Well, Spring is here and it's time to get to work. I'm in the process of installing H&Rs, Tokico Illuminas but first new tires. Have to understand that my 97 Max SE 5spd will be going to my son in bout a year. Trying to get it set up for him with the suspension mods but I desperately needed new tires. The Dunlop Sport A2's were down to the carcass.





I'd like, or should I say that my son would like to get some 18's and really cool tires, but with the expense of the suspension stuff just not in the cards for the moment. Here's my thought process: get some new, cheap tires that will last at least a year and then HE can get some new rims and tires. So, it was on the net. Found some Hankook K106s at Discount Tire Direct that met the bill. Cheap, good looking tread pattern. Unfortunately, they didn't sell them at Tire Rack (I've bought tires @ Tire Rack and recommend them also) so there weren't any reviews. Bit the bullet and ordered them. Well, I can recommend Discount Tire Direct. No tax, free shipping and the tires arrived UPS a day ahead of when they were promised.



Well, it was off to the auto craftshop where my son and I took off the old Dunlops and installed and balanced the new tires. I have to say that I'm really pleased with the new Hankooks. They look sharp and the tread is really agressive. Haven't driven too much on them, just the highway back home so we could wash Max and take some pics. Quiet and smooth on the highway. Did I mention the price????? BTW, I also bought some new center caps. The old ones were pretty bad. I had taken them off once and cleaned them up and spray painted them but they were beyond that at this point. I wound up buying a set of four on eBay for a grand total of $25(@ the Nissan dealer they are $25....EACH). They were brand new and they were the new style you'll see on Murano's. They look GREAT.



Old center caps.



New center caps.



Anyway, really happy with the results. I'll come back with a review of the Hankooks. Hey, @ 82mph they are smoooooooooth. Cheers

 

i'd like to hear how these tires perform down the road also, nice lookin centercaps. where did you get those from?

 

eBay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SET-O...ayphotohosting

 

tires look great how much?

 

wow nice dad nice clean center caps and i like the tires. '97s are the best hah

 

Actually I don't think you DID ever mention the price....

That's great that you are passing the Max on yet having him put his own work into it. Center caps look good, I just coated mine gloss black

 

DTD.com shows them for $65 a piece, $260 for the set.

 

it looks great... the center caps look nice and shiny...

 

To answer your questions:

Center Caps were purchased from eBay. They had a "buy it now" for $15 w/ $12.50 for shipping and insurance. Think I could have bid lower but what the heck....$27.50 for 4 center caps that the Nissan dealer wanted $25 each. A deal or a steal. Funny thing, we went in to put the tires on today and after we had them on I decided to keep the old center caps "off" (we hadn't yet received the new ones). Got back to the house and the first thing my wife said was that I had mail. Glory be, the new center caps. My wife's car is a Murano and the center caps are the same, think that they are also on Altimas too. Anyway, I think they look terriffic. If you've got the old ones and they are fading and getting ugly I recommend them. Also, go eBay. You'll find lots of them and cheap. Mine were advertised as new and they were, not a scratch or blemish.

As to the tires. Discount Tire Direct did a great job. Great price, $65 per tire. No tax, free shipping. I also made a note to them to advise UPS to deliver after 1530 and guess that made it to UPS. We've had problems with them delivering in the am or early afternoon when nobody was at home and then you have to jump through hoops to get your stuff and of course it takes more time. This time worked like a charm. I was really interested in another Hankook K107 but it didn't come in the oem size so went with this one. My son was pulling for some BFG g Force Sport for $78 each. Well, I liked the tread on the Hankooks better. Although the BFG's had excellent reviews from Tire Rack. Better looking tread and $13 cheaper per tire...hey that's $52 that I could use for my Tokico's. I went with the Hankooks. They look like they'll handle the rain and in the dry they seem pretty good in the short ride home on I95. Maybe a day trip is in order tomorrow? I'll let you know. BTW, they seem quiet. Cheers

 

I'm in the market for new tires, so could you let us know how the Hankooks are after you've "tested" them some more?
Thanks for the heads-up on DTD.com. I had forgotten about them.
I may be due for some centercaps, too. mine aren't bad, but those new ones look really good. The chrome looks really sharp, but not over-bearing. Nice and subtle.

Dave

 

good stuff,Ive used HANCOOK tires before and I actually think they compare to the other tires like toyo and yokohamas.I think the toyos get better traction in wet conditions.

 

65 dollars a tire is a facking steal. i didnt even know discount sold tires that cheap.
edit-- i think its just cheap due to the size.

