Which would you choose?

A General Discussion forum for cars and other topics, and a great place to introduce yourself if you are new to NICO!
User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 54541
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 Z32, 91 GTi-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14, 23 Z.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

As I stated in another post, I have an opportunity to swap out tires (my current set of Yoko YK420's) and get full credit for the original purchase price.

I've been offered the Yoko ES100's in the same size as my current Yoko's (245/50VR16).

However, I'm looking also at the Falken Ziex ZE-512, in the 255/50ZR16 size. It's a 99W tire, and the deal *should* be the same if I choose these.

Question:

1) Falken (higher treadwear rating and load capacity, less-known manufacturer and 10mm wider width)

or

2) Yoko (lower treadwear, bigger brand name, lower capacity, nice looking tire).

I'll go with the majority here, so let's hear it! :D

Thanks guys.


User avatar
Rex
Posts: 16845
Joined: Sat Apr 05, 2003 6:50 pm
Car: None
Location: South of ATL
Contact:

Post

I had Bridgestone's on when I got the car and have BFG's now. Given a chance to basically replace my used tires for full credit towards replacement's, I think I'd venture out and try the ones I don't know as well, unless you plan on spending the (replacement) tire savings on something else.

It's almost like a free test drive for the life of the tire.

GEOFF
Posts: 149
Joined: Fri May 02, 2003 7:57 am
Car: CARS/BIKING

Post

My experience with Falkens is pretty good. Mazda's "rev it up"challenge used them. The national challenge had used Mazda 6's equipped with Eibachs springs and Falken tires for anyone who entered to run a timed slalom course. I hammered on the car and finished in top 20% nationally. The tires felt really good.

User avatar
PalmerWMD
Posts: 14329
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 3:14 pm
Car: 2004 350Z

Post

What are each treadwear numbers?usually I'd go with lower # but if the difference is small then with the higher load rating.

Fred...:)

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 54541
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 Z32, 91 GTi-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14, 23 Z.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

Yokohama ES100 (245/50/16) is 280 treadwear, 96 load rating.

Falken Ziex ZE-512 (255/50/16) is 360 treadwear, 99 load rating.

Difficult choice... Appreciate any input!

maxnix
Posts: 22627
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2002 8:11 pm
Car: 1995 Infiniti Q45
1995 Infiniti Q45t
2000 Infiniti Q45

Post

I think you should get the Falkens on the front and the Kumhos on the rear.

Then you would have Falken Kumhos!

User avatar
PalmerWMD
Posts: 14329
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 3:14 pm
Car: 2004 350Z

Post

255/50 16 matches your stock tire diameter of 26.0 inches perfectly.A bit hi in treadwear rating but if the choice is between those 2 I'd probably pick the falkens.You cant get the ES 100's in 255/50-16?

Fred...:)

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 54541
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 Z32, 91 GTi-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14, 23 Z.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

Brian: Falk off. :D

Fred - ES's don't come in 255. :(

maxnix
Posts: 22627
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2002 8:11 pm
Car: 1995 Infiniti Q45
1995 Infiniti Q45t
2000 Infiniti Q45

Post

What's wrong with the Firestones, except maybe Discount doesn't sell them? Better tire in the correct size. Can you say Christmas in July?

__________________Brian1995 Q45 & Q45t

Discover the power of the button!

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 54541
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 Z32, 91 GTi-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14, 23 Z.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

The Firestones would be another $650. It would be a stupid financial move for me, considering I dropped $650 eight months ago on these tires.

Free = good.$650 = bad.

maxnix
Posts: 22627
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2002 8:11 pm
Car: 1995 Infiniti Q45
1995 Infiniti Q45t
2000 Infiniti Q45

Post

Bummer. Get the Falkens now (same guarantee?) and the Firstones later. Or get the Yokohamas (no dBs?), and roll on the size you're accustomed to. __________________Brian1995 Q45 & Q45t

Discover the power of the button!

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 54541
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 Z32, 91 GTi-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14, 23 Z.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

Neither of the tires I'm looking at as replacements have a "mileage" warranty (which is OK I suppose).

dB's are not included in the "free trade-out" deal as they were double the price... same with the top-line Pilots.

User avatar
szh
Posts: 15932
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 12:54 pm
Car: 2018 Tesla Model 3.

