Tire Advice

[NYLEAF]

A few weeks ago, I hit a pothole at 1am and blew out my front-left tire. After waiting 3 hours for a tow, I was taken to a tire shop where I was able to (read: had no choice but to) purchase a Bridgestone Turanza tire. I've been driving around with that tire on my front-left wheel since then.

Today, I did this...

That's the front-right tire. I hit the curb in the parking lot at my job. I was only going about 10 or 15mph, but I hit it pretty hard. I was able to drive home on the tire tonight (about 14 miles) and all was fine, but I'm pretty certain I should have the tire replaced sooner rather than later.. The wheel itself is also scraped up, as you can see in the photo. Any ideas on how much that'll cost to have fixed, assuming it's even fixable?


So, here are the facts:

• I have a Bridgestone Turanza on my front-left wheel.
• I have a screwed up stock (Bridgestone Ecopia) tire on my front-right wheel.
• I have two stock tires on my rear wheels.
• I have less than 2000 miles on the car.

What should I do?

I feel like my options are the following...

• Buy another Turanza to match the one on the front-left wheel.
• Buy an Ecopia to just replace what I had and keep it simple.
• Buy two Ecopia's and keep the Turanza at home as a spare.
• Buy 4 all new tires that are theoretically better than the Ecopias/Turanzas.

I want to go with the last option, but my wallet wants me to go with the first or second. Assuming I go with that last option, which replacement tire do you folks suggest? I want something that won't easily burst if I hit another pothole, and something that is good with wet weather/snow -- but I want it to be all-season, and ideally I'd like it to be Low Rolling Resistance so I don't lose too much range.

Thanks for the advice...

 

[EVDRIVER]

Buy two Ecopia's and keep the Turanza in the car as a spare. Sounds like you may need it.

 

[NYLEAF]

I feel like it would take up some serious trunk space, no? I've seen the threads on here about spare tire carriers and keeping spares in the trunk, but the photos always look so unappealing. Of course, waiting 3 hours for a tow in the middle of the night in the middle of winter is also unappealing....

 

[EVDRIVER]

I feel like it would take up some serious trunk space, no? I've seen the threads on here about spare tire carriers and keeping spares in the trunk, but the photos always look so unappealing. Of course, waiting 3 hours for a tow in the middle of the night in the middle of winter is also unappealing....

I was kidding about the spare in the trunk part but that is a lot of tire damage in a short period of time. You can get the factory tires on Tire Rack FYI.

 

[NYLEAF]

My previous car I had for over 3 years and never had any issues with the tires. It makes me think that these Ecopia tires are just inferior, which is why I'm reluctant to go buy more of them, you know? Part of me wants to just start fresh with a new, better, stronger tire.

Or maybe I'm just really unlucky lately!

 

[TomT]

Or scrap/sell them all and get some real tires like the Michelin MXV4s that I and some others have replaced them with.... I got mine at Costco, which included road hazard coverage that would have taken care of your problem.

I was kidding about the spare in the trunk part but that is a lot of tire damage in a short period of time. You can get the factory tires on Tire Rack FYI.

 

[Nubo]

Though the rim looks awful, it looks like some judicious use of sandpaper will probably get it decently smooth. Make sure to smooth any roughness that's on the lip or facing the tire also. Then you'd just need to apply some paint to match the rest of the rim. Maybe someone with a Silver LEAF can chime in on whether the body paint is a reasonable match. Then you'd just need some touchup paint. Or, you just might catch "the bug" and decide to take all your rims down to polished Aluminum -- some folks do.


"road rash" repair:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/113983-ALL-30-Minute-Amateur-Rim-Rash-Repair" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[TonyWilliams]

I've seen the threads on here about spare tire carriers and keeping spares in the trunk, but the photos always look so unappealing.

Here's my spare tire mounted under the car. You can't even see the thing unless you physically crawl under the car (or jack it up, as in these pics):

 

[Herm]

Or scrap/sell them all and get some real tires like the Michelin MXV4s that I and some others have replaced them with.... I got mine at Costco, which included road hazard coverage that would have taken care of your problem.

This is the best advice, and with your history that road hazard warranty will come in handy

 

[NYLEAF]

I do like your setup, Tony...I just don't see you coming to Lawnguyland to set it up for me anytime soon. :lol:

I'm gonna head over to Costco to see how much 4 Michelin's will run me. If it's really out of my budget, I'll wind up heading over to the discount tire store (conveniently located next to Costco) and seeing what they can do for me.

The rim still concerns me, though. That "road rash" site looked more complicated than I'd be able to handle...I'd rather just pay someone to deal with it.

