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[hl0m4n]

does speed rating on a tire matter? im asking this because looking at identical tires in same size, it comes in 2 versions:

99H (130 MPH): $167
99V (149 MPH): $257

that is a $90 difference on each tire, $360 if your buying a set of 4 which i want to do.

i don't think speed rating effects tread life, comfort, braking, etc just the max speed only is different right?

if that is the case is it safe to just ge the 99H if you are not ever going 100+ anyway?

help much appreciated, thanks guys.

[Wake27]

I think its just what it sounds like. Tires are rated to certain speeds, if there's a chance you'll get up to that speed, you definitely want a tire that can handle it. If you don't push it past 100 the 99H should work. Might wanna wait for some others to chime in on this first though, just to be safe.

[hl0m4n]

^ yea man thats what im thinking also it just max speed the tires can handle and shouldn't effect other aspects such as tread life, comfort, etc. waiting for confirmation from either gary or ben from tirerack to confirm .

i mean $360 is a huge difference and michelin is having a rebate right now if you buy 4 new tires you get $70 debit card back.

[Wake27]

That is a huge difference. Especially for 19 mph.

[pruettfan]

Speed ratings are really not essential as long as you do not buy something like an S rated tire for a sports sedan. The difference between and H and V rated tire is not likely to be felt in day to day driving at normal speeds. Generally speaking H rated tires represent a good compromise not only in price but as importantly for many, in tread life which gets reduced as the performance of the tire increases. One point that is important to note is that performance of an H rated tire below the max is going to be less than a V, Z etc. rated tire so it is not safe to say as long as you drive under 100mph it wont make a difference. Looking at your signature block I see you have a catch can attached which leads me to believe you go to the track, is so be cautious because you may not be happy with a tire that performs at a lower level than what you likely have on the car today.

BTW, while I don't work for tire rack I feel comfortable in considering myself an expert on tires.

You might want to call tire rack, they have outstanding staff and can give you excellent info about the exact tires. In fact I would love to know the tires you are comparing and how you drive.

Tom

[pruettfan]

OP, Forgive my curiosity but I took a look at some of your previous posts to get an idea of what kind of driving you may be doing and how performance minded you are. Based on your desire for high performance I would say that a V rated tire is likely the very minimum you should consider. It appears you have invested a substantial amount in improving the performance of your car and by the way I love your exhaust it looks and sounds awesome. Anyway one of the best ways to improve or hurt the handling, traction and braking performance of a car through choices in tires. Based on what I have seen I would not consider the H rated tire an option for you.

[hl0m4n]

wow, thanks for the input, you guys are awesome . but i have to clarify these tires are not for my car but my mom's rdx.

so higher speed rated tires wear faster then lower? in my situation go for the lower?

[pruettfan]

Originally Posted by hl0m4n

wow, thanks for the input, you guys are awesome . but i have to clarify these tires are not for my car but my mom's rdx.

so higher speed rated tires wear faster then lower? in my situation go for the lower?

In that case the H rated tire will be great. Generally speaking higher speed rated tires have lower tread life ratings due to softer rubber that is required to get better traction. You should however always look for the tread wear rating for purposes of comparison if comparing two tires. H rated tires are usually in about the 400 range versus for example the Bridgestones than come with an E90 which has a rating of 240.

Glad we could help.

Tom

[hl0m4n]

what do you think about using x2 v at the front and x2 h ratings at the rear?

[pruettfan]

Originally Posted by hl0m4n

what do you think about using x2 v at the front and x2 h ratings at the rear?

Not a good idea at all. All 4 tires should have identical specs. Having tires on the front that have better traction then the rear in a front drive car would have the potential to have an unstable rear. The cars are designed to have identical tires on them so any mixing of tires is pretty much rolling the dice. To back that up I am confident in saying that you will not find a car manufactuer that builds a car that does not have the same spec tire all the way around. The lone exceptions are on the very high end where they have assigned corner spec tires like Corvette had years ago.

Again I think for the RDX the H rated tires will be fine, you need to choose on spec or the other. Tire Rack actually has a great little article on the issue of mixing tires. While you could have two tires called the same thing by the same company the specs show they are different tires which most likely means different rubber compounds that will respond to temp and surface conditions differently.