MSItachi: I changed my Accord 2004 tires from 205/60/R16 to 215/60/R16.

Now the issue is, once I approach 140-150km/hr the noise from the tire becomes much, really noticeable to me. No shaking of the car or steering wheel.

What could be the issue

lomomike: there are different tyre types based on design criteria, season criteria, climate criteria, terrain criteria, performance criteria etc. These criteria when MUST be put into consideration before installing on any vehicle or else you will get some un-needed feedback/result when driving (ie. A tyre made for city/highway cruising will give a different result/feedback when installed on a track intended car and Vice versa. Ask your dealer what kind of tyres are best suited for cruising (that is if he/she is knowlegeable about those factors). BTW, why did you change to alternative tyre dimensions? Did you dropped the̶̲̥̅̊ ride height also to retain stability and ride handling? But bros I knw say speed sweet well well, there's a certain satisfaction abi na ecstacy one get after doin such speeds na another thing, pls don't over speed especially in Nigerian highways and if you must drive pls keep your car in top condition also be very vigilant and very alert. Drive safe. F®я more info on tyres check https://www.nairaland.com/1221229/thinking-getting-new-tires-read Thanks

MSItachi:

Oga u too much! Am grateful for ur response, I changed the tires to 215 because in my mind I felt a slightly wide tire will give me better handling.

I stay in abuja and I like to move fast, but not over speed, anyone that knows AYA-ZUBA express will understand how wide and smooth the road his, my normal speed is 120-130max, but on buying the tires I decided to push up the speed just once, that's when I heard the noise

The tires are firestone, is there any info on the body of the tire that can help me understand it more?

Thanks

MSItachi:
... I changed the tires to 215 because in my mind I felt a slightly wide tire will give me better handling...
Thanks

viperman:

1. After changing the tyres the you go for Alignment and wheel balancing?

lomomike: Thanks Mr siena, my bad. New stuff learnt. I left my attention to drift away and I had started analyzing poo. Mr MSItachi sorry about the err.

aiso_g:
signs of a matured mind, thumbs up.
@sienna, very informative post.tnks you all..

viperman:

1. After changing the tyres the you go for Alignment and wheel balancing?

lomomike: well sorry to say but the replaced tyres did little or nothing to add to better handling instead it only raised the ride height cos from experience and researches I conducted, the lower the ride height equals better handling, lemme give you the reason I said this. You said "I changed my Accord 2004 tires from 205/60/R16 to 215/60/R16." The 205 and 215 signifies the thickness of the tyre sidewall. 215 /60/R16 have larger sidewalls than 205/60/R16. If you had done a little research or asked a dealer with good knowledge of tyres and their dimension, he/she would had adviced you to switch over from 205/60/R16 to maybe 205/75/R16 but this means you will change your RIMs from 60/R16 to 75/R16 or "drum wheels" as its locally called. The reason why you would need the 205/75/R16 is because 205/75/R16 offers more grip on the road than 215/60/R16 and this translate to better handling. Ever wonder why sports cars have low profile yet hugely fat tyres? But if I were in your shoes, I would had gone for 215/75/R16 radial X sets of tyres, dropped my ride height, and then enjoy all the benefits of having a high ground clearance, same centre of gravity, better road surface grip, and slower cruising noise frequency and smoother tyre ride much thanks to 215/75/R16.

MSItachi:

Oga I am seeing stars
This one na back to school Õoooº° , what does 75 stand for pls? The expense in changing both Rim and tyres will be 200k+ omo no be small money Õoooº°

Siena: Lomo, you're giving wrong advice. The difference between 205/60x16 and 205/75x17 is a massive +87mm, or 13,34%. Way too much. The maximum permissible difference 2,5%. Those huge tyres are going to rub on the wheel arches if there are 4 adults in the car. The speedo's going to be so inaccurate, it might as well be disconnected. 215/75x16 are also good either, +77mm or 12%.

The ride will certainly be quieter, but handling will be WORSE. Raising the centre of gravity doesn't improve handling, the 75 profile tyres will flex when cornering even at moderate speeds. The 75 is the percentage of the tyre's width, in this case 205mm.

205/60x16 = 652mm.
215/60x16 = 664mm.
215/75x16 = 729mm!
205/75x17 = 739mm!

The tyre size the OP fitted as replacements are closer to the originals, and well within tolerance at +12mm / 1,84%.

205/75x17 tyres are NOT for regular hatch, sedan or estate cars. They're meant to be used on SUV's. Too thick and heavy for passenger cars. Fuel consumption will go through the roof too, due to the extra gearing, with a manual gearbox, the car will be awful going up hills, with automatic transmission, the shifts will be erratic due to the extra load the engine will see.

@OP, the sizes you've chosen are fine, the extra road noise is due to the extra rubber in contact with the road (10mm extra). Tyre pressures should not exceed 34 psi either, otherwise the tyres become too hard, and noise increases. I'm willing to bet your tyre shop has set the pressures closer to 50 psi.

the extra road noise is due to the extra rubber in contact with the road

JUO: I THINK THIS MIGHT BE USEFUL. H IS WRITTEN ON MY TYRE, DOES IT MEAN I CAN DRIVE SPEED WITHOUT FEAR?

