What tires should I buy? - Page 2

**Dolebludger** · 07-13-2008

Just for casual info, I never met a Goodyear tire I liked. Not the same model as that mentioned, but the ones I've had on cars past have been noisy and short lived.

BTW, I have exactly the opposite advice as that given in post # 18 above. Unless you engage in true competitive tracking of your car, and if you just drive "normally" like me (which means some isolated Interstate driving at 110 and taking curves marked at 40 mph at 70 mph), you want a tire with a soft sidewall and a harder tread. Sidewall stiffness means a harsh ride. Tread softness means a very short tread life. But, to be fair, post # 18 is absolutely correct if (and only if) you engage in competitive speed events with your car. If not, it's off base.

My problem with "W" (and higher) speed rated tires has been that the tread wears out quickly, even in my "normal" driving which involves no track competition. When the tread wears down to a certain point (very quickly) the tires give out a lot of noise. But if the OP has a car capable of 155, "W" or higher rated tires are justified and probably necessary due to the set-up of the suspension (even when not driven at such speeds). So, given this, I would go with the highest numerical tread life rating I could find, as well as the "softest" sidewall.

I repeat that my advice is not correct for those who track their cars, but only for those who use their cars for sport touring purposes. There is, after all, a difference.

**bradmg** · 07-13-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by etyu

Are the Goodyear F1's noisy? Anyone have any experience with these?

I've got F1's on now and really like them. They are quieter than the original Conti's and far far better in the wet as well as dry. They also have as many miles on them now as my Conti's did when I had to replace them with no tread left and the F1's still have plenty of tread life now. When you push them to their limit, they give way gradually, providing good feedback allowing you to reign it back in safely. I just drove home from my wife's place in Czech, maintaining 120-140 mph once I was back in Germany, taking some curves that I barely want to take at 100 mph in my Audi, without slowing or feeling slightly uneasy. Yes it's a much sportier car but the tires have a lot to do with it.

I have not tried the PS2's. They were the ones that I thought about along with the F1's but after reading several posts in other forums about rubbing issues more with the PS2's due to the more square tread block, I opted to go with the F1's in case I push the width when I finally decide on wheels and/or lower it in the future.

**-1-** · 07-13-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by etyu

Are the Goodyear F1's noisy? Anyone have any experience with these?

If I remember correctly, the Goodyear F1s were ranked just ahead of the Michelin PS2s by the TireRack. I liked the Goodyear F1s, but not the aggressive looking tread, similar to the Nexen 3000. The Michelin PS2 is a good looking tire.

**etyu** · 07-13-2008

Anyone with experience on Goodyear F1 Asymmetric? They were ranked better than the Gs-D3.

**bradmg** · 07-14-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by etyu

Anyone with experience on Goodyear F1 Asymmetric? They were ranked better than the Gs-D3.

I've seen a comment on them on one of the forums saying they liked them, but unable to find the thread now. Midget Finger looks like he put them on about a month ago on this forum.

**Dolebludger** · 07-14-2008

I think my negative comments about Goodyear tires should be disregarded by all. After the good comments on the F1, I checked out the Goodyear line-up, and remembered that my experiences had been about ten years ago, and therefore are not relevant to a tire buying decision today. At my age, ten years ago seems like yesterday at times.

**Dolebludger** · 07-14-2008

Let me add a comment for which I have some recent personal experience. As expected, the Bridgestone SO 2s on my Honda S 2000 were bald at about 10K miles. They don't last. I had my alignment tweaked and put on Falken 451 Y rated tires from Discount Tire Direct. The fronts have 20K on them and look like they have another 10K in them. I had an unfortunate experience with the rears, and they wore out, but just in the center, at about 7K. At inflation of 33 lbs, they were wearing as though they were over-inflated. I got a replacement set of rears, and started running 27 psi in them, and they look new after 13K.

Falken 451 tires have been replace by a very similar 452. They have a tread pattern very much like F1s.They are quieter than the OEM SO 2s. Not quite as sticky on the corners, but fine in this regard. Good on rain and even a little snow. Improved ride smoothness, too (to the extent one can tell on an S 2000). They are not track tires, but are sustained high speed tires capable of cruising at speeds my S 2000 can only dream about!

Another good thing, they are not expensive. My replacement set of rears were $100 each in 245/45/16.

