Hi peeps,
I have to get 4 new tyres and im wondering would it be cheaper just to get tyres or would it be better just to get new rims and tyres, plus maybe safer because lower profile etc.

Thoughts?

Standard tyres have a high aspect ratio. Becasue they are a bastard size they are also expensive.


You can easliy fit 17" rims and 235/45/17's, AND get a decent load rating.
I have Dunlop Sport Maxx on for the 3rd time. Grip in wet and dry is unbelievable.

Have a look at the Motor tryes test results for 2008.
From memory, and I may be wrong. Goodyear first. Falken FK 452 second and the Dunlops 3rd.

Originally cost $1200 with nice rims from AGR in Sefton in Sydney.
At the moment the tyres are $220 each.

However, if you are a bit enthusiastic you should at least make sure that you have an 18 mm rear sway bar.

The lower profile and slightly higher tyre pressure makes an big difference on how precise the handling is, especially turn in to corners.

Gerry

Rims + tyres is my plan for when I've consumed these tyres. I know it will be a big improvement.

In fact, I've got a Excel Spreadsheet open on my PC right now with my tyre calculator and notes.
I'll probably reuse some 17" wheels from my previous car, although they seem heavy and I'd prefer light weight rims this time.

By my calculations, a 235/45/17 tyre is 21.1mm too small a diameter - this would be illegal in NSW and I assume WA is the same.

235/45/18 is 4.3mm larger diameter than stock.
235/50/17 is 2.4mm larger diameter. Both of these should be fine to use.

(Stock is 215/60/16, isn't it? That's what the above was based on)

Make sure you're confident on the size before you buy & drive with them though.

On tyre price, I need to investigate a little more. Spud, what tyres are $220 each?
My local "Tyre King" quoted me for 17" tyres - $125 was the cheapest tyre he had and $150 was for some "good" Falkens. Sorry but I don't know the specific models.
Oh, and 19" Kumho's were $280 each ($1120). My 17" wheels + Khumo tyre package was just $1100!

Cheers! Oggy.

I posted this awhile ago. Anyhow, the stock 215/60R16 tyres really needs 6.5" wheels (Falcon and Commodores have them) and not 6.0" wheels. Hence no matter how much you pump them, like 40psi, they still buldge alot and hence wear out the shoulders faster then the centres. My stock Grid II did not last at all. Have bought 17x7" wheels and originally fitted 225/50R17XL tyres which were rated 95" but because they are not as popular a tyre were expensive. I now use 225/55R17 tyres which are cheaper. One reason for this is they are an OEM sized tyre for the VE commodors. I found that both the 225/50R17 and 225/55R17 tyres lasted/lasts longer than the 215/60R16 tyres. I am planning on going to 18" in the near future.

Edit: Both 235/45R18 and 235/50R17 are expensive as they are again not a common size and only a few manufacturers make them. I was quoted $350.00 per tyre for a michellin 235/50R17 from a local Bob Jane T-Mart.

Just spoke to bob jane and they said that Maxxis MAV1 235/45 R17 will fit the beast, I currently have on the car 215/60 R16
Oh,
Im thinking of getting their "shadow" model of rims.

$220 is for the Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres. As I said at AGR tyres in Sefton, Sydney.

I know that the diameter is a bit smaller, however on 17 x 8 rims they really do work well.

There is a minimal clearance to the rear uprights on the inside and a finger width under the front spring seats.

I also lowered the car and spent some time to make sure that the camber front and rear was not too excessive, also put on the increased caster bushes.
Works well.

Speedo is 4% high at 110 KPH against my Satnav.




Gerry

Just spoke to bob jane and they said that Maxxis MAV1 235/45 R17 will fit the beast, I currently have on the car 215/60 R16
If you like to go fast, spend the extra on the MA-Z1s. Very grippy tyre in both the wet and dry - should be a fair step up from the V1s.

Just spoke to bob jane and they said that Maxxis MAV1 235/45 R17 will fit the beast, I currently have on the car 215/60 R16
Oh,
Im thinking of getting their "shadow" model of rims.

As Oggy said before, the difference in OD between stock 215/60R16 and 235/45R17 is too big (664mm vs 644mm >= 3%) and will render it illegal, no matter if it has the correct load rating.

Bob jane just said to me
"This is all within legal requirements. If something is not legal I will not do it."
Now I dont know what to do.

Are the Maxxis MAV1 235/45 R17 going on the standard 16" rim?

nup, on 17's

235/45 x 17 are also too wide for 7" wheels. Minimum width needed is 7.5" and even that is marginal. 8" is better but front tyres will be out past the guards.

On the way back from Europe I called in on Graham and he has fitted his AWD with 7.5" wheels with 36.5mm offset and 215/55 x 17 tyres and they are only just inside the front guards.

Cheers,
Alan

its a risk you need to assess. the chances of the being pulled up on it are so bloody slim its not funny. You would have to get pulled up by Hitler on a bad hair day. There is nothing dangerous about it, just a stupid stupid rule in place that shouldn't affect things on the lower end of the scale like this.

My speedometer runs truer at 110kmh comparing to GPS reading than my dads VZ commodore on standard wheels lol

http://catalogues.bobjane.com.au/imageicon/BJT/PROD/J00005483/C_001/PAGE_007/PAGE_007_OFFER_0011D33A.JPG

I was going to get Shadow 17"

235/45 x 17 are also too wide for 7" wheels. Minimum width needed is 7.5" and even that is marginal. 8" is better but front tyres will be out past the guards.

On the way back from Europe I called in on Graham and he has fitted his AWD with 7.5" wheels with 36.5mm offset and 215/55 x 17 tyres and they are only just inside the front guards.

Cheers,
Alan

I am not sure if it is an AWD thing, but on my FWD 3rd gen, 7 inch wide 17's with 235/45 are no where near the edge of the front guards. I agree that the tyre is not suitable for 7 inch wide rims with a small bulge around the circumference, and is not allowed, but I haven't failed a pink slip test, and the cops couldnt care in the slightest when pulled over. Nearly all tyre places I have been to havent batted an eyelid to fitting this size tyre to this rim.

I am not sure if it is an AWD thing, but on my FWD 3rd gen, 7 inch wide 17's with 235/45 are no where near the edge of the front guards. I agree that the tyre is not suitable for 7 inch wide rims with a small bulge around the circumference, and is not allowed, but I haven't failed a pink slip test, and the cops couldnt care in the slightest when pulled over. Nearly all tyre places I have been to havent batted an eyelid to fitting this size tyre to this rim.

On 7" wheels 235/45 will be way inside the front guards. Its only on 8" wheels with 35-38mm offset that the tyre walls are hanging out.

Tyre places couldn't care less generally. But why put 235/45 on a narrow 7" wheel? The tyre can't work properly and will wear more quickly. Grip and tyre life will be better with 215/55, and good quality tyres will be cheaper too.

Cheers,
Alan

17 x 8 with the correct offset fit nicely under both the front and rear guards.
This is even with excess negative camber at the rear eliminated.

I have never had a problem with the tyres contacting either on the bodywork or the suspension components.

8" rims are legal on an AWD as the standard rim width is wide enough.

Tyre does not have a floppy sidewall because the fit to the rim is good.

Hence my earlier comment about turn in.

When I first had my Sports AWD and the standard GII's, the sidewalls flexed first before the car would start changing direction, coupled with the standard weak 16 mm rear bar and I was wondering why everyone raved about the AWD.

After changing rims & tyres and doing the rear bar it became a different car.

In Sydney I would not even consider a lower aspect ration than 45 as the roads have way too many potholes.
A friend with a Commondore SS with 18's has replaced 3 rims in 2 years because of pothole damage.

Gerry

So, is it ok to get those rims/tyre's?

Anyone in WA can do "mates rates"?

What about

215/55R17 ??

What about

215/55R17 ??

Watch the load ratings in that size - I haven't seen anything higher than 94 (not that I've checked exhaustively) and the tyre spec plate says 95 is the minimum. Also, my GPS suggests that the speedo in my TJ under reads by about 1km/h with the stock 215/60x16s so I'm very wary of installing any tyre/wheel setup that increases the rolling diameter... I've been contemplating 225/50x17 though I note the comment earlier about being less commonly available.

By my calculations, a 235/45/17 tyre is 21.1mm too small a diameter - this would be illegal in NSW and I assume WA is the same.



It's not too small. The legality lies in the fact that the OD can be 15mm smaller than the smallest size available for the vehicle. The smallest available wheel for a 3rd gen magna - ANY magna, is 205/65/15 whilst the largest is a 215/60/16.




Minor changes to wheels
Wheels up to 26mm wider than the largest optional wheel recommended by the vehicle manufacturer for the
vehicle can be fitted without the need to notify the RTA.

The outside diameter of the wheel and tyre combination must be no more than 15mm over the largest diameter
wheel and tyre combination specified for the vehicle and not more than 15mm below the smallest diameter wheel
and tyre combination specified for the vehicle.



A magna is after all a magna, no matter what badge you put on it, be it VRX, Sports, AWD etc. It's not a model specific law.

Load rating/ speed rating however are different & do need to meet or exceed those stated on the tyre placard on the vehicle.

As for these 'larger' sizes people are mentioning, I'm running around on 235/45/18, 35+ offset, with nothing hitting/ rubbing. Although, if I hadn't of used a heat gun to shape/ mould the front inner guard linings, it'd be rubbing like hell - which would, most definitely be illegal.

On a related note, I've been trying to get a handle on offsets. Looking at the 16x6 stock wheels on mine, the only number I can see that makes sense as an offset is 46... Can anyone point me at definitive info about this?

Alan J's comments about guard fit with +36.5mm offset wheels, and the fact that I've read that tyre clearance is limited in the rear (~10mm with stock wheels, though unknown if 6" or 7" rim) makes me wonder what offset options are optimum. I have seen lots of +45mm offset wheels; only a few in +36, +38, +42 & many unspecified....

I haven't been under mine with a measuring device as I lack suitable facilities.

Read this. (http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72616)

I went with stock in the end.
The 17" just look the same as the 16", I personally would go for a 19" if it was legal

On a related note, I've been trying to get a handle on offsets. Looking at the 16x6 stock wheels on mine, the only number I can see that makes sense as an offset is 46... Can anyone point me at definitive info about this?

Alan J's comments about guard fit with +36.5mm offset wheels, and the fact that I've read that tyre clearance is limited in the rear (~10mm with stock wheels, though unknown if 6" or 7" rim) makes me wonder what offset options are optimum. I have seen lots of +45mm offset wheels; only a few in +36, +38, +42 & many unspecified....

I haven't been under mine with a measuring device as I lack suitable facilities.

Yes, OEM wheels have 46+ offset. With Alan J's comments with fitting 36.5+mm offest, means the wheels stick out 9.5mm. This means you have to what whether the tyres stick out of the guards or not. Maximum change in offset is 12.7mm which equates to 0.5" which is because the maximum track change is 1" (25.4mm).

I went with stock in the end.
The 17" just look the same as the 16", I personally would go for a 19" if it was legal

Hmm, I thought the 2" max increase in wheel diameter rule was abolished a long time ago with good old SA the last to do so.

