Falken Ziex tire review
03-26-2005, 02:45 PM
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Falken Ziex tire review
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I purchased these tires a bit more than a month ago from discount tire direct. They were fairly inexpensive and were ranked #1 by consumer reports.
The size i ordered for the stock 16 inch rims was 255/50/16. This is about the widest tire you can fit on the stock 16 inch rims. No rubbing issues what so ever. These tires were $72 each. They were installed at the local Costco and filled with Nitrogen rather than air.
Overall they are quiet at any speed with a little road noise on hard cornering. They ride very smooth and have excelent dry and wet traction. This tire has a very large center groove to prevent hydroplaining which makes it oh so fun to drive through huge puddles.
In the snow they were fine, i didnt expect to have perfect traction on ice with 300hp even with AWD. 255 width is just a bit too big in heavy snow since they have to push the snow out of the way as you drive, but i never had any real issues in the snow.
The only thing now is to see what kind of wear i get out of them.
Final word: For the price you cant go wrong.
I purchased these tires a bit more than a month ago from discount tire direct. They were fairly inexpensive and were ranked #1 by consumer reports.
The size i ordered for the stock 16 inch rims was 255/50/16. This is about the widest tire you can fit on the stock 16 inch rims. No rubbing issues what so ever. These tires were $72 each. They were installed at the local Costco and filled with Nitrogen rather than air.
Overall they are quiet at any speed with a little road noise on hard cornering. They ride very smooth and have excelent dry and wet traction. This tire has a very large center groove to prevent hydroplaining which makes it oh so fun to drive through huge puddles.
In the snow they were fine, i didnt expect to have perfect traction on ice with 300hp even with AWD. 255 width is just a bit too big in heavy snow since they have to push the snow out of the way as you drive, but i never had any real issues in the snow.
The only thing now is to see what kind of wear i get out of them.
Final word: For the price you cant go wrong.
03-26-2005, 05:52 PM
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Re: What is the deal with the Nitrogen vs. air
From what they told me:
Nitrogen is a larger molecule and will not seep through the rubber as fast.
It will not rush out nearly as fast in the event of a blow out
It will not vary the tire pressure based on temp change.
It will not oxidize rims
Nitrogen is a larger molecule and will not seep through the rubber as fast.
It will not rush out nearly as fast in the event of a blow out
It will not vary the tire pressure based on temp change.
It will not oxidize rims
03-26-2005, 06:16 PM
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I got them in 225/55/17 ..
and liked them alot in all conditions. I bought them for $98 each and did it because of the value. Two months later I put 18" wheels on my car so the Falkens will likely sit until next winter. I recommend them for normal driving, nothing too spirited though.
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03-26-2005, 06:37 PM
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The benefit is less pressure variation. ...
Nitrogen is strongly recommended for racing where tires often run 200 oF or hotter.
The problem with air is that it's normally not just air. More often than not, the "air" in your tires contains liquid water from the air compressor and/or the lubricant used on the bead when the tire was mounted on the wheel. Normally the air (or nitrogen) pressure in a tire increases predictably about 1 psi for every 10 oF of temp. If there's liquid water in the tire (and water is usually present if you're filling the tires with "air"), pressures sky-rocket unpredictably as the water turns to steam.
On the street, there little benefit from using nitrogen; the tires normally just don't run hot enough to boil water and cause a problem. On track at Mid-Ohio however, the left-front tire on my S8 has hit 240 oF. With a starting cold pressure of 36 psi, I normally expect a 47 psi hot pressure. My tires were filled with (wet) air however, and that LF tire was almost 60 psi. When I let "air" out, I was burned by the steam.
The problem with air is that it's normally not just air. More often than not, the "air" in your tires contains liquid water from the air compressor and/or the lubricant used on the bead when the tire was mounted on the wheel. Normally the air (or nitrogen) pressure in a tire increases predictably about 1 psi for every 10 oF of temp. If there's liquid water in the tire (and water is usually present if you're filling the tires with "air"), pressures sky-rocket unpredictably as the water turns to steam.
On the street, there little benefit from using nitrogen; the tires normally just don't run hot enough to boil water and cause a problem. On track at Mid-Ohio however, the left-front tire on my S8 has hit 240 oF. With a starting cold pressure of 36 psi, I normally expect a 47 psi hot pressure. My tires were filled with (wet) air however, and that LF tire was almost 60 psi. When I let "air" out, I was burned by the steam.
03-26-2005, 06:53 PM
#9
Re: I got them in 225/55/17 ..
I also had them in the oem 99 size. 512 ziex model, z rated. I wasn't overly impressed, they are loud on low speed turns, and the wear on the outside is not too great. They rave about them, though the all weather capabilities are nothing special.
I LIKE how you fit 255 on the 16s. Audipages doesn't even have that listed, so kudos for trying it. If that oem rim is 8 inches wide, it is an easier fit than on a 7" or 7.5" rim. I want to try that, but the size options stink. 245/50/16 is rare, so I have little choice.
I LIKE how you fit 255 on the 16s. Audipages doesn't even have that listed, so kudos for trying it. If that oem rim is 8 inches wide, it is an easier fit than on a 7" or 7.5" rim. I want to try that, but the size options stink. 245/50/16 is rare, so I have little choice.
03-26-2005, 07:31 PM
#10
Reasons 1 &2 are a joke (BS ALERT!).........
Air is 78% nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, and 1% argon, CO2, etc, so air IS mostly nitrogen!!! The nitrogen molecule is not significanly different in size than the oxygen molecule. For similar ideal gasses (which air and Nitrogen are good examples) the venting rate out of a hole is identical for any given delta P. The only gas that will leak through the rubber significanly faster than air/nitrogen is helium, which is why helium baloons deflate so quickly. Also, how concerned are you about oxidation of the INSIDE of your rims, unless you are running steel rims? Basically, for street use, the nitrogen fill is a gimmick.