Choosing Your New Tyres

agentr31 · **Reply #30: July 20, 2010, 09:30:35**

Quote from: Lakes on July 19, 2010, 20:53:52

did you weigh the front right side while your in it?

no i weighed it with out me in the car, i needed to go inside the blast proof shelter to read the display!

Lakes · **Reply #31: July 20, 2010, 20:27:12**

Quote from: agentr31 on July 20, 2010, 09:30:35

Quote from: Lakes on July 19, 2010, 20:53:52
did you weigh the front right side while your in it?

no i weighed it with out me in the car, i needed to go inside the blast proof shelter to read the display!

still handy to have accurate scales.

i know the diesel motor is heavy, but i drove a 2L petrol SX for one day around Syd & on motorways the diesel felt more planted and stable but not that much diff, still i would have expected the lighter motor to feel better but was not the case.

cheers

Surferdude · **Reply #32: July 21, 2010, 11:09:02**

The 205/55R16 seems to be the easiest one to replace with something quiet.
I've found a tyre available in Oz which has silica based tread and spiral overlay with a tread pattern which is pretty quiet. It comes on things like Ford Focus and some Mercedes models out of Europe but the Australian version has been seriously tweaked in the tread design for quiet ride as an OE tyre for Falcons.
Made in Asia now but seems to be to the same standards as the original Oz design.

Not sure if I'm allowed to mention it here but it's a Goodyear NCT5 eco.
Mods can delete all the brand names if they want to. If they disappear from this post pm me and I'll provide the details.

To balance things out, there's also a Yokohama which seems pretty good but it's directional.
And for the budget minded, a Kenda Komet with a wider than expected footprint and a quiet, smooth looking tread pattern, however I don't know how hard the compound is and this may have a bearing on noise.

Still working on the 15" alternatives.

And waiting for someone who has 17" wheels to tell me their tyre details.

Dazzler · **Reply #33: July 21, 2010, 11:29:47**

Thanks Trev.. I can't see any reason why we can't mention brands on here you are only giving your opinion and we aren't affiliated with anyone...

snowcherry · **Reply #34: August 03, 2010, 07:29:21**

Quote from: surferdude on July 21, 2010, 11:09:02

And waiting for someone who has 17" wheels to tell me their tyre details.

this is on my tyres

Kumho KH15 225/45 R17 91V

agentr31 · **Reply #35: August 03, 2010, 10:20:18**

225/47? wtf...

snowcherry · **Reply #36: August 03, 2010, 13:29:52**

^hmmm that could have been 45

i've been doing many things and writing lots of numbers today

Surferdude · **Reply #37: August 04, 2010, 10:39:33**

^^^ Yep. 225/45R17 sounds about right.

Dazzler · **Reply #38: August 04, 2010, 13:22:52**

Hi Trev..

The Tyres on my Camry Hybrid are Dunlop SP Sport 300E 215/60 R16 (do you know much about them - are they any good) Assume E is for economy?

snowcherry · **Reply #39: August 04, 2010, 15:33:57**

^oi i'm next! back of the line you camry heathen

Dazzler · **Reply #40: August 04, 2010, 22:01:57**

Quote from: snowcherry on August 04, 2010, 15:33:57

^oi i'm next! back of the line you camry heathen

Surferdude · **Reply #41: August 05, 2010, 01:28:33**

Quote from: snowcherry on August 04, 2010, 15:33:57

^oi i'm next! back of the line you camry heathen

snowcherry, I need to do some research on the 17" stuff.
As I may have said before, once you get into 17" and 45 or 40 series you are never going to get a genuinely smooth and quiet ride.
These sizes are designed with grip and performance in mind, not so much ride comfort or mileage.
I'll come back to you in a day or two.

Quote from: Dazzler on August 04, 2010, 13:22:52

Hi Trev..

The Tyres on my Camry Hybrid are Dunlop SP Sport 300E 215/60 R16 (do you know much about them - are they any good) Assume E is for economy?

