FAQ: Which tires work best?

I work at an auto detail shop and most of the Micheline tires i see have cracks in them. They soak up tire shine so much we sometimes have to go over them 4-5 times before they look good.
Also notice the same thing on the general and goodyear touring series as well. Must be b/c of the hard rubber used.

The previous set of Michelines i had were suposed to be a pretty good touring tire (one of their best at the time) and were rated at 80k miles. i got about 35k on them and hated every bit. they would spin to 40 dry (before i had half the mods i do now) and would track, spin, and hydroplane if i got on it at ANY speed in wet weather.

just my 2cents, but i dont believe their touring series fits our cars/my driving style very well. Now the PS/2 tires are probably pretty good

Well, i read what you had to say about the BFG Traction T/A's and decided to try a set of those this time around.

Mr.Riviera wrote:

I work at an auto detail shop and most of the Micheline tires i see have cracks in them. They soak up tire shine so much we sometimes have to go over them 4-5 times before they look good.
Also notice the same thing on the general and goodyear touring series as well. Must be b/c of the hard rubber used.

Funny you should mention that, my General tires also soak up the tire shine very quickly...didn't do that the first time I used tire shine though.

I'll look into those BFG Traction T/A's in, well, 4 years, I guess! Sorry for being so unknowing on this subject, it's my first car and my first time really thinking about tires...I don't know what the regular maintainance schedule is on tires but I thought that since so much stuff was going wrong with my car I should think of every problem that might come up.

I thought you were selling this car.????

Decided against it a while ago.

IBx1 wrote:

I don't know what the regular maintainance schedule is on tires

Rotate them every now and then. I like 10,000 miles but technically it's supposed to be more frequently than that. It will keep wear even and road noise down.

Spent alot of time thinking about it, and decided on getting some Goodyear Assurance Tripletreds. Chose these over Michelin Hydroedge and Yokohama Advan S.4

Also, my experience has been Continental, and Michelin seem to be the worst for weather checking (cracking).

Anyone in and around the St. Louis area should get a hold of me for tires. I can get certain tires to you for $5 over cost plus $10 installation each.

i run a combo of kumhos and as far as i know i have the only communicating tires in the west. when i corner they sing,when i brake they complement my driving,and when i cruise the highways at speed they keep the rhythm of the highway by playing, rumbdha. ..rumbdha ...rumbdha......rumbdha..i would recommend them to everyone

i also run BFG Traction T/A's on my riv i haven't had any problems and in my option there good tires. i was also able 2 pull a 2.097 60 foot with a little less mods than i do now with 22psi in the tires.

I haven't had a chance to try 'em in snow yet, but the Bridgestone Fuzion SRi's that I put on to replace the Firestone Firehawk SH's are pretty good...

The Firehawks had (of course) been discontinued by the time I needed another set. I liked them, though, so I searched for a similar tread pattern in the various Firestone/Bridgestone lines (same company.) Also, for those wondering, the Firehawks had no cracking or checking in the sidewalls, and they were probably at least 6 years old when I wore them out. They looked fine when cleaned with the greatest product ever invented, Eagle One All Tire & Wheel Cleaner... Safe for the chrome rims, and starts pulling the brown crap out of the rubber before you've even finished spraying all the way around the tire!

Anyway, these Fuzions have all the dry and wet traction that the Firehawks had, especially the wet, and they track so tight that you really better be careful with your steering inputs and our fast, straight-ratio steering racks.

The only thing I don't like is that they are noisier brand new than the Firestones were worn out. The car is so aerodynamic and the engine and exhaust noises are so well-controlled that the only thing you hear at 70 mph is the tires... If you have nice new pavement they're hushed, but the typical worn-out roads around hear mean a distinct thrumming from the tires.
.

On my stockers I like BFG Traction TAs. They are quiet, give decent traction in all seasons. They last a long time. I have 60,000 on them and they still have 60% tread left. The only issue I have with them is they are directional tires so you can't rotate them from side to side. Only front to back.

I'm running General Exclaim UHPs and Love them. Had T/As and really liked them but these tires now have wonderful grip , ride very nice , quiet and are cheap. Can't say much for how they wear yet but at 5 or 6k miles on them they still look fine. I think they only come in 17+ sizes though.

I can get anyone a set of 4 BFG Traction T/A's installed for $379.16, plus tax. (225-60/16) They're the 97/T-rated. The v-rated are discontinued, but I MIGHT be able to still get some.

