Falken ziex 512's
 

has anyone driven these tires in the snow. I just purchased them about 2 months ago, and wil use them for the snow. Just wondering how they did in the snow. So far, they are great all-season tires, especially in the rain.

They're not good for the snow! A couple of winters ago my route to work was like an inch of snow. I think it was compact snow covered with some slush on top, due to salting. Anyhow I was at a light and when it was time for me to move I just went sideways instead of forward.

Make sure you drive nice and slow in the snow.Better yet,if it snows stay home. :grinno:

Just have on hand a dedicated set of snow tires!

Better yet, get a different tire all together. The 512s suck A$$. They belong on a luxo boat.

CCS...you must have a sixth sense for Falken 512 threads :grinno:

Stlylez....there's a sticky up to about the 512's overall performance, but I used them in the snow many' times. They are not "great" but they are MUCH better than the RE92 Potenzas among others. They gripped fine and I didn't have any troubles, but they're definitely not a true snow tire, that's for sure...

see:

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...43_17_full.jpg

I don't see too many .orgers raving about these tires any more. What happened? Did they come to their senses and realize cheap isn't always best?

idk about the snow, but these tires are excellent all around, ESPECIALLY in the rain...i used to be able to spin my tires freely in 3rd and now i cant even break loose if i tried...i can also take turns at the prescribed speed limit now, which was ,believe it or not, a step up from the potenzas that the car came with...

This is a relative comparison to the crappy tires that came on the Maxima. It does not go to say they are any good compared to other quality tires.

Being able to take corners at the speed limit means nothing. Any decent tire should allow you to easily exceed the posted limit on the turns.

ok...nobody is under the misconception that these tires are a super-high-performance autocrossing tire. What it is - it is a relatively inexpensive all-season tire that combines VERY GOOD wet grip with good ride quality and good dry grip. That, and it's one of the few tires that come in stock 225/50/17 size to boot. If you are a fairly "normal" driver you will be happy with them. If you are a madman who takes 25 corners at 60, does slaloms around kids in your neighborhood, and autocrosses - you will NOT like them. They are a soft-sidewall tire, which is good for all-season, but not as good for aggressive driving.

I had 2 sets and liked them alot, especially considering they cost 1/2 as much as the Pilot Sports. I now use the Toyo Proxes 4, which I think are an upgrade to the 512's in terms of dry handling and noise, and are just as good wet and dry grip. They also cost a bit more and don't come in stock 225/50/17 size.

There are always tradeoffs. A "ultra-high-performance summer tire" will SUCK in the rain and the snow. A true all-season tire generally sacrifices some dry performance for the sake of wet performance and snow.

Funny how most of the guys who complain about the 512's are in cali or texas, where you don't have to often deal with rain or snow and are used to using a "summer" tire all year. .....

well said....i really don't give a sh!t about how soft the sidewalls are because i am a normal every day driver that doesn't like to make the tires almost break loose during turns or acceleration....but both the wet and dry grip are extremely good on these tires and i still was able to keep the stock tire size at the same time...

but i do have to disagree on the whole no rain in texas thing...i lived in texas for 5 years and it rains there a LOT...that's why i had to get new tires when i had my stock craptenzas...those things turned my car into death on wheels when it was wet out....

Irish, if I can save one person from making the same mistake I made, it's worth putting in my two cents.

My gripe with the 512s is their lack of feedback. The sidewalls are so squirmy that turning/tracking is beyond numb (which the RE92s were not). The break away limits of the 512s are much higher than those of the RE92s, especially under inclement weather conditions. However, this break away limit of the 512s is difficult to figure out since there's little feedback (actually, there's feedback, but it's all sorts of body movement as the tires roll on the rim). Anyone who appreciates the (low grade) handling of the stock maxima suspension setup can't be happy about changing the handling feel for the worse.

The 512s are a huge compromise, biased far too much toward comfort, making the handling just plain numb. Anyone who has the remote potential of making emergency maneouvers should not get these squirmy tires; snow, rain or shine. There are better UHPAS compromises out there for a little more money.

I would like to know what the highest mileage .orgers have gotten out of the 512s without them getting down to being racing slicks. I suspect 30K or therebouts is pushing the envelope on these tires, which IMHO is pathetic.

Ammi claims 40K+ IIRC. 18s

Mine lasted 38,500kms / 23,9223 miles and that was when the tread was level with the wear bars.

I have 512's on my max, honestly, I dont like them as much as the 502's they discontinued before these. The Ziex 502's were way stickier and performed better IMO. These will have to do though. In rain I dont like them too much, taking turns I slide where as with the 502's I didnt, the Yokohamas didnt either.

My thoughts
 

My first posting on maxima.org Great information thanks.

Just like to put my thoughts down about the Falkens. I have just passed 38,000 miles on my tires. I got rid of my Portenzas at 46,000. The Portenzas were a very dangerous tire in the rain and snow..The Falkens have been a very good tire. I have had no trouble with them at all. I live in Minneapolis where we receive on average 58 inches of snow. They have run reliably the past two winters here. The grip is good in snow and very good in rain. I got 26.5 miles/gal on the portenzas and 26.6 on the Falkens. I put my tire pressure at 32. I wonder if people are having wear problems if their tire pressure is too high perhaps? Just wish they were rated for 50,000 miles. I am going to give the Cooper Lifeliner Touring SLE a shot next.
I paid $91/tire back two years ago online at highperformancetire.com

If you are just an average driver like myself and need a good all season tire...you can't go wrong with the Falkens in my opinion.