New Tires for 07 Elantra SE

I am dissatisfied with the original tires on my 07 Elantra SE (Kumho or
something like that). On a wet incline, they have an unfortunate tendency
to spin when I start up from a stop at a light, no matter how carefully and
gently I accelerate (a problem I only experienced once in the 11 years I had
my last car, a Saturn SL2). As I live in a hilly area, this is a major pain
in the butt when it rains. So, I decided to spend the cash to get better
tires. I went to tirerack.com to see what my options were and I was just
overwhelmed by the number of choices. I know this is not strictly a Hyundai
question, but you guys know your stuff. So, anybody have a suggestion for
replacement tires that have excellent wet traction? Thanks for any help!

 

One of the best tires I've ever owned for both wet and snow traction was a
set of Sumitomo Srixon4's. Those tires just never let go. I recently took
them off and installed a set of Tiger Paw's and when we looked at the
remaining tread we were all amazed. There was little more than an
indication of where the tread was but these tires drove me through the first
two Central NY snow storms like they had a full tread depth. Very soft
rubber compound that just sucked up the road. The mileage was not terrific
out of them - I got around 40,000 out of them. Not horrible for a tire in
that class, but certainly not a long life tire. BTW - my tires were 225 50
16R. A set of skis vulcanized to be installed on a car, if ever there was
one. But - those suckers performed.

 

That would suit me just fine. After 40,000 miles it seems like most tires
have one or two that just don't wear perfect and you start to get thumps or
vibrations. There is a correlation between tread life and traction and I've
go for traction.

Of course, I recall tube tires that would only last 5000 miles and using
re-caps that got even less. I think they were about $10 at the time.

 

These were actually pretty smooth rolling down the highway too. The new
tires were noticeably smoother as you would expect, but not hugely so.
Gotta say it again - those Summitomo's were great. Another set of those may
just end up on one of my cars in the future.

 

Interesting. It must be a problem with the particular tire model, as
Kumho KH16s are a popular replacement tire for '06 and earlier Elantras
and are a considered to be a significant performance upgrade from the
lackluster Michelins they came with. I'll be putting KH16s on my own car
in the spring.

 

I suspect your issue may have more to do with the particular vehicle and
the engine's power curve than the tires. As you're looking at the tires
on tirerack, note that beside each tire (except snow tires) is a UTQG
(Uniform Tire Quality Grading) evaluation. The first entry is a number
representing treadwear, with higher numbers representing longer treadwear.
Next is a letter designation for wet traction, with AA being best wet
traction. Last is a letter designation for temperature, with A being the
greatest ability to resist overheating.

If you look at the listing for the tires on your car-- Kumho Solus KH-16,
I believe-- you'll see that they already have the highest available rating
for wet traction. This means you're unlikely to remedy your problem simply
by changing the tire model.

If you're really serious about attempting to achieve better launch
traction, you'll probably need to move to a wider tire. If you have the
195/65R15 tires, you might try switching to 215/60R15. If you have
205/55R16, you might try switching to 225/50R16. In each case, using the
substitution I note will keep almost the same exact tire circumference.
But you'll also need to verify there's room on your car for the additional
tire width. In each case, the tires will be 20mm wider, so you'll need an
additional 10mm of room on each side of the tire. I doubt fender
clearance on your car will be an issue, but clearance between the tire and
strut may be an issue.

 

It isn't often that I disagree with your advice, hyundaitech, but I must
in this case. For traction in water and snow, narrower tires with a
higher contact pressure are better than are wide tires. Run narrower
tires and a higher air pressure to minimize hydroplaning and maximize
traction in both wet and snowy conditions.

Matt

 

Just for clarification - The Sumitomo Srixon4 is no longer available. It
has been replaced by the HTR H4,. another impressive tire.

I have it on my son's Elantra - an excellent choice.

