Realy bad experience with tires!

[Musashi3000GT]

I guess I am an idiot when it comes to tires, I know everything to know about tire maintenence and care but I still ignored it. Well I bought some Falken G/Ts a year ago and last week my car started feeling bouncy. it hopped at about 60mph. I took it to get balanced and the balance was way off.......thats not the only problem. both of my rear tires have these dips in them. the tread is perfect, not worn or anything but if you place your hand in the center of the tread and roll the tire so your palm feels the surface of the tire, well then you palm starts going up and down slightly. the surface dips and them comes back up, it dips about four times and is making my tail hop. Wierd, the kid at the tire shop said its cause my shocks went bad. I say bull, my shocks are spanking new. I got KYB G2 Nitro gas shocks, no way they would go bad after only 12000 miles. no it has to be something else, I never rotated them cause I was lazy, I did run them a little under inflated and my allignment might not be perfect but seriously......those bumps are not natural nor are they products of the maintenence I've ignored. Any clues as to what it might be?

[MetalTwitch]

Well you might have flat spots on the tire. Basically that is caused by pulling the emergency brake while driving. Just go to Americas Tire Co. or Discount Tire Co. (They are the same company) See what they say and what they say is most likely true. I work for the company so I should know.

[Musashi3000GT]

I'm glad there is a tire expert here now, I am really getting into tires and suspension now that I've been auto crossing. its not bald spots though, its dips. the tire dips in the center of the tread in like five or four spots , I lowered the pressure so it feels softer and less bumpy. I never ride with my e-brake on, never drift so thats out, could it realy be the shocks? they are freaking new and what are the odds both rear ones go at the same freaking time?

[MetalTwitch]

Originally Posted by Musashi3000GT

I'm glad there is a tire expert here now, I am really getting into tires and suspension now that I've been auto crossing. its not bald spots though, its dips. the tire dips in the center of the tread in like five or four spots , I lowered the pressure so it feels softer and less bumpy. I never ride with my e-brake on, never drift so thats out, could it realy be the shocks? they are freaking new and what are the odds both rear ones go at the same freaking time?

Ok there a few factors left after you have told me that you aren't drifting or e-braking. Ok first make sure you run 32lbs of pressure in your tires at all times. Go down to your local Americas Tire Co. or Discount Tire Co. and ask them for a free air guage. They should be free cause in the bay area of California they are. If your tires dont get better after that then take your car to a mechanic who knows shocks and ask them if your shocks are bad. Most of the times bad shocks will just cup the edged of the tires. If all of that is fine then it is a factory fuck up and the company you bought the tires from should give you new ones if they are a good shop. If they aren't a good shop then go to America's Tire Co. and buy tires with the free replacement certificates. The free replacement certificates cost a little bit more with the tire but it is worth it. Lets say you get a nail in the side wall then you get a new tire with on'y the cost of a renewal for the certificate. Say your tire blows out then you get a new one. I know how expensive tires are for these cars. Anywhere from $90-$315 for a stock size and that is for one tire. Ask me all the q's in the world I do work on tires all day 5 days a week.

[sLADe781]

Whoa Musashi3000GT, that sucks bro. Now I'm gonna go out and rub all my tires down. Damn, weird... Anyways, what does tire balance mean? I've heard of rotating but never heard of balancing. How often do you have to do it? And what does it encompass?

MetalTwitch, you're from the Bay Area eh? Me too. I'm in SoCal right now for school but I live in San Pablo. I don't know how far Cupertino is from me but I know I've heard of the place before when I'm up there. Hehe That's tight bro! Welcome to AF!

[Musashi3000GT]

The correct tire pressure on these is 44psi but I was running them at 28-30 psi for a year cause of an idiot who installed them and didnt do it right, I'm a bigger idiot for not checking it myself. but if it was the tire pressure why only the rears? why not the front? I will take it to a suspension tech and see what they say (sucks cause to run a diagnostic is like 60 bucks) and the other factor is that I had a bent rim but I had it represses and only ran the tire on that bent rim for a week......and it was only one rim. I am really picky about suspension and tires REALLY PICKY! and now this crap.

Yeah Slade a tire balance is when they put each individual tire on a rotating balancer and add weights to distribute the weight so the tire spins on its center without woble. it should be done every 6000 miles apparently but I ran for a year without rechecking my balance. I also never bothered to rotate them. I am a bad musashi! no booyaah for me!

[sLADe781]

Okay, but I just got more confused. LOL I thought rotating tires mean to put the front 2 to the back and the back up. No? Also, isn't the tire pressure supposed to be 32 PSI front and 29 PSI back? I have mine set to 32 front and 30 back. 'Cause like the 44 PSI is like the max max that the tire can get right?

[Getsum3kgtsl]

Originally Posted by sLADe781

Okay, but I just got more confused. LOL I thought rotating tires mean to put the front 2 to the back and the back up. No? Also, isn't the tire pressure supposed to be 32 PSI front and 29 PSI back? I have mine set to 32 front and 30 back. 'Cause like the 44 PSI is like the max max that the tire can get right?

Yeah, I thought those were the pressures too. I got 34 in the front and 32 in the back. I think you are right about the rotation, cuz that is what I'm gonna do this week, cuz my front are balding on the side, til I get some new tires.

[MetalTwitch]

Originally Posted by Getsum3kgtsl

Yeah, I thought those were the pressures too. I got 34 in the front and 32 in the back. I think you are right about the rotation, cuz that is what I'm gonna do this week, cuz my front are balding on the side, til I get some new tires.

Hey guys well rotating the tires is the fronts to the rear and the rears to the front. However you can also cross rotate which means the left rear goes to the right front and the right front goes to the left rear same with the left front and right rear. I am currently funning 32psi in all of my tires. Factory suggests that you have 32 in the front and 28 in the rear. I recomend 32 in all four. If you have directional tires then they will need to be dismounted and remounted. Every time you rotate your tires you should have all four tires balanced. Just to make sure your tires last as long as they can. Rotate your tires every 3k-5k miles. For all of you that dont know i work for a tire co. Cupertino is in San Jose. Peace all.

[Stealthee]

You cant cross rotate some tires as some of them are directional. They have to be mounted a specific way and will only work correctly on one side of the car. Only way to cross rotate directional tires is to have them broken down and turned around on the rim.

Also the pressureon the side of the tire is NOT recommended PSI. It is the max PSI that the tire should be inflated to. Example if you have something rather heavy in the vehicle and the tires are squating you need to add pressure. You do not want to go over that pressure. I usually run my tires at 32 psi up front and 35 in the rear.

[Thourun]

Wow 35? I thought the door said to go with 31 for hte rear.

[Stealthee]

You know what I may have that reversed. My door sticker was long gone when I got my car. Maybe its 35 in the front and 32 in the rear. Its been a long week. And its only Wed.

[Igovert500]

I run 35 up front, 32 in the back...the 35 is in the front for the added weight of the engine.