Edmunds Answers questions

Does using nitrogen in your tires offer any benefit?

ashera1 — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:18:55 GMT

Should I use nitrogen in my car's tires? My friend says he fills his tires with nitrogen. He claims that his tires last longer and that he gets better gas mileage. Is he pulling my leg or is there something to it?

will tires 215 70 r15 fit on rims and work for a 95 ford taurus?the rims that are on it now are 205 65 r15.thx

pitlover — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:15:54 GMT

tires

What all can cause a "Death Wobble" when running big tires with a big lift kit?

bigford — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:07:20 GMT

I have a 2004 Ford F350. I run 44" Bogger tires that are worn pretty low. 12 " suspension lift. I just had the upper and lower balljoints replaced with after market. I have dual stabilizers. I still have some wobble at about 30mph. Would new tires help?

How does Load rating E compare to UTOG of 500 AA on highway only SUV tires. Specifically in 265-70/17 size range

hjohnson — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:15:57 GMT

Some tire companies only offer a load rating as opposed to a UTOG rating. Is it possible to compare Tread wear, traction and temperature to Load ratings?

Do you have a Favorite Tire Brand/Model?

andres3 — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:22:36 GMT

I know America's/Discount Tires, and Tirerack.com both have excellent websites regarding tires, full of reviews, tests, and surveys. However, I think this here website is better suited to getting real reliable people to comment on their own tires on their own vehicles without relying on the filtration and censorship of some vendor's "marketing machine." I have noticed my negative online reviews rarely get published on online "selling vendor" websites.

What is the best tire you have ever purchased? Do you have a favorite to recommend for your particular vehicles?

I was quite happy with the Dunlop Sport Maxx's, though Dunlops are prone to puncturing quite often.

I can't seem to get my lug nuts loosened to get my flat tire off. I tried penetrating oil but no luck.

blazerman22 — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:45:41 GMT

No power tools....

What is the benefit of nitrogen in your tires? Is it worth the money?

car1080 — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:12:30 GMT

Nitro in tires?

Looking for any and all info. Pertaining to Bridgestone / Turanza - el400 p205/65r15 = series tires

hashish — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:04:06 GMT

I'd like any & all current information pertaining to (recalled and defective) bridgestone / turanza el400 series p205/65r15 tires sold here in northern california. Any & all links or info. Would be very helpful. Thank you ! For your help.....

How can you tell when to replace tires? I have Goodrich rugged terrain SUV tires with 20,000 miles on them.

sborchman — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:46:55 GMT

Tires have a 6 year warrenty but only about 1/4 inch of tread remaining. they are around 3 years old

Tire recommendation for 2003 Chrysler Sebring LX convertible?

DrShank — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:55:38 GMT

Wife drives a 2003 Sebring convertible to and from work (less than 10 miles RT), plus local errands, and the occasional road trip. She drives pretty aggressively, in a warm climate - no snow or ice, less than 30 days per year of rain - and goes through tires VERY QUICKLY. Any recommendations of a reasonably priced tire that will hold up to a lead foot who is also hard on brakes?

If my front tires have the same aspect ratio but they are different than the back two, would this be a problem?

fcharles1970 — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:21:19 GMT

the front tires are p205/60/R15 the back ones are P205/65/R15 will cause any problems with the vehicle??

Do I need to buy 4 tires...or can I just buy 2?

patrick51 — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 03:57:45 GMT

I need new tires on the front of my car, is it OK just to buy 2 for the front or do I have to buy 4?

Can I change my back tires to the front tires so I can get more use out of them?

patrick51 — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:12:34 GMT

My front tires are wearing thin...can I just exchange my back tires for the front ones?

Can you use PR 195 70 R14in place of PR 185 70 R14?

sammy58 — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 17:48:45 GMT

Can you use pr 195 70 R14in place of pr 185 70 R14?

Websites for tire research?

gargamouth — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:14:23 GMT

What sites are there to review tire quality?

