Quietest And Smoothest Ls400 Tire

[95LS400Bob]

I have been researching for quite a while on tires for this 95 Lexus LS400. It currently has some "wondeful" Pep Boys tires on it. I didn't do it..they gotta go.

What I want is the worlds smoothest riding and quietest tire possible. I don't care about how long it lasts. I don't care about snow or handling or anything else. The car is supposed to be a dead silent highway cruiser.

I have read tire racks surveys. This and other forums. Thought I would come up with a general consensus but not so. So I would like your experience with tires you had.

Remember...quiet and soft ride...all I care about. Thanks!

[monarch]

I believe the Goodyear Assurrance Comfortred would be your best choice for a tomb silent and bump smothering ride.

However, practically everyone on this forum is into performance oriented tire brands like Michelin, Toyo and Continental. They want a smooth, quiet ride too, but not at the expense of handing and wet traction and the Michelins, Toyos and Continentals all compromise ride comfort and handing to some extent in exchange for better wet traction and cornering capability.

[monarch]

Oops, I meant to say the Michelins, Toyos and Continentals all compromise ride comfort and QUIETNESS to some extent in exchange for better wet traction and cornering capability.

[95LS400Bob]

That's one I never heard or read anybody suggest. Everything else has been about 50/50 love or hate. LOL. Thanks.

Ya know...you just might have found the tire. I cannot find anything bad said in anything I am reading. It is early as it's debut was this year but it looks like the ticket.

[Lexusfreak]

What is the exact size tire you need for your LS? Now you say quiet is all your looking for, what about long milage?

[95LS400Bob]

225/60/16's. The stock size.

We don't drive that many miles. Wife drove 20,000 in 4 1/2 years with her last car.

[rwallican]

I have OEM wheels on my 96ls400. I bought the car equipped with Bridgestone Potenzas. They give a great ride and handle well. I like to get out on the highway and I'll run them 100+mph. Never any problems. When I replace them, I'll get another set. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. :D

[Lexusfreak]

I recommend the following: Toyo Proxes TPT (you can get either 'H' or 'V' speed rating depending on what you like), Yokohama H4S or V4S, Yokohama Avid Touring, Goodyear Assurance Triple tread, & Michelin Hydroedge (Michelins are pricy mind you). Those are the very best available if you want a very smooth, quiet, comfortable ride. Let us know what you decided, good luck! B)

[1990LS400]

The Dunlop SP Sport 5000 is the current version of the tire that came as original equipment on my 2000 LS. The ones I bought last year to replace the original Sport 4000's are "Z" rated but I think they also come in a lower speed rating. They seem very quiet to me which is probably saying something since my wife thinks I am wacko overly sensitive to and buzzes and rattles in cars. They are also reasonable inexpensive from Tire Rack and are widely available if you have to replace only one. I also like that they are not "directional" tires.

The Sport 5000's have a maximum pressure rating of a whopping 51 psi should you want to increase the pressure for fast driving in the wilds of Nevada or to cope with a heavy load. One name brand European tire I saw last year had a maximum pressure rating of only 35 psi - not enough even to cope with the temperature variations of the desert Southwest.

[SW03ES]

Main problem ith the SP Sprt 5000 is that Dunlop doesn't have great quality control or consistency among sets. My dad put a set of SP 5000s on his 98 LS and while they started out good they became noisy as they got old, became cupped and vibrated terribly on the highway from 5000 miles on. They were terrible tires and I'd never buy another set of Dunlops again because of them. Also Dunlops tend to have treadwear ratings way at the bottom end of the spectrum. I have the Toyo Proxes TPT's on my car and am VERY happy with them, and he just put them on his 04 LS also on my reccomendation and is also very happy with them.

[Lexusfreak]

Agreed sw! Several people at my work have the dunlops & are not happy with them for a number of reasons, including what you said. The Proxes TPT's also have a 51 psi max pressure rating. B)

[95LS400Bob]

This is the kind of stuff I am looking for. If you go to Tire rack and read tire reviews you find one guy says a certain tire is the smoothest and quietest he has ever seen. The next guys says it's the roughest riding and noisiest he has ever seen!

Hard to get a real idea from those reviews. So far the only thing I can get out of those reviews are that everyone seems to be real happy with the new Goodyear Triple tread. But it's a new tire and not that many reviews.

Surprisingly the other new tire that's supposed to focus more on quiet and soft ride (Goodyear Assurance Confortread) the reviews aren't that good and only one Lexus owner stated "noisy tire".

I'd think a tire that was bought that was quiet on his Honda..would be dead silent on a Lexus by a long shot. LOL.. But there sure are some different opinions in those reviews.

Thanks for the help guys. I am still digesting it.

[1990LS400]

Bob,

Do a Google search on "tire cupping cause" you will find lots of documentation about tire cupping being caused by "unbalanced tire condition, faulty wheel bearings, loose parts, fatigued springs or weak shock absorbers." Or check the tech pages on the various tire sellers web sites. Of course wheel balance is the usual suspect on a fairly new car. (I could never keep the wheels balanced on the Mercedes cars I've owned and constantly fought cupping issues.)

Here are my experiences ...

According to my logs, the original Dunlop SP4000 on our V6 Camry were replaced at 66,581 miles when almost down to the wear indicators.

The OEM SP4000's on our current LS were replaced after going 39,720 miles mainly because the chrome wheels were being replaced under warranty and it was not cost effective to install the OEM tires on the new wheels to squeeze out another few thousand miles.

I check and correct tire pressures (fluid levels, etc.) on our cars "religously" (a little car humor there) every Sunday morning - a ritual of nearly 40 years. I rotate the tires per the car manufacturers instructions.

Almost any tire will provide good service if you pay attention to pressure, balance, and rotation - and don't drive like a maniac. Look for the least agressive tread for the quietest ride. I shop the European name brands and choose mainly on price and availability. Personally I don't care which I buy - Dunlop, Continental, Michelin, Perelli, etc. (Got to keep that CPA wife of mine happy with the price!)

[gojo]

My 2 cents.

My '99 LS has the Dunlop Sport 5000's (p225 60ZR16).

They have been quiet, responsive and even wearing. I love the smooth ride. :) The tires must have something to do with it. Anyway I've just turned 60,000 miles and the tires are getting close to the wear marks. I was surprised at the negative feedback I've read. It doesn't look good for this tire. So what is the ultimate tire for this car? I need to replace them soon and want the best for my baby.

[95LS400Bob]

I took the Lexus out last night and did some driving around town, different pavements, etc. All I hear in the Lexus is tire noise...no other noises. This Pep Boy's Furura tire that is on the car now must have a fairly stiff sidewall as you feel every little crack in the rode surface. Anything that is really a bump the Lexus suspenison takes care of nicely.

So, it's all about tires on this Lexus. The final thing it needs along with a good alignment check. Mounting or balancing the tires is not a problem as I have my own equipment. Did this years ago because most tire shops don't get the balance as good as it can be gotten. I want it dead on and my own equipment allows me to do so.

I have also found that a new set of tires when balanced need rebalanced to keep them dead on after about 1000 miles. Each time I do this rebalance, I find the same weight is needed to balance but it needs to be moved on the wheel. This has to be something that naturally moves or settles in the tire.

Here is some other experiences I have had. When we got the 93 Cad sedan (used) it had a lot of tire noise. I went to tire rack and read all the raves about the Bridgestone Turanza tires. How they were soooo quiet and smooth riding. So I bought them and put them on. To my dismay, they were no better than what I took off. I was ready for tires anyway so we lived with it.

On my 1991 Toyota Pickup...it came with Brdigestone Desert Duelers. I replaced them when time came with another set of Duelers. Seemed fine to me. Next set was bargain set on sale...was a General tire. Rough riding and noisy..noticed right off the bat. Put up with that for 10,000 miles and took them off and threw them away. Put back on the worn but better Duelers.

Now the truck is kinda retired..not driven much. So I bought a set of Yokahama low priced tires for it. All I needed was rubber on the ground...didn't care.

To my amazement..the Yokahama tires on the Toyota are 10 times better than any tire I ever had for ride and quiet. I am still amazed every time I drive the thing. Wish I had put them on when the truck was new.

So, there's a lot to tires and why I am digging. And it is not always about more $ = quieter and softer ride.

[Lexusfreak]

Tirerack is a good site but does not cover ALL the tires you should be considering (the Toyo's I suggested as an example)....try www.tiretrends.com for reviews on Toyo's. The Goodyear triple tread is the flagship if the assurance line & is a step up from the comfort tread. It's a better tire & the price reflects it. Let us know what you decided & good luck. B)

[grnsc40095]

95LS400Bob, I currently purchased 225/55/16 ZE-512 Falken (directional tires) for my Sc400. So far the ride is much quieter then the Goodyear Eagle GT+4 Tires, I had on the car. The tires were also rated #1 by a leading consumer magazine. The price is worth the try. Here is the web site for your tire size, http://www.vulcantire.com/ze512_60_t.htm the cheapest I found for this tire model. Good Luck in your final decision.