Watch the load ratings in that size - I haven't seen anything higher than 94 (not that I've checked exhaustively) and the tyre spec plate says 95 is the minimum. Also, my GPS suggests that the speedo in my TJ under reads by about 1km/h with the stock 215/60x16s so I'm very wary of installing any tyre/wheel setup that increases the rolling diameter... I've been contemplating 225/50x17 though I note the comment earlier about being less commonly available.


Yes correct 215/55 x 17 will be either 93 or 94 load rating. They are the same diameter as 215/60 x 16 so do not change speedo reading.

Cheers,
Alan

On a related note, I've been trying to get a handle on offsets. Looking at the 16x6 stock wheels on mine, the only number I can see that makes sense as an offset is 46... Can anyone point me at definitive info about this?

Alan J's comments about guard fit with +36.5mm offset wheels, and the fact that I've read that tyre clearance is limited in the rear (~10mm with stock wheels, though unknown if 6" or 7" rim) makes me wonder what offset options are optimum. I have seen lots of +45mm offset wheels; only a few in +36, +38, +42 & many unspecified....

I haven't been under mine with a measuring device as I lack suitable facilities.

The Lancer EVO 8" x 17" wheels are 38mm offset and with 235/45 tyres just clear the rear suspension link according to Graham. His brother has an EVO and they swapped wheels. However he says the front tyres walls stick out past the top of the guards, and Graham has more neg camber so with stock camber they would stick out more. The tyre tread was inside the guard so are technically legal but might still get unwanted Police attention. Plus Graham said it looked awful.

Falcon BA & BF XR6/XR8 have 36.5mm offset 8" x 17" wheels and same stud pattern as Magna so you could try a set and see.

8" x 17" with 42mm offset would likely fit the front, and they would move the tyre further inwards but on the rear you would need illegal spacers to get the tyre away from the suspension link.

Cheers,
Alan

The Lancer EVO 8" x 17" wheels are 38mm offset and with 235/45 tyres just clear the rear suspension link according to Graham. His brother has an EVO and they swapped wheels. However he says the front tyres walls stick out past the top of the guards, and Graham has more neg camber so with stock camber they would stick out more. The tyre tread was inside the guard so are technically legal but might still get unwanted Police attention. Plus Graham said it looked awful.

Falcon BA & BF XR6/XR8 have 36.5mm offset 8" x 17" wheels and same stud pattern as Magna so you could try a set and see.

8" x 17" with 42mm offset would likely fit the front, and they would move the tyre further inwards but on the rear you would need illegal spacers to get the tyre away from the suspension link.

Cheers,
Alan


If 38mm offsets stickout then 36.5mm offsets will stick out 1.5mm extra.

The Lancer EVO 8" x 17" wheels are 38mm offset and with 235/45 tyres just clear the rear suspension link according to Graham. His brother has an EVO and they swapped wheels. However he says the front tyres walls stick out past the top of the guards, and Graham has more neg camber so with stock camber they would stick out more. The tyre tread was inside the guard so are technically legal but might still get unwanted Police attention. Plus Graham said it looked awful.

Falcon BA & BF XR6/XR8 have 36.5mm offset 8" x 17" wheels and same stud pattern as Magna so you could try a set and see.

8" x 17" with 42mm offset would likely fit the front, and they would move the tyre further inwards but on the rear you would need illegal spacers to get the tyre away from the suspension link.

Cheers,
Alan

Alan, with respect to Graham, his 'just clearing' the rear suspension must have been by a mile.

I had 18x8" wheels on mine for a while - 38mm offset with 235/45/18 tyres. A larger OD overall & plenty of clearance. Not much, but nothing rubbed/ scrubbed. So the way the rear knuckle is shaped, by dropping the OD & keeping the offset the same, it's obvious there'd be more room. Grelise & Doddski, I think are both running 245 wide tyres on their AWD's. 38 offset too, I think.


As for the front - it's the same as the FWD, plenty of people here running 235 wide tyres & 38+, 35+ offset.

I run 19x8.5 with 245's +38 offset and have no problems. And the front wheels dont stick out on mine.

I just posted in tech section on similar topic, but here's a brief: fitted 245/45/17's on 17x8 'Rays' brand rims..... Love it!! (will measure offset tomorrow)

Alan, with respect to Graham, his 'just clearing' the rear suspension must have been by a mile.

I had 18x8" wheels on mine for a while - 38mm offset with 235/45/18 tyres. A larger OD overall & plenty of clearance. Not much, but nothing rubbed/ scrubbed. So the way the rear knuckle is shaped, by dropping the OD & keeping the offset the same, it's obvious there'd be more room. Grelise & Doddski, I think are both running 245 wide tyres on their AWD's. 38 offset too, I think.


As for the front - it's the same as the FWD, plenty of people here running 235 wide tyres & 38+, 35+ offset.

Remember physical tyre sizes vary a lot from whats molded into the sidewall. I checked with Graham and the tyres that just cleared were Yokohamas but Dunlop, can't remember the type, wouldn't even sit on the hub.

If you measure a lot of tyres you will find the sizes are all over the place. The 235/45 I have measured have been from just under 8" across the tread to almost 9". Average size was just over 8.25". The diameter also can change. Generally Continentals are about 5mm larger than average and some budget cheapies will be smaller.

The 215/60 x 16 Bridgestone Turanza on my spare is 6.5" across the tread but my Bridgestone Grid IIIs are an inch wider.

I saw his car with 215/55 x 17 on 7.5" wheels and the fronts are only just inside the guards.

How the suspension geometry is set up will also affect clearances.

Cheers,
Alan

I run 235/45 Marangoni Maxxis on Mits 380 17 inch rims, no problems at all, correct load rating I've heard the diameter stuff on this forum, but a much better choice for discounts etc. Re-registered no cop problems. I will go to 225/50 by 17 next change, hoping for a slightly softer ride.

I run 235/45 Marangoni Maxxis on Mits 380 17 inch rims, no problems at all, correct load rating I've heard the diameter stuff on this forum, but a much better choice for discounts etc. Re-registered no cop problems. I will go to 225/50 by 17 next change, hoping for a slightly softer ride.
There's not much difference in profile height between 235/45 and 225/55, about 6mm. Better off going to 225/55 and you don't need to get the XL rated ones as well which costs more.

There's not much difference in profile height between 235/45 and 225/55, about 6mm. Better off going to 225/55 and you don't need to get the XL rated ones as well which costs more.

Any thoughts in this size, with correct load rating? Good handling etc?

Any thoughts in this size, with correct load rating? Good handling etc?
With the 225/50R17 XL with 95 load rating Hankook Optimo HQ, ride was quiet and much firmer than OEM 215/60R16 Grid II. Though it was on the expensive side at $280 a corner. Changed to 225/55R17 98 load rating Maxxis Z4S at $250 a corner. Still as quiet, quieter than the Z1. Still plenty of grip due to the nature of AWD. Ride is also less harsh but tyres sidewall still does not bulge and I run them at 40psi front and back and plus my car weighs in at 1700kgs without me.

With the 225/50R17 XL with 95 load rating Hankook Optimo HQ, ride was quiet and much firmer than OEM 215/60R16 Grid II. Though it was on the expensive side at $280 a corner. Changed to 225/55R17 98 load rating Maxxis Z4S at $250 a corner. Still as quiet, quieter than the Z1. Still plenty of grip due to the nature of AWD. Ride is also less harsh but tyres sidewall still does not bulge and I run them at 40psi front and back and plus my car weighs in at 1700kgs without me.

Thanks, is the higher profile riding any better?

Remember physical tyre sizes vary a lot from whats molded into the sidewall. I checked with Graham and the tyres that just cleared were Yokohamas but Dunlop, can't remember the type, wouldn't even sit on the hub.

If you measure a lot of tyres you will find the sizes are all over the place. The 235/45 I have measured have been from just under 8" across the tread to almost 9". Average size was just over 8.25". The diameter also can change. Generally Continentals are about 5mm larger than average and some budget cheapies will be smaller.

The 215/60 x 16 Bridgestone Turanza on my spare is 6.5" across the tread but my Bridgestone Grid IIIs are an inch wider.

I saw his car with 215/55 x 17 on 7.5" wheels and the fronts are only just inside the guards.

How the suspension geometry is set up will also affect clearances.
Cheers,
Alan

This is so true.

I've got my front set to -1.5 degrees camber, so this probably helps with the front - although mine are just legal at the front, maybe a bit too close for some people.

The rear hasn't got as much adjustment available though, but I see your point on tyre sizes varying from brand to brand. I must've just got lucky with mine. I only tried one brand & it fit.

Thanks, is the higher profile riding any better?

Its got fairly firm sidewalls so no noticeable sidewall flex. Steering is very responsive when cornering hard.

On a related note, I've been trying to get a handle on offsets. Looking at the 16x6 stock wheels on mine, the only number I can see that makes sense as an offset is 46... Can anyone point me at definitive info about this?

Alan J's comments about guard fit with +36.5mm offset wheels, and the fact that I've read that tyre clearance is limited in the rear (~10mm with stock wheels, though unknown if 6" or 7" rim) makes me wonder what offset options are optimum. I have seen lots of +45mm offset wheels; only a few in +36, +38, +42 & many unspecified....

I haven't been under mine with a measuring device as I lack suitable facilities.


Yes, OEM wheels have 46+ offset. With Alan J's comments with fitting 36.5+mm offest, means the wheels stick out 9.5mm. This means you have to what whether the tyres stick out of the guards or not. Maximum change in offset is 12.7mm which equates to 0.5" which is because the maximum track change is 1" (25.4mm).

Seems to be some confusion here about offset and how it affects things. Swapping from OEM wheels with 46mm offset to 7.5" wheels with 36.5mm offset as Graham has done does not mean Graham's wheels stick out by 9.5mm. The maths isn't as simple as 46 - 36.5 = 9.5mm.

The stock 6" and stock 7" wheels are both 46mm offset, but the 7" wheel will stick out 12.7mm more.

To calculate how far the rim moves inward and outward with different wheel widths and offsets takes some calculations. Basically you have to figure how much rim sits either side of the face of the hub.

Rim width outside the hub = (rim width" x 25.4 x 0.5) - offset

Rim width inside the hub = (rim width" x 25.4 x 0.5) + offset

Taking the stock 6" wheel with 46 offset

Rim width outside the hub = (6 x 25.4 x 0.5) - 46
76.2 - 46
30.2mm



and Rim width inside the hub = (6 x 25.4 x 0.5) + 46
76.2 + 46
122.2mm


So a stock 6" wheel with 46 offset has 30.2mm outside the hub face, and 122.2mm inside the hub face.

Graham's 7.5" wheels with 36.5 offset are 58.75mm outside the hub face, and 131.75mm inside the hub face.

This means they stick out 58.75 - 30.2 = 28.55mm more and they go inward 131.75 - 122.2 = 9.55mm more

Rather than try to measure clearance to suspension or body its generally easier to use a round piece of steel, wood, drill, allen key etc. Start off with something too small and progress up until it won't easily slide in the gap.