The Falken 452 is worth a look by anybody replacing tires on an SLK 350. If you chose them, just check rear wear often to make sure they are not wearing out in the center (over-inflation) or the edges (under inflation) as these tires on the rear are sensitive to inflation, if you want long tread life.

mtiede · 07-15-2008

Supposedly, the Discount Tire Direct guys have the tires in stock, so I ordered them. Then I started worrying. When I was on the phone with a guy at TireRack he was mumbling something about something being just like "it", but the MO tires were 1 pound heavier. So now I've started to wonder if there are 2 PS2s. Maybe he was comparing a "regular" one to an "MO" one. I hope not. I don't want that to be an issue :-( If there are 2 specs, it might explain why some people got good wear out of them and others didn't...

mtiede · 07-19-2008

So apparently there are 2 Michelin Pilot Sport tires (at least). There is the SP2 which is what I was researching and looks good according to reviews on Tire Rack as well as here.

But there is also Michelin Pilot Sport MO. The MO is the MB one. According to the MB dealer, they are totally different tires. The tread pattern is totally different and the MO tires weight more.

So now I'm in a small dilemma. What do I do with the new SP2s that I now have. I have put my old tires and wheels and the new tires in the van and I'm about to head off to MB. I'll take a look at the MO and see what they look like. But I don't have any information about them as far as noise, handling, etc.

Of course, the book says only use MO. But the dealer carries the SP2 and says they are fine and there is no problem with warranty. I suppose I should get that in writing

So I'm heading over there shortly. If anyone has any knowledge of the difference, hopefully you will post the info here before I take off for MB.

mtiede · 07-19-2008

Okay, I had my PS2s mounted. Parts guy thought I was crazy that MO was required to not void warranty (but I'm relatively certain I remember that from the book). Anyway, the MO tries looked a little more like racing tires. I just was afraid to get them because I don't know anything about them. (plus it would be a nuisance to send these back) (and the parts guy didn't seem too swift either)

So I will mount the wheels this afternoon and see if they are as good as most seemed to think...

**Dolebludger** · 07-19-2008

If "the book" means the owners' manual, I don't think there is anything very specific about tires -- and certainly nothing about them voiding the warranty as to other components of the car. That would be contrary to US Federal law, anyway. The owners' manual does recommend that you stick with the speed rating and the load rating of the OEM tires, and that's about it.

Quite often, Mercedes owners change make and/or model of tire from the OEM make/model. For example, when the Michelin MVX4 OEM tires on our C 320 wear out, they will be replaced with another model. The OEM tires are great most of the time here, but on a little bit of snow I've got a sled and not a car.

mtiede · 07-19-2008

Page 439

"Only use tires which have been tested and approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz"
...
Tires specially developed for your vehicle and tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz can be identified by finding the following on the tires side-wall MO ... MOE...
...
Using tires other than those approved by Mercedes-Benz my result in damage that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty."

Page 348

"Always use winter tires at temperatures below 45 deg F and whenever wintry road conditions prevail."

Might explain the sledding...

**dsb** · 07-19-2008

I find that just silly. Unless you do something stupid with size or use severly worn tires, there's not a whole lot that can go wrong.

I think you may be a little too paranoid.

mtiede · 07-19-2008

Probably is. Just showing what the book said.

As I said, I got the PS2s

**Dolebludger** · 07-19-2008

While my owners' manual came with an '07 SLK 280, it appears to be the same as the 350, as it contains info on the 350 as well. If you have the 350 without the sports package, p. 437 states you can use either W rated tires, or W rated tires MOExtended. If you have the sports package, p. 438 gives you the option of Y rated tires or W rated MOExtended.

My manual's pages 439 and 348 do not contain the info you described, but my manual is for '07 and may have changed. Yet, a brief search in the index turned up no claim that use of tires other than mentioned above would void any warranty on the car. The tires themselves are not covered by this warranty. All improper tires could cause in the way of damage to the vehicle is by way of a wreck, which is not covered under warranty. I think someone at MBUSA may have realized that the warranty voiding language was barred by Federal law and deleted it from the '07 manual.

I can see no reason why any W rated tire could not be used on an SLK 350 sport package, as it is speed rated to 168 mph, and the 350 won't make that.

My C 320 sled tires are H rated all season tires, and should do better in snow. Even my S 2000 with Y rated tires does better, and they are summer tires!

What is the speed rating on the PS2s you bought?

mtiede · 07-20-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dolebludger

...My manual's pages 439 and 348 do not contain the info you described, but my manual is for '07 and may have changed. Yet, a brief search in the index turned up no claim that use of tires other than mentioned above would void any warranty on the car. ... I think someone at MBUSA may have realized that the warranty voiding language was barred by Federal law and deleted it from the '07 manual.
...
What is the speed rating on the PS2s you bought?

There you go. That makes more sense. My quotes from the manual sound like it was just in MY 06 manual.

