New Tyres or Rims?

[Buff Hamster]

I've decided I'm not going to go for rims, mostly since I am considering relocating overseas sometime in the very near future. So given that, I'm back to looking for 215/60 R16 tyres and not upgrading rims. I've narrowed it down to:

- Yokohama C-drive (99V)

- Pirelli P7 (99V)

- Dunlop 300E (95V)

- Marangoni Verso (99W)

- Bridgestone Potenza RE001 or GR-90 (95V)

I am starting to lean towards the Yokohama C drive at the moment, as it seems to have a fairly good blend between handling, comfort and wear. I would however still consider getting the 300E's again, despite the wear rate as they really do grip very well for an OEM tyre. The Pirelli, Marangoni and GR-90 I am not sure about, but were recommended by a few of the tyre shops. DJKOR mentioned the Potenza is fast wearing, but depending on how it compares to the 300E, I might still consider it...

Any recommendations? I'd like to book the car in before the end of the week, as the sudden wet weather the other day made me realise how bad the traction with the worn tyres really is...

Thanks all!

From reading many reviews this is what i found and decided.

For my tyres i decided between Yokohama C.Drive or Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse but will choose Dunlop because both perform about the same and at the same price but the Dunlops last longer.

Both are touring tyres with good grip in dry and wet and are quiet.

I didn't bother with RE001 because they require warming up to get the needed grip. Also they are not so good in the wet, they are noisy and wear is an issue.

The P7 are good tyres but people complain of them being loud.

[dave262]

I've decided I'm not going to go for rims, mostly since I am considering relocating overseas sometime in the very near future. So given that, I'm back to looking for 215/60 R16 tyres and not upgrading rims. I've narrowed it down to:

- Yokohama C-drive (99V)

- Pirelli P7 (99V)

- Dunlop 300E (95V)

- Marangoni Verso (99W)

- Bridgestone Potenza RE001 or GR-90 (95V)

I am starting to lean towards the Yokohama C drive at the moment, as it seems to have a fairly good blend between handling, comfort and wear. I would however still consider getting the 300E's again, despite the wear rate as they really do grip very well for an OEM tyre. The Pirelli, Marangoni and GR-90 I am not sure about, but were recommended by a few of the tyre shops. DJKOR mentioned the Potenza is fast wearing, but depending on how it compares to the 300E, I might still consider it...

Any recommendations? I'd like to book the car in before the end of the week, as the sudden wet weather the other day made me realise how bad the traction with the worn tyres really is...

Thanks all!

From reading many reviews this is what i found and decided.

For my tyres i decided between Yokohama C.Drive or Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse but will choose Dunlop because both perform about the same and at the same price but the Dunlops last longer.

Both are touring tyres with good grip in dry and wet and are quiet.

I didn't bother with RE001 because they require warming up to get the needed grip. Also they are not so good in the wet, they are noisy and wear is an issue.

The P7 are good tyres but people complain of them being loud.

That is a similar impression to what I got also... the biggest let-down with the Yokohama C drives is that they wear reasonably fast. The SP Sport Fast Response appears to have better wear characteristics, while still having fairly similar handling to the Yokohama. I did find a good review site during the research, which did help somewhat in getting a better idea of where each brand has it's strengths.

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Yokohama/C-Drive.htm

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Dunlop/SP-Sport-Fast-Response.htm

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Dunlop/SP-Sport-300.htm

When you look at the review ratings, it becomes fairly clear that regardless of which tyre I get, they are both better than the stock 300E's - and really there is very little between either the fast response or the C drive.

Thanks for the input Hamster! Now the matter of trying to find a shop that has them...

[DreadAngel]

Really? My C-Drives when I had it refused to die... The compound I found it to be pretty damn hard... Performance was reasonable imo but then again you're talking to someone that thinks AD08 and RE11 to be nice! XD

RE001s are my good compromise between performance, longevity and comfort...

Pirelli wise, aim for the upper range (PZero onwards) their lower range are quite... average lol

[dave262]

Really? My C-Drives when I had it refused to die... The compound I found it to be pretty damn hard... Performance was reasonable imo but then again you're talking to someone that thinks AD08 and RE11 to be nice! XD

RE001s are my good compromise between performance, longevity and comfort...