I asked Graham to send pictures of his wheels. They aren't very clear but will give an idea of what 7.5" wheel and 215/55 looks like at the front. He has 1.5 deg neg camber so the top of the wheels lay inward further than stock too. A straight edge against the tyre wall was only 2mm inside the outside top lip of the guard.

Cheers,
Alan

Sorry I can't add the pictures. The "additional options" doesn't have a link to insert pictures any more. What has happened to this?

Alan whilst not questioning your maths, can you explain the maths used on this site & compare it to yours.
I've been using this (http://www.wheelsmaster.com/rt_specs.jsp?item=Wheel-Tire%20size%20comparer&showRim1=1&showTire1=1&sw1=215&ar1=60&bd1=16&rd1=16&rw1=6.0&et1=45&showRim2=1&showTire2=1&sw2=245&ar2=45&bd2=18&rd2=18&rw2=8.0&et2=42&text1=&text2=) online calculator for a while now but if what your saying is correct, then it's not really what I should be using.

Oh & you need to upload the image to imageshack/ photobucket or similar & link it back to here.

:stoopid:
Yep, especially when both tyres are 215mm. That is, 215/60R16 on 16x6 with 46mm offset vs 215/55R17 on 17x7.5 with 36.5mm offset. The overriding dimension is the dimension of the tyres. If you are looking at the wheels alone, then its a different story.

Alan whilst not questioning your maths, can you explain the maths used on this site & compare it to yours.
I've been using this (http://www.wheelsmaster.com/rt_specs.jsp?item=Wheel-Tire%20size%20comparer&showRim1=1&showTire1=1&sw1=215&ar1=60&bd1=16&rd1=16&rw1=6.0&et1=45&showRim2=1&showTire2=1&sw2=245&ar2=45&bd2=18&rd2=18&rw2=8.0&et2=42&text1=&text2=) online calculator for a while now but if what your saying is correct, then it's not really what I should be using.

Oh & you need to upload the image to imageshack/ photobucket or similar & link it back to here.

That sites maths are confusing because they are not really calculating true wheel offset. For example a 6'' wheel is 152.4mm wide so with 0mm offset the width of rim inside and outside the hub will be 76.2mm, or half the rim width.

Thanks for the info on how to attach pictures. I'll see if I can get it figured out later.



:stoopid:
Yep, especially when both tyres are 215mm. That is, 215/60R16 on 16x6 with 46mm offset vs 215/55R17 on 17x7.5 with 36.5mm offset. The overriding dimension is the dimension of the tyres. If you are looking at the wheels alone, then its a different story.

No, the overriding dimension isn't the width of the tyres. The overriding thing is whether the tyre touches the body or suspension, or sticks out past the body. Wheel width and offset, tyre width and tyre carcass profile, and suspension alignment all affect the outcome.

Cheers,
Alan

Ok, thanks for that. I actually hadn't noticed that before.

Alan and others, thanks for the confirmation of the +46 factory offset.

I did find a way to have a look under the rear suspension, and while I didn't try to actually measure the clearance, it does appear that the clearance is least with the curved rod connecting the upper and lower suspension arms where it curves over the top edge of the tyre sidewall. The 10mm clearance figure I had seen written somewhere looks about right to me, for the stock 16x6 rims with the 215/60R16 tyres I have fitted.

Here are the pictures of 215/55 x 17 Maxxis Z1 on Graham's AWD at front. Wheels are 7.5" with 36.5mm offset.

http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz294/AlanJoy/leftfront.jpg
http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz294/AlanJoy/leftfront2.jpg
http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz294/AlanJoy/rightfront.jpg
http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz294/AlanJoy/leftfront2.jpg

Cheers,
Alan

So who of you lot have had to have a camber kit or camber pins fitted. Im running Kuhmo KU31 all round and its chopping the crap outa the inner side of the two front tyres. The car was lowered before i bought it but i have no idea of how much.

So who of you lot have had to have a camber kit or camber pins fitted. Im running Kuhmo KU31 all round and its chopping the crap outa the inner side of the two front tyres. The car was lowered before i bought it but i have no idea of how much.


When you say 'chopping', what do you mean? Are the tyres wearing quicker or are they scalloping?

Wearing quicker

So who of you lot have had to have a camber kit or camber pins fitted. Im running Kuhmo KU31 all round and its chopping the crap outa the inner side of the two front tyres. The car was lowered before i bought it but i have no idea of how much.

When lowered it may have ended up with too much neg camber. Wrong toe, wheel width or wheel offset will also affect wear.

Even with stock spring height and driven mainly on straight highways you can have excessive wear on the inside. For straight highways or slow driving you don't want more than about 0.7-0.9 neg camber. If you drive hard on twisties up to about 1.5 neg is generally needed.

Cheers,
Alan

I've got Kuhmo Ecstas on mine. 235/45/18 Y rated. Tyre shop man ranted and raved about them. I find them to be be quite average.

Reasonable dry/wet grip, reasonable life (35-40000kms expectancy with tyre rotations), fairly robust tyrewall but the one redeeming feature is that they are very quiet for a hi-po low profile tyre except under hard braking.
Oh and they look quite nice with a understated aggressive tread pattern.

Overall, nothing spectacular or special but not bad. Not for $220 a pop anyway.

Bob jane just said to me
"This is all within legal requirements. If something is not legal I will not do it."
Now I dont know what to do.

i dont know what state your from but in QLD i thought the rule for wheels was you could go 1.9 or 2 standard sizes bigger than standard
eg if you come stock with 16's you can legaly have 17's and maybe get away with 18's ive asked multiple cops about this when ive been pulled over. ? dont know if it helps

firstly had Accelera 235/40 18 95XL, they chewed inside front tyres, but great dry grip $186ea

then maxxis in 235/40 18 91, not correct load rated and would have voided my insurance. grip very ordinary $149ea

now Accillies ATX Sport 235/40 18 95WXL, ave in dry but superb in wet $145 ea

on the other AWD tried goodyear excellence (ave), new G GridII (ave) up to Nexen- great mileage.

that all i have to say. load rating, load rating.

i dont know what state your from but in QLD i thought the rule for wheels was you could go 1.9 or 2 standard sizes bigger than standard
eg if you come stock with 16's you can legaly have 17's and maybe get away with 18's ive asked multiple cops about this when ive been pulled over. ? dont know if it helps

Seriously? I've encountered so many cops that don't have a clue about rules - really.

here's a quote from the QLD Transport department's rules on wheels, dated 2008, at this URL http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/Home/Safety/Road/Standards/Light_vehicle_modifications/

Low Profile Tyres:
It is common practice for manufacturers to fit low profile tyres to high performance motor vehicles as standard equipment.
Low profile tyres (e.g. 50 series), replacing standard profile tyres (e.g. 70 series or above), are normally fitted in combination with rims of larger than standard diameter to maintain the correct overall diameter of the wheel.

The rim diameter may be varied from the standard size but the overall diameter of the tyre must not vary by more than +15mm or -26mm.
These limits have been set for a number of reasons.
Varying the overall diameter of tyres affects ground clearance, centre of gravity, brake effectiveness, steering geometry, performance and speedometer accuracy.
Generally, to meet these limits, 60 series tyres are fitted to rims with a diameter 26mm larger than standard and 50 series tyres are fitted to rims with a diameter 50mm larger than standard.


That's all the Qld book says about wheel diameters - so you can increase the wheel diameter as much as you want, as long as the tyre diameter is within +15 to -26mm of the manufacturers specified tyre.

That means that if you can source some 205/25 tyres, you can have 23" rims! (edit: this is assuming the original wheel is a 205/65/16)

But if you do something silly like 20+" rims, carry the rules in the glovebox to explain to unknowing police officers that it is within the legal limitations set by the roads authority.

Hey guys.
Just thought i would post that i just clocked oer 60,000k's on my current set of Bridgstone Turanza ER300's this week and they still have a good 10,000 in them.

As stated before in anothe thread, i have the 225 55 16 size rather than 215 60 16.
Advantage is wider tread pattern for more grip and to protect the rims from misses gutter rash.
Also look much better than stock size.
Am 100% happy with them, couldnt ask for more really balancing between perfmance and comfort.
I couldn't believe it when i worked out how many k's ive done on them. Was very suprised as my last set of origional ER30's in stock size only got me like 40,000 and i drive it harder now than before.
And also, they tyre wear is also perfect.

I have Pirelli P6 215/60/16 (standards on factory rims). they handle very well with minimal noise. At only $145 a tyre is a good buy for those who are not upgrading from the factory alloys. I have a TW VRX AWD.

I have been unlucky though and ballooned the side wall from a pothole and had to replace it.

Does anyone know of a better standard tyre for the AWD?

I've been using Yoki C drives for just on 12 months, and they are buggered at 28,000k's, including a puncture last week which has forced the tyre question on me again. and a $175 instant purchase.

Before that I ran Bridgestones, 40,000k's from a set, ( and I thought that was bad! ) they were very good tyres, no real complaints, but the Cdrives are far superior now that I'm thinking about it.
Braking will really snap your neck in a full on stop; wet, dry, dirt handling all excellent. Softer compound too I suppose.

Anyway, I will keep my rant on "long life tyre plans" to myself for now; if I think I can control the tyre runout I will buy consider another set,

but when you see the mileage Familywagon is getting from the Bridgestone er300's, I'm thinking you couldn't go wrong there. These may also be made in AUSTRALIA.

I loved the Yokahamas I had on an old car. They were only good for 20,000kms with my driving, but cheap enough that I didn't care.

Oh, and on a light and powerful FWD, they had almost as much grip in a straight line as my AWD Magna! (I love Yokkies!)

No tyres at all made in Oz anymore.... Falcodore tyres have "Made in China" written on them (mind you, a lot of Falcodore parts are anyway!).

C Drives rock. I don't have an AWD, but rate C Drives enough to put my two bobs worth in anyway :) Have had lots of Yokos over the years - good stuff.

Some Bridgestone tyres were made here in Adelaide but the factory closed recently. With AWD inheritently having more traction, I find even the Maxxis Z4S is good.

No tyres at all made in Oz anymore.... Falcodore tyres have "Made in China" written on them (mind you, a lot of Falcodore parts are anyway!).

C Drives rock. I don't have an AWD, but rate C Drives enough to put my two bobs worth in anyway :) Have had lots of Yokos over the years - good stuff.

2 friends with Subarus (a Forester and a 3l Outback) both loathed the Geolanders fitted as OE, and ended up with Michelins (XM1 and MXV8 respectively).

Had a set of XM1s on my AWD and was reasonably happy with them apart from being only ordinary in the wet - neither better or worse than the OE Turanzas or the Firestone Firehawk Wide Ovals that are on the car now in that regard. I did find the XM1s returned excellent fuel economy; consistently 0.5l/100km better around town than the other 2, and up to that on long trips (1 trip from Canberra to Port Macquarie was 9.2l/100km with cc set to waste no time but attract no attention). Got 36000km out of them, and would have got more if I'd twigged to the fronts being slightly under inflated at 36psi... Find that I need to run the Firestones at 40psi in the front to minimise the shoulder wear.

At least some of the Bridgestones are still made in Japan (rather than elsewhere in Asia); was looking at an ER300 in 225/50R17 this week that was so marked. Pity it was only 94 load rated :(

Andy.

