Consumer Reports Jan '06 Issue Proves My Point

those are on the abdominal snowman's pickup.

 

Actually R&T (?) tested a Range Rover Sport, with a high HP v-8 and low
profile tires on like 20" wheels. They said handling was okay, and it
had a a nice ride. However, as soon as they took an offroad trail,
they ended up with 3 flat tires...
Saw a H2 a while back with those rubber band tires. What a moron.

 

Yep, talk about morons- I saw an original Hummer LOWERED on those type
tires/wheels. That moron ruined a very good 4x4.

 

Couldn't have been a Hummer then..

 

~
~>My only question is: What are abdominal tires?

Must be the Michelin man!

 

Also, ever noticed how airplanes ALL slow down to corner?!?

Different service conditions = different tire requirements. Nomen's
argument is so apples/oranges it isn't funny. He seems more and more like a
troll every day.

 

Sloooooooow uptake there. He's famous, we found out last month. There's a
site that gives his real name about 500 aliases. I didn't know it was even
possible to reach that level of troll notoriety.

 

Most American surface roads are turning to shit, due to neglect and lack of
maintenance. Additionally, heavy truck traffic is destroying the
interstates.

Yeah,right, and that never happens here. You ever hear of James Dean?

 

Of course, you meant "abominable".

$35?? You've got to be kidding. I haven't paid $35 for a tire since I reshod
my '69 Plymouth Satellite with bias plys from the local filling station in
'73.

I've got a 2006 Nissan Max with low profile Goodyear RSA's. It's quieter
than the '95 T-bird and 2005 PT Cruiser I drove during my Christmas
vacation.

If the suspension is factory engineered for the low profile tires, there is
no difference in ride quality. The handling is a helluva lot better,
though.

Ain't never heard of THAT before....

You mean, they don't wallow all over the road like some '50's or '60's land
yacht?

I'll take a firmer suspension over some sloppy handling wallow-wagon any
day, thank you.

Some Piper Cubs have big balloon tires for takeoffs and landings on mud or
snow. The tires aren't used to make high speed sharp turns, unless the
owner is trying to ground loop the plane for the insurance money. Given the
small diameter of the wheels, and considering that the tires are not driven,
balloon tires roll over bumps and ruts more easily than lower profile tires.

Ever watched a jet land? Ever see the smoke when the tires hit the runway?
Aircraft tires are designed to go from 0 to 125 mph on landing, while
absorbing enormous impact loads. On the small jets I maintain, the tires are
12 ply or more, are inflated to 125 psi, and are heavier and stiffer than
hell.

See http://www.airmichelin.com/ for more info on aircraft tires.

Yeah, back in my day, by God, all tires were bias ply and skinny with
whitewalls. And we liked it, we loved it!!
And all wheels were painted, drop center stamped steel. They rusted like
hell, and we liked it, we loved it!!!
If it was good enough for my '59 Caddidliac, it's good enough for my bigass
SUV....

 

No, they actually test performance cars and supply 0-60 and 1/4 mile times
these days. Their road tests and reliability data are more credible than
they were in the past.

They must've moved all the old fogies to the tire test department.

 

What? You never had a spare tire around your middle?

 

Interstates have shoulders, proper crowns and often correctly banked
curves. Just to let you know, Heavy truck traffic is present on
european Motorways/Autoroutes/Autobahns etc.

You might wish to reread what I posted. You are much more likely to
find a shoulder on an American side road than you are on an European
side road. and yes I did hear of James Dean. The fellow who died
OVER 50 years ago! There have been some improvements in the highway
network in the last 1/2 century

 

The Interstate that I commute on does not have a proper crown -- water
pools on it every time it rains. This is a newly widened road with a new
surface across the entire road width.

 

As a civil engineer, I can say that (without seeing the road and the
circumstances) it certainly sounds like the overlay across that road was
done incorrectly.

I know here in NC the regional offices I work with are adamant that if
you overlay you must have your 2% crown... and if not you have to MAKE
it have a 2% crown!!

J

 

I don't know too much about Europe, but I can assure you that UK roads
are extremely smooth. Of course they don't have much frost to content
with, but their traffic is very heavy on many roads.
I did a bus trip in Belgium, France, Switzerland in '79 and the roads
were excellent. I doubt they've gone downhill since then.
I also know that the road surface from Canada down the I5 into
California always has significant worn out sections that make a hell of
a noise. In the late 80s in northern California the I5 right lane was
so worn out all traffic was driving in the left lane.

 

The surface of the road is only one factor. American cars are made to
handle American roads (including dirt & Gravel roads.

European roads may be smooth (though there are many here in the East
Midlands (UK) who would disagree with that), but as I wrote earlier,
Very little educated, traveled professional thought went into the
construction of the road networks. Shoulders, Banking, crowns,
drainage, visibility, adequate guard rails, ample passing places, etc,
etc, etc.

A smooth surface does little to help you after you're careening down a
cliff face after hydroplaining across a road, through a farcical
guardrail after skipping over the 4" leaf covered curb at the edge of
the lane.

However the ride to that point was probably smoother than the I95

 

Traction on those smooth UK surfaces are another subject.
I agree they are slippery, I'm always cautious over there.
Here in Canada we add a pea gravel type of wear coat on many roads,
great for traction on ice.
Of course there are always those dummies who don't drive according to
the road conditions.
We usually wave to them in the ditch as we pass by. <