How about these “sidewall bubbles”?!!!
Seen on a car in England the cops stopped.
Overinflated or what?
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New tires = 20% efficiency loss?!?!
At 83k, it was finally time to ditch the OEM tires. Getting that many miles out of original tires is proof I drive quite gently (most of the time, anyway)
Yesterday I bought a set of Bridgestone Turanza QuietTracks.
And quiet they are, but I sure seem to have taken a heckuva efficiency hit. My lifetime dashboard efficiency average is 4.81 mi / kWh since most of my driving is in warm flat Florida at around-town speeds - more evidence of my conservative driving style.
Yesterday's driving characteristics (even less freeway than usual) should have resulted in a daily calculated efficiency in the 5.0 - 5.25 range, but all I got was 4.21.
Midday, I aired them up to sidewall max (50 psig) - that seemed to help, but not much
Yikes - I sure hope these tires get better with age!
Yesterday I bought a set of Bridgestone Turanza QuietTracks.
And quiet they are, but I sure seem to have taken a heckuva efficiency hit. My lifetime dashboard efficiency average is 4.81 mi / kWh since most of my driving is in warm flat Florida at around-town speeds - more evidence of my conservative driving style.
Yesterday's driving characteristics (even less freeway than usual) should have resulted in a daily calculated efficiency in the 5.0 - 5.25 range, but all I got was 4.21.
Midday, I aired them up to sidewall max (50 psig) - that seemed to help, but not much
Yikes - I sure hope these tires get better with age!
21 - 40 of 61 Posts
Seen on a car in England the cops stopped.
Overinflated or what?
They're not "run-flats", in that they can be driven on with 0 PSI. They are "self-sealing".MTM - exactly. Tire installer has ordered me OEM Michelins. I've opted out of the run flat - saves 2 pounds and $30 per tire, and I carry an aftermarket donut spare.
They say they are on the hook for the Bridgestone satisfaction guarantee...that seems odd, and if true I feel bad...then again we've bought all our tires their for years and years, and that extends to my HVAC company - 9 more vehicles there...they've done all right by me.
drdiesel - I have 600+ miles on the Quietracks - still seeing 20% lower mi / kWh
Fair point
Great reference. Thanks!https://www.consumerreports.org/tires/low-rolling-resistance-tires-can-save-you-money-at-pump/ is a Consumer Reports article about what they measured for rolling resistance for performance all-season tires. Unfortunately, the OEM Michelin Energy Saver A/S is not in this group, nor is the Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack. But if you do not want the OEM tires again, you may want to consider some of the ones at the top of the chart in the linked article if you are concerned about rolling resistance / economy / range.
Do you still like your Ecopia 422+ tires? The have excellent ratings for noise and efficiency from Consumer Reports, but very spotty reviews.I wish I could have warned you. I tried those tires when they first came out and yes, they were awful on range. I put about 5,000 miles on them before returning them to Costco and getting the Ecopedia EP422+. I found the 422+ to be just a quiet, however they do not grip the road as well, but much better then the OEM. With the 422+ I get about 95% of the efficiency I got with the OEM and hopefully a longer wear life.
My biggest concern with the lost of range was lowering the overall lifespan of the battery. In theory if you get 20% worse range, then the battery could degrade 20% faster. That 20% hit could be felt more then just at the plug.
The QuietTracks are great tires, just not for EV’s. After that experience, I will only look at LRR tires moving forward.
6,500 miles on my Vredestein Quatrac 5's and negligable range loss (maybe lower weight evens out the better traction). These are low rolling resistance, much cheaper than OEM michelins, and improve the cars driving dynamics substanstially. I note minimal wheel spin in rain (a PROBLEM with then OEMs). The OEMs lasted me 31,000 (and I don't wait until wear bars are visible). These are rated at 45,000, and reviews are mixed about treadlife, but at the lower cost and current wear levels, these look like they will last as long and drive better. I carry a can of tire sealer, a quality compressor (see what Tire Rack sells that clips to the 12v battery, not the cigarette lighter socket), and a tire plug kit from Slime (see Amazon).
Range hit of 10 to 15% is real for new tires that aren't energy saving tires. I was an idiot and didn't keep up with tire rotation. Fronts were 3/32 and backs were 5/32. I had 65,000 miles on them and I could have probably pushed another 5000 out of them. I got a set of off brand tires for under $300 installed since my maximum mileage is 130 miles. Tire noise wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but the mileage hit is real. I was planning on upgrading my Bolt anyways, so cheap tires it was!