Geolanders are universally panned as being very very ordinary.... Most tyre makers make good one and bad ones ;)

I have Michie Energy tyres on my ride at the moment, and they certainly do well on the economy front, and crisp handling in the dry. Fun in the wet though... They were a stellar deal at the time, but if I did it again I'd get C Drives.

Is there a trend here for the Michelins being ordinary in the wet? They are one of the options I'm looking at now, but I really want an excellent wet weather tyre. The C drives are really a level above most of the others, and to be fair they have worn kind of evenly, so I am sort of thinking of putting another set on;so expect that January next year I'll be here whinging about tyre wear if I do.

But, if anyone is thinking of selling some TL VRX factory 17"s let me know.

Its always the tradeoff - wet performance vs longevity. Silica compounds have resulted in more acceptable compromises, but it still holds true as a rule.

All depends on your priorities. Plus a set of top shelf Michie Pilots will be an entirely different proposition to base model XM1s ;)

I had a pair of C drives on my VRX AWD to match the Grid II, 215/60/16. I used the spare and one new Grid II initially and couldn't wait to get them off. Compared to the pair of Grid II on either the front or rear they tramlined and were skatey and unpredictable in the wet. At 20,000km with lots left when the Grid IIs were done, I swapped all 4 for Marangoni Vanto 225/55/16 which were very good. Lasted about 35,000 km, terrific in the wet, quiet and fine in the dry. I now have 20,000 km on BS Adrenaline 001 225/55/16 and they are the best so far, although they do work the shoulders a bit, so they need a bit more air than the others which makes then a bit harsher in their ride. I did not like the C Drives on my VRX AWD at all, shockers.

Steve

Hey guys.
Just thought i would post that i just clocked oer 60,000k's on my current set of Bridgstone Turanza ER300's this week and they still have a good 10,000 in them.

As stated before in anothe thread, i have the 225 55 16 size rather than 215 60 16.
Advantage is wider tread pattern for more grip and to protect the rims from misses gutter rash.
Also look much better than stock size.
Am 100% happy with them, couldnt ask for more really balancing between perfmance and comfort.
I couldn't believe it when i worked out how many k's ive done on them. Was very suprised as my last set of origional ER30's in stock size only got me like 40,000 and i drive it harder now than before.
And also, they tyre wear is also perfect.

I'm curious as to your tyre management regimen (rotations/pressures etc) and the alignment specs used (if known) - care to share?

Andy.

Also family wagon, what rim width do you have?

I did not like the C Drives on my VRX AWD at all, shockers.

Well there you go - first bad thing I've heard about them.

And adding to the obvious theory that different cars need different tyres. The comment in the 380 forum from the Mitsu Oz chassis developer struggling with the handling compromise on sports models being upset by tyre patterns was interesting.

I drive French cars (Renaults, hence the username. And the owner of a 2nd Gen wagon for my Mum, hence my presence here ;) And kinda struggling to stop myself getting a 380... As a proper greenie, I struggle with its fuel consumption, but as a petrolhead I struggle to resist the grunt and very fine chassis.....) which have a long history of being tied to Michelin tyres - this is because this French tyre maker was the maker of the first ever radial tyre in the 1940's and Citroen set its Traction Avant model (which means "front wheel drive" in french) chassis up around it.

Frogmobiles have had radials ever since, and in the days when crossplys were still the norm was when the reputation "French cars must have Michelins" stuck. These days Michelin make good tyres - but not the best for ALL cars.

No French car makers makes a decent AWD sedan, so I would suggest Michelin are not automatically the best for the AWD Magna. But then again, Michelin dont make tyres only for the French car makers anymore (and have not done so for a long time!). The Yoko C Drive works really well on a number of French car models - I know some Renault Fuego drivers who swear by them for example, and I put some on a friends Peugeot 406 to very very good effect.

Have a regard to what Mitsubishi specified as the OE tyre, and go from there. There is no such thing as the "perfect tyre for all cars"

I have Michelin Primacy LC on my AWD and have founf the great in both wet and dry. Have had the on for just on 10 months and have done about 12000kilometers on them.

Hi Renoman,

In years gone by I have done many entertaining kms in an R10 and R16TS. Generally on Mich X, XZX and XAS. I also quite like old Pugs, did a few kms in a 404 and a 504. A mate up the road has a wrecking yard full of Cits. the Frogs don't build them like they used any more though... Showing my age now! I got a set of XZX from the wreckers last year for the front of my VW based farm buggy which I built years ago, which is something different again. The old cross ply winter treads finally perished! Used to run duals on the back, but swapped back to singles and use old 15" tyres off my 4wd now, but too big for the front. FWIW the buggy is mid engined with Kombi reduction hubs reversing the drive, a tube frame, and the 'bonnet' is effectively a 6x4 box. Great for fencing and wood hunting on my rough bush block. I can take it places most can't take a 4x4. No overhangs, and a completely flat bottom means bouncing through gullies and over rocks is fun.

And yes, there is no 'universal' tyres. I've had good success with Yokos in years gone by, but the C Drives just did not work on my VRX AWD, IMHO. I actually passed them on to a mate who had a TJ wagon to finish wearing them out, with a warning based on my experience, and he thought they were OK. He had previously had Falkens and ended up with ER300s on it when he sold it.

Maybe the wider VRX rims stretched them a bit and contributed to the tram lining versus the standard AWD rims?

Steve

fitted bridgestone ecopias today, hopefully they will give me what I am after.

Hey vrex.

In what style of tyre and what size?
The 'ecopias' name seems to be addd to a lot of bridgstone tyres these days.

they are ep100, 215/60 16. treadwear is 400 compared with 300 of the C drives so that should help mileage. they claim better fuel economy too so that would be a bonus.

Just put a set of Pirelli P7 on standard 16" rims 215/60/16 for a TJ AWD.

Took them for a lashing in the wet and dry and was very impressed. At $155 a tyre and for everyday use these will hopefully go well.

hmmm. anyone getting more that 40000k on 215/60/16 tyres?
need new tyres at the moment
otherwise, i'll just stay with standard tyres....

hmmm. anyone getting more that 40000k on 215/60/16 tyres?
need new tyres at the moment
otherwise, i'll just stay with standard tyres....

Read my posts. 215/60R16 tyres in my mind are too wide for 6" wide rims (Ford and Holden fit them to 6.5" rims). Its the extra sag causing extra should wear that causes premature demise.

hmmm. anyone getting more that 40000k on 215/60/16 tyres?
need new tyres at the moment
otherwise, i'll just stay with standard tyres....

[QUOTE=djnewy;1201123]Just put a set of Pirelli P7 on standard 16" rims 215/60/16 for a TJ AWD.

Took them for a lashing in the wet and dry and was very impressed. At $155 a tyre and for everyday use these will hopefully go well.[/QUOTE

Jason,

I have Pirelli P6 on my other TW VRX AWD and they will push past 40k easily. The P7 is the upgraded model of the P6 and worth a try!

Good luck

Read my posts. 215/60R16 tyres in my mind are too wide for 6" wide rims (Ford and Holden fit them to 6.5" rims). Its the extra sag causing extra should wear that causes premature demise.

remember that some 16's came with 6.5 inch wide rims like early sports and vr-x.s

remember that some 16's came with 6.5 inch wide rims like early sports and vr-x.s
Yes but JasonC has a KL Verada AWD which came with 16x6" wheels as did mine.

Yes but JasonC has a KL Verada AWD which came with 16x6" wheels as did mine.

and standard with 215/60 tyres...

will look at the P7s. happy to look at other options

215 60 16 are not too wide for the stock Verada rim.

I am running 225 55 16 and they are not even to wide for the rim. They are perfect in my opinion.
Excellent grip levels due to extra width and as stated before, i've got over 60,000 out of my last set of bridgstones and still going with a lot of spitited driving.

noticed the P7 215/60R16 on "sale" at bob jane for $159
that a good price?

what price are the Bridgestone EP100's?

noticed the P7 215/60R16 on "sale" at bob jane for $159
that a good price?

what price are the Bridgestone EP100's?

I paid $155 at Jax. Still not too bad as I have seen them for $165.

DJ

I paid about $180 for the EP100s. Car is starting to show better fuel economy which I was dubious about at first ( one of the claimed benefits of ecopias), but maybe I'm not on the throttle so much since they don't have the grip the Yokies had.

Thinking that the 225 er300s per Family Wagon may be the better way to go, a bit more rubber on the road would help with the less sticky tyre.

Also I keep coming back to bridgestone being factory fitment is an advantage over Pirelli.

Also I keep coming back to bridgestone being factory fitment is an advantage over Pirelli.

I found the Bridgestone Grid II's good as the tyres originally came with the car but the are discontinued now. You have stated that they dont grip as well as the yokies (I assume C drives?) therefore how are they are better tyre? lol

I put a set of dunlops on my TJ AWD a few years ago as the dealer said they put this tyre on the new falcons and they were rubbish. Lots of wheel noise, didnt like going around corners at any speed. I guess they matched the falcon's after all lmao.

I just wouldnt say the factory manufacturer would always be the best. Remember the tyre companies are marketing to the car makers and I am sure Mitsu would have been more focussed on price as their strongest motivator.

DJ

Ep100's aren't a better tyre, they will save me some money overall by the looks, without loosing too much grip.
C drives are unbelievable for grip, but wear faster.

How do you rate the Pirellis now they have been on for a while?

How do you rate the Pirellis now they have been on for a while?

As I said below the P6's will last more than 40,000 km without compromising on grip. For a standard 215/60/16 tyre on original mags I cannot fault them on my TW VRX AWD.

I have put on last month the newer model P7's and cant fault these yet so far on grip performance. They are sooooo much better than the dunlop SP200's that I replaced.

How many km's did you get on the C drives?

Thinking that the 225 ....

Does anyone know if you lose overall mileage by going to the wider 225 tyre on standard TW VRX rims?

I am thinking of doing this for my next set?

c drives, 26,000 before they went ordinary, 28,000 shagged. But it was a different car with them on. So I'd better get well over 40,000 out of these to make up for extra grip

c drives, 26,000 before they went ordinary, 28,000 shagged. But it was a different car with them on. So I'd better get well over 40,000 out of these to make up for extra grip

so you have the 225 55 16's on now?

215/60's, they were in stock and I needed them that day. if I went the 225 er300 route I would expect heaps more k's than 4o,ooo, that is why I think that may have been a better way to go.

I got 66,800 out of my original stock Turanzas from new. So that's what I put back on. Just last Saturday. They look pretty pedestrian at 16" but to surround the car for $600 and have them for 5 years closes the deal for me @ $120 a year.

Besides I live in Victoria so you can't drive fast or corner quickly or do anything that might require a high performance tyre. That would be hooning.

Don't know if anyone is interested, but I just had a quick phone call with the friendly guys at the local Kmart Tyre & Auto
I asked about the price for a Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin (should be the RE001), and in the 215/60/16 95V, they quoted me $173 per tyre. That sounds like a whole lotta tyre for a very low price..

