Zaire Car Complaint and vent

[ZaireinHD]

going from an old car to a new car

WOW!
what a huge difference! the technology is so much more advanced it's practically scary!
all the FN sensors on the newer vehicles and the manufactures ........pfft

THEY DO NOT WANT ANYONE TOUCH'N THEIR PRODUCT!!!

do it yourself jobs with a 2010/ 2011 / 2012 ride forget about it

[ZaireinHD]

SUV had a flat and changed to spare
even with spare all kinds of warning light on dash and sensors complaining
took care of changing that same day

[femmefatale]

[ZaireinHD]

Deleted

[Opti]

Z, I'm wondering how you find tires for $65 each unless they are only 14 or 15 inchers. The tires on your SUV are likely at least a couple sizes larger than the Accord. Did you check out tirerack.com or other options to manage your tire cost?

Is the spare fullsize or a donut? My last car I specifically shopped for a fullsize spare after the experience of driving on a donut on a very hilly highway in West Virginia where average speed was 70mph. Being passed and surrounded by semis wasn't my idea of fun so hence the fullsize spare.

Also, for money, some friendly mechanics will turn the tire sensors off.

[ZaireinHD]

purchasing tires from Tire Discount Direct to fit 17 inch rims are affordable

[rovo]

I've asked you this before and you ignored me but I'll try again.

What do you do to your cars causing you to be buying new tires every year? I get about 80,000 miles on my OEM tires. The last car I had for 130,000 miles and only one set of replacement tires at 85,000 miles.

[wvugurl26]

My OEM barely lasted 30k miles. A quick google search reveals the same reports from those that bought 09 Imprezas. Suckers go for $225 on tirerack and other sites. They are crappy tires.

Next tires were I believe rated for 60k miles and I got 50k miles out of them. I put them on in Nov 2009 and replaced them in Nov 2011 with same thing. I rotate them regularly. They use salt around here and the roads suck. Lots of patches, potholes and bumps.

I have no idea how badly the OEM ones were worn down. Dad took my car to get oil changed in it and put tires on it. Anyway they were decreed by dad to be unacceptable for me to drive on in winter so off they went. I don't know what he paid the first time but I paid just over $400 last year including installation and disposal. I wasn't finding much cheaper than that for all season anything with decent reviews. The ones replaced last year were completely worn down.

[Opti]

Tire wear depends on type and also a bit on what you are willing to live with. Tire Rack doesn't carry them so I went to the Discount Tire website which does. I prefer Tire Rack in part because of their testing but also they are very good at classifying tires so you have an idea what kind of performance and treadwear you are buying into.

It appears the tires Z has been buying is an all season tire probably with a performance bent given the look of the tread and some of the comments. One of the reviewers said his only lasted 21K miles and there were some noise complaints. The treadwear was 360 and the overall rating was 3 stars out of 5. Z didn't specify tire size so I checked 225/45/17 which went for $96 a tire. The tires currently on my car are a compromise tire for me. They are a summer tire but a little lower on the performance food chain then I'd like.
Probably better than Z's tires which shows slightly in the treadwear of 300 which is high for me as grippy tires I like tend to be in the 180 to low 200 range. Mine are the Yokohama S.drive which got 4 to 4.5 stars depending on which web page you were on. The pricew for tire for these are $134 I think. I expect mine to last at least three years as I drive under 15K/yr and usually use snow tires in the winter. Mine are aging quicker than I think they should possibly from driving on roads graded for repaving for months, but they've made at least 2 years. The third one I expect out of them might be iffy. Unless Z is driving 20,000 miles a year or more he's dumping his tires early.

Z, how much do you drive a year and what are you really looking for characteristic wise from your tires?
Perhaps I can give you ideas. I have a feeling you might be happier if you had two sets of wheels&tires for your Accord if you are going to drive it in winter. 17inch tires are a bad idea for traction on the Accord even if they were snow tires. Too wide. They should be 16s or possibly 15 if 15 is the stock size, i.e. OEM size for that model.

If you figure out where you want to be on the treadwear to performance continuum I can help you pick a tire you will want to keep for at least 2 years at a time. When I have the $$, I go for fairly high end performance which means my treadwear is pretty low.
For those who can't tell the difference, it feels "like the car rides on rails" to quote a reviewer. I'm very sensitive and can always feel the slip so I've never felt that way in spite of owning a few instances of tires that got those reviews.

Lastly, Z some cheaper tires fall apart prematurely or the noise from the tires gets unbearable and people them before half of their tread life is gone. I hope this is not what is happening with your tires. Please post as you appear to spending more than you should on tires given you are replacing them every year.

[ZaireinHD]

I answered you rovo in the other thread

[ZaireinHD]

comments posted from another thread

[ZaireinHD]

comments posted from another thread

[ZaireinHD]

comments posted in another thread

[ZaireinHD]

comments posted in another thread

[Opti]

Z, I'd recommend buying better tires. Are the ones you have even speed rated for 100mph? That's not common BTW and tends to cost more. 85x4x2 is more than 135x4 as an FYI.