The Dunlop 300e had been around for some years now - well before I left Goodyear in 2004.
Not sure where they are made now that there's no factories in Oz but if fitted as OE they'll be made in an Asian factory to our standards (more importantly, to Toyota's standards).
An excellent tyre and up till that time, the only "D" tyre I'd consider fitting to my car.
In fact, they are on my wife's Corolla.
Pretty sure they are silica tread. Also have jointless nylon band construction which means the outer belt of nylon is constructed in the way of true high performance tyres. So it's not just a rubber impregnated sheet wrapped over the belt package. It's wound on in a narrow ribbon giving more accuracy in the roundness (highly technical term, that

)
Anyway, they should be quiet, smooth and pretty good grip. I think they were originally developed in Oz for the upper ranges in the Camrys. And yes the "e" is for "eco" as in the Goodyear NCT5 eco which is a very similar tyre (same company

)

agentr31 · **Reply #42: August 05, 2010, 10:40:49**

i have an idea snowcherry... ill swap you the stock SX 15's for your 17's... straight swap too!

Dazzler · **Reply #43: August 05, 2010, 11:32:41**

Thanks Trev I found a thread somewhere with user reviews on the 300E rated from one to five stars .. but I got the impression they were pretty good (the Camry is certainly quiet although a bit of roar on some surfaces..)

2i30s · **Reply #44: August 06, 2010, 14:09:40**

Quote from: agentr31 on August 05, 2010, 10:40:49

i have an idea snowcherry... ill swap you the stock SX 15's for your 17's... straight swap too!

from memory her rims have some gutter rash,unless its been fixed.

agentr31 · **Reply #45: August 07, 2010, 03:47:30**

meh gutter rash is better than hubcaps... i cant belive they actually still make hubcaps... didnt they go out in the 1960's

Surferdude · **Reply #46: August 08, 2010, 05:44:12**

^^^^ And THERE'S a thing I dislike about my Hyundai.
Bolt on hub caps, which can't be removed without removing the wheel.

Dazzler · **Reply #47: August 08, 2010, 11:10:40**

Quote from: surferdude on August 08, 2010, 05:44:12

^^^^ And THERE'S a thing I dislike about my Hyundai.
Bolt on hub caps, which can't be removed without removing the wheel.

At least they can't just fall off..

With your contacts you'd be able to get 4 nice alloys to suit your existing tyres for under A$80 each I reckon..

snowcherry · **Reply #48: August 15, 2010, 05:08:52**

Quote from: 2i30s on August 06, 2010, 14:09:40

Quote from: agentr31 on August 05, 2010, 10:40:49
i have an idea snowcherry... ill swap you the stock SX 15's for your 17's... straight swap too!
from memory her rims have some gutter rash,unless its been fixed.

*cough splutter*
it still not be a fair swap!

agentr31 · **Reply #49: August 15, 2010, 06:51:55**

ok ok, ill throw in a towel (used condition), a 6 pack of woodstock, a small african stone carving of an elephant AND a hills hoist to sweeten the deal!!!

2i30s · **Reply #50: August 15, 2010, 09:06:10**

Seoul-mate · **Reply #51: August 16, 2010, 10:46:35**

With heavy rain last week, making for slippery roads, my
2.5 year old tyres with 64 000 km showed clear signs of
needing immediate replacement.
Ended up with four new 225/45/17 Pirelli P7 tyres at around
$1140 fitted, balanced and aligned.

I'm now looking forward to at least another 60 000 km with
the quieter, smoother Pirellis.

Dazzler · **Reply #52: August 16, 2010, 10:54:38**

Quote from: Seoul-mate on August 16, 2010, 10:46:35

With heavy rain last week, making for slippery roads, my
2.5 year old tyres with 64 000 km showed clear signs of
needing immediate replacement.
Ended up with four new 225/45/17 Pirelli P7 tyres at around
$1140 fitted, balanced and aligned.

I'm now looking forward to at least another 60 000 km with
the quieter, smoother Pirellis.

