mikekantor

iTrader: (5)

My entire front suspension just got a long-overdue replacement. I got KYB GR2 struts, and this kit:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=330086732048

I'll let you all know how everything is once I drive a few hundred miles on it this weekend, but the parts seemed like quality stuff.

Soon I'll be taking the car in for alignment and I'll ask them to do tire rotation as well. Now I haven’t looked at the owners manual in a while, but I seem to remember that it instructed to move front tires to the back diagonally, like...
front left -> rear right
front right -> rear left
rear left -> front left
rear right -> front right

Am I remembering this correctly? I read that this approach is for all-season tires, so was this only meant for the original tires and exact replacements? My tires are not designed for snow/ice so clearly they are not all-season.

I'm sorry to say that I've been lazy in regards to scheduled rotations, but from now on I want to keep up with it better and do it right.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

it depends on whether or not your tires are a unidirectional pattern. if they are, for rain purposes, you want them going the right direction, to send water outward. if you put them on backwards, it'll pool the water up in the center, causing more hydroplaning than you'd experience on birectional tires. i have a pair of directional Falken ZIEXs out back cuz they're so 'falken' noisy [har har], and the softer quieter allseason Imperial Star tires up front. I want better tires, but i have made an offer for rims+tires to someone, so i'll just wait until i buy those.

bhunter

iTrader: (3)

I think most people with radial tires just go straight up and straight back and don't switch the sides the tires are on. That's what I have done for years.

Tom

I second the noise comment on the the directional Falken ZIEXs. Boy did I make a mistake on those tires (too).

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

well they weren't my 'mistake' to make. the car still has the same tires i bought it with, in june 06, so i've only had it, what, 10 months? tread is still fine since i drive only like 7 miles a day on average. 143,4xx when i bought it, and now it's only at 1477xx. but after 3000 miles on the Falkens in the front, I just couldn't take it anymore. only thing i miss about them is knowing how fast i was going by how fast the plug-stub ticked each rotation. They were hard, noisy, and more worn than my Imperial (offbrand?) tires. The first time I stopped my car on smooth pavement after putting the Imps up front again, i was like "OMG I'm floating!!!".

but again, I'm not replacing anything until i get the aftermarkets i already agreed on a price for. i just gotta send teh cash and i'll get teh wheels. and i'm certainly not rotating again. those ZIEXs were just too much of a Falken hassle. they look alright, but that's about it.

Cliff Clavin

iTrader: (11)

What model of Ziex do you have? I am guessing the 512? There is a huge review thread on those in the tire and wheel section.

I have a set of Ziex 326 (more all-season, not as aggressive) and they are pretty quiet. I just made a 500+ mile trip a couple weeks ago and they were fine.

They don't handle as well as the Toyo Prozes FZ4 or the Kelly Evo-Z (same as Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D2) but I wasn't expecting them to be serious performance tires.

As for the rotation, the best thing to do is buy from a place that does free mounting/balance/rotations and have them make sure everything is good. I think pretty much every major company at least does free rotations. IMO, that's why it's not a good idea to buy tires online. Plus, if you have any problems, you have a shop to go to that shouldn't hassle you.

Directional tires should only be mounted a certain way and all of the ones I have used have an ARROW ----> pointing to the front. They always get rotated front to back only.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

whatever those are. I'm pretty sure they are 502s.


tread pattern of Falken ZIEX ZE-502 from google...

Tom

Finally, people that understand me

I have the Ziex 326 on my Maxima as well. I am happy with those tires. They are quiet, grip well and even the tread pattern looks kind of cool.

I bought Ziex 512 for my Camry back in 2003 along with new rims from Discount Tire Direct. They were a great deal, gripped well, rode well, looked cool, but annoyingly loud from new.

I thought the 512s would be an improvement over the 326. Boy was I mistaken. I understand why Les Schwab continues to sell the 326s even today.

I have Toyo Tourevos on the Camry now, and they are whisper quiet (but pricey). The Maxima is going to need new tires in a couple of years. If Les Schwab still sells the 326s then, I'll probably go with them again.

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Me likely my kumho's...

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

i'm grabbing some goodyear tripletreads if i ever need new tires... and have $500 to spend on tires. I am getting some different wheels with tires already on them though, so it may be a far-off thing.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

Kumho FTW
though they don't have a decent one in my size right now

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

for the subi or for the formula?

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

for the minivan and the Subi.
I've got tires for the formula already, left over from my 79. 225/50/16 front 245/50/16 rears on IROC wheels

Cliff Clavin

iTrader: (11)

For some people performance is more important than noise, I guess.

I think the 326 is a good overall tire -- quiet, good in the rain, handles fair. Nothing spectacular. When I push them, they howl and slide pretty bad.

I think they are a definite downgrade (especially in performance) from the ones I had before:



I should have kept them, but I sold the wheels and tires to buy a new digital camera last year.

I like Les Schwab and Tire Factory. Both have a shop here and both have really good service. It's nice that they swap over my mounted snow tires and call it a "free rotation." I got my Ziex there just a few months ago and the Schwab was slow, so FOUR employees worked on my car. It was done in about 15 minutes.