Help Buying tires

[Payback45]

I was told by my mechanic that I have tire rott on all four tires (Tires were made in 04) and it is time for new set. This is my opportunity to get new rims and tires. I havent decided on what brand of rims (17's more than likely)I want but I need to know what size tires and offset and things like that that I can run.

I have a 02 BE GT LGT with the H&R KYB-GR2 set up.

When it comes to tires I am looking for something that will last awhile and give me good control. Currently I have the Potenza RE92. I think thats right. Any advice would be great.

Thanks

EDIT
I have always been partial to the ADR M Sport 17. A827710H48HB. Would this rim work on my car??

Also, does anyone know of any pics of a BE with the ADR rims on?

[Huffer]

17x7 wheels w/ 48 offset, 215/45/17 is your ideal tire profile to avoid any rubbing.

For tires, are you looking for all-seasons or straight summer tires for your new 17s? Personally I would get summer tires (wet/dry) for the 17s and run your stock 16s as winter wheels with M+S tires.

My wheels like:
Hankook, Falken, Goodyear, Fuzion...

Let us know if there's a particular tire/budget in mind.

[Payback45]

I would say all season. I live in southern New Mexico if that helps. It does rain but rarely snows and even then never any accumulation.

I am not looking to go nuts on the tires I just need something that will give me good performance and as a bonus last awhile.

[jey]

I live in southern New Mexico if that helps. It does rain but rarely snows and even then never any accumulation.

Well then in that case you can go with a summer tire - they offer better performance than all-seasons but they don't work well at all in the snow but that is not a problem for you. The key would be to find something that will last a while if that is important to you. These sticky summer tires are more performance oriented and often sacrifice treadwear to get the performance.

[Payback45]

What is the tire life span??

[99SUS SFD]

Depends on the tire.

[Payback45]

What is the tire life span??

I am going to have to go with a all season tire. We do on occasion drive up to Colorado so I would say summer tires are out.

[rougeben83]

again, it depends on the tire. the treadwear rating is a rough estimate of how long a tire will last compared to another tire's rating. (higher means longer, also means harder compound and less grip). An touring all-season can last you 40000+ miles while a sticky summer tire may only last you 15-20000 miles.

A tire is about compromises, you can't have everything. Gotta give up some to gain some.

Tire rot is easy to see, its just some cracking around the tire sidewall. That's a sign they should be replaced. cracking around the base of the tread blocks is a sign the tire are getting old, but not really of immediate replacement.

[Huffer]

What is the tire life span??

Depends on the tire, the vehicle, the driving style AND the primary driver. I've seen tires rated at 60k go bald at 30k and tires rated at 30k still have half the tread at 60k. I've seen tires rip to shreds after 2years of driving, and others be fine after 6.

A good owner keeps tire pressures at correct levels, and drives according to the conditions and the specifications of the vehicle.

The RE92s you had are factory tires for a reason. They are extremely predictable because they are so crap at anything beyond freeway touring and daily commuting.

For a decent all-season I would recommend the Fuzion HRi or the Falken ZIEX 512 (or the newer 912). They will handle the light bit of snow and are decent with the rain. Hankook make some nice touring tires for very little cash.

Toyo Proxes 4 isn't a bad one either. I imagine the weather in NM is like New Zealand, but drier. I ran Toyo's for a couple of years in NZ and they were fine. I changed out and went mad summer ultra hi-po with Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3's, they are expensive summer only tires but they wore extremely well.

[rougeben83]

if you want specific recommendations, the tire review sticky is there for a reason. :wink:

[Airgne]

i love dunlop dirreza dz 101's they are the best tire i have ever owned. screw everything else this is the tire i will buy until they make the next gen in this tire. i got kyb's and h&r's on my 01 legacy, and im running 235/45/17 the only time i rub is if i hit a good size bump at a good amount of speed. i do have a diff bumper in the front so i dont knwo if that has anything to do with it.

[LegacyRob]

Check out a set of these http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Yokohama&tireModel=AVID+H4S&partnum=145HR7H4S&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&place=0

[OutbackMat]

For a decent all-season I would recommend the Fuzion HRi or the Falken ZIEX 512 (or the newer 912). They will handle the light bit of snow and are decent with the rain.

I got a set of 912s levered onto my Neon about a month ago. Grip is great and very predictable. They replaced a set of 512s which I tortured for 3 years and 22K miles. These are a harder compound, but I'd say they actually grip better...certainly better than the 3/32 that were left on the 512s. The 512s were okay in snow on my Neon, but pretty decent on my wife's Outback.
Bottom line is that the 912s should complement your suspension pretty well.

[Payback45]

I ended up going with the Goodyear Eagle F1