bagwell

I heard the ContiSportContact2's are good tires as well.


S03's good too

Kumho - heard good and bad....cheap, but after some wear they get noisy ??? anybody confirm ? patronus how many miles ? firm or comfy ride (MY MICH PILOT SPORTS ARE ROCK HARD at 32psi)

shtatc

I am happy with the SportContact - originals - I have been through several of AZ monsoon rains and no hydroplaning at all. It would seem that the SC2's might not do as well in rain/wet roads as the tread pattern is more "slick-like". I am just guessing. There are just way too many choices to pick from.

patronus

Kuhmo's - I am running 225/45-17 front, 245/40-17 rear. 5000 miles so far, a LOT of tread left (looks like they will last 20k or more). Noise and roughness - don't care much. If I wanted a soft, quiet ride, I should have kept my 16's with ContiTouringContacts.

shtatc

I am getting the Kumho's 225/45/17 front and 245/40/17 rear. They were the ones I could get the quickest and because of the warranty on my previous tires - I get one for free(would have gotten one for free no matter what I chose). They will be on this Monday. Just hate it when you drive around with the spare on - just looks terrible! Oh well.

yodlebenz

took my c230 into the dealer this morning. I had a big *** bubble on the side of my left front tire. I just got this car. 1400 miles on it so VERY little tire wear. Does M/B pro-rate tires?? I paid $230 for a new tire mount/balance. I KNOW this Conti has a warranty on it. Am i getting ripped?

peet

YUP.

$230 would buy you a nice tire - and a Conti is not a nice tire at that. Plus - there is a new tire warranty.

It is seperate from the MB warranty so look in your owners manual holder for it.

P

tommy

Well, you're getting ripped on the price. 230 is a lot for a crappy tire.

I had the same thing happen to me. What I got when I asked about my goose egg was that it was not a defect, but the result of something I had done. MB will tell you to take it up with Conti, and Conti will tell you that the bump is not covered by their warranty.

Sux, but can't do anything about it. I used it as an excuse to get better tires, as I hated the Contis. Columbus told me that he's already had to replace one of his with one of the three that I gave him already, so these may be predisposed to goose eggs.

Might want to replace the lot of them when you get your next bump. I got pole positions, which are great tires.

yodlebenz

yeah just talked to m/b after printing my Conti warranty. Falls under the category of 'road hazards' what a load of ****. how come i can by 'road hazard' coverage on replacement tires only. i woulda paid an extra $50 for the damn car.

TimmyC230boy

thats why I buy my tires from discount tire. Free rotationa dna a tire warranty.
Includes:
• Lifetime Computer Spin Balance
• Prorated Road Hazard Warranty
• Rotation
• Valve Stem
• Flat Repair
• Installation

Plus they have great prices

vinmanc32

I wouldnt go so far as to say that they are crappy, but they are surely not worth that price. I paid less than that for my P Zero's. You should always check with Tire Rack or something like that to get a gauge on what you should be paying. Even Sears has prices posted for various tires.

shtatc

I just got my Kumho's installed today from Discount. They warrantied the tire that blew out last Friday - so, got four for the price of three.
I originally got my Conti SC from a friend who works there. I think I only spent about $150 per tire. Also, he said that Conti's are on national back order (certain sizes- especially those for BMW and MB) - approx 1 1/2 month to get SC if you want one.
Not worth the wait.

bonn

Could anyone tell me what the different between Nitrogen and just plain air in their tires? I heard that it would great for low series tire and for smoother ride, but what the consequence for long term? Hows the ride? Worth to try?

trench

Racing teams use nitrogen because it's lacks the moisture that is usually present in compressed air. This is beneficial because otherwise when the tire heated up, the moisture in the tire would vaporize and expand, causing the pressure inside the tire to increase. This small change in tire pressure can noticeably affect the handling of the car.

I don't think that in a road tire the difference would be that noticible. Although, perhaps in a very low profile tire it might be.

Shouldn't cause any harm in the long run if you wanted to do it.

Cheers, BT

oggle

Isn't nitrogen flammable or something?

W0n6_3d4n

I've been using nitro for 3 months and it is very good, little pressure is loss during that time almost unnoticable. I can feel softer ride (i have 19 inch). Highly recommended for those with very low profile tyre, save your tyre and it only cost $30 Aus to fill up four tyres, free refill until you change your tyre. . And Nitrogen is not flammable, it is one of the noble gasses.

mdp c230k

Nitrogen is not flammable but it is NOT a noble gas!

Oh, Ryan

I am running something that is 79% nitrogen in my tires. It also has 20% oxygen and lots of trace noble gases. I’m sure this mixture makes my car ride smooth, and gives me a few more hp off the line.

It’s available at nearly all gas stations and is called……………air.

Sorry, but unless you’re racing for a living (see above), the advantages of pure nitrogen in your tires all go to the person who sells it to you when he takes your money.

Dave

mdp c230k

Too funny Dave! We all run about 79% nitrogen unless we are in L.A. where the smog accounts for about 10%!
It costs about $20 for a half size tank (about 4cuft) at 200psi of nitrogen here in L.A., I use it to pressurize the TV camera pedestals at work. Just for kicks I'll try it in my tires as its basically free to me and I'll let you know what it does.

Mach430

Mark Cummins is using nitrogen in his tires.

DCXdynodog

http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/periodic/N.html

Nitrogen in the elemental form was considered to be inert and was even named ozote which refers to the fact that it is not reactive. Of course nitrogen does form compounds, but the gaseous form consists of diamers (2 nitrogens bonded together). The diamer is very stable.

Nitrogen is a major element in organic compounds, especially proteins. Some nitrogen compounds are highly reactive. Trinitrotoluene is TNT or dynamite. Ammonium Nitrate is a fertilizer, but was used as the major explosive ingredient in the Oklahoma City bombing. Anfo, or Ammonium Nitrate and fuel oil mixture is the primary explosive used in the mining industry because it is inexpensive, easy to manufacture and can be easily manufactured near the mine site thus reducing the risks and expenses related to the transportation of explosives. Nitrates, Nitrites and Azides (all nitrogen compounds are either oxidizers or reactives and will react violently under the right conditions.


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Rick

hmmm...I'm using 30% nitrogen, 65% CO2 and 5% other inert gasses in my homebrew ale kegs.

Are you folks saying I can use this mix in my car tires and save the $$$ a good air compressor will cost me?
Will it produce a softer ride in applications like lawn tractor tires?

Sorry..I couldn't resist...

Robert Schrader

Actually nitogen will burn. It is slightly exothermic. But it is not a hazard at conventional temperature and pressure, though, because when does burn it does not produce enough heat to set it's neighboring molecules on fire. In other words, it can't propogate.

( The physicist Edward Teller who worked on the Manhattan project was concerned that the first a-bomb would set the entire earth's atmophere on fire. He did enough calculations to prove that it would only happen in the immediate neighborhood of the bomb where pressures were really high. )

Anyway, the point using of nitrogen is not whether or not it is flamable, but - as Trench mentions - that it is dry. The cheapest way to get compressed dry air is to buy compressed nitrogen.

oggle

Ok where would I get my tires filled with this gas?

mdp c230k

A gas supply store (don't laugh, they do exist) or a welding supply are you best bets. Places that supply helium alway have other gases.

Please don't start a 'why don't we try helium' tread!

Buellwinkle

Would it be enough helium to reduce the weight of the wheel? That sounds like a better solution.

If the only reason for nitrogen is for it's dryness, would using an air compressor with a dryer do the same thing? Why would pure nitrogen give you a better ride?