(oddly enough, going to the 225/55/16 the price jumps to $243)

Discuss.... :P

(I only asked about the 215's as a side note as I didn't originally think the Adrenalin came in 215/60/16 and was surprised at the outcome)

Yeam i'm getting new tyres in the n ext few weeks. Am going to run the 225 55 16 again as they are great.
Currently have the ER300's which have been awsome all round tyre with over 60,000k's on them is great. Could puch another 5 to 10,000 if i wanted.
But think i will try the Adrenalin RE001's. Not expecting the same life out of them but worth it for the extra grip aparently.
Quotes so far.
ER300 $175
RE001 $250 both from a bridgstone dealer. Rang a tyrepower and they can match the re001 but cant come close on the ER300.

ER300 $175
RE001 $250 both from a bridgstone dealer. Rang a tyrepower and they can match the re001 but cant come close on the ER300.

Interesting.. I wonder if they didn't missquote the ER300s, cause I have the bridgestone "Holiday Sale" catalogue in front of me (in the mail about 2 days ago).
There ER300s are listed as $175 for a 225/60/16, but $199 for 225/55/16

(I never did understand how a tyre with less rubber is more expensive, but oh well...).

Its all due to supply and demand. Tyres cost less if more cars use them as OEM size or common +1,+2 etc sizings. 225/50R16 would be even cheaper. Standard sizes are:
185/75R14
205/65R15
215/60R16 or 225/50R16
235/45R17 (225/50R17 are a bit more expensive in XL form and 225/55R17 likewise).

So straying from the above in width and or profile height becomes expensive.

Tyrepower quotes $235 for the ER300 in 225 55 16.
Bridgstone's list price was $200 for the same tyre but he said $175 special rate. All a wank really.

Aparently the 225 55 16 in the RE001 are an OEM fit for some commodores which is why tyrepower can get it at the same price as bridgstone. If its an OEM fit to a car then they get the volume through which means they get a good rate.

Tyrepower quotes $235 for the ER300 in 225 55 16.
Bridgstone's list price was $200 for the same tyre but he said $175 special rate. All a wank really.

Aparently the 225 55 16 in the RE001 are an OEM fit for some commodores which is why tyrepower can get it at the same price as bridgstone. If its an OEM fit to a car then they get the volume through which means they get a good rate.

He is wrong. Holden went with 225 wide tyres in the VE series as follows:
225/60 R16 with 16x7 wheels for the VE Commodore Omega
225/55 R17 with 17x7 wheels for the VE Calais and possibly some early SV6

All others have 18", 19" etc wheels.

.. + 1 for the Adrenaline 001's...............standard size 215/60/16............awesome tyre for the money....paid around $155 a corner through Jax locally.....they're great, wet or dry....and heaps of feedback, no nasty surprises of just letting go....progressive all the way.Have done over 20k on them so far, and Will be using these again when they're done, but hopefully source some wider rims by then too.

Getting the re001's tomorrow in 225 55 16.

Will be interesting to compare to the current ER300's which i currently have and are grerat.

Given them a good run yet FamilyWagon?

I'm interested in knowing as my descision (when I can manage to come up with the $300... :< ) will be between the RE001 215's and the ER300 225's

Hey mate.

Had them for a few days now.

Feel exactly same as the ER300's so far but saying that, i havent driven it hard or in the wet yet. I doubt they will be much better in the dry as the ER300's had more grip than most need. The wet will be interesting.
The ER300's were a great tyre. Was just going to to them again. Quiet, grip well, lasted over 60,000k's.
The re001's will be better in the wet (not that you need any better than the ER300's), but are a softer compound so won't last as long.

Do you drive really hard or average to hard? If your not a maniac but want something better than the standard tyre then i couldn't recommend the ER300's Highly enough. They were a great tyre.

Don't go the RE001's in the 215. Definately go the 225 55 option.

The er300's in the 225 55 would grip and handle better than the RE001's in 215 60.

Will let you know how the wet goes.

To be honest, because the AWD's grip so well already, i cant see the RE001's being much better if you get what i mean. ON a FWD it would be a huge difference but on an AWD, the difference wont be so great.

Do you drive really hard or average to hard? If your not a maniac but want something better than the standard tyre then i couldn't recommend the ER300's Highly enough. They were a great tyre.

Don't go the RE001's in the 215. Definately go the 225 55 option.

The er300's in the 225 55 would grip and handle better than the RE001's in 215 60.

To be honest, I was really looking for something that will not just chew out the edges like I've had on the ER30 and Maxis tyres I've had on so far. I had ER30's put on the front with a full wheel alignment in only Mid June last year, and they chewed through the outside 1/4 tread (down to 'slick' with considerable scrubbing on the sidewalls too) within 8 months, so I was looking for something with a 'tougher' outside tread-pattern than the 'ordinary' tyres you normally find fitting in the 215/60 bracket but without spending too many $$ (only a student here). We do mainly city driving (the wife), with an occassional hills 'maniacal' spin (me.. :p)
I was thinking that perhaps the tyres were getting overheated on the edges when being driven hard leading to such fast deteriation.

Since I bought the car only 18 months ago, the original tyres it came with (which were brand new maxxis UA603's) and the replacement ER30's have both died (outside edges only) and I've only done a grand total of around 35,000km.
Of course, UA603's that came on the rears are still good... :P

The ER300's i took off with over 60,000 on them were wearing perfectly.

The guy at the tyre shop was suprised how evenly they had worn, esp for an AWD and considering i had only ever had 1 alignment done when i had the tyres put on.

I would highly recommend the ER300 then in the 225 55 16. I have seen them around for as low as $175ea.

The secret for less shoulder wear is high pressure. I run mine at 40psi fronts and 38 rears.

The higer you have it, the more the tyre rides on the middle of the tread and not chewing the shoulders.

I had the same prob as you with chewing shoulders with my ER30's and lower pressure.

The ER300 has more of a rounded shoulder then the ER30's square edge. This means less shoulder wear.

Yeah... I've never let my pressures drop below 38psi (and pump them to 40-42).

Since I bought the car only 18 months ago, the original tyres it came with (which were brand new maxxis UA603's) and the replacement ER30's have both died (outside edges only) and I've only done a grand total of around 35,000km.
Of course, UA603's that came on the rears are still good... :P

What toe settings are being used when you get the car aligned? Seems to me like the aligner is setting it up as if it was an FWD, and using more toe out than required for an AWD.

Andy.

What toe settings are being used when you get the car aligned?

No idea. Just asked for a 4 wheel alignment.

However, I have a receipt from Bob Jane (from when the previous owner fitted the Maxxis) and for the fronts it reads:

Partial toe:
Diagnosis L: 0.0, R: -0.5
Adjustment L: -0.1, R: -0.1
Toe Diagnosis: -0.5, Adjustment: -0.3

No idea. Just asked for a 4 wheel alignment.

However, I have a receipt from Bob Jane (from when the previous owner fitted the Maxxis) and for the fronts it reads:

Partial toe:
Diagnosis L: 0.0, R: -0.5
Adjustment L: -0.1, R: -0.1
Toe Diagnosis: -0.5, Adjustment: -0.3

If that represents 0.1mm toe out on each side, my experience suggests that's not too much - the last two alignments I've had have been about 0.2mm toe out each side and I haven't had any significant uneven wear problems.

The other thing it might be is insufficient camber, if your car does a lot of "twisties". I recall coming across a post by Alan J which had a number of suggestions for alignment options for different conditions & driving styles. Adjusting the front camber would require fitting camber bolts (e.g. Whiteline KCA-412 camber bolt kit) or adjustable strut tops (if you can find any).

Andy.

Hi guys

after some consideration (and some googling) I've decided on the Pirelli P7 tyres - same size (215/60R16). They go on tomorrow.

Thanks for all the comments/assistance

Wife took car to get new tyres. They apologised for not having the P 7's in and gave us Yokohama A-drive tyres "for the same price" (even after booking the car in requesting the tyres on Tuesday)
Haven't decided what to do yet. Reviews appear similar. Anyone tried these tyres before?

Wife took car to get new tyres. They apologised for not having the P 7's in and gave us Yokohama A-drive tyres "for the same price" (even after booking the car in requesting the tyres on Tuesday)
Haven't decided what to do yet. Reviews appear similar. Anyone tried these tyres before?

Sounds dodgy. Havent heard anyone talk about A drives, only C drives. I would ensure that you are not getting something you dont really want.

yeah, I'm with djnewy. Nothing pisses me more than going to get what i requested and have something palmed on me at short notice, even more when someone else takes the car in. Saying that, I would go the Yokies anyway, but thats not the point. Lots of big tyre shops just rely on the Burn-em and churn-em mentality of customer "service", if they piss you off, who cares, there are plenty more bunnies who have no idea about tyres for them to feed

On a positive note, my er100 bridgies appear to be getting me better fuel economy than the C-drives, approx .5 -.8 k's per litre. thats low 11s from high 11s. yet to calculate off receipts etc but consistent off the trip computer.
So they will save me $$, and I will be able to put a $figure on it eventually. Cost pretty much the same to buy the C-drives or the Er 100.
Wearing well so far, very good grip in all conditions, well above average, always short of the C- drives though.

Thoughts on awds and tyres after 100k; worth shelling out for good tyres, if the tyres are crap it will not be any better handling than a 2wd car.

Sounds dodgy. Havent heard anyone talk about A drives, only C drives. I would ensure that you are not getting something you dont really want.

Been around for ages http://www.yokohama.com.au/ourtyres/tyre.aspx?tyreid=202

Well, I was all set to go with the ER300s, but I was at Bob-Jane this evening organising it, and they could do the 215/60 16 ER001 Adrenalines for $160 drive away. Nothing even came close to that for value on their catalogue, so I was sold...

Getting put on on Saturday morning..

You will be 100% wrapped with the Re001's. One of ythe best tyres you could put on your car mate.
Slightly better than the er300's in grip etc but life wont be as long as the er300's.

Enjoy and write back as to what you think.
I have the re001's on my awd but in the 225 55 16 size. Absolutely awsome tyre at a cost though. $225ea.

Sounds dodgy. Havent heard anyone talk about A drives, only C drives. I would ensure that you are not getting something you dont really want.

Having (finally) driven the car, they are definitely at least equivalent in grip level to the Bridgestone ER30, but much much quieter ride. The wife commented, it made the car feel new again. So as long as I get the wear out of them (i.e. at least 45000ks, then I'll be ok with it

The will have so much more grip then the ER30's. Trust me, i've done the change as well.
Give them a week or so before you go judging them too much. New tyres come with a shine on the tread/rubber and this is usually slippery until you wear it off and get some bite/rough in the tread then they will grip better.

I thought I'd add an update here about how the Bridgestone ER300s are going on my TJ AWD. I bought a full set of 5 tyres, 225/55R16, in October 08. All 5 have been rotated around the car every 5000 km.

When new, the tread depth was 8.7 mm and the rotation policy has ensured that they've all worn very evenly, losing an average of only 1.1 mm of tread in just over 18000 km. Since I do about 12000 km per year, it's moot point whether I'll need to replace them at the five year mark or when the tread depth falls to about 5 mm. It all depends on whether the wear rate accelerates as the distance piles up, but they could be good for about 65000 km on present indication. I run 36 psi front, 33 psi rear - a good compromise between handling and ride comfort.

Well, I've had the RE001's on for about a month now, and while I've not had a chance to go for a proper 'thrash' with them, my everyday and 'spirited city' driving has left me somewhat impressed..

It's been a bit of a wet month, and I reckon that the RE001's have more grip in the wet than the ER30's had in the dry. Because, I've noticed that now (even in the wet) if I go to do a U-Turn across traffic with full lock and flattened throttle, the rear is very reluctant to slide at all, and it just grips and goes. The old tyres would even in the dry allow me to get a little bit of oversteer from a full lock full throttle U-Turn.

It will be interesting to see how long they last for.

AWD full lock full throttle u-turn in the wet? The only time I did that, my car did 2 full 360's with lots of smoke from at least 3 tyres. (skid pan, not street obviously).

I find that my front wheels lose all traction, the diffs send 100% power to the back, that breaks traction and goes sideways, then the power evens out and it's gentle drift & lots of acceleration.

I like the feedback though - I'm getting closer and closer to new tyres/wheels every day. :)

My 225/55 RE001s are coming up towards 25,000 kms on the TWII VRX AWD and will probably got to about 40,000, much the same as the Grid IIs for life, but superior performance.
Great tyres.

Steve

Put a new set of 18 X 8 rims on a couple of weeks back, Fitted them up with 245/40/18 Sumitomo HTRZ111 tyres, have given them a bit of a scrub in and got the pressures just about bang on now......they seem very good so far, take a bit longer to get some temp into than the RE 001's i had on the factory rims........but so far very happy. I think they could possibly be a reasonably good choice for wear......

Pug.

Rego due, Decided to go "fully legal" this time with Toyo Proxes 225/50/17 load rating 98 on 380 rims. Continue to love our AWD!

Fitment is actually the Toyo Tranpath 225/50/17, and not Proxes. Very satisfied any way. Good ride. Quiet tyre. Less undertyred than the previous Marangoni mythos 235/45/17 (grippier, but noisier worse ride).

Before you purchase any any tires make sure you use a tire size calculator and work out the closest possible match to the OE. AWD came out with 215/60R16.

I worked out that if you go with 17 then 235/50R17 or 225/50R17 are closest while for 18s you should go with 235/45R18 (bloody rare those ones) or more popular 225/45R18

Useful information but a bit of a thread mine mate! Typically people go 235/40r18's simply because they're almost literally half the price of the 235/45's, no real harm in it either all in all.

Just a update on my 4 tyres purchased in February. I had Bridgestone ER592's they had done about 45k but the fronts where getting border line due to a bad alignment rear had about another 7.5-10k left). Was going to get Michelin XM1+ but local Bridgestone dealer had a deal for 4 Bridgestone GR90's at $125 a piece (that is for the standard 215 60 16) and I scored a $50 fuel voucher. (vs $160 for the XM1+ and no $50 voucher).

After 5000km the GR90's grip very well especially in the wet (not that grip is a issue), are much quieter, give a better steering "feel" and wear is great. Would I buy them again at this stage yes.

This is just a My Opinion update.

That is good to hear. Does it sag a lot due to the narrow wheels?

Also, lugo, 235/40R18 is 19.2mm smaller in OD than the OEM AWD wheels/tyres which makes it illegal as well as not having the adequate load rating which is illegal again. I have 225/45R18 at the moment which are only 5mm smaller in OD than OEM and 235/45R18 is 5mm larger then OEM.

I've just replaced a complete set of Bridgestone ER300s with Toyo Teo, 225/55R16.

The ER300s had done 32500 km, and had been given a regular 5 wheel rotation every 5000 km, running pressures of 36 psi front 33 psi rear. They were worn down to about 60% original tread depth, but the shoulders were a bit scrubbed - AWDs seem to be a bit hard on tyre shoulders. If I was just doing suburban driving, I would have taken them a bit further, but I'm doing a bit more country driving lately and they get a bit "twitchy" in heavy rain on the freeway. Frankly, I wasn't expecting them to wear out quite this quickly, but I had been happy with their performance.

I know the Toyo Teos aren't "Performance" tyres, but they get brilliant reviews as a really good all purpose "touring" tyre. They certainly give a much softer ride than the ER300s, and I haven't noticed (at least in suburban driving) any trade-off in the way the car steers or stops. I'm about to take the family to the Batlow / Tumut district next week, so I'll reserve judgement until we return. We tend to prefer secondary roads to boring freeways, if given the choice, and such roads are often rough. Hard-edge sports tyres are not much fun on many of these roads, hence the experiment with "soft" tyres.

My 225/55 RE001s are coming up towards 25,000 kms on the TWII VRX AWD and will probably got to about 40,000, much the same as the Grid IIs for life, but superior performance.
Great tyres.

Steve

So I ended up changing them for another set of 001s. The above mentioned set lasted to 45,000, and I've kept a pair that have maybe 5-7,000 left in them for spares just in case. The 002s are coming soon too apparently.

I considered alternatives, but at the price I got the 001s, $210 each, I felt couldn't go past them again. My local supplier in Cooma was cheaper than any I could find in Canberra, and I had a similar experience with new tyres for my 4x4 just recently too.

Steve

Ken_L.
Comments about AWD Tyre shoulder wear.

2 reasons, tyre pressure and too much front to rear weight transfer when cornering.

First fix is obvious - more pressure. If you are running standard size tyres then 38 psi will help a bit.

Second one - thicker rear anti-roll bar. The TJII AWD has a puny rear bar. Mitsubishi acknowledged this deficiency by putting a bigger one on the TL/TW's.
Best bet is to get a Selbys or Whiteline bar. Easy swap.
Did mine about 4 years ago. Absolute huge difference. Turns in and corners much better. Almost zero shoulder wear now.
Gerry

So I ended up changing them for another set of 001s. The above mentioned set lasted to 45,000, and I've kept a pair that have maybe 5-7,000 left in them for spares just in case. The 002s are coming soon too apparently.

I considered alternatives, but at the price I got the 001s, $210 each, I felt couldn't go past them again. My local supplier in Cooma was cheaper than any I could find in Canberra, and I had a similar experience with new tyres for my 4x4 just recently too.

Steve


Yeah i heard the 001's are discontinued so i as well will go the 002's when they come out. The 001's have been faultless. Good grip, quiet and good milage.

As for shoulder wear, i run my fronts at 40psi and rears at 34. No longer suffer from shoulder wear.

Ken_L.
Comments about AWD Tyre shoulder wear.

2 reasons, tyre pressure and too much front to rear weight transfer when cornering.

First fix is obvious - more pressure. If you are running standard size tyres then 38 psi will help a bit.

Second one - thicker rear anti-roll bar. The TJII AWD has a puny rear bar. Mitsubishi acknowledged this deficiency by putting a bigger one on the TL/TW's.
Best bet is to get a Selbys or Whiteline bar. Easy swap.
Did mine about 4 years ago. Absolute huge difference. Turns in and corners much better. Almost zero shoulder wear now.
Gerry

Hi Gerry,

The standard 215/60 R16s were replaced with 225/55 R16s when I went to 7" wide rims, so the ER300s were well supported and showed this by not "squirming" going through roundabouts. I did try 38 psi front, 35 psi rear for a while, but the ride was too harsh for my liking on what passes for suburban roads in Sydney. The best compromise seemed to be 36 / 33 psi, which I've retained for the Teos.

I understand your comments about the rear anti-roll bar, but every step that's taken to stiffen the suspension tends to compromise the ride - it's the same old trade off. To be honest, I have to admit that I like the stock ride / handling package of the AWD. That's why I didn't go for bigger wheels / ultra-low profile tyres. I'll also risk a bit of ridicule by saying that the car's handling performance is comfortably ahead of what I'm prepared to try on public roads. I may just have to cop the penalty of a bit of shoulder wear on the tyres.

Can I recommend 285/40R18 ;)

I got a set of the new RE002's on my car a couple weeks ago, paid $230 F+B for 225/50/17, the guys at bridgestone said they will go up in price soon, as they're just discounting them in the beginning to get them out there.

They handle really well, quiet,smooth. also made in thailand which was a suprise.

Ken,
Understand you comments about harder suspension.
However my post was first to remind everyone that the later TL and TW AWD variants had a thicker, therefore stronger, rear sway bar from the factory.
This is very much an admission by Mitsubishi that the original one was not doing the job properly.

I originally went down the bigger rims 234/45/17 track. These certainly helped to improve the turn in and the car understeered a bit less.

I changed to the Whiteline adjustable rear sway bay. I chose the adjustable one as I was planning, and did fit, the stronger front bar as a later step.
On the first setting this made an amazing difference to the way that the car would turn in. Tyre outside shoulder wear improved dramatically despite me being what is euphemistically being called an enthusiastic driver!!

By itself a thicker rear sway bar has very little effect on ride quality.
See if you can get a rear bar and the 2 bushes from a later AWD. Very simple swap over.

Gerry

I'm running 18x7.5 inch rims with a +35 offset with 235/45R18 Falken ZE912 tires and its the perfect fit. Nothing rubs, catches or squirms. Tire is flush with the guard, sidewalls are perfectly square to the tread. I used to run them on a 18x8 inch rims with a +45 offset which rubbed when on left full lock but any less the 100% lock was all good. 8' rim made 235/45 and 235/40 sidewalls go out a little bit but not much at all. 7.5 inch wide rim is perfect for 235-wide tire.
I also love the 235/45R18 for another reason: good sidewall height. Ride is even smoother then it was with 215/60R16 and handles potholes even better. Grip is much higher. Tramlining is virtually identical to original.

Personally it worked out very well for me.

Just a update on my 4 tyres purchased in February. I had Bridgestone ER592's they had done about 45k but the fronts where getting border line due to a bad alignment rear had about another 7.5-10k left). Was going to get Michelin XM1+ but local Bridgestone dealer had a deal for 4 Bridgestone GR90's at $125 a piece (that is for the standard 215 60 16) and I scored a $50 fuel voucher. (vs $160 for the XM1+ and no $50 voucher).

After 5000km the GR90's grip very well especially in the wet (not that grip is a issue), are much quieter, give a better steering "feel" and wear is great. Would I buy them again at this stage yes.

This is just a My Opinion update.

Thread mine update. Replaced the GR90's yesterday, had them rotated every 5000km and 5 wheel alignments in their 30000km life, the outer sections where borderline, good grip, quiet but not happy with the life. (they had a treadwear rating of 260). Now have 4 new GT Radials Champiro's. They come with some good recommendations (mate has these and can not fault them), and Choice Magazine has rated them number 1 in it's 215/60/16 tyre test. First appearances are good so far, haven't driven much so will update after a good trip. Also has a treadwear of 360, so hopefully they will last longer.

Kumho ku31,s are awesome wet n dry, I have them on my TMR380 one tyre I would not recommend is auto grip, one of the worst tyres I've ever run, didn't buy them they just happen to be on the car when I brought it (my TL AWD ) got some 17x8s I'm getting painted , not sure what I'll clad them in yet, anyone in brizzie I'd recommend queenslands best wheels and tyres in virginia

Now have 4 new GT Radials Champiro's.

