New Tires For Es300 1997

[IlyaIlya]

Hi, just wondering if some one would recommend a good tire choice for 97 es300 . Mine are almost bare now. Also my wheel keeps pulling left and right not sure if due to tires or need wheel alignment.

I live in NYC, so need something that will work in rain, snow. I dont mind a stiffer ride if it gives me better handling. Not too cheap but not super expensive either.

thanks in advance.

Ilya

[Lexusfreak]

Might want to consider either the Goodyear Triple Tred's, the Yokohama Avid H4S or possibly the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S. What size tire do you need (205 65 15 or 205 60 16?). Get a 4 wheel alignment once you have the new tires on. More info here...

Goodyear Triple Tred...

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...;speed_rating=V

Yokohama Avid H4S...

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...es&place=25

Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S...

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...es&place=21

[IlyaIlya]

hey LexusFreak thanks for the recomendations. 2 questions .

How are Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum, they are on sale on tirerack.com now , 4 for 305 shipped.

or the cheaper - solus kh16.

also does 205 60 16 fit my stock 15 inch rim? will it lower mpg? is it worth getting a bit bigger tire?

thanks again

[Lexusfreak]

hey LexusFreak thanks for the recomendations. 2 questions .

How are Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum, they are on sale on tirerack.com now , 4 for 305 shipped.

or the cheaper - solus kh16.

also does 205 60 16 fit my stock 15 inch rim? will it lower mpg? is it worth getting a bit bigger tire?

thanks again

I have no personal experience with Kumho tires......in the past on this site & others I belong to they are not very hightly rated....remember you only get what you pay for. ;)

You would have to get a set of 16" wheels, but if you found a set of OE Lexus 16" wheels....they should be 'plug & play' with no issues. The advantage of a larger wheel/tire would be that it would fill out the wheel well a little better & depending on the tire you select, there is a good chance you would get more overall longevity.....not so much better fuel economy.

Is it worth it? Depends on how you look at it. I am subsituting my ES 330 (17") alloy wheels for a set of ES 350 17" ers.....I like the design better personally......although to the untrained eye, most will not even notice the change.....but I will....and that's what matters.....as I have to have my cars a certain way & I prefer to 'personalize' it with OE wheels as opposed to an aftermarket set. B)

[IlyaIlya]

thanks again for reply. Yes i originally wanted is300 rims on my es300 which look pretty good . But decided against it(Due to cost) Now my tires are almost fully gone, steering wheel vibrating etc, so I decided to get a new set. Even if I decide to sell car , then new tires would make it a better bargain for a person. If i decide to keep it, the new tires will serve me a long time.

thanks again

[Lexusfreak]

Good luck.....let us know what tires you decided to go with.....don't forget the 4 wheel alignment too. B)

[IlyaIlya]

hello, I ended up with kumho solus KR21 from Strauss shop. install, balance, wheel alignment 506 including tax, + 10 dollar tip - 75 bux rebate. so total about 422 everything. I think this is the cheapest deal. at first I was going with solus KH16, but they did not have and gave me KR21 instead for same price. Havent drove it at 60+ mph but seem fine for now. Steering wheel is just a tad crooked now(very very slight). Only complaint is when I stop i have some vibration in wheel, not sure if its the road, rear brakes, or something is wrong. I will drive for a week and figure it out.

I ended up also buying CD 2 cleaner for engine. I think it made the lifters tick even more heh. Hopefully after a oil change they get better.

thanks

[Lexusfreak]

Double check that the tire pressure in all 4 tires are correct....you would be suprised how many shops don't pay close enough attention to that when they install new rubber. If your still having the problem, take the car back & ask them about the alignment too (did you get a print out of the alignment results?).

[IlyaIlya]

Double check that the tire pressure in all 4 tires are correct....you would be suprised how many shops don't pay close enough attention to that when they install new rubber. If your still having the problem, take the car back & ask them about the alignment too (did you get a print out of the alignment results?).

yes he did put in 32psi in all tires before doing the wheel balancing (I think I will up it to 35psi all around soon). No I did not get the print out of results of the alignment. I guess he had the wheel crooked when he did it. Or maybe something is bent under and causing this. Not a big deal as long as the car dont pull to one side. Going to try going 80+ today and see how it handles ; ) . Also there are few turns that I usually take at 30-40 mph, i will see how well it holds now on new tires. Need to do rear rotors and brakes now though. And closer to july I might invest in new spark plugs/wires. Hope its not too hard to get to the rear plug if i decide to do it my self. Es300 are great cars its just I am getting tired of it already after 3.5 years. But if i decide to buy a motorcycle that should cure my urge for a new car.

Thanks