Salinger Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 We have an '09 IS250 AWD with 17" wheels and the original Bridgestone Potenza tires. The road noise is pretty bad. I know that going to different tires may help, but does anyone have any advice about whether going to a 16" wheel would also help? I know this will affect handling a bit, and that I will have to get a higher profile tire to match the existing diameter to keep the speedometer more or less accurate. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smooth1 Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 I don't know that investing a couple grand into smaller tires is a very "feasable" answer for the very little differences your going to get. I think if you just install a better suited tire. How many miles are on the set of tires you have now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linn Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 We have an '09 IS250 AWD with 17" wheels and the original Bridgestone Potenza tires. The road noise is pretty bad. I know that going to different tires may help, but does anyone have any advice about whether going to a 16" wheel would also help? I know this will affect handling a bit, and that I will have to get a higher profile tire to match the existing diameter to keep the speedometer more or less accurate. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance. Hi! I had the same issue with my 07 IS250 and its Dunlop-17"-Tires. I switched to Michelin-16"-tires. It's not much - but noticeable - more quiet in die cabin now. It's also a little bit more comfortable on uneven roads now. linn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salinger Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 I don't know that investing a couple grand into smaller tires is a very "feasable" answer for the very little differences your going to get. I think if you just install a better suited tire. How many miles are on the set of tires you have now? We have about 15,000 miles on the tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salinger Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 We have an '09 IS250 AWD with 17" wheels and the original Bridgestone Potenza tires. The road noise is pretty bad. I know that going to different tires may help, but does anyone have any advice about whether going to a 16" wheel would also help? I know this will affect handling a bit, and that I will have to get a higher profile tire to match the existing diameter to keep the speedometer more or less accurate. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance. Hi! I had the same issue with my 07 IS250 and its Dunlop-17"-Tires. I switched to Michelin-16"-tires. It's not much - but noticeable - more quiet in die cabin now. It's also a little bit more comfortable on uneven roads now. linn What kind and what size of Michelins did you go with? Did the speedometer remain accurate? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heavy Metal Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Bridgestones are known for being pretty quite tire overall, but you can do better. Look at the reviews on Tirerack for noise comparisons. Dropping to a smaller rim will have no effect on noise, because as you surmised, the diameter (hence the distance from the noise source to the cabin) will remain the same. Only tread design or additional chassis sound dampening will tackle the problem. Smaller rims and taller sidewall will gain you in ride comfort at a loss of quicker steering response. Vince Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salinger Posted July 25, 2010 Author Share Posted July 25, 2010 Bridgestones are known for being pretty quite tire overall, but you can do better. Look at the reviews on Tirerack for noise comparisons. Dropping to a smaller rim will have no effect on noise, because as you surmised, the diameter (hence the distance from the noise source to the cabin) will remain the same. Only tread design or additional chassis sound dampening will tackle the problem. Smaller rims and taller sidewall will gain you in ride comfort at a loss of quicker steering response. Vince I thought that having the extra 1/2 inch of rubber between the road and the rim would absorb some of the vibration; that is, it wouldn't transmit as much noise and vibration to the rim and suspension. Might make more sense to spend the money on sound dampening rather than buying a new set of wheels, though. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 The single biggest thing that will help with noise is tires. The difference in the sidewall height between a 15 & 16" rim is so small you may get some benefit out of ride control, but probably not noise. What I would do is look for a good grand touring tire, like the Michelin Primacy MXV4. Don't know if they come in that size, but I think you're going to get more return from that than spending money on slightly smaller wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salinger Posted July 27, 2010 Author Share Posted July 27, 2010 The single biggest thing that will help with noise is tires. The difference in the sidewall height between a 15 & 16" rim is so small you may get some benefit out of ride control, but probably not noise. What I would do is look for a good grand touring tire, like the Michelin Primacy MXV4. Don't know if they come in that size, but I think you're going to get more return from that than spending money on slightly smaller wheels. Thanks, Steve. Consumer Reports gave that tire their highest rating, but it's not available in the size I need. Any experience with the Michelin Pilot MXM4? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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