whitch michilens ? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

william rogers · #1 05-23-2002, 01:21 AM

I am going over new purchase( 86 Euro 500se) brake rotors, tie rods.ball joints, ate pads and so on.I am pretty much set on michilens but don't know witch ones to get. I have Michilen Rainforce on my 81 SD they a very good in the rain (we live in Coastal Oregon) but seem to be wearing rather fast and are getting a bit loud.As I will probably drive the SE very little compaired to the SD I would like to put the best tires I can afford that suit this hiway runner. I am not a fast driver but love a car that handles well......
William rogers....

74 240 D
81 300 SD
86 Euro 500Se
81 2wd 454 k5 Blazer I built from frame up

c43amg · #2 05-23-2002, 09:26 AM

Despite your preference for Michelin, you should look at the Yokohama AVS Db ($70/tire for OEM size 205/65/15) and V-rated)-- check the TireRack survey results and do a comparison against whatever Michelin you have in mind (when you search by "All tire" for your car or tire size, check the comparison boxes to the left of each tire and the TireRack program will do a side-by-side comparison.

I've been very pleased with the Yokohamas on an '88 420SEL, esp in rain. Most recent experience was a tremendous thunderstorm with high winds, hail and standing water on the road -- no problem for the AVS.

#3 05-23-2002, 09:31 AM

William,

Congrats on your new toy. It sounds really nice.

I have been on a tire kick lately. It got started by experiencing the last straw at a tire store trying to get my tires balanced correctly.

I don't know if you've seen any of my posts, but the basic problem is the pervasiveness of using weights ONLY inboard for a static balance. This causes a dynamic imbalance which on modern cars nimble suspensions result in vibration, not to mention short suspension component life. But, there are MANY tire stores that insist on doing this.

This caused me to acquire a used Coats 1001 computer balancer, and a tire machine. I am totally tire store indepependent now, and this has caused me to do more research into tires, and their construction.

As with most any other product, everyone has different needs and desires from their purchase. Given that between my daughter, my wife and myself I must maintain well over 100,000 miles per year, tire life and economy is paramount. Additionally, living in Texas, I must use tires that can deal with the heat.

You described your situation and desires for this car quite well and I have some observations that I would like to offer. The only parameter that you did not discuss was cost. It sounds as if cost is not a huge concern, because you will not be using this car as a daily driver.

Most any of the higher speed rated tires provide great handling, but short tire life. If your driving of this car will be limited, maybe this compromise works well. If it does, the ultimate would be the VRated MXV4 plus. This provides stiffer sidewalls thus more precise handling. BTW, Tire Rack shows your size as 205/65 15. In this size the MXV4Plus VR is $147. This is a lot of money and would be a relatively short lived tire. I expect that this car originally used V rated tires.

In H speed rating this tire goes for $125.

If you are willing to go to a T speed rating (118 MPH), your choices for economy expand greatly. Staying with a Michelin in this speed range, which will result in a more flexible sidewall, contributing to less handling precision, you would have the MX4 and the X One. The MX4 is suspicious to me because it has no UTCQ rating. The X One is an excellent tire if you're looking for high mileage from your tires. This is the one that can be purchased with a six year unlimited milage guarantee. I did this once and the poor folks had no idea who they were selling them to. I ended up with two sets of free tires, but the hassle of their requirement for THEM to rotate the tires was probably not worth it. I can do this in my shop with much less hassle than waiting in their lobby.

The X one has low speed rating, hard compound, high mileage, and reasonably good wet traction. This tire goes for $89 with an 80,000 mile tread life warranty.

Just as a side bar and to be sure that you know, Tire Rack is currently liquidating the Continental AS tire in this size. This tire has an 80,000 mile treadlife warranty, is T speed rated with a B temp rating. In Texas I had to think long and hard about the B temperature rating, but the liquidation price is $44!!! This is normally a $70 tire. I bought four of these feeling that I could just not go wrong for this price. I have had very good success with Continentals in the past, and due to Continental being one of the few manufacturers that uses the same consturction methods as Michelin, I feel good about their products. If you want good dollar/mile value, I expect you could get it with this $44 tire, especially since you don't have to worry about 110 degree heat.

I do strongly suggest that whatever tire you buy, you INSIST on DYNAMIC balance with the balance weights placed on two planes and the tire rechecked on the computer balancer until it shows ZERO. DO NOT LET THEM SET THEIR MACHINE FOR A STATIC BALANCE!

