Tire noob questions about profiles

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New to us '09 Camry will need tires soon. 215 60 16s. Ride wise the car could benefit from taller tires. The low profile 16s ride like rocks. Tires form a role in suspension. NV something. I'm sure earlier Camrys had 15s at one time. Praps a set of used steelies so I can keep the same diameter. School me in tires please.
 
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not sure what you want to know.
Fairly vague question about what?

215/60r16 is not esp. low profile. What tires are on it?

IF you were going from 17's to 15" wheels that would be noticeable

16" to 15" not really worthwhile even if they would clear your brakes.

Shop for a replacement tire that has a priority on ride comfort, you will be giving up handing feel.

what are your priorities in a tire?

Round and black?

You basically want a tire thats biased toward ride comfort and low noise, pick one that gets good reviews for that and has only small voids in the tread design.

Example the pirelli P7
 
215/60 is not a low profile these days. Have you checked your tire pressure? Make sure it's not too high.

Also, which specific tire model do you have on there? Next time you go tire shopping, pick something that's more focused on comfort.
 
Originally Posted By: andyd
New to us '09 Camry will need tires soon. 215 60 16s. Ride wise the car could benefit from taller tires. The low profile 16s ride like rocks. Tires form a role in suspension. NV something. I'm sure earlier Camrys had 15s at one time. Praps a set of used steelies so I can keep the same diameter. School me in tires please.


A 215/60 already has a reasonable amount of sidewall, dropping down to a 15 " tire gains you only 1/2 " extra sidewall at the contact point, which will have a negligible impact on ride quality.

And, you cannot simply switch to a 15 " wheel. It has to FIT... and by fit I mean clear your brakes. Brakes have been increasing in size, and wheels need to be bigger to clear. You would need to test fit a 15" wheel to see if it clears the brake caliper.

I would first check tire pressure, and run it at the Toyota's suggested pressure, no higher. I would also look at a different brand of tire. As an example, I have Michelin Defenders on one car, and they ride harder than the previous Michelin LX4 tires. They have a hard, long life tread compound, and a slightly shallower tread depth, and they ride noticeably harder as a result.

Don't waste your time downsizing, just try a different brand / model of tire.
 
Originally Posted By: geeman789
And, you cannot simply switch to a 15 " wheel. It has to FIT... and by fit I mean clear your brakes. Brakes have been increasing in size, and wheels need to be bigger to clear. You would need to test fit a 15" wheel to see if it clears the brake caliper.

Yup. TireRack is not listing any 15" options for his car, probably because 15" rims would not fit.
 
You might want to go with the taller-profile 205/65/16. There are not as many options in that size but more and more should be available soon, as it is Original Equipment for the latest Camry, Accord and Sonata base trims. (I think.)

Practical issue with tires for that generation Camry is the OE V-speed rating. That might be the reason you find the ride harsh. If you can find a tire shop that will install H-rated 205/65/16 tires you will likely find the ride much more to your liking. Choice is limited, but there are some.

If you can and will spend big bucks for top-tier tires, consider the Michelin Primacy MXV4: just discontinued but still widely available. Or if you want top-notch winter performance, look at the Nokian WRG-3. Neither is cheap.

Lower on the food chain but still decent you see the Cooper CS-3. Much less $$$ than the others and made in the USA. It's a new model so time will tell....The Continental Pure Contact Eco is also highly rated and available in 205/65/16. Also the Dunlop Signature II is worth a look. That should be a smoother ride.

All of the above are good options---IF you can get a shop to install H-rated 205/65/16 tires on a car that comes OE with 215/60/16 V-rated rubber. If that seems strange to you and you really are a noob, check out a zillion threads on this forum on tire installation and speed ratings.

Good luck.
 
Originally Posted By: mcrn
I can attest to the Altimax RT43! Very good riding tire.


yes, there are even better available though if ride comfort is the highest priority.

Being that the OP things those are low profile..

I'm guessing a previous car was a couchomatic(buick)
or similar.

DTD is currently having a 100+mir (usually 150 total)
sale on their ebay site.

I would pass on the hankook 727, defender and other extremely long tread life tires unless they get good reviews for noise and ride comfort.

of course anything can change year to year as they tweak the tire composition.
 
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Tires these days come with way-too-low profiles and huge rims for no reason, meaning expensive tires that don't last very long and a poor ride.

If you can get the used steelies, maybe 215/65-15 tired would work.

I looked it up, and it doesn't appear that 15's were offered in the 09 Camry.
 
I agree why would anyone want anything other than a classic american car

The whole couch on marshmallows type.
57.gif


Usually the basic answer is 15's wont clear brakes

in some cases 16's and 17's wont clear brakes as well.

Now on a car like the hyundai elantra touring where 15's easily clear, but they come with ACTUAL low-profile 17's.. Thats because the owner purchased the handling or premium wheel package. Usually they are also available with 15's.

All slight sarcasm aside, you have a good point for some vehicles but not others.. it varies on a car to car basis.


Originally Posted By: tommygunn
Tires these days come with way-too-low profiles and huge rims for no reason, meaning expensive tires that don't last very long and a poor ride.

If you can get the used steelies, maybe 215/65-15 tired would work.

I looked it up, and it doesn't appear that 15's were offered in the 09 Camry.
 
I would pass on the hankook 727, defender and other extremely long tread life tires unless they get good reviews for noise and ride comfort....

I have the Hankook 727s on an Accord and they are the most comfortable and silent tire I have owned in 35 years. They are even softer riding than any Michelin tire or the Altimax RT43s.
 
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Second the H rated tires, they will ride better than V's...

Look at Wal-Mart, I see a Kelly Charger GT for $88, the predecessor to the RT43's, the General Altimax HP, and others...
 
Quote:
New to us '09 Camry will need tires soon. 215 60 16s. Ride wise the car could benefit from taller tires. The low profile 16s ride like rocks.

Common for old tires to ride harsh. Some models are worse than others. I got rid of Goodyear Assurance TripleTred tires before they were worn out, 'cuz they rode like bricks. The GY Assurance ComfortTred are better, as one example.

The 215/60-16 has about a 26" outside diameter. If a 15 inch wheel fits (lugs, brake clearance, correct backset) you'd want a 15" tire with very close O.D. to this and equal or greater load capacity. I don't think you'll feel enough difference in the ride to bother. I also don't think a 215/65-16 would ride enough different to bother even if it does not rub due to its larger O.D. Use the tirerack.com customer surveys to find a tire they judge to have good ride comfort and other characteristics that are important to your driving.
 
Originally Posted By: Nukeman7
These will solve your problems and ride like a dream:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?...romCompare1=yes
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-NEW-215-60-16-...ea7&vxp=mtr


H727 would be great for a gentle driver who wants a gentle ride in a Camry---if not for the speed rating issue. Plus, the H727 is as good as any all-season tire I have driven in winter, but to be fair that was in the first 15K miles of the tire's treadlife.

There is a $50 Hankook rebate now, plus the H727 comes in 205/65/16 if you want more sidewall. If you can get someone to install them without signing your life away, you can't go wrong.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
I agree why would anyone want anything other than a classic american car

The whole couch on marshmallows type.

-snip-

All slight sarcasm aside, you have a good point for some vehicles but not others.. it varies on a car to car basis.


Yeah I know it varies on a car-to-car basis, but the car in question is a Camry. A family sedan. Not a sports car. The OP doesn't need Pilot Sport Cups!

Non-performance cars don't need low profile tires.
 
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