Siena: Lomo, you're giving wrong advice. The difference between 205/60x16 and 205/75x17 is a massive +87mm, or 13,34%. Way too much. The maximum permissible difference 2,5%. Those huge tyres are going to rub on the wheel arches if there are 4 adults in the car. The speedo's going to be so inaccurate, it might as well be disconnected. 215/75x16 are no good either, +77mm or 12%.

The ride will certainly be quieter, but handling will be WORSE. Raising the centre of gravity doesn't improve handling, the 75 profile tyres will flex when cornering even at moderate speeds. The 75 is the percentage of the tyre's width, in this case 205mm.

205/60x16 = 652mm.
215/60x16 = 664mm.
215/75x16 = 729mm!
205/75x17 = 739mm!

The tyre size the OP fitted as replacements are closer to the originals, and well within tolerance at +12mm / 1,84%.

205/75x17 tyres are NOT for regular hatch, sedan or estate cars. They're meant to be used on SUV's. Too thick and heavy for passenger cars. Fuel consumption will go through the roof too, due to the extra gearing, with a manual gearbox, the car will be awful going up hills, with automatic transmission, the shifts will be erratic due to the extra load the engine will see.

@OP, the sizes you've chosen are fine, the extra road noise is due to the extra rubber in contact with the road (10mm extra). Tyre pressures should not exceed 34 psi either, otherwise the tyres become too hard, and noise increases. I'm willing to bet your tyre shop has set the pressures closer to 50 psi.

CHIMCO: Pls sir, i need your advice. I have a mercedes v boot 300 sportline. The tyre range is 205/60/15 which is lower than other merc v boot i have seen which has 205/65/15 and bigger in size. I gogled the sportline brand of my car and i leant that it comes with low profile tyre of 205/60/15. I'm desperately considering raising the height of my car to 205/65/15 because of the swampy and potholes ridden area i lived in. My tyre dealer adviced me to do that and i already have one as a spare. I also use 50psi because of the weight of the car.

Siena:

Ideally, and in the interest of retaining good handling, if you intend to raise the ride height of your car, simply replace the springs with standard ones. The Mercedes-Benz 300E Sportline, as the name suggests has Sport suspension. Which means stiffer dampers, and shorter springs. Replace the springs with springs meant for a 300 SE, and that should sort that out. Alternatively, you can go up a rim size to 17's. You can then run 225/45x17 tires.

50 psi is way too much. It has absolutely nothing to do with the weight of the car. This is why I always insist the Owner's Manual is read. Your car needs 32 psi for just the driver and a passenger, or 36 psi if the car's fully loaded. Your car weighs less than a Mitsubishi Pajero, which runs 235/75x16 tyres, yet the recommended tyre pressures are 26 psi. A Sport bike can run up to 44 psi, yet is much, much lighter than a car. 50 psi will produce a rock-hard ride, be rough over bumps, wear out quicker in the middle of the tread, AND lack grip. Pretty dangerous, especially on a wet road.

chemvic: Great job Siena...always as educative as expected, i salute your analysis.I drive a 2004 Pontiac Vibe AWD. Pls Sir i recently changed my front tire from 205/55/R15 89H to 205/60/R15 92H. i had done the wheel balancing and alignment. and i don't go beyond 35Psi. i observe my steering shakes at a speed of 120km/hr and sometimes at 100km/hr. could it be as a result of my tire change? i searched for 205/55/R15 all to no avail here in Ilorin, Kwara State. so i was advised to buy 205/60/R15.

CHIMCO: Thank sir, but sir i believe this 32psi means the air we put on our tyres?

Siena:

Yes sir. I'm referring to the pressure you inflate your tyres to.

chemvic: @siena ...yes my front tires are 205/60/R15 ...my rear tires are 205/55/R15.

CHIMCO: Unbelievable Sir, any vulcanizer you gave merc v boot must inflate 45psi and when you ask why he will tell you that merc is heavier. Even those that started using merc before me always inflate 45 to 50psi and told me to do the same. I will try 32psi but certainly it will be like flat tyre to me. Once again, thank you.

Siena:

Again, 45 - 50 psi is way too high. Inflation pressures are nothing to do with the vehicle's weight. The tyres are meant to look slightly flat at the bottom where it's in contact with the ground. That is perfectly normal. If it's completely round at the bottom, your tyres ARE over inflated, no ifs or buts.

Your vulcanizer's are putting your life on the line. And those who've used Mercedes-Benz W124 before you obviously know more than the manufacturer's themselves.

You don't have to "try 32 psi". Obviously you're not happy about this, otherwise you wouldn't mention "trying". So feel free to over-inflate your tyres, and I wish you all the best of luck.

Siena:

Wow. You do realise with AWD, your tyres need to be the same size, ALL ROUND. Right now, your front tyres have a larger rolling diameter, which means the smaller rears are faster, but covering LESS distance versus the fronts, which are turning slower, but covering MORE distance.

Your tyres will be scrubbing as they're tyring to turn at the same speed, and cover the same distance on the SAME vehicle! All driven wheels MUST be the same size, no exceptions. The extra friction will also increase fuel consumption.

You are looking to blow your transfer case, your Owner's Manual will tell you this.

chemvic: @ siena thanks for the candid advise. pls is it adviseable i change the rear too to 205/60/R15. will this 205/60/R15 work as a good substitute to the 205/55/R15 that came with the Car? what are the indications...?