're relatively cheap.
I just ordered another pair because my civic had bad toe up front, and i never got an alignment. ate the inside of the front tires.
edit: i ordered two 195/50/15 ES100's. ended up to 132 dollars including shipping. They should be here tomorrow
Posted by: matthew_k
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 11/04/2005 20:43
My concern with those would be tread life, the tire rack reviews seem to center around the magic number of 15k miles, which seems awfully short. I suspect most people posting reviews drive harder than I do, so I'd probably get something more than that, but I'm not sure how much more.
Matthew
Posted by: Heather
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 11/04/2005 20:53
Quote:
What should I look at replacing these tires with? Cost isn't a big concern, though value is. The car never sees snow, but it does see a good amount of rain in the winter. Do I need all season, or does no snow mean summer tires are fine? Any specific reccomendations? I'll probably spend this evening reading tirerack reviews and order tomorrow.
It depends on the summer tire. The stock tires on my R32 are Goodyear Eagle F1's. They're great in the rain (a cruel joke in the snow) but are a bit prone to blowouts due to potholes, throught to be a combination of soft sidewall and low profile.
I do have to put in a good word for the Kumho Ecsta's I put on my cabrio 2 years ago, I bought them becaue they met the requirements of "not bald like the tires currently on my car" cheap all season tire, since the car only ever goes to the beach and on road trips. I'm pretty impressed with them, especially since they were like $40. I haven't had a blowout yet, and they're good in wet weather and snow.
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 11/04/2005 21:02
Your RE92s get a pretty poor rating on TireRack, including tread wear. If you really drove 52,000 miles on them, you must drive pretty easy. The Yokohamas he suggested have a (slightly) better wear rating.
Your RE92s are listed as High Perf. All-Season tires. You can
compare all HPAS tires, as well as the
other categories. Summer tires are usually slightly worse at dealing with rain than All-Seasons, but not generally by a lot. Of course, there can be wide variances there. Make sure to look at the Tire Rack averages. They include wet traction and hydroplane resistance.
Posted by: matthew_k
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 11/04/2005 22:14
It looks like the top contender is the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3's. They get good numbers and good reviews at tirerack and have all the right specs. They're supposed to be good in the rain, which was my main concern with a high performance tire.
Seccond choice is the Pontezza S-03 Pole Position. More expensive with a flippin' rebate that evens it out, better waranty, worse tread wear spec, worse ride/noise reviews.
Anything I'm missing?
Matthe
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 11/04/2005 23:48
Eagle F1s tend to be considered top-of-the-line performance tires. As such, I'd take the reviews with a grain of salt. They're probably coming from people expecting poor life, loudness, etc.
Quote:
Bridgestone Potenza RE92's
The WRX comes with those tires and everyone bitches about them! 
The tread life is bad and they don't have good grib. Ride comfort isn't bad nor is road noise however.
Regarding TireRack, they are a great company, but be careful of the customer reviews. Most people tend to do great reviews of tires they just bought because it helps them feel better about spending $1500 on new wheels and tires! I'm not saying don't trust them, just take them with a grain of salt. And the offficial TireRack reviews are great. They can have pretty knowledable and honest sales people too.
I'd like to give you a "non" recommendation: The Yokohama AVS-ES100. I have the 245-45-R17's and really don't like them. They have a killer performance vs. price and tirewear vs. price value, but they "hummmmm" down the road. The noise is unbearable. And during Auto-X, they squeel so much that you can't really tell when they are being just "noisy" or when you're actually about to lose grip. But what really stinks is that I can't justify replacing tires that havn't worn out yet and the tread life on these things is insane! (Oh, and they are great in the rain).
I don't think you need an all season tire. Just remember a "summer tire" is worthless in the snow which is very dangerous. And their grip level is lower in the cold as well, but anything above freezing is fine. I've heard great things about the Kuhmo Escta (sp??).
EDIT: amgine, I didn't read your post before making mine. I didn't mean to knock your favorite tire! 
Like has been said, no tire does EVERYTHING well, and the AVS-ES100s are good at tread life, price and grib (both dry and wet). I just don't like the road noise when I have someone else in the car and the empeg isn't playing as loud. Too bad we don't use the same size or I'd sell them to you!
Quote:
Pontezza S-03 Pole Position.
I know some Subaru people that drool over these tires.
