dirt_dobber Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 I am buying new tires soon and I am thinking goodyear or michelins. My question is should I be looking at Z rated tires. I (in limited undetstanding) believe this is the highest speed rating BUT should I also be looking at "A" temperature rating as well. I Travel often on the wide open roads of W.Texas at speeds of 80-100 in hot August temps of 100+. I have been doing this for years and only when conditions are perfect (so no lectures please). I'm talking no one in sight for miles.......boy this car like to runnnnnn! .Tire recomendations also wanted. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 There are a few ways to look at this 1) What is stock for your car... did it come with "Z" tires... then you might want to install them 2) Other than that reason you will be wasting money... Buy a speed rating at the upper limit of what you will drive.... Auto manufactures have to install tires with speed ratings that match the top speed of the car... Otherwise some nut will sue there pants off when they have a blow out at 130 MPH... A "U" rated tire <124MPH will be plenty for you... If you never blast higher than 100MPH even a “R” tire will be plenty You will find that the lower rated tires are: 1) More comfortable 2) Longer lasting 3) Quieter 4) A lot less expensive and 5) may even get better mileage due to better rolling resistance issues... "French" tires while not cheap seem to be the best made.. Good Luck Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gygmy Posted May 19, 2005 Report Share Posted May 19, 2005 Did your car come with Zs? If it did not why bother, The computer will not you exceed the speed that the original tires on the car could handle. Besides, unless you drive at extreamly high speeds ALL the time a lower speed rated tire will give you a much more enjoyable, comfortable ride. But, @#$%, if a higher speed rated tire makes you feel better, why not? We all spend dough on stuff that makes us feel better. Feeling good as long as it do not hurt anybody else is not such a bad thing. You must decide on your personal preference. Enjoy your ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted May 19, 2005 Report Share Posted May 19, 2005 As stated above, a lower-rated tire will still provide you excellent performance in all conditions, save for the speeds they're not rated for. Most every tire out there today is either S (112 mph) or T (118 mph) rated. Many are as high as H (130 mph). These are your "all season" type tires. They'll ride nice and be quiet. When you step up to "performance" tires (like H or V [149 mph] rated), you get better performance, but since they usually have harder/stiffer casings or sidewalls, the ride is sometimes rougher. You also should look at the treadwear rating. The higher the number, the longer they'll last. Most performance tires are in the 300-400 range. Many modern all season tires are in the 600-800 range, meaning they should theoretically last twice as long. I have Michelin Pilot XGT H4s on my car. They're H rated. These tires really perform at a higher level than I ever drive. If you're an aggressive driver, the Pilot XGT tires (either H4s or V4s) would probably be a good match. Beware of low treadlife though. Treadwear ratings are 400 on the H4s, and lower on the V4s. After about 40,000 miles, all 4 of my tires are nearing the wear bars. I have some miles left, but not much. They're warranted to 50,000 miles from Sears, and they might barely make it. They'll be replaced with Michelin Agility Touring tires (available only at Sears). These are S rated, and will give me a softer and quieter ride than the Pilots did (which was already durn quiet for a performance tire). The Agility Touring tires have a treadwear of 700. They're warranted for 80,000 miles through Sears. If you don't like Sears, or don't have one near you, you can find the Michelin Harmony, which is the exact same tire, just a slightly different tread pattern. The Harmony is available at all Michelin retailers. You ALSO have the choice of the Michelin X Radial DT, which is another cousin to the Harmony/Agility. The X Radial is only available at Sams Club. I'm sure there are some great tires out there, but after having such good experience with Michelin, I'll probably never mount another brand. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaddyJohn Posted May 19, 2005 Report Share Posted May 19, 2005 Try Goodyear RSA Plus - It's the State Police/taxi tire "V" rated- I've had many sets of Goodyear GAs..and these are the best tire I've ever used..- high milage, resistant to pucture, thick sidewall '93 STS - 214,000 miles and going stong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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