Pirelli wise, aim for the upper range (PZero onwards) their lower range are quite... average lol

I guess in most cases it depends on how you drive. I take many corners every day, but even at slow speeds they seem to wear the tyres somewhat around the edges. However. the center tread seems to be okay still and has plenty left.

If I could, I would look more into the higher end, but given I may relocate overseas, it doesn't make sense to spend the extra money on upgrading to expensive rims and tyres...

[Buff Hamster]

You can get Yokohama C.Drive from Bob Jane

You can get Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse from Beaurepaires.

RE001 are good in dry but not so good in wet. Comfort i would question that. RE001 are hard compound tyres so comfort is nearly 0 on them while Dunlop and Yokoahama are soft compound.

Also the tyre pressure you use can determine how well the tyre performs. Currently i'm using 39psi front and 37psi back and it works well.

[dave262]

So I ended up getting the Dunlop Fast Response tyres, and first impressions driving in the sudden rain that came out of nowhere - the difference from the Dunlop 300E's even when brand new is just night and day! Steering is now so light that you can steer it with one finger, swerving or taking corners is an instant response, and even driving along tram tracks doesn't result in the "ice skate" effect. Even accelerating fairly heavy from the lights with the front wheels on the white line doesn't even trip the traction control!

I am extremely impressed so far, especially since the comfort and noise levels of the tyre are better than the 300E's in addition to the above.

Regardless, I would recommend them on first impressions - will see how they are after 10,000km ;)

[Buff Hamster]

I'm planning to use 235/45R17 tyres in the future but i'm curious about something. Knowing that the recommended rim size for this tyre is 17x8, is it possible to use 17x7 rims on a 235/45R17 tyre?

[DJKOR]

I'm planning to use 235/45R17 tyres in the future but i'm curious about something. Knowing that the recommended rim size for this tyre is 17x8, is it possible to use 17x7 rims on a 235/45R17 tyre?

Personally, for the 17x7's on the Aurion, I wouldn't go any larger than 225/50R17. Not only will this give a really fat tire (unless you really want that look), you are not really getting any benefit from it.

But most of all, a 235/45R17 should only be used on a 7.5 inch wide wheel at the minimum. If you were to got for a 235 wide tire, it would have to be a 235/50R17, but my statement in the paragraph above still applies.

[BlueBird]

What is the recommended tyre size for a 18" kappa wheel?

For comfort and quiet ... which brand tyre is better ... Just hope to have more choices available, thinking of getting 5x new kppa wheels and thus 5x new tyres.

[Buff Hamster]

I'm planning to use 235/45R17 tyres in the future but i'm curious about something. Knowing that the recommended rim size for this tyre is 17x8, is it possible to use 17x7 rims on a 235/45R17 tyre?

Personally, for the 17x7's on the Aurion, I wouldn't go any larger than 225/50R17. Not only will this give a really fat tire (unless you really want that look), you are not really getting any benefit from it.

But most of all, a 235/45R17 should only be used on a 7.5 inch wide wheel at the minimum. If you were to got for a 235 wide tire, it would have to be a 235/50R17, but my statement in the paragraph above still applies.

Thanks for confirming this for me. The only problem is 235/45R17 is cheaper than 225/50R17 by quite a bit because Ford and Holden use 235/45R17 for their cars. For the tyres i'm looking at they don't make it in 235/50R17 but they do make it in 245/45R17 so that size should be closest to the stock size. I guess i'll be looking for 17x8 rims then.

What is the recommended tyre size for a 18" kappa wheel?

For comfort and quiet ... which brand tyre is better ... Just hope to have more choices available, thinking of getting 5x new kppa wheels and thus 5x new tyres.

Kappa wheels at 18" use 245/40R18 tyres but expect to pay $380-500 per tyre. If you want the best possible tyres for grip and comfort combined IMO go with Michelin Pilot Sport 3. I got a quote of $449 per tyre fitted.

[u54mot]

What is the recommended tyre size for a 18" kappa wheel?

For comfort and quiet ... which brand tyre is better ... Just hope to have more choices available, thinking of getting 5x new kppa wheels and thus 5x new tyres.

Kappa wheels at 18" use 245/40R18 tyres but expect to pay $380-500 per tyre. If you want the best possible tyres for grip and comfort combined IMO go with Michelin Pilot Sport 3. I got a quote of $449 per tyre fitted.

