Minivans eat tires…anyone put XL rated tires on?

[3GTL300k]

I'm gonna have my GF try this 5 psi suggestion. I had seen it before on the Sienna forums but didn't follow through. She had two sets of tires that wore unevenly even with alignment and regular rotation. The first time, Costco was going to give her a small adjustment on the price for new tires but she decided to try a local tire place that claimed she'd be fin with the free regular rotation there and alignment check. Of course the tires still wore unevenly even with her going there regularly and the said sorry, no warranty bc of uneven wear...

That van got totaled, which prompted me to post a new thread about her current tires as they need replacement. I told her that this time, she needs to try inflating to 5 PSI extra. I like this suggestion now especially bc Capri Racer endorsed it and other reported it working here.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

I'd been running cheap tires my whole life. As long as they are a minumum of 520, Traction A, Temperature B, they're good enough for me. And they gotta be fresh tires, not already a year old. You're " run of the mill" all season tire. Yeah, they wear out faster, but they also start leaking air from corrosion around the bead anyway. So, I go grab another set in the " junk room" ( which use to be my daughters playroom...I confiscated that. Hahahaha ), go to my local tire shop. He grinds the corrosion off the bead on the aluminum rim, pops in a new valve stem, balances it, and away I go for another 40k. New tires and no more little bead leaks.

 

[iCurious]

The ride is not that much stiffer to where it would have any detrimental affect on the suspension. I have been running my Sienna on the higher tire pressure for 17 years or so and I am still on my original struts (which are still good).

A set of tires will cost about the same as a set of struts, if you buy quality tires with the right ratings.

Getting 24k miles out of tires, and low use like that would tell me maximize life on the tires all the way.

My roads are not great and very bumpy. I don't like bumpy a ride so I run them at the the placard's PSI rating. My tires lasts at least 40k miles so I am not worry about premature tire wear. By over inflating the tires, you are also losing some traction.

If one can only get 24k out of tires and the alignment is spot on, where is the premature wear occurring at? The corners? The center? Or even all the way?

 

[Oldwolf]

I put Michelin Defenders on my Sienna. But they still need to be rotated every 4 or 5,000 miles religiously.

I didn't mention it at the time but I do run my fronts at 40 PSI and rears at 38 PSI on road trips. Since it makes the ride a little harsh I lower that number a few pounds when I'm just driving around town. And I also went up one size in aspect ratio when I bought the Defenders.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

I stick to whatever the placard says near the door jam. Don't want to mess around with the " MPH" on the ODO by running a different size tire. ( Had enough speeding tickets in my life...gettin too old for that nonsense ). I also run whatever P.S.I. the placard states ( maybe a lb more in the winter. Tires tend to lose air in cold weather, and I loathe that stupid idiot light tellin me my tires are low. So annoying ) At the placard P.S.I., I get even wear across the entire tire. Works for me anyway.

 

[CapriRacer]

You said "mostly" alignment wear. Each time I get a new set, I ask the folks at AT if the tread wear was even, and they say yes, so that tells me that alignment wasn't the issue. Or is that not a warranted conclusion?

I'll bet AT barely looked at the old tires. They were probably focused on mounting the new ones. After all, they already had your business and since they don't do alignments ............

Our van takes 235/60-17 tires, IIRC.

Heavy duty trucks took 245/75-16 forever. Granted high load range.

How bid would be appropriate in terms of bigger tires for minivans? I can’t imagine how much larger they can go!

A 235/60R17 has a Load Index of 102.

A P245/75R16 has a Load Index of 109.

An LT245/75R16 LR E has a Load Index of 120/116

Passenger car tires up to 112 LI.

 

[wag123]

By over inflating the tires, you are also losing some traction.

Not necessarily. If over inflating the tires flattens the contact patch you will increase traction. It is all about the contact patch. On a given tire it is the weight it is carrying and the tire pressure that determines the flatness/size of the contact patch area.

 

[iCurious]

Not necessarily. If over inflating the tires flattens the contact patch you will increase traction. It is all about the contact patch. On a given tire it is the weight it is carrying and the tire pressure that determines the flatness/size of the contact patch area.

There are already a few threads regarding over inflating tires. There is a good reason why the placard has a recommend PSI rating. Deviating from it will be just personal preference at that point.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Whenever I over-inflate a tire, ( usually by accident from a faulty pressure gauge ), the center of the tire wears more than the sides. Then the gauge goes in the garbage, and I use my backup gauge to set the correct pressure. I try to buy the best gauges, but they just don't make them like they use to anymore. I stick to the placard rated PSI, and always had even wear across all of the tires.