Unfortunately, no longer a Nissan or Infiniti, but continuing here at NICO!
Location: San Jose, CA

Post

AZhitman wrote:dB's are not included in the "free trade-out" deal as they were double the price... same with the top-line Pilots.


But might they be willing to full credit on your current YK's towards the dB's or Firestones? That would make it far less than the $650 ...

Z

User avatar
Mayhem_J30
Posts: 2643
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2002 2:00 am
Car: Ummm...My Car
Location: Louisville, KY

Post

Go with the Falkens. :D

Q45tech
Moderator
Posts: 14296
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2002 3:19 am
Car: 1990 Q45 342,400 miles 22 years ownership with original engine
1995 G20t 5 speed 334,000 miles 16" 2002 wheels - 205/50/16 Sr20ve vvl

Post

A mileage warranty implies they are designed to be a hard and long wearing compound..........kind of the opposite from what you might want.......if you are interested in maintaining near oem performance in stopping.

If you have to, buy <$100 tires and throw them away after 9-10,000 miles [6 months of use] at least you will always have a soft compound and even the worse ones won't usually fail in the first year.The ES100 at $93 plus shipping ought to go 20,000 miles on a Q.245/50/16 was the old Firebird/Z28 size so most manufacturers assume this is the weight for fitment......[kind of a side comment concerning the equivalance of a load rating].

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 54541
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 Z32, 91 GTi-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14, 23 Z.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

szhosain wrote:But might they be willing to full credit on your current YK's towards the dB's or Firestones? That would make it far less than the $650 ...

Z


No - Discount doesn't sell Firestones, and the dB's would be another $300... no real sense in that IMO.

So Dennis - Given the 2 choices above, would your preference be the Falkens or the Yokos?

User avatar
SmithSR
Posts: 5021
Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2003 3:16 pm
Car: 240sx

Post

Falken builds a good tire. Don't count them out just yet. When balancing sets of various Falken tire sizes back to back with comparable tires of similar size from Bridgestone, Yok, Pirelli, Firestone, I am pleasantly surprised with the low weight value required to balance, and the smooth-running nature of the Falkens. As we all know, there are better gripping, more expensive tires available. I say try them Falkens out, and let us know how it goes.

-Phil

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 54541
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 Z32, 91 GTi-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14, 23 Z.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

Phil - I forgot (dumbarse me) that you're a tire guy!

Tell me more.

Who's the parent company? Where can I get more info on them? I'm really, completely, 100% on the fence on this one.

User avatar
SmithSR
Posts: 5021
Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2003 3:16 pm
Car: 240sx

Post

Falken is a subsidiary of Ohtsu tire company, from Japan. Ohtsu also sells some basic, passenger car, high mileage tires under their own name. Ever go to discount and ask for Ohtsu? I doubt they have 'em. Most "independent" tire dealers carry brands such as Ohtsu and other odd named tire companies that nobody has ever heard of. All in all, Falken has been making good(for the price) tires for a few years now. The website is http://www.falkentire.com, I'm pretty sure they have a tire catalog with all available sizes, tire models.

The one thing I don't like about Falken is how they are branching off into custom wheels, cold air intakes, and other misc. "performance" parts for sport compacts. Hopefully, the brand doesn't suffer from too much brand-hype. Quality often suffers when the pool gets too dirty... know what I mean?

Back to work for me...I'll check in later this evening to see what you think of their site.

User avatar
creophus
Posts: 1142
Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2003 10:26 am
Car: 240SX SE & 200SX
Contact:

Post

I recommend the Falkens I've used them on both my cars and I have no complaints.

don85259
Posts: 83
Joined: Sun May 11, 2003 5:09 pm
Car: computer games, fast cars, etc.

Post

My last tires on the Q ship were Falkens. Very reliable but harsh tires. Of course, the 245/40 profile tires were much "skinnier" than the stock Q tires and made her ride unnecessarily hard. I'm back to the stock tire size and quite pleased. :)

User avatar
SmithSR
Posts: 5021
Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2003 3:16 pm
Car: 240sx

Post

Greg, 280 vs. 360 treadwear isn't much, but it ain't nothin. I know you're a car guy, so I'll assume you're in tune with the nuances of your car's handling/grip characteristics. While a traction rating is provided for each tire, the treadwear rating also speaks to the rubber compound in the tire. Soft compound gives better grip, the down-side is fewer miles per dollar. Harder compound gives less grip, but you get more miles. These are big generalizations, but in my opinion, the base concept stays constant. So, assuming a few things such as proper balance, proper alignment, no oddball problems with tire construction, I'd say you *may* notice a difference in grip characteristics of your car if you opt for the Falkens. Either way, any difference that you DO notice will be very minor. For me, grip is more important than high mileage, but your needs may be different, as you've got a family to feed, clothe, and house. I still think the Falken is a good all around tire, and worth trying out on your car. It's not a gamble, just an opportunity to try a new tire.

