Howling!

[jerryc41]

For a couple of weeks, my '99 ZX2 would begin howling at between 55 - 60 mph. Lifting the car and spinning the wheels didn't tell me anything. I removed the rear wheels and put the snow tires on - no howling. By a process of elimination, I found that the left rear tire was bad - with only 19k on it. It's the only bad tire I've ever had, so I can't complain. I'd rather have it be a tire problem than a car problem.

I'm ordering another Yokohama from TireRack.

Jerry

[Davescort97]

Welcome to AF!

Thanks for letting us know what it was. I think tires are the no. 1 reason for road noise. A displaced belt or a pull from a belt to being out or round, yes tires are right up there. You did the right thing, switch the tires and see if the problem persists. Thumbs up to you Jerry.

[Intuit]

Personally speaking, had horrible experiences with pricey Yokohamas. Horrible Winter traction, okay wet traction - though would hydroplane and steer at highway, tread separation on 1/4 still very meaty tires. Always monitored and maintained pressures. Had a set of cheapy Kelly brand tires, wore them to the nub and never had an issue with them. So went and bought their top Navigator Gold series and never looked back. Didn't have to worry about getting stuck, great wet traction, well priced, decent (but not the best) wear. Stay away from the tread designs with multiple long solid grooves down the middle. The more traditional designs, with possible exception to Aquatreads, work best.

[jerryc41]

We've bought lots of Yoko's from Tirerack, and this is the only bad one. I maintain pressures and rotate them every 5k. We have gotten good mileage out of them and haven't noticed anything unusual about the handling. For winter driving, we usually get Michelin X Ice, and they have been very good. We use four snow tires on each car.

We have four cars in the family, so when I buy tires from Tirerack, I read the reviews - both from customers and from Tirerack. I have found that a higher price doesn't mean a better tire. I got a tire-mounting machine from Harbor Freight (also a balancer), so buying online is good for me. The only annoyance comes when I have to pay $2.50 each to bring the tires to the town dump. I brought five there yesterday.

[jerryc41]

Sorry - duplicate posting, so I removed the second.

[zzyzzx2]

Originally Posted by jerryc41

The only annoyance comes when I have to pay $2.50 each to bring the tires to the town dump. I brought five there yesterday.

No apartment complex dumpsters near you?

[jerryc41]

My, oh my! What are you suggesting? The fine would be larger than the fee the dump.

Jerry

[Intuit]

Tires are easily recycled and pose environmental hazards when disposed of improperly. $3 - $10 for tire disposal is far from exorbitant. (might be like, $1.50 here) No big deal. I happily pay the fee. Last time I dropped some old 1950s tires off at a tire store, they told me where to take them for free, just don't recall where. Call the local landfill. They might be nice enough to tell you, if the tire stores won't.

[jerryc41]

I'm not sure of this, but I think some tire sellers add an "environmental" fee to the bill when you buy new tires. If so, then the tires should probably be returned to them when they are used up.

Jerry