The PS2s are 91Y. That ought to be high enough

**Dolebludger** · 07-20-2008

Yes sir:

According to my '07 SLK owners' manual (which covers the 280, 350, and the 55 AMG), Y speed rated tires are fine on ANY version of the 350. Of course, my manual also goes into load ratings and such, but I'm sure the PS2s meet these requirements as well.

**Nevada Joe** · 07-21-2008

New to the forum here - my 55 AMG will be delivered this weekend.

Does anyone have experience with either the Azenis 615's or the Bridgstone RE01's?

I've autocrossed my solstice with the Azenis and a lot of the folks are switching to the Bridgestones.

I'm willing to sacrifice a little ride quality and tire life for better performance.

**dsb** · 07-21-2008

I have those Azenis on my stock wheels. They are okay for Autocross especially considering the price. Also, for autocross, they are good for the short duration. On a road course, they get too greasy too quickly. Overall, it is was decent purchase but not one I would do again.

Next, I'd like to replace them with a little softer rubber. Perhaps the Bridgestone would be a good fit.

**cbelaney** · 07-23-2008

From my experience in the industry...all tires start out softer and quieter when new. Certainly a characteristic of the compounds used today. I like the Cooper Zeon 2XS...as far as best performance for the dollar.

07-13-2008	#21 (permalink)
Dolebludger Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yukon, OK Vehicle: '07 SLK 280; '04 C 320, '01 Honda S 2000, '98 Ford Ranger truck. Posts: 569 Country: Thanks: 40 Thanked 77 Times in 52 Posts	Just for casual info, I never met a Goodyear tire I liked. Not the same model as that mentioned, but the ones I've had on cars past have been noisy and short lived. BTW, I have exactly the opposite advice as that given in post # 18 above. Unless you engage in true competitive tracking of your car, and if you just drive "normally" like me (which means some isolated Interstate driving at 110 and taking curves marked at 40 mph at 70 mph), you want a tire with a soft sidewall and a harder tread. Sidewall stiffness means a harsh ride. Tread softness means a very short tread life. But, to be fair, post # 18 is absolutely correct if (and only if) you engage in competitive speed events with your car. If not, it's off base. My problem with "W" (and higher) speed rated tires has been that the tread wears out quickly, even in my "normal" driving which involves no track competition. When the tread wears down to a certain point (very quickly) the tires give out a lot of noise. But if the OP has a car capable of 155, "W" or higher rated tires are justified and probably necessary due to the set-up of the suspension (even when not driven at such speeds). So, given this, I would go with the highest numerical tread life rating I could find, as well as the "softest" sidewall. I repeat that my advice is not correct for those who track their cars, but only for those who use their cars for sport touring purposes. There is, after all, a difference. __________________ The SLK -- What the SL was supposed to be.

07-13-2008	#24 (permalink)
etyu Founding Member #2 / Ambassador Of Good Will Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orange County, CA Vehicle: 2008 SLK 55 Posts: 5,306 Country: Thanks: 381 Thanked 282 Times in 173 Posts	Anyone with experience on Goodyear F1 Asymmetric? They were ranked better than the Gs-D3. __________________ *Eddy* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Pewter/Beige, PIII package, Airscarf, Hands-Free Communication System, Lighting package Designo Black Leather Cover on e-brake handle, ( To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Bill T), SmartTop v1.0, Kleyman 3BFM (NoRegret Custom), Green Air Filters, *Mod. R170 ant.*, EuroClear sidemarkers w/PIAA PlasmaIon lamps, chromed front & rear turn indicator lamps, PIAA SuperPlasmaGTX front parking lamps, bilateral rear fog lamps enabled.

07-14-2008	#26 (permalink)
Dolebludger Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yukon, OK Vehicle: '07 SLK 280; '04 C 320, '01 Honda S 2000, '98 Ford Ranger truck. Posts: 569 Country: Thanks: 40 Thanked 77 Times in 52 Posts	I think my negative comments about Goodyear tires should be disregarded by all. After the good comments on the F1, I checked out the Goodyear line-up, and remembered that my experiences had been about ten years ago, and therefore are not relevant to a tire buying decision today. At my age, ten years ago seems like yesterday at times. __________________ The SLK -- What the SL was supposed to be.

