[sinhead]

Originally Posted by RSR

grip has improved significantly and braking has improved by leaps & bounds.

Just one more thing I wanted to know- Does the car behave better - at lets say a speed of 80 or 90kmph on a highway or straight empty road? Do you feel more stability at that speed as compared to B250?

[RSR]

Originally Posted by sinhead

Does the car behave better - at lets say a speed of 80 or 90kmph on a highway or straight empty road? Do you feel more stability at that speed as compared to B250?

To be frank, I haven't noticed (or maybe don't remember) much of a difference in terms of straight line stability at speed. I'd say the B250s were quite good on this aspect (except for braking in such conditions, where the XM2s are definitely superior).

Having said that, the difference is certainly noticeable in terms of cornering stability. While coming down the empty exit ramp of a "clover leaf" flyover at a decent speed, for instance, the B250s would feel a bit nervous and edgy. The XM2s can easily carry more speed into such wide corners (& sharper ones as well) than the B250s without feeling nervous. So the XM2s' cornering stability at speed is definitely much better than that of the B250s.

[d_himan]

Originally Posted by RSR

To be frank, I haven't noticed (or maybe don't remember) much of a difference in terms of straight line stability at speed. I'd say the B250s were quite good on this aspect (except for braking in such conditions, where the XM2s are definitely superior).

Having said that, the difference is certainly noticeable in terms of cornering stability. While coming down the empty exit ramp of a "clover leaf" flyover at a decent speed, for instance, the B250s would feel a bit nervous and edgy. The XM2s can easily carry more speed into such wide corners (& sharper ones as well) than the B250s without feeling nervous. So the XM2s' cornering stability at speed is definitely much better than that of the B250s.

Totally agree. The change has been transformational. Could never once get the tyre to squeal. Cornering has improved tremendously - even though you can feel the sidewall flex, it holds comfortably. Ride quality is noticeably better. I would never cross 100 kmph in the b250s and now, I'm astonished what the little 1.2 can do! I'm frankly amazed how much of a difference this change made - the closest thing I experienced was replacing my Swifts stock JKs with 185/70 XM1s in 2007.

[Dodge_Viper]

Guys with 175/70 tyres, what air pressure you keep? Stock were 32 I believe. Have been experimenting with 32/33 but yet to find that sweet spot.

[sngautam]

I went to a Bridgestone shop yesterday and the sales showed me Ecopia EP150 tyres. He said that they don't make very less noise while on the road and gives better fuel economy because of low rolling resistance.
Has anyone tried the Bridgestone Ecopia tyres? Any feedback would be welcome. I was initially planning to buy Michelin XM2 but now thinking of getting Ecopia EP150 instead.

My car tyres have done over 33k kms and are stock Apollo Acelere.

[sngautam]

Originally Posted by sngautam

I went to a Bridgestone shop yesterday and the sales guy showed me Ecopia EP150 tyres. He said that they make very less noise while on the road and give better fuel economy because of low rolling resistance.
Has anyone tried the Bridgestone Ecopia tyres? Any feedback would be welcome. I was initially planning to buy Michelin XM2 but now thinking of getting Ecopia EP150 instead.

My car tyres have done over 33k kms over 6 years and are stock Apollo Acelere.

Too many typos in the message above. No longer see the Edit option.
Mods please merge the posts.

[coolguru4ever]

Hey guys,

Have been following this thread every now and then and noticed what dilemma a tyre change can get one into. I am in the same dilemma now.

My 2013 i10 Magna has done 31,000 kms on stock MRF ZECs in 3.5 yrs, but is now showing signs of tyre change. I was hoping to cross 40,000 kms on these tyres, but due to bad alignment done by wheel alignment shop or due to suspension issues (not sure), 2 tyres have gone bad. By going bad I mean the car literally feels like a train with all that wobbling at speeds upto 40 or 50 kmph. And also the ride quality and tyre noise is getting unbearable.

Now I have following options and need help in deciding onto one -

1. Keep stock tyres for now, and get suspension checked and faulty parts repaired/replaced. Got a brief inspection done from two different Hyundai ASS (Joshi Hyundai and Charisma Hyundai) and both have different opinions. The SA at Joshi, after a test drive, says that the front suspension and steering arm (don't remember what he called it exactly) are gone and need replacement, and caused the tyre damage. The SA and mechanic at Charisma, tell a different story. They say that suspension are fine, but left front tyre has uneven tread wear on the inner edge. He even asked me to feel the inner side tread and there were depressions at some places, which explains the wobbling. He swapped the front left tyre with the right one at the rear and now the wobbling has shifted to the rear of the car. What could be causing those depressions on the inner edge of the tyres? And shall I move the inner edge of the tyre to outside, as their mechanic suggested, to balance out that uneven wear. Also, he pointed that the dead axle at rear might also be the culprit here, but wasn't sure.

