FAQ: Which tires work best?

deekster_caddy wrote:

don't forget to your old tires for fun!!!!!!

I don't think my 137,000 mile original transaxle will like that very much I go sideways in my 70 Stage1 all the time though, and that's plenty of fun, along with an occasional trip down the track (see the links in my signature)

Got the Yokahama TRZ's, mounted on the Chrome Riviera wheels. Got 32 psi in them. I'm very pleased. They are a perfect balance of ride comfort and handling, and they are quiet.

Glad to hear it!

Here's the Riviera Chrome wheel, and the Yokohama AVID TRZ tire.

Just an FYI here.......I'm not in any way affiliated with the company but I do recommend them.

Last week I purchased a set of four P225/60/R16 tires from Discount Tires aka America's Tire. The tire brand name is Arizonian not sure who they're made by. Anyway the price was right at $380 otd, and so far they handle well and are quiet.

Anyone needing tires might want to check it out. I've dealt with this company for several years now, the service is fast and includes free rotation and pressure checks. All they do is tires so you'd have to take it somewhere else afterwards if you also need alignment.

Steve in cold Northern Nevada.

Thanks for the info, Steve. $380 is a great deal for a new set of tires! Report back and let us know how they work out for you.

One of the things I miss about living in Phoenix, AZ is Discount Tire (they don't have any stores in NY) - bought tires for all my cars at Discount when I lived in AZ. I needed tires for my '98 Riviera before my cross-county trip in April - they didn't have the tires I wanted in the size I needed in stock, so they upgraded me to Pirelli P4's for the same price as the less expensive tires.

I've had Arizonian's on other vehicles, and they wear well (last a long time). I'm not affiliated with them in any way, but the only store I miss more is Costco.

I'm going to refurb my stock rims and get some tires for those this winter. Then refurb the 18"s while they are off the car.

Looking at Tirerack. Found Yokohama Avid-S tires for $388 shipped. They have a very good rating and that seems like a decent deal. Anyone do better than that? I have access to a mounting and balance machine here at home so I can save on those costs.

DEMonte1997 wrote:

I'm going to refurb my stock rims and get some tires for those this winter. Then refurb the 18"s while they are off the car.

Looking at Tirerack. Found Yokohama Avid-S tires for $388 shipped. They have a very good rating and that seems like a decent deal. Anyone do better than that? I have access to a mounting and balance machine here at home so I can save on those costs.

I'm very happy with the Yokohama AVID TRZ's I bought about 2 weeks ago. They are 18.00/tire more expensive.

DEMonte1997 wrote:

I'm going to refurb my stock rims and get some tires for those this winter. Then refurb the 18"s while they are off the car.

Looking at Tirerack. Found Yokohama Avid-S tires for $388 shipped. They have a very good rating and that seems like a decent deal. Anyone do better than that? I have access to a mounting and balance machine here at home so I can save on those costs.

Is this for the stock rims?

Yes sir.

Pulled the trigger and they already arrived this evening.

Not usually so hasty but it seemed like an alright deal and I snagged a job up in Northern CT where it snows more than down on the coast by me. The 18s are too tough to deal with in snow. Heck, I shouldn't even be using them in the winter just to preserve them... that's another story.

I'm going to sand down the blemishes off the stockers and then paint them flat primer black. Will throw up some pics when I get them on. Depends on when we can get to mounting them.

I tried to post a teaser pic of the center caps before.... Didn't seem to take or otherwise I'm loosing it??

Anyway... here it is.

Wheels hopefully mounted on tires this weekend.

Tire Rack has the Firestone Firehawk Wide Ovals - Link

Are these not the best tire for the stock rim anymore?

IMO, yes one of the best for the money on a stock rim - if cornering and acceleration are your primary goals. They aren't the longest lasting tire (~35k mi), and you don't want to run them in the snow.

just ordered a set of 2 sumitomo HTR tires in 245/45/18. I got them for the rear of my riv because they were the cheapest i could find at $129 ea.



Dont look too bad, but i really dont expect much out of them since they will be on the rear only. BFG g-force tires up front for traction.

I am hoping i can keep a cheaper set on the rear for 2 years and change the front out every year. This is getting too expensive changing 4 tires out almost every year.
I want a touring tire that has low weight, low roll resistance, long lasting and the ability to slide in hard turns. They really dont make that in 245/45/18 so cheap will have to do for now.

UPDATE It has been a year since I put Michelin HydroEdge on my car. A little less expensive than MXV4's. They are a little stiffer and noisier but are much better in light snow and rain. Tread pattern looks very sporty. Size on both is Plus Zero (235/60-16)

deekster_caddy wrote:

Eldo wrote:

If you like Michelin, you probably like soft & quiet...

My Michelin Pilots were quiet, but NOT soft... I loved them.

Michelin Pilots are lovely... my family's Infiniti G35 rides them, and they handle really well.

I wound up buying another new set of Michelin Symmetry's. They're a nice ride on my Riv, I find. Not terribly quiet or soft, but definitely work well for the driving I do (mostly highway).
Got the full set + installation at Costco for $510.