07-14-2008	#27 (permalink)
Dolebludger Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yukon, OK Vehicle: '07 SLK 280; '04 C 320, '01 Honda S 2000, '98 Ford Ranger truck. Posts: 569 Country: Thanks: 40 Thanked 77 Times in 52 Posts	Let me add a comment for which I have some recent personal experience. As expected, the Bridgestone SO 2s on my Honda S 2000 were bald at about 10K miles. They don't last. I had my alignment tweaked and put on Falken 451 Y rated tires from Discount Tire Direct. The fronts have 20K on them and look like they have another 10K in them. I had an unfortunate experience with the rears, and they wore out, but just in the center, at about 7K. At inflation of 33 lbs, they were wearing as though they were over-inflated. I got a replacement set of rears, and started running 27 psi in them, and they look new after 13K. Falken 451 tires have been replace by a very similar 452. They have a tread pattern very much like F1s.They are quieter than the OEM SO 2s. Not quite as sticky on the corners, but fine in this regard. Good on rain and even a little snow. Improved ride smoothness, too (to the extent one can tell on an S 2000). They are not track tires, but are sustained high speed tires capable of cruising at speeds my S 2000 can only dream about! Another good thing, they are not expensive. My replacement set of rears were $100 each in 245/45/16. The Falken 452 is worth a look by anybody replacing tires on an SLK 350. If you chose them, just check rear wear often to make sure they are not wearing out in the center (over-inflation) or the edges (under inflation) as these tires on the rear are sensitive to inflation, if you want long tread life. __________________ The SLK -- What the SL was supposed to be.

07-15-2008	#28 (permalink)
mtiede Founding Member #7 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Western New York Vehicle: 2006 SLK 350 Posts: 1,645 Thanks: 102 Thanked 55 Times in 45 Posts	Supposedly, the Discount Tire Direct guys have the tires in stock, so I ordered them. Then I started worrying. When I was on the phone with a guy at TireRack he was mumbling something about something being just like "it", but the MO tires were 1 pound heavier. So now I've started to wonder if there are 2 PS2s. Maybe he was comparing a "regular" one to an "MO" one. I hope not. I don't want that to be an issue :-( If there are 2 specs, it might explain why some people got good wear out of them and others didn't... Last edited by mtiede; 07-19-2008 at 01:18 PM.

07-19-2008	#29 (permalink)
mtiede Founding Member #7 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Western New York Vehicle: 2006 SLK 350 Posts: 1,645 Thanks: 102 Thanked 55 Times in 45 Posts	So apparently there are 2 Michelin Pilot Sport tires (at least). There is the SP2 which is what I was researching and looks good according to reviews on Tire Rack as well as here. But there is also Michelin Pilot Sport MO. The MO is the MB one. According to the MB dealer, they are totally different tires. The tread pattern is totally different and the MO tires weight more. So now I'm in a small dilemma. What do I do with the new SP2s that I now have. I have put my old tires and wheels and the new tires in the van and I'm about to head off to MB. I'll take a look at the MO and see what they look like. But I don't have any information about them as far as noise, handling, etc. Of course, the book says only use MO. But the dealer carries the SP2 and says they are fine and there is no problem with warranty. I suppose I should get that in writing So I'm heading over there shortly. If anyone has any knowledge of the difference, hopefully you will post the info here before I take off for MB. Last edited by mtiede; 07-19-2008 at 01:19 PM.

07-19-2008	#30 (permalink)
mtiede Founding Member #7 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Western New York Vehicle: 2006 SLK 350 Posts: 1,645 Thanks: 102 Thanked 55 Times in 45 Posts	Okay, I had my PS2s mounted. Parts guy thought I was crazy that MO was required to not void warranty (but I'm relatively certain I remember that from the book). Anyway, the MO tries looked a little more like racing tires. I just was afraid to get them because I don't know anything about them. (plus it would be a nuisance to send these back) (and the parts guy didn't seem too swift either) So I will mount the wheels this afternoon and see if they are as good as most seemed to think...

07-19-2008	#31 (permalink)
Dolebludger Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yukon, OK Vehicle: '07 SLK 280; '04 C 320, '01 Honda S 2000, '98 Ford Ranger truck. Posts: 569 Country: Thanks: 40 Thanked 77 Times in 52 Posts	If "the book" means the owners' manual, I don't think there is anything very specific about tires -- and certainly nothing about them voiding the warranty as to other components of the car. That would be contrary to US Federal law, anyway. The owners' manual does recommend that you stick with the speed rating and the load rating of the OEM tires, and that's about it. Quite often, Mercedes owners change make and/or model of tire from the OEM make/model. For example, when the Michelin MVX4 OEM tires on our C 320 wear out, they will be replaced with another model. The OEM tires are great most of the time here, but on a little bit of snow I've got a sled and not a car. __________________ The SLK -- What the SL was supposed to be.

