Front 255/55-18 Goodyear Pics

[Jim Nazium]

Just thought I would share some Pictures of my '06 RX 400H with my front summer Good Year 255/55-18 on Factory 18" Rims. You'll see that I have the factory mudguards installed as well.

Cheers,

MadloR

Front RearView

Front RearView Right Turn

Front View Left Turn

Front Left Turn

Front RearView

Front Top

[jditom]

Jim,

Very nice.

Any rubbing?

Any difference in mpg?

You are 3% larger than before so when your speedo reads 60 you are going 61.8.

Thanks

[Gryphon]

Considering that the OEM sticker is still on the tire tread, I suspect that Jim does not yet have a lot of performance or rubbing data. :)

Jim, I'm more interested in the flooring. Is that your garage floor? Tell me more.

Tom

[Jim Nazium]

Some more pictures of my '06 RX 400H with my rear summer GoodYear 255/55-18 on Factory 18" Rims. You'll see that I have the factory mudguards installed as well in the back.

The rear strut tower is quiet close to the rear 255/55-18 tire, but it is not touching and there is room for tire deflection and roundout. I would take to light the maximum width of this brand and type of tire if you are considering going Plus Zero, seeing that not all 255/55-18 tires are manufactured to identical diameters nor widths.

Cheers

MadloR

Rear RearView3

Rear RearView2

Rear RearView

Rear FrontView2

Rear FrontView

Jim,

Very nice.

Any rubbing?

Any difference in mpg?

You are 3% larger than before so when your speedo reads 60 you are going 61.8.

Thanks

Thanks. I have test fitted the fronts and rears. There is no touching or rubbing. At the moment I have not taken my summer wheels and tires out seeing as we are still into winter here. I was changing the oil and seeing as how I didn't get around to uploading pics of the mudguards, I was thinking to put on One 255/55-18 tire on the front and rear and upload some pics as well. As for speedo and mileage, I have taken into account the percentage error and I am willing to live with it. FWIW, I purchased and imported my RX 400H from Texas from Sewell Lexus, so at the moment I am living with all computer fuel economy and odometer miles in "Miles and MPG". Any SUV, that is this plush and gets mileage anywhere in the low to high twenties as an everyday hauler, is Top Notch in my books and I can't ask for anything more. Yes, low to mid thirties would be wonderful, but I was already realistic going in when I made the purchase.

Cheers,

MadloR

Considering that the OEM sticker is still on the tire tread, I suspect that Ray does not yet have a lot of performance or rubbing data. :)

Ray, I'm more interested in the flooring. Is that your garage floor? Tell me more.

Tom

Hey Gryphon, yep that is my Garage Floor. Basically, it is a true porcelain tile 6" x 6" and it is laid over the original cement floor with the cement epoxy (I sound like I'm on the Home Reno Forum). Porcelain tile, in case you didn't know will not absorb any foreign material, it is not porous. Very easy to clean, dust free, and will last a lifetime. Way back when I was renovating my garage, I was looking for porcelain tile for my garage floor but didn't want to spend a fortune (my wife is super cool about stuff like this, afterall the garage is my castle) so I stumbled across a clearance discontinued lot of tiles. There wasn't enough of one colour so I settled for a haberdash of 5 - 6 different hues of all of the same type of tile. After all, it's a garage and it was more important for me the "advantages of porcelain vs the look".

I sometimes get "!Removed!" remarks from ignorant people like, "it's gotta be super slippery driving the car into the garage, especially wet". And the fact of the matter is, it is not. Nobody drives or pulls up into there garage going 30mph and stops on a dime. Is it slipperier than the original cement, even wet? Yes it is. But, it's slipperier in the same context as is -35 F colder than -30F? Moot point really. FWIW the garage floor already has about 4 years wear and I do all sorts in there. It looks EXACTLY like the day it was laid down.

Cheers,

MadloR

[Gryphon]

MadloR, the floor looks just great. I have been exploring various possibilities myself but have not considered tile. Apparently they also have not cracked or chipped from the weight of your vehicle(s) or things like floor jacks?