And most of the time, you can get them from Sears Auto on a, "Buy 3, Get 1
Free" deal, which has the added benefit of both a local dealer and
nationwide service coverage if there ever is a problem.

 

Actually, in rain, a greater surface area (i.e., wider tire) is a better
option against hydroplaning. You are right about the snow and ice though.

Eric

 

Thank you, this is very helpful. The Kumho tires that I currently have are
205/55-16, so I'll check about whether I could move to the 225/50R16
(although from what you say, I might be wasting my money to change the tires
earlier than necessary). Since I'm driving the exact same route as I did
when I have my Saturn, the difference in launch traction (I learned a new
term!) was immediately noticeable to me. One thing I also noticed in the
Elantra which was not present in my old Saturn is that Elantra tends to roll
back more quickly and further on an incline than my Saturn did when I move
my foot from the brake to the accelerator. My Saturn seemed to have more
"forward momentum" at a standstill than the Elantra. Would that something
to do with the problem I'm experiencing with the tires?

 

Actually, no. Ever see race cars with wide slicks on a wet track? In
addition to wide tread, you need a tread pattern that moves the water away
from between the road and the tire surface. A narrow tire with the right
pattern is superior to a wide tire with the wrong pattern.

As for snow and ice, similar rules apply but a good snow tread is required.
There is much more to performance that a simple wide or narrow design. Most
tires are a compromise.

 

I am correct on all counts.

http://machinedesign.com/ContentItem/70949/Thelongandshortofwidetires.aspx

http://priuschat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39003

http://www.runtowin.net/Portals/0/CaseStudy1.pdf

I can post many more references if these aren't sufficiently convincing.

Matt

 

Have you discovered some new law of physics? The only thing a vehicle
has at a standstill is inertia, unless you're on a hill, in which case
it also has potential energy.

 

If you have a manual transmission, it could be a symptom of the clutch and
accelerator coordination. I haven't liked the feel of the Elantra
clutches since about 2001, and I believe they take some familiarity before
they can be operated well.

On the other hand, if you have an automatic, I'd say that there may need
to be less uneasiness about how much the car will roll backward. A little
practicing in an empty area will help you learn how much and how fast the
car will move backward on an incline. This, too, is something that varies
from vehicle to vehicle, and is dependent on engine horsepower and torque
converter efficiency.

 

No, Matt, these are sufficient. My experience has always shown
otherwise, but I have a feeling that this was more due to the "escape
path" improving as tire design changes over the years rather than the
width of tire per se.

Eric

 

Interesting to read in Matt's references that a wider tire actually is
better on glare ice, but that makes sense as to the surface area and
friction.

Eric

 

Thanks for all the help, h-tech. Happy New Year!

 

Certainly tread design makes a big difference, but the fact remains that
all else being equal (same tread design, etc.) a wider tire will
hydroplane before a narrow tire will hydroplane. Same holds for snow, a
wider tire is much worse in snow, all else being equal. Now if you are
talking sand or mud, then often a wide tire with low pressure is preferred.

Matt

 

There's a simple modification that can make a big difference in the feel
of the Elantra's clutch, particularly in terms of consistency. The slave
cylinder has a small valve in it that restricts the fluid flow when you
let out the clutch. Apparently, it's designed to help prevent stalling
if someone lets the clutch out too fast, but more than anything else, it
reduces the feel and consistency of the clutch action. The valve
consists of a plate and a spring that are located at the banjo fitting
for the clutch line. Remove the bolt and they typically fall out, but
they can be removed with a small pick or magnet, if necessary. You need
to bleed the clutch after removing the valve, but overall, it's a 15
minute job that substantially improves the clutch feel. The procedure is
known as a "clutchvalvectomy" and there are DIY instructions on the
Elantra Club website (www.elantraclub.com) and probably other places, too.

 

I was under the impression we were talking about wet pavement rather than
standing water (i.e., enough water to require dispersion or to threaten to
cause hydroplaning).