Posted by: amgine
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 12/04/2005 03:08
Quote:
My concern with those would be tread life, the tire rack reviews seem to center around the magic number of 15k miles, which seems awfully short. I suspect most people posting reviews drive harder than I do, so I'd probably get something more than that, but I'm not sure how much more.
Matthew
I order my tires from TireRack, they're rated for 30k on there. Haven't gotten to that point yet though.
Posted by: thinfourth2
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 12/04/2005 03:56
try driving a caterham i get 2k from my favorite tyres
but boy oh boy do they stick avon ACB-10
Posted by: andy
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 12/04/2005 04:35
I'd also highly recommend the Goodyear Eagle F1. I have them on all our cars (OK, the Impreza doesn't have them yet, but that is just because it came with a brand new set of tyres when I bought it). They are the best tyres I have ever used.
Their grip is great in the dry and the rain. They last as long as any other tyre I have used. In most popular sizes they aren't too expensive.
The only minus points are that they are slightly louder on the freeway than some other tyres and they are pretty hopeless in snow.
Posted by: andym
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 12/04/2005 08:12
I've got Conti Sport Contacts on the Clio, very nice, good stuff wall and excellent grip. Also reasonably cheap, just bought a pair for £110 from mytyres.co.uk with my 6% Cliosport membership discount!
Posted by: sn00p
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 12/04/2005 09:39
Quote:
I've got Conti Sport Contacts on the Clio, very nice, good stuff wall and excellent grip. Also reasonably cheap, just bought a pair for £110 from mytyres.co.uk with my 6% Cliosport membership discount!
Damn it! I didn't realise about that, I changed mine a month or so back and have currently got rainsports (michelin?) on the front, they cost a load more than that. I wanted conti's again as well!
It always scares me when I watch pimp-my-ride as to the state of some of the cars people drive about in (in the US), are there *no* laws regarding vehicle safety/upkeep/maintenance?
Posted by: Ezekiel
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 12/04/2005 10:49
They vary a lot by state. In California they're pretty weak. In NH, you can't have any perforation in your bodywork bigger than a quarter (about 2cm diameter) or it won't pass inspection. In New York you don't have to have an engine (only brakes, lights, solid suspension and frame as well as no cracked glass).
On a national level there are no laws about car upkeep, it's all done at the state level.
-Zeke
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 12/04/2005 11:06
And, largely, you only get an inspection once a year. Few if any cops will ticket you for any safety violation other than, maybe, a blown brake light or headlight, and even then, you've got a bored cop.
Posted by: andym
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 12/04/2005 15:47
How many miles you got on your Clio now? Just had mine serviced, it's nearly done 12k and the guy at Renault Bury offered to do the service for £120 which isn't bad. These tyres will be replacing the original ones on the front, they were supposed to be fitting them at the same time as the service but the tyres didn't arrive in time.
As I pulled up they had an 04 plate 182 for 10 and it's only done 8000 miles. They'll do a brand new UK car for 12.3k too, if only I was buying it now! I was hoping to get about 9.5 when I sell mine soon. Hope whoever reads Autotrader doesn't drop by Renault Bury.
Posted by: sn00p
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 12/04/2005 15:57
Quote:
How many miles you got on your Clio now? Just had mine serviced, it's nearly done 12k and the guy at Renault Bury offered to do the service for £120 which isn't bad. These tyres will be replacing the original ones on the front, they were supposed to be fitting them at the same time as the service but the tyres didn't arrive in time.
As I pulled up they had an 04 plate 182 for 10 and it's only done 8000 miles. They'll do a brand new UK car for 12.3k too, if only I was buying it now! I was hoping to get about 9.5 when I sell mine soon. Hope whoever reads Autotrader doesn't drop by Renault Bury.
I think it's about 15k now, can't remember exactly. I had the 12k a couple of months back, cost about £160, which I was less than I was expecting! £120 is a bargain though!
I got 14k out of the front tyres which I thought was pretty respectible all things considered, they'd had some stick too!
So what's the next car going to be then?
Posted by: andym
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 12/04/2005 16:06
To be honest I'm not sure. While I could afford an Impreza I really couldn't justify the insurance which exorbitant compared to other cars with similar performance/spec.
My bro (who's now a car salesman) has said I should go for a drive in a Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo which is insurance group 19 but is less to insure than the scooby at group 17. There's one at a dealer nearby so I might go and have a look. With the money I should be able to get for the Clio I should be able to get a pretty good one with change left over.
