Tire decision question :

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Originally Posted by etlsport

cool! bring em on down so i can mount and balance them for ya.. and do an alignment while were at it.. :thumbup: hopefully yours will be easier than mine.. mine took 4-5oz of weights per wheel.. the spare took over 13oz!

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That there looks like a quarter pounder, man! :p

Eric.... Why so many? Your rims in that bad shape?

Bob will probably pick them up tomorrow night after they arrive in my driveway ... then either mount them tomorrow night or Wednesday. (cant beat 'free'

Then I will bring them over to you for the alignment .. There still a Wednesday discount available?

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Originally Posted by Spike

That there looks like a quarter pounder, man! :p

Eric.... Why so many? Your rims in that bad shape?

Bob will probably pick them up tomorrow night after they arrive in my driveway ... then either mount them tomorrow night or Wednesday. (cant beat 'free'

Then I will bring them over to you for the alignment .. There still a Wednesday discount available?

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wednesday discount is on parts only.. so wouldnt help alignment unless you needed shims for camber/caster, but even so.. no biggie, so no real "best day" to have it in although the guy id choose to do it is in wednesday 9-6

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Originally Posted by VX KAT

I've had the Cooper Zeon LTZs 285/60-18s on stock/OEM rims, on my stock non-lifted or altered VX for about 2 months now. (You've probably seen my thread on them with lots of pics). I think I'm the only VXer on here to have these so far.
~Haven't been in a torrential rainstorm with them, just a rather heavy one and a lot of mud on my "dirt" road after the Arizona Monsoon rains this summer.

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Hey Kat!
Been almost a week with the LTZs ... (but not many miles)

They are GREAT i the rain and big puddles! I was lucky enough to have a good storm roll through on Saturday

Anyway, what pressure are you running? My mechanic pumped them up to 45 and I am wondering if thats a bit much.

45 seems high to me. I'd be concerned about breaking a bead if a tire takes a good hit.

What psi is the tire rated for (should be on the sidewall)?

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Originally Posted by tom4bren

45 seems high to me. I'd be concerned about breaking a bead if a tire takes a good hit.

What psi is the tire rated for (should be on the sidewall)?

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Max pressure is 50

OK, so that tire can take it.

You're running OEM rims correct? Need to determine if the rims can take that pressure as well. In this case, I'd follow the ratings on the sticker on the door jam of the VX.

The last thing I'd suggest is to chalk a line across the tread of the tire, move the VX only enough to have the chalk line touch the pavement a couple of times, then check to see if the chalk is rubbed off evenly across the entire width of the tread.

Of course, keep an eye on wear over time as well. If the center of the tread is wearing too fast, lower the pressure. If the outside edges of the tread is wearing faster, increase the pressure. If there is cupping or uneven wear, get your alignment checked (actually cupping is usually caused by worn shocks rather than alignment).

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Originally Posted by Spike

Hey Kat!
Been almost a week with the LTZs ... (but not many miles)

They are GREAT i the rain and big puddles! I was lucky enough to have a good storm roll through on Saturday

Anyway, what pressure are you running? My mechanic pumped them up to 45 and I am wondering if thats a bit much.

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Kool!!!!! Only a fellow VXer could appreciate the visual of seeing a VX go rammin' through puddles and probably turning and braking! It's just what we do! :thumbup:
I still haven't had any rain since I last posted...so good to know they're good in the rain on pavement!
I've got mine at 40 psi...much higher was too punishing on my dirt/rocky road.

PICTURES! PICTURES!

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Originally Posted by VX KAT

Kool!!!!! I still haven't had any rain since I last posted...so good to know they're good in the rain on pavement!
I've got mine at 40 psi...much higher was too punishing on my dirt/rocky road.

PICTURES! PICTURES!

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Tom, yea it seems they can take the higher pressurest ... and to answer your q: yes, stock 18x7 rims ...
I find irony there, being that you lower pressure when going off road, etc.

Kat, Agreed, expected a somewhat harder ride but WOW! the end of my 'street' is gravel and has some deep potholes ... you can really feel it there!

Pics will be posted when I take a few more (and then remember how to add them on here - been a while)

Ironic, yes.

If you're running your tires at or near the max pressure & you hit a nice sized pothole, the tire tries to flex which will increase the air pressure in the tire & you could break a bead (tire pops off the rim ... well ... half way).

You air down off road for increased surface area & to allow the tire to flex more & 'mold' itself over obstacles. The trouble is that a lot of people air down too far & the tire flexes too much which can also break a bead.

In my limited experience, the only off road conditions you really need to air down for is rock crawling. All other conditions, the tread design has more to do with performance.

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Originally Posted by tom4bren

Ironic, yes.

If you're running your tires at or near the max pressure & you hit a nice sized pothole, the tire tries to flex which will increase the air pressure in the tire & you could break a bead (tire pops off the rim ... well ... half way).

You air down off road for increased surface area & to allow the tire to flex more & 'mold' itself over obstacles. The trouble is that a lot of people air down too far & the tire flexes too much which can also break a bead.

In my limited experience, the only off road conditions you really need to air down for is rock crawling. All other conditions, the tread design has more to do with performance.

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I am guestimating somewhere between 35 and 40 is probably much better than the 45 I have in there now.

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Originally Posted by tom4bren

In my limited experience, the only off road conditions you really need to air down for is rock crawling. All other conditions, the tread design has more to do with performance.

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Tom, you should always air down to around 15 PSI for soft sand.
Gives the tyre a wider contact area so you don't bog down so easy.

PK

Spike runs your tires at 36psi is where you live has a moon like terrain.

Mines had the same max psi but never went over the 36 plus that allows me to use valve caps with air monitoring pressure gauges :yesb:

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Originally Posted by PK

Tom, you should always air down to around 15 PSI for soft sand.
Gives the tyre a wider contact area so you don't bog down so easy.

PK

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PK,

I knew I was gonna get some flak on that statement. I won't jack this thread anymore than it already is tho.

You're right. Airing down for soft sand does make a big difference

IF

you have the right tread to start with. I stay away from really soft sand with mine since I have MTs. That tread pattern just digs big holes in sand & doesn't do much for getting you from point A to point B.

I just got those Coopers too! They seem great so far! I got the 285/60/18s and they almost seem a little wider and lower profile than my old Nitto Terragrapplers of the same size. No problem fitting or rubbing with stock wheels and ride height. My thanks to Kat for her pictures too which pushed me over the edge. (the fact that I grew up in Central Arizona right near her and have driven those same dirt roads myself might have softened me up even more)

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/157/img3883w.jpg

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/5539/img3890.jpg

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/9058/img3882.jpg

Lookin' sharp! :thumbup::thumbup: