Quieter tires?

[celicastorm]

I've got the 2000 GT-S with TRD lowering springs and 17" Axis Se7en wheels. the present tires are Bridgestone Fuzion 215-45-17, which have good tread -- rotated every oil change.

I am ready to spend a little more and would like a quieter ride -- any suggestions?

[spy801]

Performance tyres (Please forgive me my english spelling of tires) often ignore the noise factor, they provide good handling and good grip but are noisy. a couple of ways to look at tyres that will give you an indication of possible noisiness. the tread pattern, especially the edge of the tread. should have small blocks and the side blocks should be a range of different sizes to prevent howling. bigger blocks provide better aquaplaning properties but are noisy. then is the road noise. what i mean by that is the amount of noise it is creating as the tyre rolls over small bumps and stones. try the sidewall of the tyre before fitting on the rim. some sports tyres are very stiff providing good cornering and won't bend under the car. the stiff sidewall will not suppress much of the uneven road surface and you can feel and hear every small stone and bump. thirdly, a 45 profile tyre is very flat, there is not much flexibility to be smooth and quiet.

check what Michelin has in your range, they are expensive but are an excellent tyre in many ways.

[celicastorm]

Thank You for a very detailed explanation, Spy!

I will study the Michelin tread patterns and consider changing tire size

[markpc]

If you stiffen everything up there is going to be a lot of noise, the softer springs move more to soak up bumps of any size (including the tiny gaps in the stones in the road) the tyres (tires) do the same job the higher the sidewall the more flexible and softer it is. another thing to find out is the pressures in the tyre as they will not be the same as the standard size, it will help just a little if the pressure you have is lower than it should.
Alternativley buy some good speakers and an excellent head unit and listen to it nice and loud so you do not have to listen to the road noise.

[spy801]

Originally Posted by markpc

If you stiffen everything up there is going to be a lot of noise, the softer springs move more to soak up bumps of any size (including the tiny gaps in the stones in the road) the tyres (tires) do the same job the higher the sidewall the more flexible and softer it is. another thing to find out is the pressures in the tyre as they will not be the same as the standard size, it will help just a little if the pressure you have is lower than it should.
Alternativley buy some good speakers and an excellent head unit and listen to it nice and loud so you do not have to listen to the road noise.

true every word, tyres are part of the suspension and they really should match the shocks and the springs to get a balanced handling. even a new car becomes quite noisy when suspension components are stiffened. better handling = loss of comfort. when you change from standard tyre size to low profile, wide tyre, the manufacturer's pressure is no longer valid. the wider tyre has a larger "footprint" thuslower pressure is needed. every car is different depending on tyres. the best way to find correct tyre pressure values for your car is to measure the tyre tread surface temperature after normal driving. contact against the road and rolling friction will increase the temperature so ideally it should be even across the tread surface, however negative wheel camber should give a couple of degrees higher temp on the inside of the tread surface. if the tread temp is higher in the middle than the sides, the tyre is overinflated, if the middle is cooler then BOTH sides then the tyre is underinflated. the tread temperature is also an indication how the tyres are going to wear, you don't have to wait until the tyres are worn out.
good news is that modern good quality low profile tyres are not very sensitive to tyre pressures.
ear muffs with stereo speakers is a good idea.

SPY