WHICH Vehicle Owner Are YOU? Do You SKIMP On Tires Or Do YOU Treat It As The MOST IMPORTANT Part Of A Vehicle?

Over the years I've been happy to meet plenty of automotive enthusiasts. And, like everything, there's variety in approaches and how owners treat their rides.

Some enthusiasts see a vehicle as simply a way to get from "A" to "B" but love working on do-it-yourself modifications. Others believe being an enthusiast is about putting as many of their hard-earned dollars into the vehicle and getting it to the track. Hell, some think being an enthusiast is doing timed rallies.

On almost every given subject you can come across a fiery debate. Take, for example, breaking a car in. Every one has an opinion and every one has a different theory. My advice? Follow the vehicle's manual.

Another area that seems to get a bit heated is tires. Some say a tire, is a tire, is a tire. Slap something on, wear them out and the cycle continues.

Well, as I found out this week after one bent forged O.Z. Ultraleggera rim and a tattered Michelin Pilot Super Sport tire, that's not the case. To me, a wheel and tire is the most critical part of a car. So, I ordered an all-new O.Z. Ultraleggera and four all-new tires.

I spoke to some of my friends and they said I was being overkill. Just get the rim straightened and put on two new front tires. Others said I did the right thing.

Having said that, I want to hear what YOU would have done: would YOU have SKIMPED on the tires, OR would YOU have gotten all-new rubber for each corner AND purchased an all-new rim to replace the bent one?

valhallakey - 8/1/2015 2:11:49 AM

0 Boost

Depends on which vehicle it was on, SUV - fix the rim two new tires, sports car - new rim 2 new tires. A clean windshield is one of my pet peeves as well, hate a dirty windshield.

valhallakey - 8/1/2015 2:13:12 AM

-2 Boost

Oh and I love the Michelin Pilot Super Sports, best tires I ever had on my M5. Predictable in every situation.

Agent00R - 8/1/2015 9:35:58 AM

-3 Boost

Glad to hear you like the Michelins. Personally, I adored them as they truly brought my car to a new level of performance.

Unfortunately, I could not order a new set due to them being out of supply across the U.S. Tire Rack don't have them until 8/17 and my people on the ground here in NJ couldn't get them until the same time either.

Shot Michelin a note asking what's the deal as this has been an ongoing problem according to the fleet managers I know — they REALLY know this has been a problem as they're constantly ordering tires.

Anyway, wound up with a set of Continental ExtremeContact DWs. Let's see how these do. I can already tell they're not as hard or providing as much grip.

skytop - 8/1/2015 4:30:28 AM

-2 Boost

The driver is the most important part of the car.
Anyone who ignores their tires/wheels therefore endangers the driver.

DavidA - 8/1/2015 9:10:14 AM

0 Boost

Basic Fact: A very large number of people that consider themselves auto enthusiasts care far more about the image their car represents rather than the performance it delivers. That's the reason we see so many cars lowered to the point where there's no wheel travel, giant wheels and tires that increase unsprung weigh and people cheaping out on tires so they can spend a few more bucks on 20" rims. Just fricken stupid. A quality tire will do more to improve the handling capabilities of a car that any other equivant cost modification.

Agent00R - 8/1/2015 9:36:54 AM

-1 Boost

Well said, David!

MDarringer - 8/1/2015 10:10:45 AM

-3 Boost

I disagree with those who say straighten the rim. If a replacement is available, then buy one. For me, it's a safety thing. If it is a vintage rim and cannot be replaced, then straighten it, but use it only for show.

The ONLY way 4 all new tires made any sense was if all 4 needed replacing. If not, then replace 2 with the new tires going on the rear. I'm assuming this was a RWD vehicle?

Tires are extremely important and it is essential to buy the right kind of quality tire for the vehicle they will go on. Things such as sidewall height and width are important.

Whenever I see SUVs with 22-24 inch wheels and rubber band tired I cringe.

Rarely do I upsize the wheel and tire package because a lot of testing went into what's on the car and a lot of the time upsizing actually slows the car at the track and or degrades the handling.

Sometimes finding a tire for a vintage wheel can be challenging. My Tasmin has 7 x 14 wheels and the tire size is 205-60/14. That is an odd size these days and tires aren't exactly easy to find for it at your local tire shop. That car is 100% stock with documented original miles so I want to keep it as authentic as possible.

TomM - 8/1/2015 1:37:41 PM

-1 Boost

And I might or might not agree with you.

As in all tasks for a car - there are people who actually know what they are doing. So when a transmission fails - a new transmission may be an option - but I can rebuild one to be better than that.

So - if you have someone who knows what they are doing to straighten the rim - there is no reason not to do so - if they say it can be done. If you have no one to trust - replace it. However - replacing both tires on the one axle is all that would be needed - as long as you can match the tires. And I would even save the last tire to be used as a spare.

MDarringer - 8/1/2015 6:50:51 PM

-2 Boost

@TomM. The tires do not have to be identical to the ones being replaced so long as they are comparable for size, speed rating, and whether they are all season etc.

TheSteve - 8/1/2015 1:03:31 PM

-3 Boost

I don't buy into "black and white" thinking, so I can't agree that tire and wheels are THE most important part of your car. What about your shocks/coils/struts? What about the suspension geometry itself? What about the engine, transmission, or rear axle (solid vs independent)? Then there's weight balance, differentials, FWD, RWD, AWD, and even how they're implemented.

And then, there's the driver, which is arguably more important than all other things combined. Put two drivers on the track (y'know, the kind with curves, not the straight line kind): a highly-skilled professional racer in an average sedan, and your average driver in a Ferrari Italia. Who do you think will turn in the better time, and who do you think will crash?

I'd hesitate to point at any one car part and say *THAT's* the single most important part right there. I tend to think all the parts should work together harmoniously, and that one should refrain from over-investing in a single area. For example, if you put the world's best wheels and tires on an otherwise stock 1964 Volkswagen Beetle, it still won't perform as well as if you put average wheels and tires on a stock 2012 Ford Taurus.

Agent00R - 8/1/2015 1:46:32 PM

-3 Boost

Steve, I think you're taking this a bit too literal...

TheSteve - 8/1/2015 2:58:35 PM

-2 Boost

Agent00R: If someone writes "...Do YOU Treat [tires] As The MOST IMPORTANT Part Of A Vehicle?" (original capitalization shown), and they actually mean to ask an entirely different question, then perhaps they should choose their words more judiciously in order to more clearly articulate and communicate their actual thoughts.

MDarringer - 8/2/2015 12:54:41 AM

-3 Boost

@TheSteve...so you're driving along at 70mph and a tire takes a poop on you. Yeah sure suspension geometry and all may save you, but they are a second line of defense.

TomM - 8/2/2015 2:43:15 PM

-2 Boost

The statement was - Do you "TREAT IT" as the most important part of a Vehicle. And it is not unusual for the writers here to overplay their hand in making bullets points and headlines. Obviously - one could make a case for LOTS of things being the most important part of the vehicle. THey way they carried on about GM - you would think they believed that the "key" was that piece.

The fact is - I do not consider the situation as needing to replace all four tires- especially when 3 of them were not involved. Therefore I do not consider it "SKIMPING" to replace just the tires on one axle - an correcting the Rim (AS I noted - I have a guy who could fix it). And in fact - if the car has only a few miles on it - I might have only replaced the one tire - ALTHOUGH I admit that normally I would replace both - and keep that good tire for a spare. (I still prefer to have a spare tire - and a full size spare - if I can)

valhallakey - 8/2/2015 1:29:03 AM

-2 Boost

You should start a few treads on best tires for an SUV, sports car, family car, winter tires...