 

[TonyWilliams]

I do like your setup, Tony...I just don't see you coming to Lawnguyland to set it up for me anytime soon. :lol:

I'm sure you could find a shop to install it (although it's not ready for that yet).

 

[redLEAF]

I do like your setup, Tony...I just don't see you coming to Lawnguyland to set it up for me anytime soon. :lol:

I'm gonna head over to Costco to see how much 4 Michelin's will run me. If it's really out of my budget, I'll wind up heading over to the discount tire store (conveniently located next to Costco) and seeing what they can do for me.

The rim still concerns me, though. That "road rash" site looked more complicated than I'd be able to handle...I'd rather just pay someone to deal with it.

'... pay someone to deal with it' would be my choice as well as a wheel shop will 'retrue' it if it needs it so you don't get any slow leaks. Many new cars are coming with run flats and/or fix-a-tire goop to reduce weight and cost so how we deal with it is an extra cost for all of us. Whether you've simply had a bit of bad luck or the Ecopia tires are more prone to problems of curb rash is anyone's guess -- seem to recall on our older cars that the rims get scratched, etc. but the tire held up better than these. I myself am taking my own chances as we have AAA and I'd have them tow it home and deal with whatever tire issues myself but as we have other cars to drive that's my 'insurance' -- the LEAF would never be too far away due its limited range; it's all what your comfort level is as well as did you make out from paying more up front for road hazard insurance versus fixing it when it happens. The photo of the damaged tire/rim looks like it took a pretty good hit -- much more so than I've seen other rim rash that just 'glances' a curb along a rim edge so regardless of what tire you had on the car it may have ended with the same result.

 

[garsh]

I'm gonna head over to Costco to see how much 4 Michelin's will run me.

Costco carries a greater selection online. You can order the tires online & have them shipped to your local Costco for installation.
Costco Tires
They are currently offering $70 off a set of four Bridgestone tires.

 

[Nubo]

...
The rim still concerns me, though. That "road rash" site looked more complicated than I'd be able to handle...I'd rather just pay someone to deal with it.

It doesn't have to be as complicated as in that example. Keep in mind they were going for a polished aluminum look -- a mirror surface. You actually do not want it that slick if you're going to apply paint. With a few sanding pads of different grits you can get (by hand) to a surface reasonably smooth enough for the touchup paint.

Aluminum, even alloyed, is soft as metals go -- easy to shape and sand (and scuff). I scuffed a rim on my RX-8 in a similar manner in the first week of ownership. After sanding, smoothing and touchup it wasn't very evident unless you knew where it was to begin with. I spent maybe 20 minutes with the sanding.

 

[TomT]

That's what I did. I ordered the Michelin's and had them shipped (for free) to my local Costco for installation... At the time, they were also giving $70 off the Michelins... This is almost always an on-going promotion.

I'm gonna head over to Costco to see how much 4 Michelin's will run me.

Costco carries a greater selection online. You can order the tires online & have them shipped to your local Costco for installation.
Costco Tires
They are currently offering $70 off a set of four Bridgestone tires.

 

[EVDRIVER]

I wonder is some issues are from low inflation rates as well. I keep mine at 52 PSI and I have hit a pot hole hard once or twice that was not visible and no issue at all. Hitting a curb in any way is not a tire issue it is a driver issue, last time I did that I was 16 and taking a corner far too fast in a very old car with old tires.

 

[garygid]

For comparison,
The 205/55-16 MXV4 S8 is $141 each
(and a $70 rebate and free shipping on a set of 4 until 24 March) at:
http://www.onlinetires.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[NYLEAF]

I went with two new Ecopia's and I'm keeping the Turanza as a spare (in my house, for now). Cost me $281 at costco, including installation, tax, etc.

Costco only inflated them to 36psi, and they said they were shocked that it even needs that much, because a car this size usually needs 30 or 29. I explained that the car is much heavier than you'd think, because of the battery and whatnot, but they wouldn't go past 36 for me. Most of you drive around at 40, right? I recall reading that going above what the manufacturer recommends will help me reduce the likelihood of getting another flat if I hit another pothole.

 

[planet4ever]

Most of you drive around at 40, right? I recall reading that going above what the manufacturer recommends will help me reduce the likelihood of getting another flat if I hit another pothole.

There certainly are some very vocal high pressure advocates on this board, but I happen to think, as I suspect many others do, that Nissan has done a lot more research on tire pressure for this car than I can, and I should follow their recommendation.

Ray

 

[TomT]

Does that include an all-hazards road hazard warranty for the life of the tire, which is standard with Costco? I paid about $520 out the door when I got mine, including the rebate.

For comparison,
The 205/55-16 MXV4 S8 is $141 each
(and a $70 rebate and free shipping on a set of 4 until 24 March) at:
http://www.onlinetires.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;