Re: Consumer Reports Jan '06 Issue Proves My Point

OK... now that you have decided what kind of tires I like, can please tell me my favourite colour and what my favourite dish are...... I've been waiting for someone to tell me oh, so many things for such a long time.......

Sorry couldn't resist so here goes

The "gimmick" as you refer to it, is required to allow clearance for larger disc brakes and components while retaining a wheel small enough to not impair acceleration or carry undue inertia. Everyone wants a car that will stop on a dime, offer razor sharp steering, snappy acceleration from a rest and most importantly "look like a race car". Hence lower profile tires on larger rims

Not if you are able to fit smaller rims and tires on your vehicle

I do believe that you are confusing the speed ratings requirements with air cushion. " Z" rated tires require a much stiffer sidewall than an "S" rated tire. Sports car performance = sports car tires.

this is news to me

Might want to think back, Think of the Goodyears that came stock on the Chrysler "K" cars.... I could give countless other examples (continental Contacts on some VW's etc, etc, etc.

You give too much credit to the tires. Don't forget the changes in suspension and engine tuning. Most car buyers at the moment have a hard on for the "European Engineering" Not realizing that European cars handle like they do because their roads are shit, Europeans are willing to trade a louder, stiffer ride and more money in their cars in exchange for a car that can take an unmarked 90' corner at 60 MPH and come to a sudden stop at the other side when a farmer with muck covered lights backs out into the road

People already are doing that. Take a look at the dealers sales of SUV's and Pickup Trucks. Most do not come with 40 series tires.

Having said that.............. I partially agree My Vehicles have 70 Series tires

Manufacturers make and sell what people buy, plain and simple. They wouldn't be there if there wasn't a market. Sensibility doesn't go very far in the American market place. Remember Studebaker & Rambler?

PoD

Not quite. No auto maker puts those on their trucks.

True, but you generally get better performance.

You also get better turn in. It's a trade off. You give up some noise to get better reaction to steering inputs.

BS. If you keep them properly inflated they will wear evenly.

Again, BS. My Dodge Omni GLH Turbo ran on 50 series tires and I never had any wear or alignment issues. Since the car was so light, even fast wearing high performance tires lasted a long time. I had that car for over 110k miles, so I have plenty of experience with it.

Tires are only part of the what makes ride quality. So you can't blame the tires entirely.

What a stupid statement. If you haven't noticed airplanes only use their tires in a straight line or when they turn very slowly.

Nothing is stopping you from buying the kind of tires you like. I'm sure there are lots of folks that would more than happy to trade your high performance tires for the crap you prefer to ride on.

----------------- Alex

Those are tires. Those are rubber rim protectors.

------------- Alex

I know when a prospective buyer comes to the car lot and sees a vehicle that has low profile tires on it, the first assumption is that a kid owned the vehicle previously and they don't even take a second look.

the only people that buy lowered vehicles or vehicles with big rims and low profile tires are kids,and usually vehicles like that have had a stereo system that a kid installed and messed with the wiring and they have electrical issues.

in other words it is *MUCH* easier to sell a vehicle with those crap tires that you speak of rather than one that some kid monkeyed with.

vehicles don't come that way for a reason.

Consumer Reports is so utilitarian that they probably think we should all be driving one model of car fit to some generic class of needs. I presume they allow for at least a few different classes, although I gave up reading them for automotive purposes, where there is some form to go with the function. Toaster reviews, maybe.

They don't like convertibles, they don't like sunroofs, I am not surprised that they don't like low profile tires.

A lower profile tire would fit on a bigger wheel, keeping the same tread diameter. That isn't obvious?

This proves that Nomen Nescio doesn't think.

A tall ratio tire as opposed to a wide ratio (thin) tire is what you want when a plain's tires hits the runway at speed with great force. Think about it!

Richard.

My only question is: What are abdominal tires?

Airplane tires have to absorb the shock of landing -- slight difference.

Abdominal tires are what us old f*rts have around the middle!

Steve R.

Also called a spare tire.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Love handles? (... to move a bit more OT...)

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

those are on the abdominal snowman's pickup.

~On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 18:46:42 -0500, "Marc" wrote: ~ ~>My only question is: What are abdominal tires?

Must be the Michelin man!

Also, ever noticed how airplanes ALL slow down to corner?!?

Different service conditions = different tire requirements. Nomen's argument is so apples/oranges it isn't funny. He seems more and more like a troll every day.

Sloooooooow uptake there. He's famous, we found out last month. There's a site that gives his real name about 500 aliases. I didn't know it was even possible to reach that level of troll notoriety.

Most American surface roads are turning to shit, due to neglect and lack of maintenance. Additionally, heavy truck traffic is destroying the interstates.

Yeah,right, and that never happens here. You ever hear of James Dean?