Kappa's 18x7.5 = 225/45R18. The PS3's in this size are load rated at 91, so you won't be able to use these.

For more information go to this topic: Help me Choose Tyres for 18x7.5 Kappas

[Buff Hamster]

What is the recommended tyre size for a 18" kappa wheel?

For comfort and quiet ... which brand tyre is better ... Just hope to have more choices available, thinking of getting 5x new kppa wheels and thus 5x new tyres.

Kappa wheels at 18" use 245/40R18 tyres but expect to pay $380-500 per tyre. If you want the best possible tyres for grip and comfort combined IMO go with Michelin Pilot Sport 3. I got a quote of $449 per tyre fitted.

Kappa's 18x7.5 = 225/45R18. The PS3's in this size are load rated at 91, so you won't be able to use these.

For more information go to this topic: Help me Choose Tyres for 18x7.5 Kappas

opps my bad.

If the load rating is 91(690kg) isn't that fine for the Aurion? 2760kg in total is more than enough to hold the Aurion (1600kg) + passengers and extra stuff.

[DJKOR]

If the load rating is 91(690kg) isn't that fine for the Aurion? 2760kg in total is more than enough to hold the Aurion (1600kg) + passengers and extra stuff.

It's not just the weight of the car and extras, you have to consider the forces the tire experiences under acceleration and braking. More weight shifts backwards and forwards and the rear or front two tires then have to support more weight.

Plus it is illegal not to have load rated tires, and if you get in an accident you may not be covered.

[mikka]

I got my Federal 595RPM's for $202 a corner fitted in Brisbane - so far so good, massive handling improvement, minimal ride degradation compared to the Dunlop 16's. Only issue has been the change in the speedo over-read, its up to about 10kph according to my GPS.

[CONROD]

I'm planning to use 235/45R17 tyres in the future but i'm curious about something. Knowing that the recommended rim size for this tyre is 17x8, is it possible to use 17x7 rims on a 235/45R17 tyre?

You will find the recomended wheel width to suit a 235/45-17 tyre is 8 inch.

The overall diameter of the 215/55-17 is------668.3

235/45-17 is------643.3

Difference is-------3.74% or 25mm

which means your speedo is going to read an extra 4kmh on top of what it is already reading.

Are you considering using those tyres because of how cheap they have become due to how many vehicles have them now as standard equip.But be WARNED if they have a lower load rating as per the original tyres as stated on the tyre plackard inside your door jamb and you are involved in an accident the Insurance Company will drop you like a hot turd, no questions asked. So is it really worth the price of your car for the sake of a few hundred dollars to put the correct rubber on with a load Index of 93 or higher. DJKOR sounds about right on the money recomending an increase to 225/5017 as long as the payload,and speed index is met

The overall diameter of the 225/50-17 is-----656.8 if it helps you out

[Buff Hamster]

I was looking at tyres for my parent's landcruiser and my brother's Rav4 and i came across the Toyo Open Country H/T tyres. The OCHT also came in 215/60R16 95H and i was wondering if i could use it.

If i was to use this tyre is there any problem using it? I know it's an SUV tyre but what problems would occur if it was to be put onto a sedan?

[DJKOR]

I was looking at tyres for my parent's landcruiser and my brother's Rav4 and i came across the Toyo Open Country H/T tyres. The OCHT also came in 215/60R16 95H and i was wondering if i could use it.

If i was to use this tyre is there any problem using it? I know it's an SUV tyre but what problems would occur if it was to be put onto a sedan?

First problem... there is the possibility that they can be illegal as they are not designed for use on a passenger car and insurance will may cover you.

Secondly, they would be noisy and perform completely different to a car tire. Have a read of the following for the general differences:

http://www.ehow.com/about_5575266_passenger-tire-vs-suv-tire.html

Edited: They aren't specifically illegal but it's a possibility.

[Buff Hamster]

I was looking at tyres for my parent's landcruiser and my brother's Rav4 and i came across the Toyo Open Country H/T tyres. The OCHT also came in 215/60R16 95H and i was wondering if i could use it.

If i was to use this tyre is there any problem using it? I know it's an SUV tyre but what problems would occur if it was to be put onto a sedan?

First problem... they are illegal and insurance will not cover you.