 

my friend has the k106 on his g20. he really likes them. they hooked up well when he was non turbo. he must have had a bad balance job because there was a slight vibtation on the highway. now that he has a turbo, well, he blows them off and already went through 2 in less than a year. for the money the are great, but i have herd of side wall blow outs on hankooks, from a review on 1010tires.com.

 

....well my sidewall blew out as well, does that mean I have sh!tty tires?

 

edgeracing.com has hella cheap tires.

 

I'm back. Limited driving on the Hankook's but first impressions. First, they are quiet. Especially compared to my old/worn Dunlop Sport A2. Course any new tire would be quieter than worn out old tires pretty much running on the carcass. BUT, I do think they are quiet. Smooth, they track straight and true. No vibration (could that be because I mounted and balanced them ) Well, no vibration and they don't "wander". As to performance I can't say that I've gone out and and done "wild and crazy" things but they do seem to "stick". Can't remark on performance in the wet.....yet. I'll get back on that one.

I'm really, REALLY happy with these tires. Price, performance, and style. I love the look(sidewall and tread look great). Fact is I was thinking of putting them on my daughter's 92 Legend LS Cpe but they don't come in 15's . Looks like we might be getting those BFG's afterall. All I can say is, my Max is back to cruising down the road....no vibration; no wandering; quiet; and ready to go.

BTW, have to say that I also love the new center caps. They look like they were made for the SE rims. Everytime I walk up to the car I have to admire them. Yeah, I'm bad but the old ones were just plain fugly and the new ones just "work". I recommend them, HIGHLY recommend them. If you decide to get them, go eBay for $25/4 instead of the Nissan dealer for $100/4. What a rip. I talked to the parts guy at the local dealer and he had one loose center cap that he was gonna sell me for $12 and then make me deal on 3 more....total $70. Go eBay, eBay is your friend (most of the time). I'll be looking for some Tokico Illuminas there, last time I looked $416 for 4. Not quiet ready to buy but close. Cheers

 

I never get tires w/o road hazard it's worth $10 to $20 a tire IMO. Also free mounting and balance are usually included as well with a purchase of 4. Then your never stuck with a 3 month old tire with a plug or patch, always get a new tire minus tread. Wish my Dad gave me a maxima.....and fixed it first...SCORE.

 

i do agree that the tires are great for the money.

the guy had like 4-5 side wall blow outs on his car.

 

i'd blame the guy, that's not normal.

 

Whats up with people buying tires w/o road hazard? Never got a flat....

 

Yeah, how many curbs did he mash into? Sidewalls don't blow out if you drive without hitting stuff.

 

If I was buying from a "local" brick and mortar tire store I'd consider the road hazard but since I bought from the internet I figured it just wasn't worth the hassel. Even though the hazard warranty was offered I decided no. Anyway, as to the "free" balancing and mounting. The local tire store here that I approached sold Hankooks but didn't have the K106s in stock. He called two distributors right in front of me and found one that had 5 in Atlanta. He quoted me a price of $85 per tire, $13 shipping per tire, and THEN mounting and balancing for a grand total of about $500. My total from Discount Tire Direct + valves ( I bought some from DTD but they were chrome so I chucked them and went to Advance Auto and picked up 4 plain black ones) + mounting them and balancing them myself was $300. For the difference, if I get a flat I can practically buy 4 new tires and mount them and still almost come out ahead of buying them from the local tire dealer. If the local tire dealer had been closer in price I would have considered them but $200 difference, no way. When will they learn that they have competition....the internet?

Testing update. Just got back from a trip so I haven't driven Max that much. B4 I left however I did take him out for a run. Cornering, these tires stick baby! No squeal, hmmm might not have been "pushing" enough to make them cry but still. No rain here so I can't comment on driveability in the wet. I'll get back. Cheers

 

H&R's and the Illuminas are going on this week. NOW we'll see how the Hankooks and the new suspension work. I can't wait. Cheers

 

Well, I'd like to give you an update on the Hankook 106's. It's been what, 4 years since I installed them and they have been great tires. No problems whatsoever. Pretty basic maintenance....rotating them about every oil change. They've lasted 50k and still have tread left. The only reason I'm replacing them is because the carcass not the tread seems to be deteriorating. 50k, I think I got my money's worth. I wanted to replace them with another set of K106's but couldn't find them. Think that Hankook doesn't make them anymore. That's a shame as they have been super. Anyway, I started looking for a new set at Tire Rack. Yes, I've limited my self to Tire Rack so I do have fewer choices. Anyway, I decided to stay with the oem size as they will be mounted on the oem rims. Narrowed down my choices to 3: BFG G-Force Sport; Dunlop Direzza DZ101, and the Continental ExtremeContact DW. I'll let you know which one.