tires

[martrirl]

I am looking to buy a new set of tires for my 2002 Boxster.  I want to use the car year round but not in snow.  The high performance summer tires all state to not use in near freezing temperatures.  I am left looking at ultra high performance all season tires.  I do not use my car on the track and do not want to run two separate sets of tires. After going through the decision maker at Tire Rack they recommended Kumho Exsta ASX tires.  I talked to a sales rep at Tire Rack and they said I probably would not notice the difference between these and summer tires with my type of driving.  Can you give me any advise?

[smankow]

martrirl wrote:

I talked to a sales rep at Tire Rack and they said I probably would not notice the difference between these and summer tires with my type of driving. Can you give me any advise?

what is your type of driving? do you simply drive the car or do you DRIVE THE CAR?

to best give any advice on the tires, this info is needed. Also, how many miles have you gotten on the current set and what type are they?



Steve

[martrirl]

I would classify my driving as spirited but not aggressive.  I currently have Continental Sport Contacts on the car with about 10,000 miles.  These tires are getting close to the wear bars but still perform well for my type of driving.

[smankow]

have you been checking your tire pressures?  10K miles seems more than a little low.  are they wearing consistently across the tire and among all tires? 

Is this your first replacement tires?  If so, 10K miles over 3-4 years is very low mileage.

Basically, if you're not at the wear bar yet, you still have quite a bit of use left.  Even at the wear bar, you still have many miles left, especially with no track time.  I'd keep an eye on them, but you don't have to rush out to buy new tires just yet.

[martrirl]

Tire wear is fairly even.  I bought the car used and am estimating the tire mileage as I believe the original owner had replaced the tires once before I purchased the car. The car presently has 35,000 miles on the odometer.  My local dealer also advised me to have an alignment done when putting on new tires.  I read on the PCA web page that if you don't have any problems like pulling to one side or another or uneven tire wear do not chance a realignment.  I regularly check tire pressures and the tires hold pressure extremely well, I haven't had to add air since I aquired the car about 9 months ago.  I run them at the  pressure recommended in the manual.

I appreciate your time and help as this is my first Porsche and I do enjoy this car very much and do not want to compromise its ability to make me smile every time I climb behind the wheel.

Bob

 

[smankow]

bob, I appreciate your quick replies.  I agree that the it's a joy driving the Porsche and you want to get all that you can from it.

That being said, have you stopped into a dealer or quality tire shop yet and asked them to look at your tires?  You probably have more tread left than you think and unless you're driving in bad weather, they'll last you several thousand more miles.  Even when you get to the wear bar, there is still tread left - you'll get a hum but that's about it.

I'm certainly not trying to talk you out of getting new tires if you WANT to get them.  I'm simply making sure that you truly NEED them.  Another factor to consider (and it's always a debate on PCA and rennlist) is getting the "N" rated tires.  These are Porsche specific tires that have been approved for use on Porsche cars.  Is there a difference betwee, "N" and non-"N" tires?  I can't answer that one.

If you decide to get new rubber, make sure that the shop has the proper tools to do the job right.  You don't want to deal with scratches, digs, etc. in the wheels.  Also make sure that they balance the inside and outside of the wheel and put the weights on the inside of the rim.

Steve

[Brian Minkin]

I have a 2001 Boxster with Pirelli P Zeros. (a summer tire)  I had driven the car to New England and got caught in an early suprise snow storm and bitter cold temps last November.  Although I needed to be careful with the throttle and brakes I did not find them very difficult to drive in snowy weather. (it was an 8 inch snow fall and roads were plowed).  I continued to drive the car as long as is was not snowing for the rest of the winter without making a change in tires and did just fine.  I suspect the warning from the manufacturer's is to cover their butt legally but in our moderate climate continueing to drive on summer tires is OK.  However I will caution you that tires that are worn to the wear bar on a Boxster dont have much grip in the rain regardless of temps so be careful cornering in the wet. (ask me how I know and I will introduce you to my friend the curb)

[Wellardmac]

Okay, having spent some time in my career specializing in materials for the tire industry I'll give my limited opinion, scattered with some knowledge (standard disclaimers apply).

Tires are complex systems that we all take for granted. Automakers spend a lot of time working with tire manufacturers designing tires that make their cars look good - this process often starts upto 5 years before the launch of a car. This is the reason that the N-rating exists - basically, Porsche worked with tire manufacturers during the design stage to ensure that their tires look, sound and perform well on a Porsche.

Having said that, it does not mean that a non-N-rated tire is no good. All it means is that Porsche did not work with the tire company to mate the tire design to the car.

Do they need to? no, they do not. Does it give you anything extra - depends on what you value. OEMs spend a lot of money to ensure that that first test drive is perfection - the tire choice is all part of that first test drive sound and feel - it can make or break a sale.

Now, back to the non-n-rated tires. All tires sold in the US have a UTQG rating on them that provides an indicator of temperature, wear and traction (link below). These ratings have been provided by testing the tires under standard conditions. All tires tested under standard conditions can be compared, therefore, all tires with a UTQG rating can be compared and used as a decision guide in tire buying. Factors that are not taking into account in the guide are reliablilty, tire noise, consumer preference for profile and aesthetics.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/t...?techid=48

My advice is to start with the UTQG, then follow the recommendation of people who have had experience with a tire and match that up with the values that you're seeking to qualify - hence the reason that Steve asked what kind of driving you do - this is very important. Bear in mind, that the demands/experiences of someone putting their car on the track will be different from those of someone using their Porsche as a street car, so take advice and make decisions accordingly.

Remember one important thing. The traction and handling of your car rests on the 4 square inches of contact patch that each tire gives you. Take the performance and quality of your tires very seriously, as they can be the different between the road and a ditch, life and death. Never skimp on tire quality.

BTW, Steve's comment about maybe not needing the tires seemed spot on - you might not need them - 10 minutes talking to someone who knows tires might postpone an expensive purchase.

...one last thought, OEM tires are not the same as after-market tires, even if the specs and brand appear to be the same. As I stated above, tires that come on your car at delivery (new) are specially designed to make the perfect test drive. Wear is usually not a factor that has high consideration.

[smankow]

wellardmac wrote:

Having said that, it does not mean that a non-N-rated tire is no good. All it means is that Porsche did not work with the tire company to mate the tire design to the car.

Wayne, I agree with most of your post except the section listed above. My car came with Michelin Pilot Sport with code N0. I can by the same tire with or without the "N" coding. I opted to get "N" tires when I replaced them.

Otherwise, thanks for the kind words.

[martrirl]

I measured the tread on my tires last night.  The front are at 2/32" and the rear at 4/32".  When the time comes I was going to purchase from Tire Rack and have my local Porsche Dealer mount and balance.  I figure they would be best equiped to do the job right.

Bob