How long can you leave a nail in the sidewall of a tire and what is the risk? It is leaking very slowly.

sjungman — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:09:32 GMT

I have a nail lodged in the side wall of a tire. Is it a big deal?

Why nitrogen in the tires on Ford F-150 truck?

riser — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:54:40 GMT

Is nitrogen going to cause problems when you have leaks or flats on the road?

Is putting nitrogen in tires the car manufacturer's way of hiding a potential corrosion problem with aluminum wheels?

riser — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:44:16 GMT

I don't trust this nitrogen issue. Nitrogen is used for pressure testing because of less fire issues for high pressures, but it also leaks easier than plain air. I don't understand why this is being put in truck tires. Someone is hiding something.

Is it true that tires wear more on the front of a pickup than the rear because of wear from steering?

larryunleashed — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:02:05 GMT

I am about to rotate my tires but noticed that the rear tires are more worn than the fronts and I believe they are the same age. If they do wear more on the front, I may elect not to do that to even out the wear. I have a 2002 Silverado pick-up (4X4)

On a 31x10.5x15 tire, what is the 31 a measurement of, and what unit of measure is it?

mike3472 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:51:34 GMT

On a 31x10.5x15 tire, what is the 31 a measurement of, and what unit of measure is it?

Rating of Capitol Negotiator tires.

admiral95 — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:48:14 GMT

Shopping for tires as posted on web. Local tire man I trust has recommended Capitol Negotiators. He doesn't carry Falken Sincera, also made by Ohtsu Mfr. I'd like a touring tire with at least a 400+ AA rating but most Asian mfr. tires seem to be no more than an AB rating. Live in hot area. Noise and handling in occasional downpour is important. 185-70R14. What is your recommendation that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Is asking "Check My Wheel Torque" at a tire shop free service safety requirement check by D.O.T.?

Thul17 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:00:22 GMT

I did my own tire rotate by hand and I didn't have long enough socket for my lug nuts to use my torque wrench. I noticed the wheels were kind of loose. I went to a local tire shop and asked them if they could check my wheel torque. They had a tech come to my car and adjust the torque. Then I asked him if he wanted money and he declined.

I hope this shop didn't think I bought my tires from them and came back to check my wheels?

I almost handled him a 5 dollar bill for lunch.

Effect of Las Vegas heat on tires?

twadding13 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:48:16 GMT

In 1/06 I bought 4 new Goodyear P205/70R-15 tires from Discount Tires for $83 each for my 1998 Buick LeSabre.

Recently I had my oil changed & an emmissions test at Firestone. Firestone pointed out some cracking & unevenness on the sides of my tires althoug treads were good; they said it might not be safe to go more than 30 minutes on highway driving.

So I immediately went to nearby Discount Tire where I'd bought the tires. They looked at my tires too, admitting there was slight cracking & unevenness on a couple of the tires. They said this was normal due to the heat here in LV, but that it wouldn't be dangerous to drive 30+ miles steady on the highway.

However, they also said normal tire life in LV is about 4 years. So although my tire's tread is still good (should be after only 6,500 miles driven since 1/06, right? FYI, I'm retired), they suggested I come back after this summer in about 4 months to have my tires looked at again.

So my question(s) is, beings I don't drive many miles & heat is the main cause of tirewear (& batteries) here, when I buy another set of tires can I get by with buying cheaper tires? (I imagine Discount Tire will be telling me later this year that I should replace my 4 tires) .

What does everyone think about having new tires "siped" at first rotation?

04350 — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:06:02 GMT

National tire selling chain recommended this. Claims even better stopping capability on snow and ice (I have an AWD) because of extra grip.

Are Negotiator OHTSU NH60 car tires any good?

monstere222 — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:55:09 GMT

I have a 96 Honda Accord and I just went to my local tire store and got 4 of these for $125. I have never heard of them, but at the time they were a good deal so I went with them. On the tire it has the following information

Treadwear:300 Traction:A Temperature:A
P205 / 60R15 90H m+s

I was hoping some people could give me some insight on these tires on if they are any good or not. Thanks for your help!

