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RandallNeighbour · 03-22-2006, 08:42 AM

Insite, just an update...

Tire Rack had already shipped my Sumitomos OUT THE DOOR just 45 minutes after I placed my web order. Dang that's fast! So, I could only refuse the shipment and pay for new tires and new shipping if I wanted to "reverse" the purchase.

The Tire Rack rep told me that the tires do have a 2 week return on them and I should have them mounted, road-force balanced and used for a couple of days and then call back if I am not happy and they'll take them back. That was comforting.

So, I had that done yesterday at a Discount Tire that had a brand new Hunter 9700 machine installed three weeks before.

1) I have ZERO steering wheel or rear end vibration now at any speed (well, under 85 mph as I didn't have time to take it out and run it up over a 100). This is the first time I have driven this car without any wheel shake or vibration. Wow. Those Kumhos were fairly good tires, but evidently they had heavy spots on them that could not be balanced out... causing vibration all the way around.

2) These tires (HRTZ II's) must be build differently from the HRTZ's you found to be dangerous and unpredictable. I took a u turn at about 50 mph and these tires are grippy and didn't give me that rubberband effect you mentioned in your post and on the phone.

BTW, the it might have just been the Tire Rack guy trying to persuade me to stay with my ordered tires, but he didn't have anything positive to say about the tires you recommended to me on the phone... he said they were developed for ricers who wanted a cool looking tread pattern and they were very, very loud...which you mentioned as well.

I'm going to drive the car good and long this weekend and put these cheap tires through the paces and see what they produce or don't produce. We're in for some great cool weather here and I might just get up at 6 am and head out of town to the hill country with the twisty roads to have some fun. I'll report back should I find anything less than I expected.

Should these tires perform well, they are the absolutel cheapest decent tire for a Boxster. I bought a full set and had them road force balanced for $475 out the door.

03-22-2006, 08:42 AM	#12
RandallNeighbour Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 7,243	Insite, just an update... Tire Rack had already shipped my Sumitomos OUT THE DOOR just 45 minutes after I placed my web order. Dang that's fast! So, I could only refuse the shipment and pay for new tires and new shipping if I wanted to "reverse" the purchase. The Tire Rack rep told me that the tires do have a 2 week return on them and I should have them mounted, road-force balanced and used for a couple of days and then call back if I am not happy and they'll take them back. That was comforting. So, I had that done yesterday at a Discount Tire that had a brand new Hunter 9700 machine installed three weeks before. 1) I have ZERO steering wheel or rear end vibration now at any speed (well, under 85 mph as I didn't have time to take it out and run it up over a 100). This is the first time I have driven this car without any wheel shake or vibration. Wow. Those Kumhos were fairly good tires, but evidently they had heavy spots on them that could not be balanced out... causing vibration all the way around. 2) These tires (HRTZ II's) must be build differently from the HRTZ's you found to be dangerous and unpredictable. I took a u turn at about 50 mph and these tires are grippy and didn't give me that rubberband effect you mentioned in your post and on the phone. BTW, the it might have just been the Tire Rack guy trying to persuade me to stay with my ordered tires, but he didn't have anything positive to say about the tires you recommended to me on the phone... he said they were developed for ricers who wanted a cool looking tread pattern and they were very, very loud...which you mentioned as well. I'm going to drive the car good and long this weekend and put these cheap tires through the paces and see what they produce or don't produce. We're in for some great cool weather here and I might just get up at 6 am and head out of town to the hill country with the twisty roads to have some fun. I'll report back should I find anything less than I expected. Should these tires perform well, they are the absolutel cheapest decent tire for a Boxster. I bought a full set and had them road force balanced for $475 out the door.