I have Goodyear tires on my 08 EX that have worn very poorly

I have 16 K on them now and the wear on them is clearly indicative of the side walls not being strong enough for the car. They are worn on the inner and outer edges of all four.

The mechanic I use for oil changes and wheel alignments and another tire experienced person both told me this (independent of the other)

I have found out from the dealer that the tires only have a 36K road life. That is pretty frustrating to find that Honda put such an inferior tire on the car.

I am looking into some Michelins. Does anyone have any experience with Michelin Cross Terrain SUV (90K warr)

At this time they are not made in 215 70 16 But I am told that Michelin usually comes out with new sizes every six months so maybe in December they will have this size available.

Does anyone have experience with Continental tires called
CrossContact LX?

I would like a tire with a strong sidewall and good in rain. There is not a lot of snow or ice driving in my area.

Another question would be can one safely use a 225 70 16 size on this O8 EX Elements?

Thanks in advance
Madeleine

I have 16 K on them now and the wear on them is clearly indicative of the side walls not being strong enough for the car. They are worn on the inner and outer edges of all four.

I would say that the wear is clearly indicative of running the tires under inflated. What pressure do you keep in your tires?

YES sweetie, you can safely run the 225/70/16's.......I've got'em on mine

as for type and brand...........that is opening up "opinionville"

Do a search for tires on here and you'll more than find enough info to make your pretty little head spin (for days)

yes, the OEM tires are crap

There is plenty of good info in the Wheels & Tires section (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=57)....

in the meantime.....crank up the pressures in the tires to about 40psi. (They still aren't great, but the tires are much better when inflated to a higher pressure)

Will

in the meantime.....crank up the pressures in the tires to about 40psi. (They still aren't great, but the tires are much better when inflated to a higher pressure)

Will

This is what I did on my stockers and they lasted well into 30K miles. Plus the ride and handling got much much better.

i was not a big fan of goodyear at all, especially with the element stock tires. cheap tire equals less cost for honda.

as for a tire to get, i suggest goodyear assurance comfortred tires. after riding on these, goodyear quality has definitely up-ed its rank in my book.

the tires have a treadwear rating of 700 and are AA in traction and temperature. warranty is 80,000 miles. if u get them through america's tire co. u should get free air checks, free rotations, free flat repairs, etc. rotations r every 5,000 to 6,000 so not having to pay for that is great for u and doing it increases the life of the tires. very comfortable tire.

I would say that the wear is clearly indicative of running the tires under inflated. What pressure do you keep in your tires?

Yes - classic indicator of premature wear due to under inflation. Has nothing to do with the sidewalls being "too weak" just not enough air in the tires to inflate them properly. In colder weather, and particularly with frequent temp changes in weather, tires will lose air. Check that preassure every month.

Check out this thread about All Terrain tires.
I tried to list all the A/T tires I could find that are available in OEM
sizes because of the (VSA) system in the 07 and 08's.

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48432

See this post about the VSA system.
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=647136&postcount=18

I went with a larger tire on the stock rim and I am very happy w/results.the size I used is 235/60-16-goodyear eagle response edge,these tires are expensive but handle very good and are much more responsive and quiet than the stock tires-note this tire size is fractionally shorter than stock,meaning the speedo is about 2-3 mph off @70mph,so @70 you are probably doing 67-68mph.

There is plenty of good info in the Wheels & Tires section (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=57)....

in the meantime.....crank up the pressures in the tires to about 40psi. (They still aren't great, but the tires are much better when inflated to a higher pressure)

Will

I just put air in my tires last week, brought them up to 32 or 35 psi (i forget)....Will I be better off running them at 40 psi on a regular basis???? Is that what you've found??....

I saw an article recently about rating tires for gas mileage, along the lines of the current DOT ratings for wear, speed, and braking. Most manufacturers are resisting the idea, though Michelin seems to like it. The article said that car manufacturers often put tires on their cars that give good gas mileage, even though wear may not be that great. EOC comments suggest that that is the case with the Element and these Goodyears. Wear isn't that great, but I don't think anyone has experienced better gas use after changing tires.