In other words, you aren't saving money if you replace your tires every year and you really aren't getting much performance out of them. Your commute is close to one of my old commutes so you are probably in the 12-15K miles per year range. You are tossing your tires prematurely in part because you don't want to pay the upfront costs and instead pay more for less performance a YM NoNo.

The right tires IMO might be the most important part of outfitting your car if you really do want performance and like to drive fast well as opposed to just going fast. FYI, I would have never wasted my money driving my car on the track if I had your type of tires and I only got up to 85mph on the straights that day. It would be marginal with what I have now given when I did go to the track I drove on a version of Bridgestone Potenzas that was rated number one or two in that summer performance tire category. (Extreme performance?)

For a man who says he likes driving I'm really shocked at your tire choice. I was very sad when I downgraded and bought my current tires. I contemplated going for old man cruising tires but it turns out they don't exist in my tire size. The thought of turning my BMW into an imitation Buick haunted me but the treadwear would have been a plus and the added squishyness in the sidewall might have given more protection against
potholes...

Post your tire size next time.

[ZaireinHD]

Mar 2, 2012 21:07:01 GMT -5 Opti said:

Z, how much do you drive a year and what are you really looking for characteristic wise from your tires?

Opti - I read your post all of it swear / I only left your question section to be clear that I answered.

I'm not sure on the actual precise number of miles per year - however I would think /guess it's well over 20k. My Accord was my only car and I like to drive. Plus it's a show car so I go to shows as far as Georgia - which I dive to no trailer. the tires I used to purchase 17/215/55 (i think is the size I would have to look it up)
also when driving to the shows it's like a Cannonball Run (race movie in case you never heard of the movie) when I go with my brothers car club. for shows I enter alone the closer I get there are other car clubs on their way and we get into it for a little while on the highway .....well

I'm not angry that I was purchasing a set of 4 tires per year - just getting ...tired of it? as said it's a show car / it's lower to the ground / can't just go any where to change tires because some shops are not equipped to change the tires + the rims are custom so the shop will need a special something so NOT to cut /scratch the rims.

as said I did read your post and would like to add
it probably would be best to have a smaller rim for longevity of the tire
also I think speed plays a major part as well. the faster I drive the more the tire heats up and looses grip / tread / traction

hope you don't get that I'm upset or anything - I'm not
I'm just simply talking here. no caps, no angry faces

[Opti]

Z, you obviously know much less about tires than I do given your response to Rovo. Most regular folk take treadwear as a sign of quality because they care more about making their tires last than grippiness and roadholding. There are tires with pretty good treadwear numbers, usually 400 and above and yes if you drive in that magic under 80% top performance window your tires will last even longer. Some Michelin tires are loved even though pricier than average is they have better grip than most given the long treadwear, i.e. miles driven per tire. Rick and Rovo are buying regular people tires for the usual reasons.

That being said, you are making expensive mistakes in trying to buy tires for performance. Performance tires have better grip and roadholding with some tradeoff in treadwear because the rubber is usually softer on the tread for the enhanced grippiness. You are replacing your tires as if they were high end extreme summer performance tires known to only last around 20,000 miles. All tires will get less grippy as the tread wears down, however if it is so noticeable to you that you are getting rid of a tire with more than a years worth of tread left you really should consider saving money and buying a better tire upfront.

There are at least a couple of us on the boards who probably know a bit about performance tires. What you have posted so far(all prior responses) is inadequate for us to help you.

[Opti]

Mar 3, 2012 9:00:33 GMT -5 ZaireinHD said:

Mar 2, 2012 21:07:01 GMT -5 Opti said:

Z, how much do you drive a year and what are you really looking for characteristic wise from your tires?

Opti - I read your post all of it swear / I only left your question section to be clear that I answered.

I'm not sure on the actual precise number of miles per year - however I would think /guess it's well over 20k. My Accord was my only car and I like to drive. Plus it's a show car so I go to shows as far as Georgia - which I dive to no trailer. the tires I used to purchase 17/215/55 (i think is the size I would have to look it up)
also when driving to the shows it's like a Cannonball Run (race movie in case you never heard of the movie) when I go with my brothers car club. for shows I enter alone the closer I get there are other car clubs on their way and we get into it for a little while on the highway .....well

I'm not angry that I was purchasing a set of 4 tires per year - just getting ...tired of it? as said it's a show car / it's lower to the ground / can't just go any where to change tires because some shops are not equipped to change the tires + the rims are custom so the shop will need a special something so NOT to cut /scratch the rims.

as said I did read your post and would like to add
it probably would be best to have a smaller rim for longevity of the tire
also I think speed plays a major part as well. the faster I drive the more the tire heats up and looses grip / tread / traction

hope you don't get that I'm upset or anything - I'm not
I'm just simply talking here. no caps, no angry faces

17/215/55 is still relatively high profile. Low profile tires you really need to be careful with are the 40, 35, and below. My stock tires on the BMW were something like 255/17/50 and now I use 225/17/45
which are only slightly less profile wise but I definitely notice it.
Is your car low to the ground because you've lowered it or is part of it from upsizing your tires? If you knew the OEM tire size it would help to know if you did a +1 or +2 upsize on your tires. The greater the upsize yes you do tend to go through tread quicker all things being equal.