64,000 kilometres is a good result Russ.. I have always liked Pirellis

Will be interested to hear your feedback about how much better they actually are...

the 16" Blue Streak GT555+ that I put on my i30 at around 55,000 kms cost me well under $500 but I was fairly certain I was going to be trading her fairly quickly and they were quieter than the Kumhos..

eye30 · **Reply #53: August 16, 2010, 11:52:26**

Quote from: Seoul-mate on August 16, 2010, 10:46:35

With heavy rain last week, making for slippery roads, my
2.5 year old tyres with 64 000 km showed clear signs of
needing immediate replacement.

What is the legal minimum depth for tyre in OZ?

In UK it is 1.6mm across three quarters but the remaining quarter has to have visable tread.

agentr31 · **Reply #54: August 16, 2010, 12:29:15**

when it hits the wear indicator its time for replacement...

or you could be like me...

me - i need 2 rear tyres, some falken ze326's in 215/55 R15 please

tyre guy - ok we have some in stock i can do that for you now

*agent drives car onto hoist*

tyre guy - HOLY SH!7 MATE... ive seen more tread on racing slicks...

*starts removing tyres* WTF they are still sticky and melted, is that what all that noise a few minutes ago was...

me - LOL i like to get maximum usage from my tyres...

eye30 · **Reply #55: August 16, 2010, 12:37:13**

Quote from: agentr31 on August 16, 2010, 12:29:15

when it hits the wear indicator its time for replacement...

What depth is that set at?

agentr31 · **Reply #56: August 16, 2010, 13:21:04**

stuffed if i know... looks about 1mm mabey a little more, all tyres have them just look a touch below the tread on the side wall for a ^ and there will be a raised strip that runs in the groves across the tread, if the tread reaches this point at any spot on the tyre its unroadworthy, im pretty sure...

eye30 · **Reply #57: August 16, 2010, 14:00:04**

Quote from: agentr31 on August 16, 2010, 13:21:04

just look a touch below the tread on the side wall for a ^ and there will be a raised strip that runs in the groves across the tread,

On the side wall you will see writting and it will say the depth within that.

Sometimes written by the ^

snowcherry · **Reply #58: August 17, 2010, 03:45:01**

Quote from: agentr31 on August 15, 2010, 06:51:55

ok ok, ill throw in a towel (used condition), a 6 pack of woodstock, a small african stone carving of an elephant AND a hills hoist to sweeten the deal!!!

hmmm is it a slightly creaky rusty hills hoist with saggy wires?

Surferdude · **Reply #59: August 17, 2010, 04:13:41**

Minimum legal tread depth in most places is 1.6mm.
In the UK, that needs to be around the full circumference of the tyre for the centre three quarters of the tyre. In other words, there is no requirement for there to be any tread visible on the shoulders.
IMO this is crazy, especially in a country where there are often wet and slippery roads.
It is on corners where you are most at risk. And in corners, your tyre has distorted so that most of the car's weight is being carried on the outer half of the tread. In other words, on the part where there is no tread. So, aquaplaning or simply understeering off in a corner is a major risk. I seriously doubt whether too many forum members would continue to drive with tyres in that state but, unfortunately not all drivers are as astute as those of us who frequent these forums.
In Australia, the legal limit is 1.6mm also, but it must be across the full face of the tread which, to me, makes much more sense.
The TWI (tread wear indicators) are set to 1.6mm, so once they are exposed in line with the tread (at any point on the tyre), the tyre is illegal and should be replaced.
Interesting about the Pirellis above. Are they a directional tyre? They are certainly among the better options but be careful where they are made.

Thanks to Toyo for this graph which shows the increase in stopping distance from 80kph as your tyres wear.

Effectively, 20% extra by the time your tyres are at 3.2mm and about 33% extra at the legal limit of 1.6mm. That's a lot more than the width of a pedestrian crossing.
There's a similar chart on etyresUK which shows the distances from 100kph (60mph) and the increase over what happens at 80kph is scary.