RE: 235/45 R18 98W or 235/40 R18 95Y tyres...

[ope126]

Hi All,

Considering getting 18" wheels for myEcoBoost. After reading another thread about XR5 tyre choices I thought I would check theTyre Placard on the car. It gives two options for 18" wheels; 235/45 R18 98W or 235/40 R18 95Y.

Apart from a cost difference, is there any reason / justification of thedifferences between the two tyre options noted above?

Which of the above combinations do you guys have (OEM) for your XR5's andTitaniums?

[ope126]

I saw an XR5 Turbo at the dealership today, it had the following combinaton; 235/40 R18 95Y.

[JimStone]

AFAIK 235/45 R18 98W tyres were introduced from MC model to address harsh ride concerns

[ope126]

Originally Posted by JimStone

AFAIK 235/45 R18 98W tyres were introduced from MC model to address harsh ride concerns

Thanks JimStone.

That actually makes sense. As I have an MC, I will stick with the 235/45 R18 98W.

I will now start looking at some wheel and tyre combos! (and start saving some money!!!)

[JimStone]

I'm running 235/40ZR18 97W XL on an MC Zetec Ecoboost and have not had any issues with harsh ride. Would not recommend this particular tyre though cause it is just plain diiabolical in the wet - next time I will investigate rather than take the wheel retailers recommendation at face value....

[ope126]

So what brand / model of tyres are you running then?
PM me if you would rather not broadcast...

Glenn

[JimStone]

Happy to tell all and sundry - if you anticipate driving on a wet road at any stage stay away from Altenzo Sport Comforter on the Mark 4 Mondeo (MA,MB,MC).

They perform OK in the dry; reasonable turn in, passable traction, quiet and comfortable ride (38psi front, 35psi rear).

However in the wet expect marginal traction from standing even at minimal throttle and seriously dangerous understeer at all speeds. They are 'designed in Australia' by PDW and are a knock off of a Pirelli tread pattern. They simply do not work on a large, heavy, torquey front wheel drive car in the wet.

They had been on the car a few months and a few thousand klm by the time I drove in the wet - retailer would not exchange them after that amount of time & distance.

Now not even half worn at 14,000klm but I anticipate I will have to dip into my pocket book to replace them when the wet season hits in NQ in the next month or so.

They were fitted on the recommendation of the wheel retailer - I accepted their recommendation, don't think I'll be doing that again...

[whitetdci]

From what I have read the OEM on the Ecoboost is 215/50 R17 95W.
No one has mentioned speedo error which is important criteria to consider.
The 40 profile tyres are the best match being only 0.2% smaller and showing -0.2kph @ 100 kph.
The 45 profile are not as close being 3.4% larger rolling diameter giving a error of +3.4 kph @ 100 kph.
Also consider that different tyres have different tyre wall construction and this will impact greatly on how that tyre performs under different driving conditions. This is not a short topic so I wont go into it now, but please do some research on the tyres that you are intending on getting. Have it clear in your mind what criteria you are after in a tyre. I would personally always go for the best wet cornering wet braking tyre my budget will allow. This is the best insurance policy for my family as a good wet weather tyre will pull up from 80kph in the wet more than 5 metres than the OEM! Most expensive is not always the best either and you can get good bang for your buck out of some cheaper tyres, but BEWARE there are a lot of cheap chinese knock offs that are just diabolically dangerous especially in the wet. KENDA COMETS ARE DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE BANNED!
If you want further info on tyres PM me.
PS here is a tyre calculator link for future reference to help you find the most appropriate size for your car.
http://www.anycalculator.com/tiresize.htm

[allanv6gt]

My XR5 MB came with Continental ContactSport2 235/40 x 18Y (300km/h rated) as OEM. With the merest suggestion of puddles on the road they would aquaplane. Replacement cost was between $380 and $450 each.

So, come replacement time, I went back to Yokohama's. like the last tem years on a number of vehicles.

I chose C-Drive (235/40x18W - 270km/h rated) as I am not after a performance tyre like the S-Drive. I had these on my 89 Prelude and they were fantastic. Once again, I was not disappointed. A simple tyre brand change fixed the aquaplane problem, and I can now drive in the rain with confidence. Price was around $275 each.

Also, the Contis were very prone to tramlining. The Yokohamas track true in all conditions and surfaces.

WRT to the speed rating...my speedo has markings to 250km/h IIRC, and I doubt it could ever get there, even assuming I could find the road. W rated is more than adequate for my needs and rides sooo much better.

P.S. Load rating was as per the manufacturers spec.

[ope126]

Thanks for all the input guys.

Still looking at some wheel / tyre combo's at the moment.

Another thing I have noticed is that based on price, the 235/40 R18 95Y tyres seem to be cheaper also. Quite possibly a more popular sizing.

[whitetdci]

That would be correct. The higher the production run the lower (generally) the cost of the tyre. I have used the Yoko C- Drive a few times and it is a good safe tyre. You have not mentioned what sort of driving you do or your selection parameters in buying tyres so it is difficult to suggest which ones. It is a bit like saying, no disrespect intended, "I want to buy a car can anyone suggest one" with no further info.

[whitetdci]

I have used the Maxxis MA-Z1 Victra on numerous of my vehicles. I tried it after it rated extremely well in a well known Australian tyre test, especially in the area of wet braking and handling which is my main criteria for tyres. It out braked the then top Toyo T1-R by (from memory) 4 metres in the wet.
It is a tyre that has been tried and tested and comes in the 40 and 45 profile.
http://www.maxxistyres.com.au/tyrede...php?id=7&cat=2
http://www.productreview.com.au/p/ma...z1-victra.html

[ope126]

Whitetdci and others, thanks for your responses.

In my original post I was just trying to confirm if it was 235/45 R18 98W or 235/40 R18 95Y tyres that get used as per my tyre placard on the vehicle.

To this point, I am not actually seeking advice as to which brand etc, as they can only lead to trouble on the internet! (evryone has an opinion both positive and negative)

However from the input already given from others, I can now make my own buying decision (if in fact I actually get the 18" wheels) and hopefully this thread will help others also if they too get stuck with which size to choose. Not which brands to choose. (but no doubt there is already a thread for that!)

I have owned over 20 cars in my lifetime and all have used "name brand" tyre manufacturers either OEM or from what I have put on myself. I am considering brands such as Continental, Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, Pirelli etc. I am looking in the $250 - $350 price range if that gives you any ideas. (always looking to save money and source the best possible deal though).

As for the lesser known brands, as always they have a place in the market place. But that place is not on my car...

So thanks for the input guys and clearing up which tyre specs I will look to source in the future.

Will see where the next steps take me!!!

[whitetdci]

There are many tyres that you should avoid that are poor quality rubbish. Some of these have big names on them. The name itself is no guarantee of the tyre. For example many years ago I bought some Goodyear NCTs. My driving back then would have been described as spirited. Within a very short period of time these tyres crumbled around the blocks and disintegrated much the same as an old tasty cheese can do. Goodyear didn't want to know me. They lasted around 2k and were thrown away. Goodyear have lost my business for the last 30 years because of that and I will not buy their tyres on principal. However, they do make some of the best tyres in my category but quite expensive. As for Maxxis, they have been around for 40 years so no fly by nighter and they also make tyres that I would recommend everyone NOT to use, but the one that I have recommended is a cracker. I have had it on many cars and it performs to my stringent requirements. Sure you can pay heaps more for a "name" and not get the same results. Google it and see what people who are car enthusiasts say on blogs. PS Don't trust a tyre salesman's advise. They may just be pushing a line of tyres.