2. Switch to new tyres. And get the tread wear checked 1000 kms after the replacement to identify the exact side on which the fault is? But that would mean putting new tyres on faulty suspension (if that's the issue) and damaging those tyres too. Ready to go with this option only if that's the only way of finding out the problem.

Please help me out here, as I am really nervous of taking my car to high speeds for now and sticking to 60-70 kmph (max).

Regards.

Note to Mods : Please move this post to appropriate thread.

[RSR]

Originally Posted by coolguru4ever

Have been following this thread every now and then and noticed what dilemma a tyre change can get one into. I am in the same dilemma now.

There are a few different things that could cause uneven tyre wear, but in this instance it looks like a case of the tyres themselves.

You mentioned that one SA shifted the front tyre to the rear and the wobbling also shifted from the front to the rear - this is a rather clear giveaway that it's the tyre itself that's the culprit here.

On our i10, I faced a similar problem with one single tyre. Our car came shod with stock Bridgestone B250s. One particular tyre had worn out unevenly over the years, so much so that one portion of its edge resembled a sine wave. Wherever this tyre was used, that portion of the car started "jumping" up & down at low to medium speeds with a strange noise, if you understand what I mean. I then threw this tyre into the spare wheel well, and it remained there until I got two tyres replaced.

There was nothing wrong with the suspension components in my case. It was the tyre itself that wasn't good enough to wear out in an even manner.

Your case looks rather similar, though you have stock MRF ZECs and the uneven wear pattern seems different.

You don't have to replace all tyres right now, just replace two of the unevenly worn ones with new ones (it's advisable to use the new tyres at the rear), and get a good balancing and wheel alignment job done at the same time.

[coolguru4ever]

Originally Posted by RSR

There are a few different things that could cause uneven tyre wear, but in this instance it looks like a case of the tyres themselves.

You mentioned that one SA shifted the front tyre to the rear and the wobbling also shifted from the front to the rear - this is a rather clear giveaway that it's the tyre itself that's the culprit here.

Thanks for pointing this out. The same thing was said by the person who did my car's wheel alignment and balancing and rotated tyres, after which the wobbling became more pronounced. He also said that it might be the tyre at fault here or the suspension, and need to get it checked.

Originally Posted by RSR

On our i10, I faced a similar problem with one single tyre. Our car came shod with stock Bridgestone B250s. One particular tyre had worn out unevenly over the years, so much so that one portion of its edge resembled a sine wave. Wherever this tyre was used, that portion of the car started "jumping" up & down at low to medium speeds with a strange noise, if you understand what I mean. I then threw this tyre into the spare wheel well, and it remained there until I got two tyres replaced.

That is exactly my case too. Glad to know there is someone with a similar experience. The inner edge of the tyre in my car also resembles a sine wave. The SA asked me to feel the inner edge of the tyre, which was shifted to rear, and I could feel depressions in a sine wave pattern.

Originally Posted by RSR

There was nothing wrong with the suspension components in my case. It was the tyre itself that wasn't good enough to wear out in an even manner.

How did you get this checked? Do I need to get the suspension inspected?

Originally Posted by RSR

You don't have to replace all tyres right now, just replace two of the unevenly worn ones with new ones (it's advisable to use the new tyres at the rear), and get a good balancing and wheel alignment job done at the same time.

Thanks for the advice. But I have been itching for a tyre upsize for a long time. The other 2 tyres would be good for only 7000-8000 kms. Always regret why I didn't get this done after taking delivery. And for this I'd have to get all 4 tyres replaced with alloy wheels. The rim size doesn't support tyres wider than this, but people are using wider tyres on stock rims and guys at tyre shops boldly advising it.

Any suggestion on what tyre size I should upgrade to? 175/70 R13 is the most suggested, but I was thinking about 175/65 R14, since that was used with the variant sold abroad. Don't know if 14 inchers would be able to take on Indian roads conditions and would make the ride too harsh. Not considering 185/65 R14 at all.

Regards.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by coolguru4ever

Any suggestion on what tyre size I should upgrade to? 175/70 R13 is the most suggested, but I was thinking about 175/65 R14, since that was used with the variant sold abroad. Don't know if 14 inchers would be able to take on Indian roads conditions and would make the ride too harsh. Not considering 185/65 R14 at all.

Regards.