Everyone is entitled to his own frame of reference on tires. Even though I've been in and around the tire business for fifty years, I can't improve on the OEM Michelin as a summer tire. The GM and Michelin engineers spent thousands of hours designing and testing a tire which has the best all-around performance envelope for the Bolt. Any other tire gaining in traction will lose in range. Any other tire which costs less will give up in some or several other areas. You decide which compromises you're willing to accept.
We just had our second major snow storm of the winter and there were more than a hundred accidents in an area which gets a lot of snow every year. An educated guess is 99% of those numbnuts were driving on the criminally mislabeled "all-season" tires. There is no such tire for the northern tier. So yes, for snow and ice, the OEM Michelins are dangerous and shouldn't be labeled as all-season and shouldn't be used in a northern tier winter. Use common sense and put real snow tires on a second set of wheels.
The one choice the marketing mavens made which I'll forego is the self-sealing. It adds weight, cost and only is functional in specific types of puncture. I'll most likely replace the Michelins with the same tire less the self sealing feature.
jack vines
We just had our second major snow storm of the winter and there were more than a hundred accidents in an area which gets a lot of snow every year. An educated guess is 99% of those numbnuts were driving on the criminally mislabeled "all-season" tires. There is no such tire for the northern tier. So yes, for snow and ice, the OEM Michelins are dangerous and shouldn't be labeled as all-season and shouldn't be used in a northern tier winter. Use common sense and put real snow tires on a second set of wheels.
The one choice the marketing mavens made which I'll forego is the self-sealing. It adds weight, cost and only is functional in specific types of puncture. I'll most likely replace the Michelins with the same tire less the self sealing feature.
jack vines
The OEM tires was designed to maximize range, and are fairly miserable-performing on dry or wet pavement.
I'd suggest Vredestein Quattro Pro, successor to their Quattro 5. They are as quiet as the Quiettrack and handle better, with outstanding wet performance, where the Bridgestone is seriously mediocre.
I installed 225x45x17 recently, and these are the best tires I've put on my cars in the past fifteen years. I don't have enough mileage on them to discuss any change in range yet, but I don't really care if I lose a few miles.
I'd suggest Vredestein Quattro Pro, successor to their Quattro 5. They are as quiet as the Quiettrack and handle better, with outstanding wet performance, where the Bridgestone is seriously mediocre.
I installed 225x45x17 recently, and these are the best tires I've put on my cars in the past fifteen years. I don't have enough mileage on them to discuss any change in range yet, but I don't really care if I lose a few miles.
Another option might have been to go with a 205x50x17 size. Diameter is a bit closer to OEM, 0.4" smaller diameter and speedometer error of 0.9 mph more at 60. (actual 59.1 mph, reading 60). It would be 0.4" narrower than the OEMs, which might change the handling slightly, perhaps bringing it more inline with the OEM tires, but should also help fuel efficiency while retaining the quieter ride.The OEM tires was designed to maximize range, and are fairly miserable-performing on dry or wet pavement.
I'd suggest Vredestein Quattro Pro, successor to their Quattro 5. They are as quiet as the Quiettrack and handle better, with outstanding wet performance, where the Bridgestone is seriously mediocre.
I installed 225x45x17 recently, and these are the best tires I've put on my cars in the past fifteen years. I don't have enough mileage on them to discuss any change in range yet, but I don't really care if I lose a few miles.
PS - one could easily fit the Quattro Pro in 225x50x17 with adequate front shock clearance.
Goodyear unveils new tire for electric cars to reduce wear from powerful instant torque
There’s no getting around it, the instant torque of electric vehicles can be quite hard on tires – especially with...
On my 2017 volt, I replaced the OEMs that during last winter, much more colder that this year, allowed me to do my 59 miles commute every single day, I installed the Firestone green something and this year was, not able to make the commute on only battery, be sure I will go for the OEMs when the time comes for my 2019 Bolt.
"…helps reduce vulnerability to hydroplaning during heavy rain / roadway water ponding incidents - higher pressure provides more force to drive standing water out from under the tire via the tread grooves."
If you have a reference for that any facts in that assertion, I'd like to read it, because I believe it to be bad advice.
Higher tire pressure gives you a smaller contact patch with the pavement, thus giving significantly less braking ability, and "more force to drive standing water out from under the tire" makes no sense, IMHO.
If you have a reference for that any facts in that assertion, I'd like to read it, because I believe it to be bad advice.
Higher tire pressure gives you a smaller contact patch with the pavement, thus giving significantly less braking ability, and "more force to drive standing water out from under the tire" makes no sense, IMHO.