After staring at Q45tech's post for the past ten minutes(I've found it beneficial to memorize what he says:bowdown), it sounds to me like he's suggesting the softer compound Yoko tire, to maintain near-OEM stopping characteristics, but sacrifice higher mileage. That may be obvious to everybody but me; it's late...if Q45tech sees an error in my thinking on this, I give you full permission to pummel me with a baseball bat.

P.S. When Les Schwab Tire Center expands into Arizona, I'll be applying for a transfer. Some day I'll have a tan, and God willing I will see the Q with my own eyes.

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 54541
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 Z32, 91 GTi-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14, 23 Z.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

LOL - Good info, Phil. :D

I think this one really will be a toss-up. I'm leaning toward that extra 10mm of width and 5mm of height in the Falk's, just for the comfort factor. The Yoko sidewall is really stiff, which is good, but since I just did the Eibachs I'm wondering if it might not be a nice balance now to have a little less aggressiveness in the sidewall stiffness... Part of me wishes I could try both for a week... But I think the guys down at the tire shop have pretty much had enough of my nitpicking (don't want to push it TOO far). :D

Q45tech
Moderator
Posts: 14296
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2002 3:19 am
Car: 1990 Q45 342,400 miles 22 years ownership with original engine
1995 G20t 5 speed 334,000 miles 16" 2002 wheels - 205/50/16 Sr20ve vvl

Post

Since all tread wear indexes are numbers created by manufacturers and are not checked by goverment, and they are only relative numbers to be used WITHIN brands not between brands..........they are pretty useless in comparing most tires.

The point is a 280 and a 360 may be the same or different or reversed in the real world.Think of them as ranges: 50-100; 100-200; 200-300, 300-400; 400-500, 500 and above.........with overlaps.

Number at 200 and below are probably close to accurate on the San Angelo test track loop.......the rest are created so that the 3,000 mile test can be extrapolated to give what ever MARKETING DESIRES.

Q45tech
Moderator
Posts: 14296
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2002 3:19 am
Car: 1990 Q45 342,400 miles 22 years ownership with original engine
1995 G20t 5 speed 334,000 miles 16" 2002 wheels - 205/50/16 Sr20ve vvl

Post

"guys down at the tire shop have pretty much had enough of my nitpicking ".......For me I just bury my mistakes, luckily I have relatives who always need tires in my sizes.......they get to drive free on the junk.........not that I don't like them but they are not picky at all.

Sometimes I set them out at T3 they are always stolen within a few days.

By the way T3 hasn't sold tires for years too much hassle, we send them to EXPERTS so they can whine to someone else. That way when they buy cheaper than Michelin we can tell them we told you so! Same with alignments since the local cambered roads always cause the pull to the right/left.

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 54541
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 Z32, 91 GTi-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14, 23 Z.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

I agree Dennis.

I'll keep the old Yoko's to help out a less-fortunate Q owner, possibly pay for a couple tanks of gas with 'em.

s15nc
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun May 04, 2003 2:59 pm
Car: Baseball, fast cars and women

Post

my friend recently replaced his nittos with some falken ziex and could tell a huge differance. The falken performed just as well/ actually better and made the car a lot quieter and smoother

greg_atlanta
Posts: 1111
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 4:37 pm
Car: 2008 G35 Journey Sedan, silver/black (no sunroof), 1992 Q45 (in a past life)

Post

Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama!

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 54541
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 Z32, 91 GTi-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14, 23 Z.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

LOL @ Greg. I just pictured the scene from "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" where Ruprecht (Steve martin) runs around the room, beating on a pan screaming, "Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma!" :D

reggiegsd
Posts: 419
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 9:51 am
Car: '94 Q, '73 240Z

Post

For several years I used Yoko A008s on a street Zcar. It was always fun explaining to my wife why I needed new tires after 8K miles.

20K on a set of tires is a good deal.


Return to “General Chat”