Tom

[Jim Nazium]

MadloR, the floor looks just great. I have been exploring various possibilities myself but have not considered tile. Apparently they also have not cracked or chipped from the weight of your vehicle(s) or things like floor jacks?

Tom

Nope. A porcelain tile is "mono-coutura", meaning through and through. The material is extremely hard and difficult to cut in the traditional sense of the word. You cannot score it like traditional tiles when you want to downsize a piece to fit in a particular spot. The tile does not scratch, you can take a very sharp and hefty screw driver, for example and you can try your best to damage but you will not be able to score let alone scratch the tile. Floor jacks, jack stands, dropping a hammer by accident etc will not cause the tile to break. It really is designed for extreme use and you will find this tile most often in high traffic areas (subways, commercial etc.)

MadloR

[Gryphon]

Thanks for the information, MadloR.

Tom

[RXREY]

I think I'll get the Bridgestone Alenzas and I'm glad to hear that the 255/55/18s don't rub. They are a wee bit wider and I do like that...I also LOVE the tile. It's funny how many people will notice that more than anything. it's very foofoo/plush! How lucky your car is! It's like a pet! Rey in L.A.

[Gryphon]

Less attractive than MadloR's tile, I have also been testing some 12 x 12 commercial vinyl tiles, the kind that have the color/pattern all the way through. They seem impervious to chemicals and chips so far. If I go with them, I may glue only the perimeter tiles and leave the rest loose. If'/when I damage one I can simply drop in a new one. Of course buying adequate spares is important.

Tom

[Jim Nazium]

I had two issues with the Bridgestone Alenzas, though very minor. I did notice they have a "iron like" tread wear rating, what if you hate them then your stuck with them for a while (i.e. if they wear poorly, like cupping) unless you decide to prematurely change them.

Also, I really dislike the look of the tire and find the appearance and tread pattern unappealing. OK, it's a personal thing but a small little issue that bothers me.

Cheers,

MadloR

[RXREY]

That's what I want, any bit of advice and your opinion is appreciated. Thanks, Rey

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

Wow! You layed tile on your garage floor? I suppose you could'a REALLY gone nuts ... maybe used travertine.

[RXREY]

I know, the tile is just awesome! Well, the car too,but I have one of them. The last time I saw tile like that in a garage was at Hearst Castle! Very cool....Rey

[Jim Nazium]

The full specs...

I have redone my garage from A to Z...

I gutted it. I ran some fresh power leads from the electrical room to the garage. I wired up the ceiling for 8 separate dual Neon lights. I then ran wiring 6 strand low voltage from the front of the garage (where you exit to the basement, which is my Den) to the middle of for each Electric Garage Door Motor and then from there to to each garage door. This way, all my wiring for the electric garage doors are behind the drywall. I also ran for each garage door motor an AC outlet in the ceiling. I then ran some copper 1/2" pipe behind the drywall again and towards the front of the garage doors so as to have water (hose and reel). I also ran a 220VAC for a 96" electric heater. Ran wiring for the central alarm and installed an alarm panel as well. I then insulated the ceiling with 18" thick pink insulation, and installed a vapor barrier. I then rented a hand tool that allows you to spray Stucco, only I substituted the stucco mixture for cement which gives the walls a nice texture and colour (really covers up the cement castings and looks more uniform). Once all the messy stuff was complete, I used the Green 5/8" drywall. Slapped on a couple of fresh coats of Bathroom mildew resistant white paint. With the ceiling complete I installed 8 individual dual neon lights 48" and centered along the middle of each garage door opening. You can say, you won't see any shadows no matter where you are standing. I had the tile floor tiled in porcelain (as mentioned earlier).

At one end of the garage I had some custom cabinetry built 5/8" melamine so as to house all the "stuff" for things that Guys have. Power tools, supplies, shop material, air compressor, central vacuum for the house is hidden away (p.s. the central vacuum exhausts out of a pipe and outside), installed a sink w/ hot and cold water as part of a work space and cabinet, some garden and outdoor clothes - boots - shoes, etc etc etc. I have always wanted a garage that looks like a room, in other words, clean and clutter free that you could always drive the car into without having to break out into a "spring cleaning mode".

Cheers,

MadloR