Posted by: matthew_k
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 13/04/2005 17:31
I ordered the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3's and now switch into anxiously awaiting their arrival. The amazing thing (and I think I've seen this mentioned here) is the shipping - $33 for FedEx 2 day shipping for 4 tires. That's less than dell charges to ship a laptop by ground. The tire shop that's installing them seemed nice on the phone, much nicer than the two others around town that I'd tried getting quotes at. I'll file another report once the tires are on and I've had a chance to run them through some twists and turns.
Matthew
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 13/04/2005 19:07
Let me know how loud you find those tires once you get them.
Posted by: matthew_k
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 13/04/2005 20:05
I will. My car's never been quiet, so I'm not sure how much of a difference it will be. The empeg is pretty much always on and drowning out any road noise quite thoroughly.
Matthew
Posted by: Daria
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 13/04/2005 22:30
Quote:
It's a '01 Honda Prelude, with 53k miles on the orginal Bridgestone Potenza RE92's. They've been good tires, lasted though some heavy driving and never let me down even now while on their death bed. The size is 205/50-16 if that makes any difference.
So, something I feel compelled to point out, these are low rolling resistance tires, if you're not careful about what you buy, your gas mileage will go down.
Posted by: thinfourth2
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 14/04/2005 03:30
Quote:
My bro (who's now a car salesman) has said I should go for a drive in a Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo which is insurance group 19 but is less to insure than the scooby at group 17. There's one at a dealer nearby so I might go and have a look. With the money I should be able to get for the Clio I should be able to get a pretty good one with change left over.
very fast in a straight line, crappy round the corners but very libel to explode frequently.
Mk1 elises are starting to come to about ten grand but they are a wee bit rattly at that age and price.
There ain't much wrong with the clio quite quick too with the right driver.
Posted by: DWallach
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 14/04/2005 14:12
I'm similarly interested in your Goodyear experiences, particularly as the tires get more miles on them. My car came from the factory with Michelin Pilot Sports, which wore out around 25K miles. They were getting relatively loud toward the end. I replaced them with with Yokohama ES100's, which were great at the beginning, but are now loud enough that my wife is convinced something must be terribly wrong with them. (I checked, and they've still got probably 4mm until they hit the wear bars, so they've still got some life left in them.) Next time, I'd happily pay more money up front to have tires that will be quieter down the line.
Posted by: matthew_k
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 13/07/2005 22:23
I figured now was a good time to write up my experiences with these. In short, they've been great, well worth the money in my book.
Getting them put on was easy. The drop shipped them and they were delivered that week, the shop called me and put them on the next day. The shop was great, perhaps it's a testament to the fact that the type of place that gets itself listed with tirerack, or perhaps it was just dumb luck. They mounted them for $125 or so, which seemed reasonable considering the savings compared to having a local shop order and install them.
Driving with the tires was great. However, I have to say that I feel like I'd virtually forgotten that my car was fun to drive after so much commuting. (I live in berkeley, my girlfriend lives an hour south down one of the worst freeways in the bay area.) The new tires gave me a reason to have fun, and they havn't disappointed. The things have amazing grip, and they just don't break loose.
I got to drive with them a few times in the rain, and I didn't have any complaints. I don't try pushing things in the rain, so I couldn't tell you how they corner on wet pavement, but my main concern was hydroplaning in puddles, but everything seemed fine.
All in all, I'm a devout beleiver in tirerack and the Goodyear Eagle F1's. Of course I'll research my next tire purchase, but at this point another set of the F1's would be the obvious choice.
Matthew
Posted by: DWallach
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 13/07/2005 22:29
That's good to hear. What I'm really curious about is how well your tires are doing after 10K miles or so. Please post again! (Or, should I just encourage you to see your girlfriend more often?)
Posted by: robricc
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 13/07/2005 22:40
Quote:
They mounted them for $125 or so, which seemed reasonable considering the savings compared to having a local shop order and install them.
Walmart mounts and balances tires for $11 per tire. This includes free lifetime rotation and they will mount tires purchased from anywhere, even used tires. Just FYI.
I used them recenly when I was being cheap. They did a good enough job for a great price that I will go back.
Posted by: matthew_k
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 13/07/2005 22:45
I've put around three thousand miles on them, i'll probably take me another six months to get to ten. (While the majority of my driving is on the freeway back and forth, I try and take public transit as much as I can to avoid the driving.) I'll definitly pull this thread back up and let you know.
Matthew
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 14/07/2005 16:05
That would require patronizing the Wal-Mart, though. I refuse, even for a savings of 90%.