How do tire pressure monitors work?

langstond — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:11:27 GMT

I see this feature on all the new cars. How do they work? Keeping track of a spinning tire sounds like a complicated system and one that could be expensive to fix when it breaks.

Should I install snow chains?

chilipepper7 — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:01:21 GMT

It's been colder than usual where we live and we are getting more snow and ice. We've gotten stuck in the snow a few times and I need to know whether we should install snow chains. When am I supposed to put them on?

My 2004 Buick Rendezvous had a flat and I was told I need to replace all 4 tires because I have AWD. Is that true

sukses01 — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:25:37 GMT

My local Discount Warehouse store says they cannot only order one tire because I have AWD and if I replace one tire it could cause damage to my car. Nobody I have talked to agrees with that. Does anybody know if that is true?

Can you get raised white letter tires for a Freestyle? It's a little plain!

philw3 — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:11:03 GMT

My recently purchased 06 Freestyle needs something to jazz it up. Raised white letter tires might help but can't find them for that size tires.

i have a Crossfire. needs tires. do i have to purchase & have them put on by dealership 'cause of tire sensors?

ynowak — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 14:08:47 GMT

i have an 05 Chrysler Crossfire and it needs new tires. do i have to purchase and have the tires put on by the Chrysler dealership or can i go elsewhere to buy and have the tires put on. i worry that only Chrysler can put the tires on because of the tire pressure sensors. any help is appreciated.

can one put same size tires on a nissan 350Z

roman6 — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:25:23 GMT

My 05,350Z has 245-45-18 in the back,and 225-45-18 in front,let say can you put the 245-45-18 in front and rear? I thank you for any info. Roman.

What is the offset of a stock Pontiac Vibe 16" wheel?

lilengineerboy — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:49:41 GMT

I am trying to find out the stock offset for the steel 16" wheels on the '03-06 or so Pontiac Vibe, and also the bolt pattern (5x100, 5x114, etc).
Thanks.

It's time to replace the tires on my 2001 Volvo S-40, any suggestions?

zerrmatt — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:14:58 GMT

It's my daughters car, she does mostly highway driving back and forth to school.

Looking for some tires for my Lincoln Continental.

kolh20 — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:17:34 GMT

Where can I find some good and reliable tires for my car? Need some websites too!! Size 245 30 22

I have a 2003 Acura TL and looking for new tires. Quiet & perform well in winter is key Recommenendations please

hagemanoh — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:16:25 GMT

I have drive a lot, 132 miles round trip a day to be exact for work. I need a good tire that will wear long (I got 85,000 miles on my stock michelins at the moment), be quiet on the road and perform well in the Ohio snow. I have been looking at the Michelin Primacy MXV4s but they are expensive. Any other thoughts on any other tires that might be recommended for a 2003 Acura TL. Thank you in advance for your help!

best tires for 2004 Honda pilot

carolmink — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:46:57 GMT

I am replacing tires on 2004 Honda pilot. Which are best? which ones to avoid?

My OEM aluminum wheels were chromed by a previous owner and now leak at the rim. What is the best repair?

randallm — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:40:33 GMT

I had all the the chrome removed from the tire / rim area 1½ years ago. Two wheels have begun leaking again. I'm told the application process embeds the nickel and chrome into the aluminum and will continue to corrode after cleaning. Another "expert" says he puts the wheels on a lathe and mills a few millimeters off at the rim seal to get rid of the contaminated metal. He says he has milled hundreds of wheels like this and has no return of the corrosion. BUT, does this make the rim more likely to fail in some way - ie: fail to secure the tire properly or weaken the wheel?

What is the best way to cure this problem - other than replace the rims?

2003 Ford Ranger Reg Cab 2WD - With all the tires on the market, which do I choose? P225/70R15

stormy12 — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:26:36 GMT

Currently have 55k miles and will be keeping the truck till at least 100k when warranty runs out... so I'd like a 50k-60k tire. Most of my driving is on road, but I take this truck camping a lot and find myself on gravel and dirt roads. I want a road tire, with a little toughness to it (cant really justify a light truck/suv tire). There are so many brands: Mastercraft, Michelin, Firestone, Bridgestone, Primewell, Futura, Good Year... which do I choose. I would like to spend in the medium range... not cheap, but not the expensive ones.

