I got Pilot Sports A/S and...

I've got Kumho Ecsta HP4s on my max and my minivan they handle beautifully in all the weather conditions I've seen so far Snow/ sleet / rain / ice etc. and I paid less than $200 for all 4.

No Idea... I'm especially concerned since it's almost time to replace and I have had my eye on the same tires (Sport A/S).

I would have thought with all the road noise these tires make you would have an excellent grip and better steering feel. Obviously not the case.. maybe the tread outers are gripping better than the center, and it's messing with the steering feel?

I have no other idea but to try and inflate them a few more PSI, maybe

+5 or so PSI to see what happens, then back them down a bit as needed? And of course test it on smooth flat road.

What inflation are they at right now? I've always felt 2-3 more PSI over the rated number made the feel better. Did they install the exact size recommended by Nissan, or change it somewhat?

Please keep us posted, especially me!!! Thanks Pat

2002 GLE with crappy Turanzas (still better than crappy Potenzas!)

"Tara" wrote:

Check your tire pressures. The best time to check is when the tires are cold, like in the morning before you start off for work. I feel that the best setup for the front heavy Maxima is;

Front tire pressure at 34-35 PSI Rear tire pressure at 29-30 PSI

If the car still feels funny after the pressure adjustment, then perhaps you need a front end alignment.

hth

CD

Tara wrote:

I agree with those numbers.. Again, try upping the cold pressure to maybe 36 front 32 rear and see if it makes any difference, then back it off.

Funny, the Pilot A/S shows up as $191 today, when I searched a month or two ago they were only $171 for the same size.

Stranger still, I was able to look up this tire for both the SE and GLE at TireRack.com just a while ago.. now they only show up when I choose SE. Something's weird.

I once put new tires on a car (not a Maxima) and had that feeling.

It turned out the tire tread pattern was "tramlining" -- locking into the grooves cut into the freeways around here for better traction in the rain.

The tires would sit in one set of grooves for a second or so, then hop out and link up with another set. It was very noticeable to both driver and passenger. The thing just felt "uneasy" or "twitchy". The car felt like it was lurching from side to side, randomly.

If your tires have lots of grooves running in the direction of travel, that could be it.

After many alignment tests and such, I gave up and swapped the tires for ones with a different tread pattern. One with only diagonal tread grooves. Problem gone!

Now I look carefully at a tire's tread pattern before buying it.

-- Mike

First, steering responsiveness is definitely going to be improved so it may just take some time to get used to your car's new handling. One thing to check is that they were installed properly, i.e., are rotating in the correct direction. These are directional tires and need to be installed so that they rotate in the correct direction. There should be an arrow on the tire showing the proper rotation.

Hi Pat! Hows it going out there in Boston???!!!

Hi Tara, just fine thanks, except for the sub-zero temperatures!!! BRRRR!! Hope all is fine on your end (and warmer too!)

While you're looking at all that other stuff, Dan had a good idea about checking the direction of the tires (I didn't know these were directional). All those people in the reviews can't be wrong, but I won't buy these tires if you can't find the problem!

Thanks, Pat

"Tara" wrote:

For what it's worth...

I got the Pilot Sports A/S for my 2000 SE and I've been very pleased. I've found them much better in the rain and snow than the Bridgestones. I've had my tires at 29psi.

Dave

snipped-for-privacy@Bost> Hi Tara,

Hey Pat. Well I checked the direction and they're fine. I had my husband drive the car and he says i'm out of my mind and the tires are fine. He checked the PSI and they're fine but he didn't tell me what they're at... if I have a chance today i'll check 'em myself. I don't know.... I've been driving this car for a year and a half now (thanks to you..haha!) and it doesn't seem right but i'll drive today w/a different mindset knowing that my husband says they're fine.

I've gone through the same thing with my car. It doesn't take much to get a car to tramline or groove wander. My car just doesn't hold a line as tightly as it used to, and any up/down or bump on the front end seems to make it change direction. The effect is small, but I notice it. Your husband probably isn't accustomed to the car enough to compare it to before. Different tires will have different sidewall stiffness, which can affect tramlining. Basically, better tires will transmit more of this to the driver where cheaper tires would lose it by flexing.

Make sure you're comparing the difference on the same road, with the same wind conditions, outside temperatures.

I checked:

- new tires (no change)

- alignment (toe-in can affect the stability of the car at high speed)

- tire pressure, front/rear pressure difference (all correct)

- tension of front swaybar bushings (correct, and replace bushings)

- steering rack play and wear (inspected by 2 shops)

- wheel bearings (inspected by 2 shops)

- new struts (replaced over a year ago when the 'change' began)

- addition of a rear sway bar (too expensive for my wallet)

I say if you've covered this list then let everyone else believe it was in your head, and tell yourself it's something that exists that you'll learn to deal with. That's how I'm blocking out the voices in my head. :o)

Dave

Thanks for your input. This "tramlining"... is that something that happens only w/roads with those noticable grooves in them? I'm asking cause where I live (in the desert) there are none of those grooved roads, especially on my work route. I took the car today and sure enuf, it's NOT in my head... the damm thing drives like I have a low tire (which I don't) and it's enuf to drive me crazy. I also wonder... is this something that goes away with time (maybe when there's wear on the tire?) and if so, how long???!!! It's a terrible feeling... spending in excess of $800 on tires that don't even feel good!!!

Sorry, it doesn't get better. If it's that bad, I suggest having the shop look at it (assuming they are capable of more than mounting a tire and collecting a check). The effect only seems magnified now that you're attuned to it.

Tramlining is what you said: a tendency to follow shapes in the road like a train on tracks.

What kind of tire did you begin with?

Dave

Hi Tara,

Don't ignore the problem if there really is one.. you -did- spend all that money (and we might too!)

I checked Michelin's web site to see if there was any kind of support link but no.. there WAS a phone number though. You might try calling them and reporting your situation:

P.S. Have you tried overinflating a bit, say to 36 PSI front, 34 PSI rear? This might tell you something. I don't know what the maximum is for the tire, (I have seen some listed as high as 44psi) but you might refer to that number rather than Nissan's recommended PSI numbers.

Good Luck.. Pat

"Tara" wrote:

I had the stock tires... they were Bridgestone... JUNK. I had so many flats which isn't a good thing when driving on a desolate desert mountain road with a child in the car while wearing heels/skirt.

Thanks Pat, I WILL definitely call the customer service line. One thing tho... we had rain last night, which is a rarity out here... usually the roads feel so slippery, espec w/all the oil (that rarely gets washed away) in the road... last night tho I "tested" these tires ... slammed on the brakes at about 30 MPH on the wet road and the car stopped on a dime. I was pretty amazed... no skidding or hydroplaning AT ALL. Took off quickly and same thing... the tires gripped the road and MOVED! Did it a few time. So this aspect of the tires is impressive and I like to give credit where due.

I don't know the speed rating on the stock tires, but if you make a change to a higher speed rated tire, the sidewalls become accordingly stiffer and make a big difference in road feel and fine handling. The Pilot Sport A/S is very high speed rating and also Michelin rates conservatively compared to some competitors. My RX-7 has very firm tires and suspension, and the groove wander and twitchiness are definitely a level up on my Maxima. It sort of comes with the territory.

Dave

Do you mean the Max is worse, or the other way around?

In order, with most twitchy / tramlining first:

1) RX-7 (w/ Goodyear Eagle F1s) 2) Maxima w/ Dunlop SP Sport 5000s or A60s 3) Maxima with stock tires

Dave