Posted by: matthew_k
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 14/07/2005 16:36
Well, $11 per tire works out to about $50 after tax (plus environmental disposal fees that I assume are tacked on here in CA), so it's only a 60% savings. I can't stand walmart stores, so it's not even an ethical choice for me.
Matthew
Posted by: g_attrill
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 14/07/2005 16:57
Quote:
try driving a caterham i get 2k from my favorite tyres
but boy oh boy do they stick avon ACB-10
Ouch! My boss needs new rear tyres for his Maserati GranSport - he got it at 3,500 miles and it's now on 7,000. They need 265/30/19 and he wants the factory fitted Pirelli P-Zero Rosso. The dealer quoted £206+VAT each - I suggested Micheldever Tyres who are pretty much the cheapest in the country and only 1/2hr drive away - they quoted £203 including VAT and fitting.
Gareth
Posted by: robricc
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 14/07/2005 17:21
I don't know what the big deal is about going to Walmart to get a deal but aparently 2 people in a row feel that way. I'd rather keep my money than needlessly give it to yet another shop that underpays its workers. Plus, Walmart's tire center is open until 9PM which is just plain convenient. I don't need to waste my weekend or take off from work to get tires mounted, thank you very much.
Quote:
I can't stand walmart stores, so it's not even an ethical choice for me.
All the Walmarts around here have a seperate entrance for the quick lube/tire area. It feels like any other Jiffy Lube-type place until you cross the threshold into the main Walmart building.
If you don't like Walmart because of the abundance of Chinese goods they sell, whatever. That's what's cheap for them to buy and what Walmart shoppers can afford. Are you going to boycott 99¢ stores because nearly nothing there is made in the US?
If it's because you feel you're above shopping at Walmart, that's just dumb.
Let the flames commence...
Posted by: andym
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 14/07/2005 17:28
I'm with you Rob, I don't get paid enough to worry about ethics, my employer certainly doesn't. To pay double the amount for something you don't need to doesn't make any sense, and for each person who boycots there's probably a dozen who don't.
Posted by: bonzi
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 14/07/2005 18:31
I am not sure how effective boycotting outfits like Wallmart is. One can always tip extravagantly the guys who did the work - I suppose they will appreciate that more than boycott.
Posted by: matthew_k
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 14/07/2005 19:01
Mainly I don't go because the stores around here are crap. I've been to nice walmarts in the midwest, but the ones around here are cramped and overflowing with people to the point that you can't move around the store.
Ethically, walmart's bussiness practices are horrible. They've locked the night cleaning crews in the store with the manager with the key home and asleep. They've also shaved time off timecards to keep from paying their employees their already low wage. They also dictate magazine covers - and not just to the point of refusing to cary a magazine for the cover, but telling the magazine to change it or else.
Considering my bargain hunting shopping habbits, my hands definitly aren't clean in the matter, so I won't be throwing any more stones.
Matthew
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 14/07/2005 19:53
Walmart goes into communities, usually small ones, lowers prices until the local stores can't compete and go out of business, then raises prices back up, just when the local wages go down because Walmart is the only employer in town.
Not to mention that they're still riding on their pro-US-manufacturers binge a while back (before Sam Walton died, maybe?) despite the fact that they do as little business with them as possible (not that I can blame a bottom-of-the-barrel discount store for going Chinese).
And their poor employee treatment doesn't help. I don't know about you, but the places I've had my tires put on weren't places like Pep Boys or JustTires, either, but local honest mechanics, who I feel much better about patronizing.
When you add onto all that the fact that it's just a terrible, terrible, store with the dregs of humanity working there as both managers and clerks (sorry: register-monkeys and stockboys), and it takes half an hour just to stand in line to pay for something, I cannot envision ever setting foot in that store again.
Unsurprisingly, Wikipedia has a good
list of Wal-Mart criticisms.
Posted by: Robotic
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 14/07/2005 21:15
Quote:
Walmart goes into communities, usually small ones, lowers prices until the local stores can't compete and go out of business, then raises prices back up, just when the local wages go down because Walmart is the only employer in town.
Not to mention that they're still riding on their pro-US-manufacturers binge a while back (before Sam Walton died, maybe?) despite the fact that they do as little business with them as possible (not that I can blame a bottom-of-the-barrel discount store for going Chinese).