07-19-2008	#32 (permalink)
mtiede Founding Member #7 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Western New York Vehicle: 2006 SLK 350 Posts: 1,645 Thanks: 102 Thanked 55 Times in 45 Posts	Page 439 "Only use tires which have been tested and approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz" ... Tires specially developed for your vehicle and tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz can be identified by finding the following on the tires side-wall MO ... MOE... ... Using tires other than those approved by Mercedes-Benz my result in damage that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty." Page 348 "Always use winter tires at temperatures below 45 deg F and whenever wintry road conditions prevail." Might explain the sledding...

07-19-2008	#33 (permalink)
dsb Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: NorCal Vehicle: '06 slk55 Posts: 1,176 Country: Thanks: 67 Thanked 121 Times in 42 Posts	I find that just silly. Unless you do something stupid with size or use severly worn tires, there's not a whole lot that can go wrong. I think you may be a little too paranoid. __________________ SOLD! 06 Mercedes Benz SLK55 Caspian Blue / Black & Ash *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.*

07-19-2008	#34 (permalink)
mtiede Founding Member #7 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Western New York Vehicle: 2006 SLK 350 Posts: 1,645 Thanks: 102 Thanked 55 Times in 45 Posts	Probably is. Just showing what the book said. As I said, I got the PS2s

07-19-2008	#35 (permalink)
Dolebludger Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yukon, OK Vehicle: '07 SLK 280; '04 C 320, '01 Honda S 2000, '98 Ford Ranger truck. Posts: 569 Country: Thanks: 40 Thanked 77 Times in 52 Posts	While my owners' manual came with an '07 SLK 280, it appears to be the same as the 350, as it contains info on the 350 as well. If you have the 350 without the sports package, p. 437 states you can use either W rated tires, or W rated tires MOExtended. If you have the sports package, p. 438 gives you the option of Y rated tires or W rated MOExtended. My manual's pages 439 and 348 do not contain the info you described, but my manual is for '07 and may have changed. Yet, a brief search in the index turned up no claim that use of tires other than mentioned above would void any warranty on the car. The tires themselves are not covered by this warranty. All improper tires could cause in the way of damage to the vehicle is by way of a wreck, which is not covered under warranty. I think someone at MBUSA may have realized that the warranty voiding language was barred by Federal law and deleted it from the '07 manual. I can see no reason why any W rated tire could not be used on an SLK 350 sport package, as it is speed rated to 168 mph, and the 350 won't make that. My C 320 sled tires are H rated all season tires, and should do better in snow. Even my S 2000 with Y rated tires does better, and they are summer tires! What is the speed rating on the PS2s you bought? __________________ The SLK -- What the SL was supposed to be.

07-20-2008	#37 (permalink)
Dolebludger Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yukon, OK Vehicle: '07 SLK 280; '04 C 320, '01 Honda S 2000, '98 Ford Ranger truck. Posts: 569 Country: Thanks: 40 Thanked 77 Times in 52 Posts	Yes sir: According to my '07 SLK owners' manual (which covers the 280, 350, and the 55 AMG), Y speed rated tires are fine on ANY version of the 350. Of course, my manual also goes into load ratings and such, but I'm sure the PS2s meet these requirements as well. __________________ The SLK -- What the SL was supposed to be.

07-21-2008	#38 (permalink)
Nevada Joe Cr. G. H. Join Date: Jul 2008 Vehicle: '08 SLK 55 AMG Other Toys: '06 Solstice (autox) F150 4x4 (for the winters), '85 VW GTI (the rally car) Posts: 112 Country: Thanks: 28 Thanked 22 Times in 14 Posts	New to the forum here - my 55 AMG will be delivered this weekend. Does anyone have experience with either the Azenis 615's or the Bridgstone RE01's? I've autocrossed my solstice with the Azenis and a lot of the folks are switching to the Bridgestones. I'm willing to sacrifice a little ride quality and tire life for better performance.

07-21-2008	#39 (permalink)
dsb Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: NorCal Vehicle: '06 slk55 Posts: 1,176 Country: Thanks: 67 Thanked 121 Times in 42 Posts	I have those Azenis on my stock wheels. They are okay for Autocross especially considering the price. Also, for autocross, they are good for the short duration. On a road course, they get too greasy too quickly. Overall, it is was decent purchase but not one I would do again. Next, I'd like to replace them with a little softer rubber. Perhaps the Bridgestone would be a good fit. __________________ SOLD! 06 Mercedes Benz SLK55 Caspian Blue / Black & Ash *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.*

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07-23-2008	#40 (permalink)
cbelaney SLK World Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Ohio Vehicle: Handmade SLK 350 Other Toys: 1970 Cadillac Deville conv. Posts: 66 Country: Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	From my experience in the industry...all tires start out softer and quieter when new. Certainly a characteristic of the compounds used today. I like the Cooper Zeon 2XS...as far as best performance for the dollar.