Moving down to a lower speed rating

[Finklejag]

Hello folks. I posted here about new tires for my girlfriends 04 Saturn Ion. I decided to buy the Nokian I3's when her tires go down to 3/32, which will be in a couple months probably.

She wants these new tires to last for at least 2-3 years, until she buys a new car. So I was thinking about maybe dropping down to a T rated tire. A H rated tire came on the car.

The Nokian I3's are H rated, and have a treadwear rating of 620. There are two tires that seem well liked on here. The Cooper CS4, with a 780 treadwear, and the Yokohama TRZ with a 700 treadwear.

My question is. Is it Ok to move down to a lower speed rating then what came on the car? I heard some shops won't install lower speed rated tires. My Altima has 30 more HP then her Ion, and it came with T rated tires on it.

I made a bad decision on the Falken 512's. I want to make a good decision on these new tires.

Thanks

 

[benjamming]

I tend to gravitate toward H-rated tires as a norm (min). They are typically better constructed that T-rated tires although I assume there are some overlaps.

 

[RI_RS4]

Not a problem. Just make sure you stay with the same load rating and tell her not to drive over 100 mph in the neighborhood. That still gives her 18 mph of safety margin

 

[glennc]

FYI new cars often come with tires rated in correlation with the speed governor on the car. Not necessarily relevant to your choice when replacing them.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Load rating. fwiw, we have 7 & 5 32nds on our CRV w/TRZ after 30k.

 

[MGregoir]

Typically GM cars have a speed limiter set between 106 and 112 mph so in theory anything above the speed of the limiter in that car is considered safe. I'd worry more about the load rating than the speed rating. Some people prefer T rated over H rated tires for the softer ride.

I am on Q rated winter tires right now. On dry roads once it gets up to 60 degrees (it isn't worth changing over, we had 72 degrees last Sunday and 14" of snow this Sunday, I will change in May) driving around at 75 mph the rubber is almost tacky. No noticeable heat in the sidewalls, but the compound is definitely not intended for use like that. On the bright side I know my tires are ready for a restart...

 

[Shannow]

Not your situation for sure.
In Oz, it's illegal to fit a lower speed rated tyre than that fitted by the OEM, unless a very prominent (Green/yellow) sticker is fitted to the windscreen in front of the driver specifying what's been fitted, and how fast it can go.

It's also illegal to drive faster than 110km/hr nearly anywhere. 155km/hr, and you won't be driving for quite a while.

Don't know why the speed rating laws even exist.

 

[CapriRacer]

I don't think anyone mentioned that what also follows with changes in speed rating is handling. As a general rule the higher the speed rating the better the handling. You may find some T rated tires are quite soft and mushy in handling. ("Mushy", now there's a real technical term!)

 

[Audi Junkie]

Capri, that's a very subjective area and I think the gap is closed or closing on that point.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

I found it hard to beat the Costco prices on BFG Traction T/A this last time, for the wife's Subaru. 60K mileage warranty should go 2-3 years without a problem. Didn't have to sacrifice a speed rating on the tire, either.

 

[Finklejag]

I looked up the load rating on a few. The Yokohama TRZ's have a 89T, The Kumho KR21's have a 89T. The Cooper CS4's have 91T, that is the same as the OEM H rated tires.

The CS4's remind me of the Bridgestone RE960's.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

I have had good luck with Cooper tires over the years; know nothing about the CS4 Touring, but believe either of the choices above would suit your needs. I also thought they were probably 80K warranted tires, so would probably cost more than the Traction T/As.

 

[FrozenPilot]

Check Tire Rack. They list the speed ratings available when you search by model. My 6 has an 'H' minimum even though it has 'V' mounted on it.

BFG Traction T/A T-rated use a different rubber compound than the H or V rated tires. Supposed to wear longer but doesn't grip as well.

 

[wantin150]

You may be hard pressed to find a tire dealer willing to install a tire with a speed rating less than that of the OEM tires or recommended rating. I'm sure that others will disagree but the mfg put that rating on for a reason. Personally, I don't see an issue with going down one rating, or even two but the handling characteristics will change for sure.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: FrozenPilot
Check Tire Rack. They list the speed ratings available when you search by model. My 6 has an 'H' minimum even though it has 'V' mounted on it.


I think they just use H as the minimum rating for everything that's not very fast. They say H is the minimum recommended rating for a Mazda3 whether it originally came with V-rated or S-rated tires. Apparently Mazda thinks anyone who can't afford or doesn't want bigger wheels deserves to be driving around in a death trap. Clearly, it's a plot to "off" that segment of the population for the benefit of the elite.

 

[shoz123]

Frankly I'd be more worried about tread wear ratings in the 700s.... They must be hard as rocks.

Personally dislike anything over 400 myself.

 

[98LS-WON]

I'd do some more research. I'm sure there is an H Rated tire that has better treadware numbers. If there isn't, then just pay the extra $$ to buy new tires sooner than you would like to. It's cheap insurance in the long run.

 

[nfafan]

We've had good luck with these Sigma's that I found on sale 2+ years ago at NTB. Not sure where you can buy them locally to you.

http://www.tbcprivatebrands.com/sigma/viewline.asp?id=84

I ended up with these as the employment situation at that moment in time did not allow me to replace worn B'Stone RE950s with anything more expensive, and so far, these Sigmas have been great in the all-weather city/highway driving in Pittsburgh. (But then I also make religious use of NTBs free rotation and balance as part of their Road Haz plan!)

The other day we needed a set of 4 tires for another car and the first thing I asked for at NTB were Sigmas - they don't have them anymore.

 

[Finklejag]

I stopped by my Local Tire Factory. They are the Nokian and Cooper retailer here in Portland. I was talking to the salesman. I told him the only thing that I didn't like about the Nokian I3's were that they are made in China. He interrupts me as says that a big misconception about the I3's. He goes on and tells me they are made in the Czech Republic. I told him that PRC means Peoples Republic of China. He then says Nokian just built a factory in Czech Republic. I let it be at that.

I get home and call NokainUSA, and confirm that the I3's for the US market are all made in China. I have a couple of other Tire Factory's in Portland I can buy them from.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Finklejag
I told him the only thing that I didn't like about the Nokian I3's were that they are made in China. He interrupts me as says that a big misconception about the I3's. He goes on and tells me they are made in the Czech Republic.

Why is that a problem that they're made in China? Made in China does not necessarily mean bad. Made in Czech Rep. doesn't necessarily mean 'better'.