And their poor employee treatment doesn't help. I don't know about you, but the places I've had my tires put on weren't places like Pep Boys or JustTires, either, but local honest mechanics, who I feel much better about patronizing.
When you add onto all that the fact that it's just a terrible, terrible, store with the dregs of humanity working there as both managers and clerks (sorry: register-monkeys and stockboys), and it takes half an hour just to stand in line to pay for something, I cannot envision ever setting foot in that store again.
Unsurprisingly, Wikipedia has a good list of Wal-Mart criticisms.
Amen.
These are the reasons to boycott Walmart.
edit: Is there any truth to the story that Walmart maintains a large portion of its workforce as 'part time' employees (with the result being the exclusion of such employees from benefit packages)?
Shop where you like, fine with me. I vote with my dollars going to the local shops.
Furthermore- I avoid 'chain garages' like the plague. I worked as a mechanic and in the parts supply world. It's worth it to find a good local mechanic that you can trust.
It's too easy to hide behind the anonymity of the big-name shops.
In general, I don't mind spending the difference in price for the peace of mind that the job is done right- and believe me, the job is done wrong more often in a big-name shop than in a small local one.
My $0.02.
Posted by: robricc
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 14/07/2005 22:42
Quote:
Furthermore- I avoid 'chain garages' like the plague. I worked as a mechanic and in the parts supply world. It's worth it to find a good local mechanic that you can trust.
There's a local mechanic around here that I thought I could trust. They deal mostly with Subarus. One day, they decided to take a customer's car (without his permission) on a joyride and crashed into a pole and abandoned the car on the side of the road. The owner got the value of the car back from his insurance company, but the mods were not covered (400+ WHP Impreza WRX). The shop owner agreed to pay for that stuff, but never paid a cent yet and this happened in September last year.
The moral of the story is that you can't trust anyone but yourself. Within reason, I have been becoming more willing to work on my own cars.
Anyway, I guess the dregs of society and myself will be the only ones enjoying $11 tire mounting and balancing. 
Posted by: DWallach
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 15/07/2005 10:52
Quote:
The shop owner agreed to pay for that stuff, but never paid a cent yet and this happened in September last year.
Seems like the most straightforward lawsuit you could ever imagine filing...
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 15/07/2005 11:45
Quote:
you can't trust anyone but yourself.
And Wal-Mart, apparently.
Posted by: robricc
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 15/07/2005 11:52
Well, I don't have the machinery to balance tires...
Posted by: Robotic
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 15/07/2005 20:25
Quote:
Anyway, I guess the dregs of society and myself will be the only ones enjoying $11 tire mounting and balancing.
Your words- not mine. I certainly do not group you with the dregs.
I just thought I'd tell you about a choice I've made in my life, not attack you.
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 15/07/2005 20:53
Actually, I think those were my words.
Posted by: DWallach
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 23/11/2005 02:08
Pulling back an old thread, it looks like my Yokohama ES100's are sufficiently worn, at least in back, that it's time for new tires. So, how are those Goodyear's working out? Would you buy them again? Meanwhile, these seem to be the logical choices for installing my tires:
Part of me wants to go to the local BMW specialist, as I understand that BMW rims have a larger lip than normal, and inexperienced tire mounters have a habit of destroying the rims. However, my local BMW specialist, who last mounted my tires, managed to leave me with tires that were nowhere near their correct inflations, and with the balance weights on the outside where they're visible and ugly, rather than on the inside. That and it's a 20 minute drive to get there.
The NTB that I might use is around the corner from the BMW dealer where I bought my car and close to both home and work. That dealer outsources all tire work to this particular NTB, so that makes them (hopefully) know more about how to mount the tires properly. I don't know if NTB lets me ship them tires from TireRack or not. Their prices are noticably higher than TireRack.
Costco is appealing on price. They're charging the same price as TireRack, and that includes shipping, installation, everything. If I wanted to go with Michelin Pilot Sports or Bridgestone Potenza S-03s, then Costco is great. If I want Goodyear or pretty much anything else, then too bad for me.
Posted by: matthew_k
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 23/11/2005 02:36
I'm about 500 miles from the third oil change after I got them, which is when I was planning to report back. So, at about 10k miles, they don't seem any louder, and I'd happily buy them again. I'm in need of an alignment, which has kind of been detracting from the driving experience recently, but that's not the tires' fault. I've had them in a bit of rain and havn't noticed any problems, but I don't play around when it's raining, and havn't needed to make any evasive maneuvers to test them out.