These GYs have a tendency to wear fast on the shoulders. Part that wear is just apparent, since the tread has shallow shoulder grooves. Once these disappear the tires look bald. But is also seems that Honda's recommended pressures are also to blame, since owners who use higher pressures get better life - the higher pressure shifts more wear to the center part of the tread.

I'd suggest running your tires 2 to 4 psi higher than sticker (e.g. up to 36/38).

i am running my psi at 38. used to be 35.

Will I be better off running them at 40 psi on a regular basis???? Is that what you've found??....

Generally yes. See the post below mine from Critical Level, and similar post (with better explanation) from paulj.

I recomend at least 35 or 36 all around as a minimum. Try different pressures and see what works for you....it is easy and free. Maybe try 35 one week and then 40 the next. If you liked 35 better try 37. Be sure to use an acurate & consistant pressure gauge. Try and use the same gauge all the time.

Will

I guess I must have had an unusual experience. My stock GY Wrangler tires lasted nearly 60,000 miles and still had adequate tread when I replaced them.
I put on GY Fortera Triple-Tred about 1000 miles ago and so far, I love them. I was on the highway in really bad rain, puddles all over the road, absolutely no hydroplaning, car felt glued to the road. They feel so secure and solid, the car rides and handles great.
And a first for me, I've had a couple of people comment on how good my tires look! I mean, they're TIRES. Never really thought about how tires look.

I have some Michelins on mine that I replaced the OE tires with. I got mine from costco and they have held up very well. Someone mentioned the Forteras and not sure about on the element, but thats what came as OE on our Jeep Commander and they did NOT last.

I am on my third tire rotation for my '06 EX-P and I am definitely not impressed with the stock tires. The front tires are the ones that have worn poorly and that's where all the weight is. The alignment is proper and the pressure in the tires is checked regularly and maintained.

I know that stock tires are not always the ideal. I had a 98 Mustang that had poor handling and did not do well in wet conditions, but a tire change (Goodrich Traction T/A) made a world of difference. My 06 Mustang came with decent stock tires, but I got rid of it to get the E...family priorities...

Anyway, user opinions on TireRack.com helped me make my decision for my last tire purchase on the Mustang. The site will help you select the right tires and will give ratings. For my 06 EX-P it has given me the bestselling tires:


Kumho Solus KR21
Avon Ranger TSE
Continental CrossContact LX
Yokohama Geolandar H/T-S G051


You can also find performance ratings for each tire and whether or not customers would buy the tire again. Interestingly, the Avon was the only tire that received a "Definitely" nod for buying the tire again.

BTW, I read the post from "dorienc" about his Goodyear Fortera TripleTred. TireRack.com customers rated this tire #1 in its category. The Goodyear Wrangler HP, the Element's OEM tire, was ranked #53 and given a "Probably Not" when people were asked if they would buy that tire again.

Ditto.

I have been running my stock wranglers at 40 psi. I am now at 27,500 miles and they too are showing terrible wear on the inner and outer edges. I thought that running them a bit harder would produce a better fuel economy, and I am seeing better results there, but the inner and outer wear is probably 30-40% more than the center of the tire. I don't buy the low inflation rational with these crumby tires as I have better than most gas stations pressure hose in my garage, and check the tires every week. Always rotating them every 5,000 miles. I am putting on new ones next week, so it really does not matter at this point.

I have been more than happy with the Wranglers. I am getting great milage out of them and they have been excellent in the snow and ice. No problems to speak of in the rain.
I guess to each his own.
:)

i got rid of my wranglers after 11k when i almost totaled my e in the rain because i couldnt get traction. i went for the yokohama geolander ht/s in stock size. my local discount tire matched tireracks price after shipping. ive got about 15,000 on my geolanders and they have been great. good traction in rain and dry weather, and the are showing less wear after 15k then my stock tires did at 5k.