I take it these are the 228's? Can you tell me which retailer you bought these from please?

I take it these are the 228's? Can you tell me which retailer you bought these from please?

I got them from the tyre shop down the road called Brooks Tyre and Steering in North Parramatta (Sydney). They are a "independant" tyre shop, family business that has been around since the 1940's (Although they have a massive GT Radial sign on top of their building). The GT Radial web site has a "find a dealer" button. They where $135 a tyre. The better looking other half has been away with the car since Saturday so I haven't driven on them much.

I got them from the tyre shop down the road called Brooks Tyre and Steering in North Parramatta (Sydney). The GT Radial web site has a "find a dealer" button. They where $135 a tyre.

Thanks for the info but being in Perth I was hoping it was a nationwide dealer that you got them from, but I went to the website and looked for a local dealer and surprisingly there's one close to me. I emailed them and the cost they quoted is $149. I also enquired about the 225/55/R16 but they want $199 for those.

I'll go and have a look in person next week.

UPDATE: Bought 2 of these today. Nothing special to look at but so far (on the short drive home) they seemed quiet and steering response seemed better than with the Pirelli P7's. Ended up costing $140 each fitted and balanced.

I'm interested in a set of wheels which are 17" with 8" width on the front and 9" on the rear and an offset of +45. I am concerned they will rub? Anyone had experience with those dimensions? Thank you

I'm interested in a set of wheels which are 17" with 8" width on the front and 9" on the rear and an offset of +45. I am concerned they will rub? Anyone had experience with those dimensions? Thank you

Yes. With 8" wide need 35-38 offset and less again with 9". Remember the awds have a much thicker upper control arm. Also there isn't really a suitable tire size in 17" diameter. 225/50/17 is a little under sized IMHO. Best to go 18x8 with +38 offset with 235/45r18 tyres.

Thanks for the quick reply!
I have seen a set of CJ Lancer Ralliart rims which I think would look good, they are a 18" x 7". I'm hoping they won't rub as I don't want to dick around with spacers. The tyres on them are 215/45's. I dunno if these OEM tyres for a Lancer will have the correct load bearing for a AWD which surely would be much heavier. Sorry for the amateurish questions but I don't really like experimenting with wheels myself.

Thanks for the quick reply!
I have seen a set of CJ Lancer Ralliart rims which I think would look good, they are a 18" x 7". I'm hoping they won't rub as I don't want to dick around with spacers. The tyres on them are 215/45's. I dunno if these OEM tyres for a Lancer will have the correct load bearing for a AWD which surely would be much heavier. Sorry for the amateurish questions but I don't really like experimenting with wheels myself.

215/45 would be way too small let alone have the correct load rating. You will need 225/45r18 tyres for near OEM size and correct load rating. 225/45r18 is 5 mm smaller is overall diameter than 215/60r16.

Edit: Bibendum, have a play at this page (http://www.1010tires.com/tiresizecalculator.asp) for comparing your OEM 215/60R16 tyres against 4 other sizes. This one wont tell you whether it will foul suspension or protrude the guard but will give you an indication of how much out in speed and size they are compared to the OEM one you specify.

Edit 2: This one (http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp) provides basic clearance details.

Cool thanks for the information. I think I might shelve the idea if those tyres won't fit as the price is taking into consideration that they're new.

I have 18" CJ wheels on my KL AWD. They fit with the standard 215/45, but i am going to get new 225/45's shortly.

I have 18" CJ wheels on my KL AWD. They fit with the standard 215/45, but i am going to get new 225/45's shortly.

The smaller tyres will fit but are illegal.

91 load rated instead of 95. The new tyres i will get will be 95.

I have seen a set of CJ Lancer Ralliart rims which I think would look good, they are a 18" x 7". I'm hoping they won't rub as I don't want to dick around with spacers
Stock 17" wheels on Magnas are 17x7" +46 offset 225/50 tyres. CJ Rims are 18x7" +46 offset. Run a 225/45 tyre (which is ideal for the rim) and I doubt you'd have an issue.

I'm interested in a set of wheels which are 17" with 8" width on the front and 9" on the rear and an offset of +45. I am concerned they will rub? Anyone had experience with those dimensions? Thank you

FYI - staggered wheel widths aren't legal on AWD's and without an engineers certificate, wheels wider than stock and wider than 8" or wider than stock +1" aren't legal. 9" is over on 2 of those counts.

Okay will 17 x 8 Evo ralliart wheels fit? They look like Ralliart Magna wheels but are 8" wide instead of 7" and have an offset of +38. They would look pretty cool.

Okay will 17 x 8 Evo ralliart wheels fit? They look like Ralliart Magna wheels but are 8" wide instead of 7" and have an offset of +38. They would look pretty cool.

They should fit without issues. As mentioned before I am running 18x8 with +35 offset. However as mentioned 225/50r17 will be wee bit small. Will need XL (extra load) ones to be legal which costs more. 235/50r17 would be ideal but would cost twice as much as the above XL ones. Best to save and get 18x8 +38 with 225/45r18 or 235/45r18 tyres.

Will need XL (extra load) ones to be legal

Why..?

Okay will 17 x 8 Evo ralliart wheels fit? They look like Ralliart Magna wheels but are 8" wide instead of 7" and have an offset of +38. They would look pretty cool.

They fit perfectly....much better choice! 235's suit them well.
Brembo's will fit under them aswell, if you ever want to go that route.

Why?
Because he has an awd and non XL tyres in 225/50r17 don't have the required load ratings.


They fit perfectly....much better choice! 235's suit them well.
Brembo's will fit under them aswell, if you ever want to go that route.
The only suitable 235 tyre would be 235/50r17 which costs $350+ per tyre and only a couple of manufacturers make them like Michelin.

Bibendum, throw murph03 a pm. He works at beaurepaires edwardstown.

Yeah but i'm not fussed if the OD is a little off....especially if its a little smaller.

If the OP is, then 225's will go on ok too.

Please guys, only advise legal fitment of tyres and wheels. Do not suggest ones just because you don't mind the legality side of things.

Because he has an awd and non XL tyres in 225/50r17 don't have the required load ratings.

The only suitable 235 tyre would be 235/50r17 which costs $350+ per tyre and only a couple of manufacturers make them like Michelin.



XL tyres are unsuitable for a magna. To get the required load rating you have to run them at higher pressures, usually over 40psi

There are a bunch of suitable standard load rating tyres

Continental CSC3
Michelin PS2
Kumho KU31

All available in 96 load rating

Hey guys.
Just thought I would let you know that I'm about to change over my Bridgestone adrenalin RE001's for the new RE 002's. I have got about 70,000k's on the RE001's and prob another 10k in them. They have been a great tyre. Great grip, good ride, quiet even now and perfect wear with 40psi up front and 36 rear.
Highly recommend them to anyone who wants a tyre better than the OEM but doesn't want something hard core, noisy or with a quick wear rate. By the way, they are on standard AWD rims but are the 225 55 16 size which gives you more grip and protects the rim from gutter scratching as well as looking better.
I'm getting the RE002's which replace the 1's for about $200 ea fitted and balanced.

Have you looked at any other brands?

I've just replaced my "Autogrip" tyres with Kumho KU31 in the same 245.40.18 size and the kum hos scrub at lock.
Slight variations in manufacturing and wammo, my car is now dodgy. :(
I'm hoping to achieve fine adjustment from the Kido coilovers to reduce / eliminate the scrubbing but don't think there's much headroom left.

I've just replaced my "Autogrip" tyres with Kumho KU31 in the same 245.40.18 size and the kum hos scrub at lock.
Slight variations in manufacturing and wammo, my car is now dodgy. :(
I'm hoping to achieve fine adjustment from the Kido coilovers to reduce / eliminate the scrubbing but don't think there's much headroom left.
You are off better running 235/45R18 tyres. Wouldn't rub. But thats too late now.

Have you looked at any other brands?
Yeah a few but kept with Bridgestone because I've been very impressed with them. Have tried the ER30's, ER300's and the Adrenalin RE001's.

Have you looked at any other brands?
What else would you suggest Dave?

I am tossing up putting my standard 380GT rims back on, and for $199/ea for 215/55/17 and $224/ea for 225/55/17, I'm not sure what else I could get in that size that matches the grip/noise/wear for the RE002s. Keep in mind I want a good performance tyre, but my driving style doesn't warrant the very best lol

just look at tyre reviews.co.uk, all your answers there.

245, silly oggy!

What else would you suggest Dave?

I am tossing up putting my standard 380GT rims back on, and for $199/ea for 215/55/17 and $224/ea for 225/55/17, I'm not sure what else I could get in that size that matches the grip/noise/wear for the RE002s. Keep in mind I want a good performance tyre, but my driving style doesn't warrant the very best lol

For some reason Michelin PS3's are really cheap locally at all the major outlets at the moment. See if you can get them in the right size

For some reason Michelin PS3's are really cheap locally at all the major outlets at the moment. See if you can get them in the right size
I have the Pilot Sport 3s now on my current rims but closest size I can get is 225/50/17 :( Great if you run a Magna but not my preference for a 380.

i've got standard size Bridgestone Serenity Plus all round on my and they are great, I had some turanza er92??(maybe) and apparently these replace them and are a much better tyre.
The have a harder sidewall, which i like, as i'm pretty harsh on tyres.

The Michelin SP3's are a great tyre but don't expect more than 30 to 40k out of them. A very quick wear rate. I would stick with the RE002's Red. If there is nothing broken then don't try and fix it.

The Michelin SP3's are a great tyre but don't expect more than 30 to 40k out of them. A very quick wear rate. I would stick with the RE002's Red. If there is nothing broken then don't try and fix it.
I've actually put 40k on mine, and if it wasn't for camber wear from my old Magna, I'd probably get another 10-15k out of them! Mostly highway driving helps though.

re002 will wear just as quickly!

I've actually put 40k on mine, and if it wasn't for camber wear from my old Magna, I'd probably get another 10-15k out of them! Mostly highway driving helps though.

Yeah have heard that too. The 70k on the RE001's is mainly suburban driving so am very happy with them indeed considering the grip they still have even now.

The standard 16x6 with the215/60R16 were like driving on old cross plies lol. Absolutely horrible and as said by someone previously a bastard size so expensive for a pox tyre.
I now have 18x8 with 235/40R18 Auztyre, a very low end tyre but I have improved the handling considerably with no other mods to date. Not lowered yet nothing and the difference is amazing.
All fit nicely under the front and rear guards. the 40 series is a bit low in diameter and effect the speedo accuracy by about 4 kph so you actually are going slower than the speedometer reads(used my tom tom). I will go with 325/45R18 next time. This will bring the speedo back up close to accurate and save my rims from the Melbourne potholes haha. It will also help fill out the enormous gap between the tyre and front wheel arch since I will only lower it low and not super low.
Shout out to Vlad

I had the RE002s put on last weekend. Pretty happy with them. As I expected, they don't grip quite as well as the Pilot Sport 3s I had before. But they still grip well and they're reasonably quiet. For the price I paid, I'm quite happy with them.


