LS - 3rd Gen (2001-2006) Discussion topics related to the flagship Lexus LS430

Tires h rated or v

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Old 04-20-16 | 05:49 AM
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Default Tires h rated or v

Ordering some michelin premier as tires today just wondering did the 430 come with h rated or v rated and which would ride nicer. I see they both have a 60k warranty
Old 04-20-16 | 05:55 AM
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Unless you plan on driving over 130 mph, H rated tires are fine. The ride might be slightly better because the tire doesn't have to hold up to as much as a V rated one would.
Old 04-20-16 | 07:20 AM
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All other things being equal a V rated tire would have stiffer sidewalls with less flex than an H rated tire to minimize heat build up at high speed. I went with the H rated Premier tires for a potentially better ride.
Old 04-20-16 | 07:53 AM
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How do you like them so far ?
Old 04-20-16 | 03:43 PM
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V Rated for less body roll. God knows our boats sway enough as it is!
Old 04-20-16 | 08:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Bocatrip
V Rated for less body roll. God knows our boats sway enough as it is!
Agree - a V rated tire is likely to firm up the handling and will have better turn in due to less sidewall flex.

In all of this I am only speculating based on general characteristics of V versus H rated tires. The actual real world "seat of the pants" ride feel between V and H rated Premier tire may be very similar, or very different, or somewhere in between. Hard to know for sure without actual road test comparison on same car.

I'm personally too old to care about sportiness in a big sedan. I'm all about soft and cushy so I went with the H rated tire and so far we love the quiet smooth ride.
Old 04-20-16 | 09:37 PM
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Wow just wow. What size are you looking into?
Old 04-21-16 | 08:49 AM
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I went from V to H and have no regrets. I do corner it hard sometimes, but honestly it feels just as boaty as before, no more no less.
Old 04-21-16 | 08:55 AM
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it is more about steering response than how it rides or body roll. Go V every time.
Old 04-21-16 | 10:12 AM
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The 2001-2003 LS430 came with one of 3 tire options: P225/60R16 97H, P225/55R17 95H, and 225/55R17 97W. The 16" H-rated would probably ride the smoothest due to the wider profile sidewall, and the 17" H-rated should be smoother than the same tire in W-rating.

From the 2002 LS430 Owner's Manual:
Vehicles equipped with 225/55R17 97W tires: Your Lexus has been fitted with specially developed tires which provide exceptional dynamic performance under general road conditions. However your riding comfort may worsen a little and road noise may increase during driving. You may also notice that your tires will wear more rapidly and tire grip performance will be reduced on the snowy and/or icy roads when compared to standard tires.
From TireRack.com:
When Z-speed rated tires were first introduced, they were thought to reflect the highest tire speed rating that would ever be required, in excess of 240 km/h or 149 mph. While Z-speed rated tires are capable of speeds in excess of 149 mph, how far above 149 mph was not identified. That ultimately caused the automotive industry to add W- and Y-speed ratings to identify the tires that meet the needs of new vehicles that have extremely high top-speed capabilities.

H = 210 km/h (130 mph)
V = 240 km/h (149 mph)
Z = 240+ km/h (149+ mph)
W = 270 km/h (169 mph)
Y = 300 km/h (188 mph)
Since Lexus says higher rated tires have worse comfort, increased road noise, faster wear, and less grip on cold, wet pavement, and since I want my ride as quiet, smooth, and as comfortable as possible, I use the 97H version of the Michelin Primacy MXV4 225/55/17 as my summer tires. They are still super smooth and quiet, with 7 years of aging and 43000km of use.

95% of my driving is not swerving in and out of traffic or taking sharp turns at high speeds, and I definitely don't go anywhere near even the H max speed, so there are zero advantages of a higher rated tire for me.

If I had to buy new non-winter tires today, I'd go with the Michelin Premier A/S H-rated.
Old 04-21-16 | 10:41 AM
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Originally Posted by warminwisc
it is more about steering response than how it rides or body roll. Go V every time.
Depends on your priorities. Steering response in a boat like the LS is last on my list of priorities, whereas I highly value ride comfort, so H over V for me.
Old 04-22-16 | 08:30 AM
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I went with the H rated; it suites my driving style. So, depending on your style of driving - comfort easy H is the way to go; sporty fast, quickness V.
Old 04-23-16 | 06:45 AM
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I have had both Primacy h and v and the steering response difference is negligible but real and feels more precise with No difference in ride comfort. Its not about swerving in and out of traffic its a cleaner tighter feel. I had Turanza t's on a mini van the Turanza H's where on my Honda accord and they wore out. I thought jeez the T's have 65 k warrantee to the H's 45k I will put on the T's(same exact size Manuf reccomend was H's) on my Accord. Put em on 2 days later took em back to Firestons and switched. I drove that car mostly on the freeway and my arm was more tired i could not take it more arm steering with the T's than wrist steering with the H's. I drive like 35k a year sorry to say.
Old 04-23-16 | 08:08 AM
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I run H tires and decided to recently replace the front and rear sway bar bushings with new ones. I did keep the stock sway bars. It firmed up the sway that I used to get on the highway and the ride is slightly firmer but very smooth and the car handles much better then it did before... I did go with poly bushings and am very impressed with the difference they made. My LS is not a boat anymore and feels more like a sport sedan.
Old 04-23-16 | 04:01 PM
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Sounds like yur starting to approach the Euro Sport feel. I myself think the Eurp Sport suspension on the non UL LS's should have been more popular, or even the standard suspension. No real ride penalty IMO which sounds about the sentiment of XJS post. Seen the XJ and XK Jaguars man nice styling surely not cross country seats though!!! But I digress!!!! Either way shape or form for a 10 year old auto worth keeping



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