[99lsguy]

To my amazement..the Yokahama tires on the Toyota are 10 times better than any tire I ever had for ride and quiet. I am still amazed every time I drive the thing. Wish I had put them on when the truck was new.

So, there's a lot to tires and why I am digging. And it is not always about more $ = quieter and softer ride.

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Bob:

After a long search, I went with the Yokohama Avid V4S. These are 97V rated tire and they are replacing my Yokohama S420's (H rated). I've only had them on one week but here are my evaluations:

1) these tires are extremely quiet. My old Yoko's were pretty quiet too....but these are silent.

2) My OLD Yokohamas where down to 3/32's and I didn't feel comfortable with them making a fairly good "light snow" tire for the upcoming winter. These got great ratings for wet, dry, snow, cornering, quiet, etc - it was #2 rated tire in it's class

3) this is a "performance tire" - since its V rated (but is OEM specs), so-----I do feel the bumps slightly more (I think). The guys had them @ 35 psi - I lowered to 32 and may go to 30 - and this helps. The roads are the problem here in Missoui :cries: . they are absolutely ATROCIOUS!!! So, what I mean, is that since these are "V rated", they don't "float" as much over the terrible potholes & patchs that "LITTER" our highways - as the S420s did. I guess you could say I notice the slighly "stiffer" sidewall - but I feel much more secure on the road. They handle great!

4) If the Avid H4S comes in 225/60-16, they may be the ultimate ticket for you!!! I struggled on what to do also. Since my S420's were H rated and a touch "sloppy" - I went with the V-rated. But I also believe the H4S would be an excellent choice.....and would have to give you a touch softer ride.

5) I am a conservative driver. I don't accelerate hard or corner hard. I bought these to keep Me & my family safe (plus I take my daughter to school -12 miles - every day).

6) These tires feel solid & secure to me. I don't know if a person can tell a difference between the same exact (brand new) tires - one being H, one a V ?? I think I can........but it may be just because they are a new tire...... <_< You know how a new tennis shoe feels compared to your old ones, a little stiff at first - but then you settle in to them and they feel nice and comfy... I think these will are doing the same .

7) These cost $75ea. @ tirerack. Total with shipping was $339.00. I had them drop shipped to local lexus shop no problem - took only 3 days.

8) My indie Lexus shop puts "H rated" tires on the LS400 all the time. Probably to enhance the "cushy" ride.

Tires are tough!!!!

99

[Thienn]

All tires are created equal until they passed 5k miles or so! Go to tirerack.com and read those reviews, feedbacks. Generally people give pretty fair opinions; pay more attention the one that had on their cars for extended period of time, with milages more than 5k since tires rating (noise, comfort, wear, etc...) will be noiticably different after the break-in period.

[95LS400Bob]

We are currently just "wearing out" the Pep boys tires on the Lexus. They are not worth anything anyhow to sell and we will put new tires on in the spring. This thread has had a bunch of good information and sure helps with tire selection.

I have noted also that after 5000 miles....people review the tires different also at tire rack.

Yeah, tires are tough. My 91 Toyota pickup always had Bridgestones and I always kept getting Bridgestones. Since now it only gets driven around town a little, I went the cheaper route and put some Yokahama's on it. Better ride, quieter, smoother and rounder tire...found totally by accident cause I was just saving money. Now I wish I had thrown away the Brdigestone Duelers when the truck was brand new and done these Yokahama's for 1/2 the price. Go figure.

[Lexusfreak]

All tires are created equal until they passed 5k miles or so!

All tires are hardly created equal for any amount of mileage!! Where exactly did you get that information from??? :chairshot:

The Yoko's V4S & H4S are very good choices as well. B)

[Thienn]

From personnal experiences (I put over 35k miles a years) and reading a lot of reviews on the web).

[99lsguy]

[The Yoko's V4S & H4S are very good choices as well.  B)

 

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I agree! that's what I got...............

[Lexusfreak]

I had the Yoko V4S on my 'short list' 99ls, the problem was I couldn't get in my exact size (205 60 16) so I could only settle for the H4S which I'm sure would have been fine. Lexus recommends a 'V' speed rating for my 01 ES so I went with the Toyo TPT's. Very wise choice 99! Keep us posted every so often & let us know how they are performing. B)

[99lsguy]

I had the Yoko V4S on my 'short list' 99ls, the problem was I couldn't get in my exact size (205 60 16) so I could only settle for the H4S which I'm sure would have been fine.  Lexus recommends a 'V' speed rating for my 01 ES so I went with the Toyo TPT's.  Very wise choice 99!  Keep us posted every so often & let us know how they are performing.  B)

 

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You got it LexusFreak!!!1