What brand of tire can you recommend for a Honda Element, to replace the original tires?

ruby123 — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:23:55 GMT

A friend wants to get better tires for his Honda Element ( it has 30,000 miles on it), he says the factory ones supplied on new models are not great, and that new tires will greatly improve the drive. Any suggestions?

low tire 06 Sebring

pcampbell — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:36:39 GMT

On the same 06 Sebring that I asked about the brakes, one of the front tires keeps going flat. The same dealer says that there is nothing wrong with the tire or the rim. It will be fine when we go to bed at night and flat the next morning. I do not think that it is someone leting the air out of the tire. It does this in all types of weather (Winter, Spring, Summer, and fall). Any ideas as to why this would keep happening if there is nothing wrong with it?

I have a 2006 toyota tacoma double cab. What should i do if the low pressure indicator will not go off?

mbr123 — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:11:31 GMT

I have check all 4 tires and even the spare, and all are up to par. I hit and held the reset button to have it reset but all that happened is the indicator flashed a few times and then lit up solid again. Any suggestions??

I have a 2004 Cayenne S with Pirelli 255/55ZR 18 . Can you recommend a better replacement?

2004s — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 15:18:09 GMT

I've used 4 sets in 60K miles. I want a tire that has great handling and longer wear.

What were the OEM tires on a 1999 DeVille? What tire would you recommend and an alternative?

1rick — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:10:24 GMT

Cadillac is pretty good at marrying the tires to the ride so I would like to get the most 'bang-for-the-buck' with a good ride and some wet weather traction.

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Why have to buy all tires when one is bad. 14k on 2007 Ford Freestyle awd. tire guy told me today. it is true?

hwangbihong — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:11:34 GMT

I have 2007 Ford FreeStyle AWD limited and 14K on it. One tire has to be replaced, but tire shop guy told me that I have to replace all 4 tires. I just want to know if this is true. The condition of the other 3 tires are good.

How many pounds of torque for standard lug nuts on a 2006 Ford Explorer?

jsteelman — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:33:44 GMT

my owner's manual does not give torque specs for lug nut tightening, and the parts store in closed. please advise. - thanks!

Hi. I need a recommendation for tires for 2003 Nissan Maxima SE - living in S. Ohio, so some snow an issue. Thanks!

cogitojazz — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:22:41 GMT

NO to COOPER tires. Need TRACTION in all seasons - roads are BAD around here and 2-4" of snow common in January-February. V Rating, not higher. Car is 03 Maxima SE 6 speed: 225-50-17 size. Thanks! JazzerMP

i am thinking of getting new tires for my 2003 GMC Safari awd. Any ideas on what to get?

yukon252 — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:35:00 GMT

i have Bridgestone Dueler that came on the van but have worn out at 65k .was thinking of Toyo or Yokhama , they our better brands. does anybody use them on there van. it a 2003 Safari slt awd with 65k on the van. drives local miles and one road trip per year.

on my 07 Toyota Avalon the tire rotation is from back to front only ,why is that?

wcallahan — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:10:52 GMT

i have always rotated tires from side to side,right rear to left front and so on,my owners manual says front to back ,back to front,no side to side,the tires aren't directional and neither are the wheels,does anyone know why Toyota eliminates side to side rotation?

I have an '06 Toyota 4Runner and the "low tire pressure" light stays on. How can I get this turned off without spending money?

jack109 — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:50:10 GMT

Tires are new and pressure is the same in all 4 tires.

What are the best tires for Acura TL 2004 I have winter tires looking for summer with good wet traction,handling

wally12 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 11:02:17 GMT

I have a 2004 Acura TL with automatic/Navi. bought used ,it has bridgestone protentza G009's