Do you mean custom as in one of a kind rims or aftermarket as in not OEM or made by Honda? I have aftermarket rims which sadly the manufacturer no longer makes in the size I got them in.

My guess is your show car is judged more on looks than performance nevertheless given how you are driving you are buying the wrong tires. Make sure they are speed rated for at least 100mph
next time and buy higher on the food chain. If you are recording when you buy your tires you should be recording your mileage as well. If you don't, its possible the place that put the tires on your rims recorded your vehicle's mileage for you. That number is important whether its 15,000, 20,000, or 25,000 to figure out the best tire compromise for you.

I have cheap steel rims for my winter tires and my rims are 16".
Overall I save money on my tires as I don't waste the more expensive performance tires during bad weather(which suck traction wise anyway) and drive on cheaper Blizzak tires in the winter which
grip better than those all seasons you normal folk use. You are mounting tires on your custom rims every year. I don't. You might want to give it a try.

[Opti]

Z, with the treadwear rating on your tires I'd expect them to last 40K miles minimum, possibly lower with your driving but not 21K.

[Opti]

Mar 3, 2012 19:20:37 GMT -5 @rj said:

Rick and Rovo are buying regular people tires for the usual reasons.

I Buy tires sized for my vehicles and I buy a tire that will give me the tread life and rating that I require. I dont need to spend the money on a speed rated tire because the speed limit it 70 MPH. With that being said a tire that is rated higher than the manufacture recommend for daily driving is wating money. How mant time do you drive your car over 100MPH for more than a couple of miles. THERE IS YOUR ANSWER.

If he's tossing tires with significant treadlife prematurely and I'm betting he is, he'd be happier with a high speed rated tire for those long highway trips with the car club folks.

I'm also guessing his tire&wheel combo is a plus 2 from OEM.
You probably drive well-behaved, he's telling us he doesn't. A different type of tire is appropriate. My opinion. In any event, he'll probably choose to do something different than both of us advise anyway.

[femmefatale]

[femmefatale]

Mar 3, 2012 19:45:27 GMT -5 @rj said:

Mar 3, 2012 19:44:22 GMT -5 @femmefatale said:

[rovo]

For what it is worth ..... the last set I replaced, the OEM tire, it was a Goodyear 50 series speed rated (gator-back I think) and they cost $250 each back in '92. I know because I had to replace one very new tire after it was damaged.

I think Z's car is probably all screwed up since it was lowered and this is what is eating the tires.

Currently I'm driving an '06 Accord and with 40K on the tires they look great tread wise. And yes, these are speed rated also but not needed since I seldom do speeds in excess of 120 and only then for short bursts.

[Opti]

Yikes Rovo. I haven't crossed the $200/tire barrier yet.
My old Accord was about the age of his and I think my tires lasted longer than they do now, but it was a different tire size and I didn't have the AWD chewing off tread life quicker either.

Do you want to adopt me and buy me a nice new set of tires later this year?



Hey its OK to dream right?

[ZaireinHD]

Mar 3, 2012 20:27:30 GMT -5 rovo said:

For what it is worth ..... the last set I replaced, the OEM tire, it was a Goodyear 50 series speed rated (gator-back I think) and they cost $250 each back in '92. I know because I had to replace one very new tire after it was damaged.

I think Z's car is probably all screwed up since it was lowered and this is what is eating the tires.

Currently I'm driving an '06 Accord and with 40K on the tires they look great tread wise. And yes, these are speed rated also but not needed since I seldom do speeds in excess of 120 and only then for short bursts.

hey rovo you may be on to something there?
because I lowered my 98 Honda Accord which now has over 250k miles may effect the tread life?

well as it looks like no one noticed or heard or forgot or what ever
I changed tire brands on my last tire purchase

[TD2K]

I can easily go over $200 a tire for my car. I think the last set I bought though were Nitto NeoGens (215/45/17) and the total was around $800. So far, about 40,000 miles on the tires, will get another 10 to 15 thousand out of them. These are high performance all seasons. Before that, I used to run Toyo Proxy 4s. Not sure what I will try next time, the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S interest me.

NASIOC has a thread on tires that I thought would help. Everyone is all over the map on what tires they have tried and how much they liked them, it was not much use


ETA: Just went and looked at the paperwork, I've got just over 45,000 on the tires and they were just shy of $600 for a set of 4, installed, mounted and balanced with road hazard insurance.

[ZaireinHD]

Deleted

[femmefatale]

Good afternoon, Zaire. How are you this fine day?

[ZaireinHD]

off-Topic Comment to Femme

[ZaireinHD]

Deleted for rudeness