You are right, higher pressure means smaller contact area which means less braking ability.Higher tire pressure gives you a smaller contact patch with the pavement, thus giving significantly less braking ability, and "more force to drive standing water out from under the tire" makes no sense, IMHO.
In a hydroplaning situation, higher pressure means less contact area, which means the vehicle's weight is distributed over a smaller area, which means more force to squeeze out the water (same lbs distributed over a smaller area). So you might be less likely to hydroplane with higher tire pressures, but that doesn't mean you'll have more braking ability. And it probably doesn't mean you'll have better traction overall in wet conditions, it may mean you are just less likely to hydroplane at a certain speed or when hitting ponded areas on the roadway.
Yes. They do slip a little, but not as much as the OEM. The wear has been even and low for the 15K I have on them. I think I will be able to get about 50K+ out of them before replacement. I would say I am satisfied with them, however if I needed new tires, I would shop around and see what is new/better. They are not perfect, but they are much better then the OEM with little to no range loss.Do you still like your Ecopia 422+ tires? The have excellent ratings for noise and efficiency from Consumer Reports, but very spotty reviews.
Water does not "squeeze out" - it is incompressible. What creates hydroplaning is when you are going too fast for conditions, and the water does not have enough time to flow out through the grooves in the tire.You are right, higher pressure means smaller contact area which means less braking ability.
In a hydroplaning situation, higher pressure means less contact area, which means the vehicle's weight is distributed over a smaller area, which means more force to squeeze out the water (same lbs distributed over a smaller area). So you might be less likely to hydroplane with higher tire pressures, but that doesn't mean you'll have more braking ability. And it probably doesn't mean you'll have better traction overall in wet conditions, it may mean you are just less likely to hydroplane at a certain speed or when hitting ponded areas on the roadway.
If you have any reference to back up your assertions, please post a link - I'd like to read something authoritative on the topic. Here's one description by the Tire Rack: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=3
Jeez, I give up. I'm a freaking civil engineer, I know water isn't compressible. I was trying to explain it in easy terms to avoid arguments like this. Nothing in the article contradicts what I stated. In an overinflated case the same weight distribued over a smaller area means it is easier to force out the water since the contact area is less, it has less distance to travel to get out, and the same weight is applied over a smaller area. It doesn't necessarily mean more traction, I clearly stated this. The article deals with underinflated tires that have a concave area in the middle that traps the water and leads to less contact area (for a different reason than overinflated). I was trying to make it clear that both sides of the argument could potentially be kind of right. And if I'm wrong, I'm wrong and I apologize. And I'm sorry I said "squeeze." Continue on, I'm done trying to be helpful and I'll let the arguments commence without me. Life is to short to worry about stuff like this and get into whizzing contests.Water does not "squeeze out" - it is incompressible. What creates hydroplaning is when you are going too fast for conditions, and the water does not have enough time to flow out through the grooves in the tire.
If you have any reference to back up your assertions, please post a link - I'd like to read something authoritative on the topic. Here's one description by the Tire Rack: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=3
Sorry for being grumpy, I guess I'm in a bad mood. I felt like I was trying to help and I just get grief for it. Hope you find an answer that satisfies you.
IMHO, the "right" answer is to set the tires to what the car and tire manufacturers determined to be the best setting, with maybe a pound or two over to allow for air leakage and temperature changes.
I can't see any point in second-guessing the manufacturers design point for their tires - they know a LOT more than you or I about what works best and is safest with their products.
Do I ever run my tires at 10 lbs. over recommended? Yes, when I track a car, where rollover of the tire with loss of bead contact is a possibility due to extreme cornering. Afterward I let them cool and set them back down to normal street pressure.
I can't see any point in second-guessing the manufacturers design point for their tires - they know a LOT more than you or I about what works best and is safest with their products.
Do I ever run my tires at 10 lbs. over recommended? Yes, when I track a car, where rollover of the tire with loss of bead contact is a possibility due to extreme cornering. Afterward I let them cool and set them back down to normal street pressure.
Mine seemed to take three thousand miles to break in. That said.. once broken, in the dry, and in concert with the Chevy traction control, I think its a good tire. For the average commuter type driver probably a fine tire from mile zero. For an 'enthusiastic' driver its only good once its broken in. For a jack of all trades type tire it does all its jobs well imo.It took 300 miles for my OEM tires to break-in.
I only recently replaced two, but I did go with a "fuel efficient" tire option for this car. Only have a few miles so far but I will report when I have enough to judge.
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