To summarize, if this were my car, and I drove less than 6,000 or 7,000 miles per year and my wallet was so thick that I couldn't sit down, I would thin it by buying the MXV4Plus V Rated tires.

If I drove the car STRICTLY on the highway and put many more miles per year and still could not sit down, I would probably buy the XOne.
If I had no trouble at all sitting down and had to save my pennies for tires, I would buy the Continentals today before the last few are gone.

If I were to drive constantly on wet winding roads and drove lots of miles, I think the MX4 RainForce would be the best compromise at $84.

There's my opinions and remember these are only my opinions. Tire opinions are almost like oil opinions, everyone has a different one. I'm sure we'll both be blasted by someone who loves their Kumho's or Yokohama's or Kamakaze's or some such, but you asked, and this is what makes sense to me.

Your choice of Michelin is right on IMHO. The difference in Michelin and Continental and a few tires from two other manufacturers that I know of, is that they are molded in a mold that comes together radially like pieces of pie. This method allows for much more uniform belt placement and usually provides a tire with uniform road force (stiffness) and typically requires a very small amount of weight to obtain proper balance.

Let us know what you decide and good luck,

c43amg · #4 05-23-2002, 09:43 AM

"I'm sure we'll both be blasted by someone who loves their Kumho's or Yokohama's or Kamakaze's or some such, but you asked, and this is what makes sense to me.

Your choice of Michelin is right on IMHO. The difference in Michelin and Continental and a few tires from two other manufacturers that I know of, is that they are molded in a mold that comes together radially like pieces of pie. "

------------------------------------

Larry: I have the greatest respect for your experience and opinions, but didn't you yourself note that the Yokohamas had the same radial mold marks? See:

Tires for E420

For half the price, the Yokohamas were rated superior in almost every category in the TireRack surveys to the V-rated MXV4:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compare2.jsp?compare=true&partNumber=&make=&model=&price=&width=205%2F&ratio=65&diameter=15&sortCode =&speedRating=&qty=&stockMessage=&type=T&URL=&newCompare=true&minLoad=S&vehicleSearch=true&speed_rat ing=HR&speed_rating=VR&speed_rating=WR&speed_rating=YR&speed_rating=ZR&manufacturer=Michelin&manufac turer=Yokohama&startIndex=0&sortValue=1&compareList=0&qty_065VR5DB_=4&qty_065HR5XGT4_=4&qty_065HR5H4 _=4&qty_065HR5MXV4EPL_=4&compareList=4&qty_065VR5MXV4EPL_=4&qty_065VR5PRIMACY_=4&qty_065HR5376E_=4&q ty_065HR5376B_=4&qty_065VR5376A_=4&qty_065R5AA_=4

#5 05-23-2002, 10:05 AM

That's correct I have seen at least one Yokohama model that is constructed in a radially sectioned mold. I also saw one Pirelli model with the same construction method.

The only difference for me is that I personally have no experience with a Yokohama or Pirelli. Because of their construction methods, I expect to try a Yokohama at one point. I expect that point will be when I am shopping for tires at Tire Rack and come across another truckload or liquidation sale producing an extremely good price.

I will never (never say never?) buy another tire that is constructed in a clamshell mold. There are plenty of choices of tires molded correctly, so there is no need to experiment with clamshell molded tires.

Have a great day,

suginami · #6 05-23-2002, 02:04 PM

Fwiw, I have the Michelin MXV4 plus H-rated tires, and they are the quietest, smoothest running tire I have ever driven on.

#7 05-23-2002, 02:53 PM

And as an addendum to suganami's endorsement, from reading some of his previous posts, I am completely convinced that his wheels are properly dynamic balanced, that is part of his success with these tires.

Also in favor of these tires is, as I've said before, they are so consistent and typically require such a small amount of balancing weight that even the kid at the tire store can often make them work as long as he doesn't statically (im)balance them.

Have a great day,

william rogers · #8 05-25-2002, 01:20 AM

Thank you all for the good tire info. I printed it out so can study it and compare prices with the different tires. Larry I dream about haveing a tire changer and good blancer in my shop, arn't any houses for sale sale near you? thanks again.....
William Rogers.......

blloyd7 · #9 05-27-2002, 04:14 PM

Michelin MXV4 plus H

andy day · #10 05-31-2002, 10:50 AM

... As ever, that's a great post Larry, full of good stuff !