New Tires for 07 Elantra SE

One of the best tires I've ever owned for both wet and snow traction was a set of Sumitomo Srixon4's. Those tires just never let go. I recently took them off and installed a set of Tiger Paw's and when we looked at the remaining tread we were all amazed. There was little more than an indication of where the tread was but these tires drove me through the first two Central NY snow storms like they had a full tread depth. Very soft rubber compound that just sucked up the road. The mileage was not terrific out of them - I got around 40,000 out of them. Not horrible for a tire in that class, but certainly not a long life tire. BTW - my tires were 225 50

16R. A set of skis vulcanized to be installed on a car, if ever there was one. But - those suckers performed.

That would suit me just fine. After 40,000 miles it seems like most tires have one or two that just don't wear perfect and you start to get thumps or vibrations. There is a correlation between tread life and traction and I've go for traction.

Of course, I recall tube tires that would only last 5000 miles and using re-caps that got even less. I think they were about $10 at the time.

These were actually pretty smooth rolling down the highway too. The new tires were noticeably smoother as you would expect, but not hugely so. Gotta say it again - those Summitomo's were great. Another set of those may just end up on one of my cars in the future.

Interesting. It must be a problem with the particular tire model, as Kumho KH16s are a popular replacement tire for '06 and earlier Elantras and are a considered to be a significant performance upgrade from the lackluster Michelins they came with. I'll be putting KH16s on my own car in the spring.

I suspect your issue may have more to do with the particular vehicle and the engine's power curve than the tires. As you're looking at the tires on tirerack, note that beside each tire (except snow tires) is a UTQG (Uniform Tire Quality Grading) evaluation. The first entry is a number representing treadwear, with higher numbers representing longer treadwear. Next is a letter designation for wet traction, with AA being best wet traction. Last is a letter designation for temperature, with A being the greatest ability to resist overheating.

If you look at the listing for the tires on your car-- Kumho Solus KH-16, I believe-- you'll see that they already have the highest available rating for wet traction. This means you're unlikely to remedy your problem simply by changing the tire model.

If you're really serious about attempting to achieve better launch traction, you'll probably need to move to a wider tire. If you have the

195/65R15 tires, you might try switching to 215/60R15. If you have 205/55R16, you might try switching to 225/50R16. In each case, using the substitution I note will keep almost the same exact tire circumference. But you'll also need to verify there's room on your car for the additional tire width. In each case, the tires will be 20mm wider, so you'll need an additional 10mm of room on each side of the tire. I doubt fender clearance on your car will be an issue, but clearance between the tire and strut may be an issue.

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It isn't often that I disagree with your advice, hyundaitech, but I must in this case. For traction in water and snow, narrower tires with a higher contact pressure are better than are wide tires. Run narrower tires and a higher air pressure to minimize hydroplaning and maximize traction in both wet and snowy conditions.

Matt

Just for clarification - The Sumitomo Srixon4 is no longer available. It has been replaced by the HTR H4,. another impressive tire.

I have it on my son's Elantra - an excellent choice.

And most of the time, you can get them from Sears Auto on a, "Buy 3, Get 1 Free" deal, which has the added benefit of both a local dealer and nationwide service coverage if there ever is a problem.

Matt Whiting wrote in news:%ezdj.1280$ snipped-for-privacy@news1.epix.net:

Actually, in rain, a greater surface area (i.e., wider tire) is a better option against hydroplaning. You are right about the snow and ice though.

Eric

Thank you, this is very helpful. The Kumho tires that I currently have are

205/55-16, so I'll check about whether I could move to the 225/50R16 (although from what you say, I might be wasting my money to change the tires earlier than necessary). Since I'm driving the exact same route as I did when I have my Saturn, the difference in launch traction (I learned a new term!) was immediately noticeable to me. One thing I also noticed in the Elantra which was not present in my old Saturn is that Elantra tends to roll back more quickly and further on an incline than my Saturn did when I move my foot from the brake to the accelerator. My Saturn seemed to have more "forward momentum" at a standstill than the Elantra. Would that something to do with the problem I'm experiencing with the tires?

Actually, no. Ever see race cars with wide slicks on a wet track? In addition to wide tread, you need a tread pattern that moves the water away from between the road and the tire surface. A narrow tire with the right pattern is superior to a wide tire with the wrong pattern.

As for snow and ice, similar rules apply but a good snow tread is required. There is much more to performance that a simple wide or narrow design. Most tires are a compromise.

I am correct on all counts.

I can post many more references if these aren't sufficiently convincing.

Matt

Have you discovered some new law of physics? The only thing a vehicle has at a standstill is inertia, unless you're on a hill, in which case it also has potential energy.

If you have a manual transmission, it could be a symptom of the clutch and accelerator coordination. I haven't liked the feel of the Elantra clutches since about 2001, and I believe they take some familiarity before they can be operated well.

On the other hand, if you have an automatic, I'd say that there may need to be less uneasiness about how much the car will roll backward. A little practicing in an empty area will help you learn how much and how fast the car will move backward on an incline. This, too, is something that varies from vehicle to vehicle, and is dependent on engine horsepower and torque converter efficiency.

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Matt Whiting wrote in news:iyEdj.1284$ snipped-for-privacy@news1.epix.net:

No, Matt, these are sufficient. My experience has always shown otherwise, but I have a feeling that this was more due to the "escape path" improving as tire design changes over the years rather than the width of tire per se.

Eric

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in news:PADdj.2196$ snipped-for-privacy@nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com:

Interesting to read in Matt's references that a wider tire actually is better on glare ice, but that makes sense as to the surface area and friction.

Eric

Thanks for all the help, h-tech. Happy New Year!

Certainly tread design makes a big difference, but the fact remains that all else being equal (same tread design, etc.) a wider tire will hydroplane before a narrow tire will hydroplane. Same holds for snow, a wider tire is much worse in snow, all else being equal. Now if you are talking sand or mud, then often a wide tire with low pressure is preferred.

Matt

There's a simple modification that can make a big difference in the feel of the Elantra's clutch, particularly in terms of consistency. The slave cylinder has a small valve in it that restricts the fluid flow when you let out the clutch. Apparently, it's designed to help prevent stalling if someone lets the clutch out too fast, but more than anything else, it reduces the feel and consistency of the clutch action. The valve consists of a plate and a spring that are located at the banjo fitting for the clutch line. Remove the bolt and they typically fall out, but they can be removed with a small pick or magnet, if necessary. You need to bleed the clutch after removing the valve, but overall, it's a 15 minute job that substantially improves the clutch feel. The procedure is known as a "clutchvalvectomy" and there are DIY instructions on the Elantra Club website

and probably other places, too.

I was under the impression we were talking about wet pavement rather than standing water (i.e., enough water to require dispersion or to threaten to cause hydroplaning).

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