I have been using 185/60R14 from day 1 in my i10.
+ve - much better grip, better cornering, better steering feel
-ve - had to remove front mudflaps, stiff bouncy ride on uneven roads

[coolguru4ever]

Originally Posted by blackasta

I have been using 185/60R14 from day 1 in my i10.

I know. I have been silently viewing your answers to many queries on this thread related to 14 inchers.

Originally Posted by blackasta

+ve - much better grip, better cornering, better steering feel
-ve - had to remove front mudflaps, stiff bouncy ride on uneven roads

I am looking for something in between the +ves and -ves you've mentioned.
What I am looking for is -

• Better grip
• Smoother and less noisier ride
• Better cornering
• Marginal drop in FE

Not looking for -

• Harsh ride
• Need for removing mudflaps
• Tyres touching suspension components while completely rotating steering wheel
• Big drop in FE
• Any problems in suspension

Seems like the most common requirements in this thread.

Considering 14 inchers only because they'll look better. Otherwise fine with 13" wheels too.

Regards

[RSR]

Originally Posted by coolguru4ever

How did you get this checked? Do I need to get the suspension inspected?

I, too, initially believed some suspension component was causing that kind of wear, and asked the HASS to check the suspension during a routine service.

It was the HASS that discovered & informed me the tyre itself was to blame, as there was nothing wrong with the suspension. They lifted the car with the bad tyre at the rear, and rotated the wheel fast by hand. It was clear that the tyre (& not the wheel!) was rotating in a very awkward manner. This was not the case with the tyre on the other side of the rear axle.

You may ask a HASS or any independent garage/mechanic to do the same in front of you. If the tyre is indeed the culprit, it will probably rotate in a discernably awkward manner.

Originally Posted by coolguru4ever

I am looking for something in between the +ves and -ves you've mentioned.
What I am looking for is -

• Better grip
• Smoother and less noisier ride
• Better cornering
• Marginal drop in FE

Not looking for -

• Harsh ride
• Need for removing mudflaps
• Tyres touching suspension components while completely rotating steering wheel
• Big drop in FE
• Any problems in suspension

It looks like 175/70 R13 would suit your requirements best. It's advisable to mount 175/70 R13 tyres on wheels that are wider than the i10's stock 4.0B x 13" ones.

[coolguru4ever]

Originally Posted by RSR

You may ask a HASS or any independent garage/mechanic to do the same in front of you. If the tyre is indeed the culprit, it will probably rotate in a discernably awkward manner.

Thanks. I'll get it checked from another HASS and probably some independent mechanic too. Till now I am also confident that it's the tyres at fault here. But just need to be double sure.

Originally Posted by RSR

It looks like 175/70 R13 would suit your requirements best. It's advisable to mount 175/70 R13 tyres on wheels that are wider than the i10's stock 4.0B x 13" ones.

The 14 inchers were more of a choice by heart. The head was always with 13". I'll be going in with 175/70 R13 on alloys. The stock wheels are not apt for wider tyres than the stock one's. Don't know why people are still putting them on stock wheels and guys at tyres shops boldly suggesting them. Will be going for alloys with the new tyres.

Now the dilemma shift to tyres. Any suggestion on what tyres? I was hell bent on Michelins, but now slipping towards Yokos. Heard that Michelins use a softer rubber compound and are prone to punctures. And Yokos are at par with Michelins, but use a bit harder rubber compound. What's your take on this?

Originally Posted by blackasta

I have been using 185/60R14 from day 1 in my i10.
+ve - much better grip, better cornering, better steering feel
-ve - had to remove front mudflaps, stiff bouncy ride on uneven roads

@blackasta, I can see that you are using Yokos on your i10 from your cars pics. How is your experience with those? Did you use Michelins earlier?

Regards.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by coolguru4ever

@blackasta, I can see that you are using Yokos on your i10 from your cars pics. How is your experience with those? Did you use Michelins earlier?

Regards.

Yokos from day 1, except the time it took to get the car from showroom to tire store, when I was on 155/80R13 Bridgestones.

The Yokos are noisy, stiff, stone magnets and bouncy, but at the same time are very grippy, solid on turns, and give a decidedly better (weighty) steering feel. The soft compound lasted me 45000 kms (stretched at maximum) on the first set, and I am on my second set for 30000 appx (car has run about 74-75k kms)

[Samurai]

My wife's i10 Auto will complete 6 years in 10 days. The car has only done 27K kms, still I want to change tyres because I don't like them older than 6 years.

Obviously, high mileage is not a requirement for me. Currently I am using Bridgestone Turanza ER-60 175/70R13, will stick to the same size. Ride comfort and braking/grip are high on the requirements. What is the current favourite?