I wish I lived closer to ya! I'm looking at getting new bfgs installed next weekend. Instaling my KGB struts this weekend so it will need a alliment. And my front bfgs are staring to look like drag radiles! LOL so I figured kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

1wickedninja wrote:

I wish I lived closer to ya! I'm looking at getting new bfgs installed next weekend. Instaling my KGB struts this weekend so it will need a alliment. And my front bfgs are staring to look like drag radiles! LOL so I figured kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

Same here. That's a screaming deal!!!!

robotennis61 wrote:

i run a combo of kumhos and as far as i know i have the only communicating tires in the west. when i corner they sing,when i brake they complement my driving,and when i cruise the highways at speed they keep the rhythm of the highway by playing, rumbdha. ..rumbdha ...rumbdha......rumbdha..i would recommend them to everyone

Gee, those people have natural rhythm, don't they?

For you guys running 17 inch wheels, I have a set of BFGoodrich g-Force Sport's, 225-50/17 94W for $475.80-installed, before sales tax.

Sorry guys I haven't been around much. I just switched jobs and have been extremely busy.

Anyway, I ended up going with the Firestone Winterforce tires on all fours. I got them for $98 installed at a very reasonable local dealer here. Nobody else including tirerack could beat their prices when including mounting.

I'd really hate to drive the Riviera in the winter on the stock tires (which on mine were original according to the date code), even with the winterforce tires the car slides around a lot and just feels unpredictable compared to my old car. Maybe I just have to get used to it though.

GMFreak8 wrote:

Sorry guys I haven't been around much. I just switched jobs and have been extremely busy.

Anyway, I ended up going with the Firestone Winterforce tires on all fours. I got them for $98 installed at a very reasonable local dealer here. Nobody else including tirerack could beat their prices when including mounting.

I'd really hate to drive the Riviera in the winter on the stock tires (which on mine were original according to the date code), even with the winterforce tires the car slides around a lot and just feels unpredictable compared to my old car. Maybe I just have to get used to it though.

...actually you need to get the ABS sensor/trac control fixed if you have not yet, that could be a major reason you are unpredictable.

...also, the winterforce are not bad snow tires BUT there are others. I kind of wonder what you thought of the Generals and the Bridgestones.

Albertj

i just bought rims and I'm going to clothe them in, General Grabbers UHP, i know i know they are light truck tires but they are high perf summer tires and do well in the rain(not that it rains in vegas) and last a long time and have excellent handling and grip..... and they look great!

and for 18's you have........... bfg kdw2 in 245/45/18? lol jk

I am running a set of Falken FK452 245 / 35Z / R20. They seem to be a pretty decent tire.

albertj wrote:

GMFreak8 wrote:

Sorry guys I haven't been around much. I just switched jobs and have been extremely busy.

Anyway, I ended up going with the Firestone Winterforce tires on all fours. I got them for $98 installed at a very reasonable local dealer here. Nobody else including tirerack could beat their prices when including mounting.

I'd really hate to drive the Riviera in the winter on the stock tires (which on mine were original according to the date code), even with the winterforce tires the car slides around a lot and just feels unpredictable compared to my old car. Maybe I just have to get used to it though.

...actually you need to get the ABS sensor/trac control fixed if you have not yet, that could be a major reason you are unpredictable.

...also, the winterforce are not bad snow tires BUT there are others. I kind of wonder what you thought of the Generals and the Bridgestones.

Albertj

The ABS and Traction control all work fine. I just hate the sound of it. For the price I couldn't beat the winterforce. I'm getting more used to driving it in the snow now. I guess maybe I was just so used to driving my old car, which I still say is the greatest handling snow car I've driven yet. It just seemed much better balanced overall. The Riviera feels like it has tons of weight in the front and absolutely nothing in the rear.

ABS & TC make noise normally. Most cars with similar systems make the same noise. I like it because it lets me know when the car is going out of control.

Rivieras are not perfectly balanced, but the weight is more evenly distributed than many FWD cars, including Pontiac GTP and Buick Regal. I have never had the rear end swing out. Many things were done to address this, including the rear mounted battery, dual exhausts, and aluminum hood. A 35 lb trailer hitch installed also helps, imo.

Getting back on subject, running good tires can somewhat make up for less than perfect weight distribution, in my experience.