I will go with 325/45R18 next time. This will bring the speedo back up close to accurate and save my rims from the Melbourne potholes haha. It will also help fill out the enormous gap between the tyre and front wheel arch since I will only lower it low and not super low.
I had 235/40/18s with Lows on my old TJ and it sat.. well... low :) I would stick with 235/40 only because it's a very common size - there's lots of good tyres to choose from at decent prices. The aforementioned Pilot Sport 3 can be found for less than $300 a corner fitted and balanced in 235/40/18 which I reckon is a bloody great deal.

guys. first of all. the reason the 215/60r16 tyres aren't good is because mitsu fitted them onto 16x6" wheels. they really need to be on at least 16x6.5" wheels like ford and holden do. theirs don't sag as much which prevents premature wearing on the shoulders. secondly, red, my 235/45r18 hankook evo v12 only cost me $265 per corner fitted and care of murph at beaus edwardstown. it wont be that much more without mates rates.

I have always had the 225 55 16 on my standard rims and they are great. Much better grip, looks better, protects rims from gutter scrapes and 0 downfalls other than price. I just changed my re001's with 70k on them and they would have easily got another 10 k out of them and they have worn 100% perfectly. Have never seen such perfect even tyre wear on any car. No shoulder scrubbing, flat even wear. I'm putting it down to the AWD distributing power more evenly rather than grinding the fronts on an FWD.
I'm guessing I will get similar miles out if the re002's.

Sorry as this is probably answered already. I have just bought Ralliart Magna rims. They're a 17" with 225/50's on them standard. I just fitted them to the car and I'm worried about them fouling on the rear. Will 235/45's prevent this? Will I need spacers? Thanks in advance, and sorry for repost.

Sorry as this is probably answered already. I have just bought Ralliart Magna rims. They're a 17" with 225/50's on them standard. I just fitted them to the car and I'm worried about them fouling on the rear. Will 235/45's prevent this? Will I need spacers? Thanks in advance, and sorry for repost.

225/50 r17 s alot smaller in od compared with 215/60 r16 so even though the tyres fill in 5mm you may find it o problems overall. on that topic stadard 225/50 r17 tyres arenot legal for awds.
also 234/45 r17 is smaller again so way too illegal and spacers are illegal as well. imo ditch the 17x7 46 offset and get 17x8 38 offset with 235/50 tyres or better yet, 18x8 38 offset with 225/45 or 235/45 tyres.

I disagree that the 225/50R17 is a lot smaller in diameter than the 215/60R16: 658mm to 664mm which is well within reasonable limits. My understanding is that the TL/TW VRX (and maybe VR) AWDs were fitted with 225/50R17s (and came with 94 load rating tyre placards!). XL (usually 98) load rated tyres are required in this size to be legal with the other AWDs and these are much less common (and usually more expensive) than the SL (94) tyres in this size.

225/45R18 is nominally 658mm OD; 235/50R17 is nominally 668mm OD. Both are known to work with suitable offset. In any case, actual tyre dimensions vary considerably between manufacturers (and even between tread patterns from the same manufacturer) for the same nominal size.

I'm running 225/50R17 (XL/98 load rated, +42 offset) at the moment with no contact issues, but I have to say that I think the XL load rating makes for a less compliant sidewall and thus a harsher ride (with the Maxxis MA-Z4s anyway). I'm tossing up on either the 225/45R18 and 235/50R17 sizes when I change...

Okay, I'm quite worried as I've already bought the wheels. Two conflicting reports. Hasn't anyone bought Ralliart rims and tried it? I feel at the moment it is just that the 225/50 is too larger a diameter.

wytwun, no awds came in 17 otherwise my gtvi would have come in 17s as well. all awds require at least 95 load rating.

225/50R17 OD = 656.8mm which is 7.6mm smaller in OD cf 215/60R16.
225/45R18 OD = 659.7mm which is 4.7mm smaller in OD cf 215/60R16.

7.6mm diff is within legal bounds but unless bibendum's ones are xl they are illegal. when I said his tyres were smaller I was trying to emphasis the fact he should not have a problem with clearance. Heck, before going to 18s I initially had 225/50R17 XL on 17x7 +46 and then 225/55R17 on the same wheels and had no clearance issues with both.
Bibendum, 225/50 is smaller in OD cf OEM. Do the math as follows:
225x0.5x2 = 225mm
17x25.4 = 431.8mm
225+431.8 = 656.8mm

215x0.6x2 = 258mm
16x25.4 = 406.4mm
258+406.4 = 664.4mm

just get 225/50R17 XL tyres and ditch the ones that came with it.

Instead of editing the above, I'll make a new post.

I made a mistake with my 17x7. They were +40 offset, even then, I had no clearance issues with the 225/55R17 which had OD of 679.3mm Bibendum, how much clearance is there now between the top inner corner of the tyre and the upper control arm? If there is plenty, like a fingers width, then a 225/50R17 tyre that sticks 5mm further in and almost 4mm lower will most likely bring it 2 to 3mm closer to the control arm. As mentioned, my 17x7 with +40 offset and 225 tyres means the tyres are 1mm out from the control arms but they are almost 7.5mm taller and still had plenty of clearance.

Short answer. They should physically fit fine.

Just a quick laugh.. I had to replace the spare due to a puncture recently and when I took it into the store, the bloke in the store said..

"Who put these tyres on here, they're the wrong tyres" (pointing at my RE001s).
I was like.. What do you mean??
He said "They are performance tyres. They are not well suited to your car"..

I was like.. I put them on.. I'm a performance driver.....

Anyways.. Long short, looking for new tyres on the magna again. WOrn the outside edges to bald again. Will likely be putting a set of 215/60/16 RE002s on this time and will get the alignment checked and documented this time.

Hi DSMAZDAGTR, the 215/60R16 tyres are not very suitable for the AWDs because the wheels are only 16x6 instead of 16x6.5 hence the tyres will always bulge and prematurely wear out the tyres. Best to do as you are after a set of new tyres is to upgrade to 18x8 with either 225/45R18 or 235/45R18 tyres (225/45R18 is slightly smaller in OD compared with 215/60R16 and 235/45R18 is slightly bigger in OD compared with 215/60R16). Get the wheels in +38 offset. You will feel the difference immediately. Incidentally, both Ford and Holden fit their 215/60R16 tyres onto 16x6.5 wheels.

Yes Vlad, I'm aware of this. I have noticed how much 'roll' I can get on the tyres when driving hard with scrubbing up the sidewalls on occassion...

However, budget doesn't allow for new wheels AND tyres.. Barely enough for tyres at the moment.. And after a little chat with the constabulary today needs to be done this week.

Hi DSMAZDAGTR, the 215/60R16 tyres are not very suitable for the AWDs because the wheels are only 16x6 instead of 16x6.5 hence the tyres will always bulge and prematurely wear out the tyres. Best to do as you are after a set of new tyres is to upgrade to 18x8 with either 225/45R18 or 235/45R18 tyres (225/45R18 is slightly smaller in OD compared with 215/60R16 and 235/45R18 is slightly bigger in OD compared with 215/60R16). Get the wheels in +38 offset. You will feel the difference immediately. Incidentally, both Ford and Holden fit their 215/60R16 tyres onto 16x6.5 wheels.

I have Goodyear F1 235/45R18 tyres on nmy TL AWD and despite their minimal use (5000km a year), nitorogen filled and being regularly aligned they always wear hard on the outer edge. My fronts are on the rear now but no longer distinctly legal. BUT - I like going round corners at 60kmh so I expect it and have to pay for it.

Good tyres really do feel different even with age, I really notice the cheapie 17" ön my other TJ AWD. Goodyear Blue Streak up front aren't too bad for the price but I am very cautious of the Chinese horrrors on the rear.

Cheers Peter

I like going round corners at 60kmh so I expect it and have to pay for it.

I can associate with that.. :P

I have Goodyear F1 235/45R18 tyres on nmy TL AWD and despite their minimal use (5000km a year), nitorogen filled and being regularly aligned they always wear hard on the outer edge. My fronts are on the rear now but no longer distinctly legal. BUT - I like going round corners at 60kmh so I expect it and have to pay for it.
What toe settings are being used when the realignments are done and do you have any camber adjustment fitted?

Castor may well have a part to play too. The effect of the inclined angle of the front struts is to project the weight of the car in front of the tyre contact patch so when you release the steering wheel on turns it re centres. What is sometimes not taken into account is this angle can lift the car slightly during turns. This lifting is a suspension geometry thing and assists recentering. Think go Karts if you've ever driven one; when they are stationary and you try to turn the steering wheel you have to lift your own weight and that of the cart.

I am thinking this may well have a part to play in the wearing of the tyres on the outer shoulders in turns. I am also thinking if it is the case (it may well not be) this should be able to be compensated for by more negative camber. It won't change the inclined caster angle and the weight factor I was talking about, but I am reasoning more neg camber will help as less of the outer part of the tyre will be "exposed" on turns.

I have recently had 2 wheel alignments trying to rectify exactly this shoulder wear on my AWD and I each time the front end was well within specs but there was/is more positive camber on the left than the right, so I am now attempting to solve this for good. I am getting 4 springs, shocks and a few other bits and pieces soon, so I might try some offset bushes then and report back. Mine is wearing the left front tyre too fast. I am very careful doing ewies as this is well known to rub the shoulder of the left front.
I put some 17x7 VRX rims with 225's so it is not just the factory 16" 215's this has been happening with. The new left front is starting to show the same signs as the previous tyre.

Ever since I switched to Coilovers, I haven't had any problems with outside wear. I think with the stiffer lower height, and camber adjustment has helped. Stops the car from leaning on the front outside edge during hard cornering. I also drive between 2-5,000km a year. I think I have around 1.5deg neg camber.

What toe settings are being used when the realignments are done and do you have any camber adjustment fitted?

Not sure of settings used, I have Adam (1986semagna), a suspension specialist mechanic member on the forum do it at his workplace. I also have shortened Koni sport shocks, xtra low Lovells springs, uprated Whiteline (WL) roll bars front and rear, a WL strut brace and WL camber adjustment bolts and a WL front suspension rubber kit. It certainly goes around a corner pretty flat and surprisingly quick. I think the excess wear ocurrs when I occassionaly enter right angled corners just a little too quick in both speed and turn in rate and it can certainly overload the suspension if I overdo it. I think there may be something in Victa Twin comments below about weight transfer as well.

If I was using the car a lot more more and chewing threw a heap of expensive tyres it would bother me more.

Whitepower or WhiteLine ?

Whitepower or WhiteLine ?

LOL - Thanks Hayden the unnoticed effect of responding to forums far too infrequently and after a 12 hour night shift, forgetting 'WHITELINE' is even part of my icon ID .

Yes Vlad, I'm aware of this. I have noticed how much 'roll' I can get on the tyres when driving hard with scrubbing up the sidewalls on occassion...

However, budget doesn't allow for new wheels AND tyres.. Barely enough for tyres at the moment.. And after a little chat with the constabulary today needs to be done this week.

Hey mate. Read my last response. Might give you ideas.

I had the wheel alignment checked on the AWD cos it was veering to the left but it was all fine. Swapped the front wheels over which corrected it, even though i was expecting it to veer to the right. I wonder if its more camber on the left due to more wear.