Overall not too bad, but one of them developed a sidewall bubble within 2 weeks of getting them. Costco replaced it for free but that was annoying to have at the outset. They have a good warranty program there. They've been on my Riv for about 10K miles now I'd guess? Need to rotate them soon.

nvsteve wrote:

Just an FYI here.......I'm not in any way affiliated with the company but I do recommend them.

Last week I purchased a set of four P225/60/R16 tires from Discount Tires aka America's Tire. The tire brand name is Arizonian not sure who they're made by. Anyway the price was right at $380 otd, and so far they handle well and are quiet.

Anyone needing tires might want to check it out. I've dealt with this company for several years now, the service is fast and includes free rotation and pressure checks. All they do is tires so you'd have to take it somewhere else afterwards if you also need alignment.

Steve in cold Northern Nevada.

You have Kelly Navigators under the Discount name brand. I considered them for my Roadmaster wagon for the white sidewall, but I am not a Kelly fan. I put the Indy Firehawks on it instead, and contrary to someone else' opinion of how the handle in the snow mine worked great on a 4400 lb RWD beast.

Not puttin the poop to your Arizononians, they will last a long time. My experience with the Navigators is after 20,000 miles they tend to sing at highway speed. A very good value tire though and I did like the long wear on my S-10.

I just cut a deal at Belle Tire for 4 Michelin Symetry 225/60/16's , mounted balanced out the door for $493. All that I want is a whisper from my Riviera.

Now if only I could latch onto a nice clean set of Factory Chrome wheels for this sled. ||||||||

FireHawk Indy are all-season M&S, should work fine for snow.

AA wrote:

FireHawk Indy are all-season M&S, should work fine for snow.

Agreed. Good self cleaning tread and pretty quiet after a 5 minute driving warmup. Not too quiet initially as they seem to take bumps better after a couple of minutes and smooth right out.

They really helped with the wagon sway which was the final determining factor. That and the "buy 3 get one free" promo.

The Roadmaster wrote:

My experience with the Navigators is after 20,000 miles they tend to sing at highway speed

My experience is that any tire will do this if not rotated enough/alignment suspension issues causing unusual wear.

deekster_caddy wrote:

The Roadmaster wrote:

My experience with the Navigators is after 20,000 miles they tend to sing at highway speed

My experience is that any tire will do this if not rotated enough/alignment suspension issues causing unusual wear.

I'm sure we share the same passion for maintenance of our vehicles. That being said, the Navigators were a good tire for me, they just got loud is all. Free rotation and balancing is a good incentive to keep your tires in good shape if nothing else.

I usually get a pretty hefty estimate for repairs every time I take it in for rotation. Getting it up on a hoist and having them point out "defects" in my vehicle is a good point for a full service garage as opposed to a "tire shop" that uses a floor jack. When they point out "their" defects to you it allows you to do a quick visual of the rest of your car.

$105 to replace sway bar links?? Thank You for caring about your customers!

The Roadmaster wrote:

I'm sure we share the same passion for maintenance of our vehicles. That being said, the Navigators were a good tire for me, they just got loud is all. Free rotation and balancing is a good incentive to keep your tires in good shape if nothing else.

I usually get a pretty hefty estimate for repairs every time I take it in for rotation. Getting it up on a hoist and having them point out "defects" in my vehicle is a good point for a full service garage as opposed to a "tire shop" that uses a floor jack. When they point out "their" defects to you it allows you to do a quick visual of the rest of your car.

$105 to replace sway bar links?? Thank You for caring about your customers!

That's what keeps the rotation and balancing "free"!! Some customers will buy those extras. I do all that myself.

I recommend rotating tires every time you get an oil change - oil change intervals are longer than they used to be, and it's easier to remember. Just an observation I guess. Not trying to defend those tires! Other people are generally a lot pickier than me when it comes to road/tire noise levels, so it has to be pretty darn loud (remember old snow tires?) before it bothers me.

Snow tires have gotten quieter? Mine are still pretty darn loud! You are better than I with rotation discipline. I get alignment service about once per year, so I don't see any adverse wear driving 10k miles between rotations.

deekster_caddy wrote:

That's what keeps the rotation and balancing "free"!! Some customers will buy those extras. I do all that myself.

I recommend rotating tires every time you get an oil change - oil change intervals are longer than they used to be, and it's easier to remember. Just an observation I guess. Not trying to defend those tires! Other people are generally a lot pickier than me when it comes to road/tire noise levels, so it has to be pretty darn loud (remember old snow tires?) before it bothers me.

Dead on the nuts! Service Day. ( It's also why Firestone says 3000 miles between rotations no doubt )

If it's a long haul trip I wait 'til the end of the road for oil change and rotation. The interstate isn't as bad as city driving on oil or tires. However, if I am away from home and see a $19.95 oil change special at a dealer I jump on it. They're trying to get you in to up-sell you so I will take advantage of their offer and decline the additional offerings.

Snow tires?? You mean those F78-14's I had on my 67 Tempest with an OHC-6?