The one caveat about the noise that I've mentioned before is that my prelude is not a quiet vehicle, it goes down the freeway with the engine at 3500rps. That said, I've never noticed them being loud or getting louder with age.
As to getting them installed, I had a great experience with the place I found through tirerack. They were extremely professional, called me when the tires came in and did it when they said they would and saved my best old tire for me as requested to keep as a full size spare. From my sample size of one, I'd guess that they were listed on tirerack because they were one of the more "together" shops in the area.
Matthew
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 23/11/2005 14:09
Tirerack has a list of places you can have your tires sent to be installed. They also have reviews of these places. Reading those would be my suggestion.
Posted by: eliceo
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 23/11/2005 14:22
Quote:
Pulling back an old thread, it looks like my Yokohama ES100's are sufficiently worn, at least in back, that it's time for new tires.
I just bought these tires in 17 225 45 how many miles did you get out of yours? Ive only had mine for 1000 or so miles and I already notice them getting louder. Otherwise im satisfied with the tire.
It might be worth it just to not have your rims damaged, those rims can be pretty expensive.
Quote:
Costco is appealing on price. They're charging the same price as TireRack, and that includes shipping, installation, everything. If I wanted to go with Michelin Pilot Sports or Bridgestone Potenza S-03s, then Costco is great. If I want Goodyear or pretty much anything else, then too bad for me.
Do you need to pricematch to get tirerack pricing, or is that the default pricing at your local costco?
Posted by: Ezekiel
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 23/11/2005 16:33
Check for uneven tire wear. If you've got uneven wear with only 1000 miles, I would check tire pressure, and get your car's alignment checked.
If you don't know what to look for, read
the tire bible page, notably the section labeled 'Diagnosing problems from tyre wear.'
Use a tire depth gage when checking. Low milage wear isn't always dead-obvious.
-Zeke
Posted by: DWallach
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 23/11/2005 18:15
Quote:
I just bought these tires in 17 225 45 how many miles did you get out of yours? Ive only had mine for 1000 or so miles and I already notice them getting louder. Otherwise im satisfied with the tire.
I haven't kept brilliant records on when all the service on this car has occured, but it's fair to say I've gotten something like 10-15K miles. The rear tires are worn to within 1mm of the wear bars. The front tires still have 4mm left. As such, I'm tempted to replace the rears and keep the fronts for now. I'm also tempted to replace everything to see if it quiets down the car.
Quote:
Do you need to pricematch to get tirerack pricing, or is that the default pricing at your local costco?
It's the default pricing. Costco charges the same, with installation and everything, that TireRack charges just for the tires. Redoing all four wheels, that could save me $100.
Posted by: tanstaafl.
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 28/11/2005 03:09
Almost completely off topic... but still talking about tires. If anybody is looking for a tire for serious winter use, I highly recommend the Bridgestone Blizzak tire.
I just finished (like about three hours ago) a twelve hundred mile trip from Fairbanks to Homer and back, most of it on polished ice.
I drove 70-75 MPH most of the time, many times going into corners at that speed where there were warning signs to slow to 55 MPH (these are summer time, dry pavement warnings) and in the whole trip only got the back end of the car to wiggle just a little bit (not enough to scare me, but enough to get my undivided attention) a few times.
The best way I can describe what it is like to drive those Blizzaks is this: On packed snow and ice, it's like driving on loose gravel. Very progressive and predictable, no sudden surprises. No studded tire I have ever tried can match them.
tanstaafl.
Posted by: Ezekiel
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 30/11/2005 19:34
Have you tried a Nokian Hakkapellitta II with studs? All the traction of the Blizzak, longer life, quieter on dry pavement and less tread creep on dry cornering.
Blizzak wins hands down in the price category, however.
-Zeke
Posted by: hybrid8
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres - 01/12/2005 02:07
Better traction and overall handling than Blizzak.
I've run Blizzaks on an older car, Hakka I's and GT Radial Champiro on my Integra, some Michelins on my BMW 328is (came with the car) and now Hakka II's on the same car. Hakkas are simply the best. The GT Radial product comes in at number 2.
The BMW is RWD and in the snow without a good snow tire it just gets too scary. Driving with the former Michelins was a nightmare. Nerve-racking to say the least. With the Hakkas I can do 80kph in conditions I wouldn't dare do 40 in before. Worth the money if you have to drive in snow. I don't think anyone makes a more reputable winter tire on the planet (with or without studs)
Bruno