NelsonDA

Hello,

Today I went to Costco to get some new tires (replacing my old Yokohama Advan Sport A/S) with Michelin CrossClimate 2 (which I purchased due to all the rave reviews).

Driving home, I noticed the new tires were pretty jarring and nowhere near as comfortable as my old tires, which was odd, as my old tires were Ultra High Performance tires (which should mean they were less comfortable).

When I got home, I also noticed the sidewall height was an inch or more smaller than my previous tires (as before I'd have trouble fitting 3 fingers between my tire and fender - whereas with my CrossClimate 2's, I can fit my whole hand without issue).

If I had to guess, the Yokohama's must've been a higher diameter tire (e.g., 225/55 or 60R18), whereas my CrossClimate 2's are (225/45R18).

I tried driving around the city for 25 miles to see if the tires would settle down, but my teeth were literally clicking together (going over small cracks - not even bumps in the road), whereas my old Yokohama's (which were wearing out with 45K miles and with some serious cracks and tread separation), were nowhere near as bad.

Because of that, I had the following 4 questions:

1. Is it a problem going from 225/45R18 (which is the recommended tire diameter for my 2016 ES 350 with 18" rims) to 225/60R18?

2. Will I notice a big difference (as far as comfort) from going from a 45 to 60 tire diameter?

3. Will I notice a big decrease in safety from going from a V rating (which pertain to the 225/45R18's) to an H rating (which pertain to the 225/60R18)? I currently live in Southern California and am a pretty slow driver (never going past 70 mph).

4. For people who've purchased tires at Costco, have they had any issues asking for a tire change/replacement? Since I purchased my tires today and haven't driven them for more than 50 miles, I'm doubtful it'll be a problem if I ask for the tires to be replaced tomorrow (or in a couple days), and I also know that Michelin's come with a 60 day satisfaction guarantee, but I was just curious to see what people's experience was when trying to do this.

Thank you,
Nelson

Tootsall

https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/?whe...cl=50mm&sr=0mm

1 Yes
2 Yes
3 Not at the speeds you drive.
4 Should not be necessary if the tire size now matches the size on the driver’s door jamb.

Do you have any idea what was on the car when you bought it or who put the Yokohamas on it? Do you “know” what the Yokohama size was (no guessing)? If your CC II are the same spec as what is listed on the door jamb you should be fine (I have the same tire in the 17” size). The “45, 50, 55, etc.” is not the tire diameter but is the ratio of sidewall height to section width. The actual tire size is printed on the sidewall. A lower sidewall ratio will, all else being equal, ride harsher as there is less sidewall to cushion the bumps. New tires will generally ride a bit noisier and feel harsher than tires that are run in a few thousand miles…and it sounds like your old tires were completely shot and should have been replaced some time ago therefore no comparisons are valid.

Use the calculator to see the difference between two different sizes. Note in particular the speedometer error with the 225/60/18s…about 9%! Plug in the two different sizes, keeping all the other numbers the same.

Clutchless

3 things.

Check you tire pressure as tire installers rarely adjust to the recommended pressures listed on the door jamb. I bet the Costco guys pumped them up to 45 or 60 to seat them on the rim and failed to properly adjust them afterwards.

Tires will break in and the sidewalls get a bit softer after a few hundred miles.

If you think these are too stiff after checking the air and letting them break in, then the next step should be a different softer sidewall tire in the same proper size. You don't want to go larger and mess up gearing, mileage etc. Costco also sells Bridgestone, BF Goodrich and other brands. Bridgestones are usually softer, but check reviews at Tire Rack.
You can read reviews at www.tirerack.com to find other tires with a softer ride. However during my quick review the Michelin Cross Climate 2 had an excellent ride comfort rating which leads me to suspect improper air pressure.

There is also a tire size calculator here at CL under the Tools drop bar at the top of the page.

NelsonDA

Hello Tootsall,

When you say to question 1, "Yes", do you mean that I could damage something on my vehicle?

If so, can I assume going to 55R would be okay?

Thank you,
Nelson

Tootsall

It is possible that if you hit a bump while making a corner the over-size tire could interfere with the wheel well opening. As you point out, there is more clearance with the 225/45 than with the 225/60. Only "three fingers" clearance is getting a bit too close for comfort. Now, that is not highly likely to occur but what WILL happen is that your speedometer will be reading LOWER than your actual speed by about 9% and that might be costly, depending upon the police in your area. You did ask if it would be a problem, not if it might damage something.

Clutchless suggested the possibility of a higher tire pressure...did you check the readouts on the dash?

NelsonDA

Hello Tootsall,

So I think it's a mix of two things.

1. I'm certain that I had a different tire ratio (but don't know which). When I chatted with a TireRack rep, they mentioned that 50R was the largest they had that they were certain would fit the vehicle (which is nearly 1" more sidewall than my 45R).

2. It looks like they over inflated the tires. The tire pressure cold is between 38 and 39 (should be 33).

I'm thinking if I go with a 50R instead (plus making sure that the tires aren't over inflated), that I should be good.

Any thoughts if 50R would be too problematic?

A huge thank you for all your help,
Nelson

Tootsall

Your speedo will still be out although only about 3%. Why not reduce tire pressures to the spec 33 psi (cold…tire pressure increases 1 psi for every 10 degrees of tire temperature), and give it a week or so? You are less likely to notice a significant ride difference with the 225/50 but staying with the CCII. You would be more likely to get a softer ride with a different model or brand of tire having a softer sidewall if that is your only criterion for purchase. Remember that your old tires were completely shot and should not be used for a meaningful comparison.

NelsonDA

Hello Tootsall,

You're likely right.

I actually went down to Costco. They won't change the tire size, but they will swap out to a different brand.

While there, I had the PSI dropped from 40 (which is what it was when the tires were hot), to 35.

That helped quite a bit (though things are still a little rough).

Hopefully with an alignment and a few hundred miles on the tires, things should get better.

I asked them what tire was there most comfortable, and they said the Michelin - Primacy MXM4 (but the reviews don't look nearly as good for the Primary compared to the CrossClimate 2's).

They also stated that if I don't like the tires, I can switch to the Primacy's if I wanted to (within 60 days).

For now, I'll give the tires a bit more of a chance.

My sincere thanks for all your help,
Nelson

Lionessblue

🤯, I didn’t even think of that. I guess you are right if I had to get a flat jt’s good early on. I would have been so upset to replace 4.