So in the effort to save money I had my rear tires replaced on Sunday with Hankook ventus V12 evo's which are pretty cheap
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....s+V12+evo+K110

I am still running Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3's on the front, which by the way are a bit pricier, but have been awesome handling tires
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....Eagle+F1+GS-D3

I am really concerned b/c all of a sudden my car handles like crap as soon as I get above 75............specifically, the car feels LOOSE and WANDERS when I am pointed straight......does anyone have experience with these tires? I am really worried, that either I made the wrong decision with tires or the tire Shop F'ed something up. I do a lot of highway driving, and I really like the way my IS handles around the curves, and now I have ZERO confidence at higher speeds.........my car feels like a frickin old buick or something. (PS I did check my lug nuts with a torque wrench, and tire pressure is at 35 front/ 37.5 rear)

I cannot fathom what my car would handle like with 2 more of these up front, so I am not sure what to do......

Any experience or advice would be awesome......

 

The Hankook V12 is among the best handling tires available for the 2IS.

See here:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...mparison_tests


So either they screwed something up or you're suffering from the fact you have mis-matched tires on your car.

 

Couldn't have said it better. Are the tires properly balanced?

 

Yeah......I am worried they screwed up.......but I mean how much can you screw up by changing rear tires?

I am thinking (and hoping) you are right and it is from mismatched tires. I guess ill go ahead and buy the same tires for up front.

 

They said they balanced the tires.......and there are no vibrations at all.....just funny handling at higher speeds

 

This was my first thought as well. I am running the V12 evo's on all four and they are excellent tires (and a great value). I've never experienced any of the loose and wandering symptoms that you described.

Good Luck!

 

Balancing wouldn't amplify "looseness", only a vibration typically between 60-75 mph.

Also while C&D is a good source, they are by far "the end all be all" of tires and only one source...How your car feels on the road is a subjective topic.

Better advice would be to replace the rears with something else and it see if goes away, if it wasn't doing it before with your F1's.

I'd be willing to bet that another set of F1s or Pilot Powers or even Gforce sports make that go away. Look for something with a stiffer sidewall. (Speed ratings wouldn't really matter)

 

I have same tire in the rear as well and haven't have any problem with it. Look like they screwed up your tires

 

Check tire pressure. It could be low. Also, any time you get new tires you have quite a bit of "tread squirm". Below is what the Tire Rack has to say about new tires.

"Tires are comprised of many layers of rubber, steel and fabric. Due to these different components, your new tires require a break-in period to ensure that they deliver their normal ride quality and maximum performance. As tires are cured, a release lubricant is applied to prevent them from sticking in their mold. Some of the lubricant stays on the surface of your tires, reducing traction until it is worn away. Five hundred miles of easy acceleration, cornering and braking will allow the mold release lubricant to wear off, allowing the other tire components to begin working together. It is also important to note that your old tires probably had very little tread depth remaining when you felt it was time to replace them. As any autocrosser or racer who has tread rubber shaved off of his tires will tell you, low tread depth tires respond more quickly. Don't be surprised if your new tires are a little slower to respond (even if you use the exact same tire as before). Their new, full depth brings with it a little more tread squirm until they wear down.

NOTE: Be careful whenever you explore the capabilities of your new tires. Remember that every tire requires a break-in period of 500 miles for optimum performance"

 

Thanks BamaIS, this is good info. I guess i'll try to live with it for now and see if the break in goes away. I really want to like these tire beacause of the price.

 

^Be aware of your tire shop's exchange policy before putting 500 miles on them.
You should report back either way. Interested in seeing if they improve over time.
Good Luck!

 

Alignment?

 

i been rockin those tires for my last two tire swaps i came from the OEM dunlop sport maxx and i have no complaints on the tires im gona buy them again form my next set here in a month or two. im thinkin something wrong happened on the install. or maybe the two diff tire thing.

 

I would guess it's the two different tires thing. I have 4 hankook on my car and no problems.

 

as others have mentioned balancing will not make your car feel more "loose" or anything like that, it will only help to prevent vibrations in the wheel which then affect your steering wheel.

this sounds like just a case of having mismatched tires on the vehicle. you will only get the benefit of the Hankooks when you have all 4 matching on the car