 

[nthach]

If we had an second generation Odyssey, I’ve been seeing Michelin or Conti selling a Agilis CrossClimate or VancoContact FourSeason in the 235/65R16C size that Honda specified for the non-Touring models with Pax tires or 18” wheels for the mid-cycle no-Pax refresh.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...Alternate Design&partnum=365R6ACCV2&tab=Sizes
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...dewall=Blackwall&partnum=365R6VCASU&tab=Sizes

Our Sienna seems to have the best luck on Michelin. Now that we don’t drive it outside of camping or my monthly scuba trip, I’m going to look for alternatives outside of Costco.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

I agree nthach. Those Michelin's or Conti's cost an arm and leg. They'll dry rot before you use em up. We've all seen them on the highways / freeways. The outer layer of rubber lying near the guardrail ( I'm not referring to 18 wheeler re-treads either ). I had ONE that let go on me. Yeh, it was beyond it's lifespan, had some dry rot...nothing terrible though. What a mess it made of the wheel well and nearby paint ! Tore out all the plastic wheel well splash guards too. Now, 6 years is the cut-off. Even if it has good tread life in it. Not going thru that again. Live and learn

 

[edyvw]

I agree nthach. Those Michelin's or Conti's cost an arm and leg. They'll dry rot before you use em up. We've all seen them on the highways / freeways. The outer layer of rubber lying near the guardrail ( I'm not referring to 18 wheeler re-treads either ). I had ONE that let go on me. Yeh, it was beyond it's lifespan, had some dry rot...nothing terrible though. What a mess it made of the wheel well and nearby paint ! Tore out all the plastic wheel well splash guards too. Now, 6 years is the cut-off. Even if it has good tread life in it. Not going thru that again. Live and learn

Give me a break man.
I had more than 30 sets of Michelin’s, from snow tires to track tires and none dry rotted during its expected life cycle.
They don’t cost arm and leg. You get what you pay. Tell us, what is cut off price for your head? Or heads of your family? What is price point where you say: OK, it is worth a risk?
Numerous tests were done where top tier tires maintain initial performance far, far longer than cheap junk.
Every time I bought used vehicle and dealership put tires like Kumho, Hankook etc. it was absolute horror show in rain after 10-15k.
On other hand I had Michelin Pilot Super Sport cutting through rain and defying physics when braking or cornering in rain while they were giving it last gasp at 3/32.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Sorry, current financial situation will not allow me to purchase the top end tires. We'll be getting out of NY in a few years, to a state where our money goes farther. Plans are in place, just waiting for our daughter to graduate H.S., then gone. That will open up much more money. Taxes in NY are killing us. They surpassed California years ago. Then, we will buy new cars with new tires. In the meantime, we don't travel much, so this is the best we can do. I see you're point very clearly. We are just not in that position right now. We'll take it slow on the highways, and dump the junk tires every 6 years. That's the best we can do. Sorry.

 

[edyvw]

Sorry, current financial situation will not allow me to purchase the top end tires. We'll be getting out of NY in a few years, to a state where our money goes farther. Plans are in place, just waiting for our daughter to graduate H.S., then gone. That will open up much more money. Taxes in NY are killing us. They surpassed California years ago. Then, we will buy new cars with new tires. In the meantime, we don't travel much, so this is the best we can do. I see you're point very clearly. We are just not in that position right now. We'll take it slow on the highways, and dump the junk tires every 6 years. That's the best we can do. Sorry.

The reason why I mentioned what I mentioned is that few posts earlier you are bragging about cheap tires and talk dry rot, which again, I yet to experience.
I really don’t want to tell anyone how to spend their money. We have all been in the pickle, students, working for extra bucks to make it.
If that is what you can swing it, fine. But I have an issue with “it is all fine and same” of the most important safety item on any vehicle.

 

[walterjay]

The only tires that I have ever had dry rot was Michelin. Had to toss them with 50% tread on them. Michelin would not warranty.

 

[edyvw]

The only tires that I have ever had dry rot was Michelin. Had to toss them with 50% tread on them. Michelin would not warranty.

And how old they were?
There are other top notch tires, Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli.

 

[walterjay]

And how old they were?
There are other top notch tires, Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli.

About 5 years old. I now use Continentals. Excellent product.

 

[Hohn]

Harsher ride, louder, reduced gas mileage, and sightly less traction are all possibilities.

In my experience, these are certainties and not possibilities.

Tires are wear items. It’s nice if they last long, but that’s a secondary consderation to how they perform while they last.

The longer treadlife of rock hard tires that reduce mpg and traction just prolongs the torture.

Not to mention that only a handful of high-mileage drivers can approach wearing out the tread before the tires hit 5 years old and should be replaced anyway.

IMO, you shouldn’t want tires lasting more than 35k-40k unless you are a 20k+ per year kind of driver.

 

[edyvw]

About 5 years old. I now use Continentals. Excellent product.

5-6yrs old is where life limit is, regardless of thread.

 

[edyvw]

In my experience, these are certainties and not possibilities.

Tires are wear items. It’s nice if they last long, but that’s a secondary consderation to how they perform while they last.

The longer treadlife of rock hard tires that reduce mpg and traction just prolongs the torture.

Not to mention that only a handful of high-mileage drivers can approach wearing out the tread before the tires hit 5 years old and should be replaced anyway.

IMO, you shouldn’t want tires lasting more than 35k-40k unless you are a 20k+ per year kind of driver.

I think H/T tires are ok to last longer. Performance tires? 20-25k. Grand touring tires IMO, 40-50k max.