I think you need to firstly go look at the tire placard on your car and look at what it says the load and speed rating minimums would be. Then have a look here: http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html#speed

Secondly, they would be noisy and perform completely different to a car tire. Have a read of the following for the general differences:

http://www.ehow.com/about_5575266_passenger-tire-vs-suv-tire.html

Thanks for the help. Never knew that putting SUV tyres on a sedan is illegal.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Hamster

[CONROD]

I was looking at tyres for my parent's landcruiser and my brother's Rav4 and i came across the Toyo Open Country H/T tyres. The OCHT also came in 215/60R16 95H and i was wondering if i could use it.

If i was to use this tyre is there any problem using it? I know it's an SUV tyre but what problems would occur if it was to be put onto a sedan?

Hamster,fair dinkum,dont take this the wrong way,but mate do you actually know the difference between tyres for cars and tyres for 4 Wheel Drives.

To save alot of frustration go to your local Bob Jane or similar tyre dealer on a saturday morning and hang out there for an hour and ask the blokes all the questions you want about whats suitable and whats not for your particular needs,just dont tell them that you were thinking of putting the tyres off your oldies Cruiser on your Aurion

[Buff Hamster]

I was looking at tyres for my parent's landcruiser and my brother's Rav4 and i came across the Toyo Open Country H/T tyres. The OCHT also came in 215/60R16 95H and i was wondering if i could use it.

If i was to use this tyre is there any problem using it? I know it's an SUV tyre but what problems would occur if it was to be put onto a sedan?

Hamster,fair dinkum,dont take this the wrong way,but mate do you actually know the difference between tyres for cars and tyres for 4 Wheel Drives.

To save alot of frustration go to your local Bob Jane or similar tyre dealer on a saturday morning and hang out there for an hour and ask the blokes all the questions you want about whats suitable and whats not for your particular needs,just dont tell them that you were thinking of putting the tyres off your oldies Cruiser on your Aurion

I was just curious. I knew they were heavier and of different design but i wasn't sure if SUV tyres would work in a sedan.

[CONROD]

I was looking at tyres for my parent's landcruiser and my brother's Rav4 and i came across the Toyo Open Country H/T tyres. The OCHT also came in 215/60R16 95H and i was wondering if i could use it.

If i was to use this tyre is there any problem using it? I know it's an SUV tyre but what problems would occur if it was to be put onto a sedan?

Hamster,fair dinkum,dont take this the wrong way,but mate do you actually know the difference between tyres for cars and tyres for 4 Wheel Drives.

To save alot of frustration go to your local Bob Jane or similar tyre dealer on a saturday morning and hang out there for an hour and ask the blokes all the questions you want about whats suitable and whats not for your particular needs,just dont tell them that you were thinking of putting the tyres off your oldies Cruiser on your Aurion

I was just curious. I knew they were heavier and of different design but i wasn't sure if SUV tyres would work in a sedan.

I am glad you wrote back mate. I was not being a smart ar*e mate, but no they would not be suitable for your Aurion mate as it would be the same as putting tyres off a wheel barrow on a mini, but really mate get first hand advice from your local tyre dealer and if they cant help go to another one

as whats good for someone else doesnt meen it would suit you, cheers

[Buff Hamster]

I decided between sticking with my 16" steels and using Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse (215/60R16) or going up to 17"x7" alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 3 (225/50R17). If i do get the alloy wheels i'm looking at for cheap i'll go with the 17" option.

[CONROD]

I decided between sticking with my 16" steels and using Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse (215/60R16) or going up to 17"x7" alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 3 (225/50R17). If i do get the alloy wheels i'm looking at for cheap i'll go with the 17" option.

Good choice mate, just a thought check out your Melbourne trading post as there is always a few sets of original 17x7-17 alloy sportivo wheels being sold for bargain prices complete with tyres,

due to being replaced with aftermarket items. You can still go with your 225/50-17 tyres, that way Your happy, Insurance company is happy, come to think of it everyone will be happy

Cheers mate take care

[BlueBird]

Now I just got 5x 18" kappa wheels ... need to source for tyres, I was quoted ku31 cost $235 ea ... not incl. fitting.

[Buff Hamster]

I'm considering using 225/60R16 tyres very soo. My current tyre size is 215/60R16. The speed difference is 1.804% more but considering my speedo is slower by 4-5% the 1.8% shouldn't be much of an issue.

Is there any other issue that i should know?