From V rated to S rated - Is there a problem?

[z917990]

Hello All:

I have a dumb question. I need to replace my Bridgestone Potenza E41 (205/60 VR16) and I have been looking at either the Michelin Harmony with a speed rating of "S" or the Goodyear Tripletread ("H" rated). I want tires that are better in the snow and rain with long tread life. Handling and high speed driving are not a priority. Since I never go over 80 MPH, will the lower speed ratings of either replacement tire pose a problem of any sort? Thank you for your responses.

Bob

 

[bdcardinal]

some tire shops will refuse to put anything lower than an H rated tire on your vehicle, so be aware. many tire shops have the fear of lawsuits over them and therefore will not put anything lower on a vehicle. they dont care how you drive it, the manufacturer put that tire on the vehicle because it has the ability of reaching the V rated speed.

that being said, the triple tread is a good choice.

 

[CharBaby]

I agree with everything that bdcardinal has stated. There won't be any driving issues with S, T or H rated tires although I'd prefer the "H" myself and if you can find a tire shop that will install your tire of choice.

 

[benjamming]

z,

Don't get so wrapped up on choosing a tire based on matching it's speed rating to your driving speed. There is much more to it. I wouldn't put anything lower than an H rated tire on a car b/c they are typically much better (handling, stopping, etc.) tires than S & T rated tires regardless of top speed.

What kind of car is this?

 

[z917990]

It's a 2003 Honda Accord 4 cylinder with a five speed manual trans. It's not going to set any speed records, nor do I think it will pull 1 G in a turn. It's my transpo to work, that's all.

 

[rpn453]

Quote:

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Since I never go over 80 MPH, will the lower speed ratings of either replacement tire pose a problem of any sort?

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Nope.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Quote:

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Since I never go over 80 MPH, will the lower speed ratings of either replacement tire pose a problem of any sort?

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You may notice slightly less precise steering response/slower turn-in, but in casual city driving, I doubt it'll matter much.

 

[unDummy]

Competent shops will read the 'vehicle tire sticker' and will not install incorrect tires. Its all about 'liability'.
Good for you that most tire shops employ underpaid techs that will throw on any tire as long as the size is the same.

I personally wouldn't do it. There is more to a tire construction then speed rating.

I don't believe in the one tire fits all category. If you worry about snow, invest in a 2nd set of rim/tires for winter use.

I don't care for those ultra long lasting tires. They usually sacrifice traction for mileage. In an emergency situation, I'd prefer traction, whether braking or handling, to avoid the accident.

There are many situations when you push your tire to the limit without even knowing it. Do yourself a favor and buy the best tire that you can afford.

Those speed rated tires will do so much better in a 'blow out' situation. I don't know how the roads are where you live. If you have a blow out, a tire that stays together, at highway speeds vs shredding into smoke, could save your life.

There a plenty of V-rated tires that should perform better then the ones you have.
I'd recommend Bridgestone Turanza LS-V which are UTOG rated-400 wear, AA-traction, A-temperature, V-speed, and 91-weight.
Yokohoma Avid V4 are another good choice: 500, AA, A, V, 91.

To make a tire last longer, keep vehicle alignement in spec, rotate tires at every oil change, and check PSI weekly.

 

[rpn453]

Quote:

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Competent shops will read the 'vehicle tire sticker' and will not install incorrect tires. Its all about 'liability'.
Good for you that most tire shops employ underpaid techs that will throw on any tire as long as the size is the same.

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My car came with V-rated tires, and the base model of the same car comes with S-rated tires. Despite all the people that have been killed by accidents due to the S-rated tires on the base model, the insurance costs are the same.

It's actually quite amazing that myself, my family, and my friends are even alive considering our winter tires are often Q-rated!

 

[benjamming]

Where do you find a Q-rated tire? I've never seen them.

 

[y_p_w]

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Where do you find a Q-rated tire? I've never seen them.

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Seems to be a common speed rating for winter tires in smaller sizes. It's up to 99 MPH.

 

[z917990]

Thanks for all the replies. From what I understand, S rated tires will probably be OK, but are probably not a great idea, either. In that case, I will follow unDummy's suggestion and look at the Turanza LS-V. Thanks again and any more comments are still welcome.

Bob

 

[Hermann]

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It's a 2003 Honda Accord 4 cylinder with a five speed manual trans. It's not going to set any speed records.

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Your 4 cyl Accord is governed at 130 MPH. I have the Turanza LS-'s and they are a nice tire, BUUUUUUUT they flat spot in cold weather after sitting just 8 hours, and they cost me 3-4 MPG compared to the Michelin Energy S8's that came on the car.

 

[z917990]

Quote:

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Quote:

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It's a 2003 Honda Accord 4 cylinder with a five speed manual trans. It's not going to set any speed records.

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Your 4 cyl Accord is governed at 130 MPH. I have the Turanza LS-'s and they are a nice tire, BUUUUUUUT they flat spot in cold weather after sitting just 8 hours, and they cost me 3-4 MPG compared to the Michelin Energy S8's that came on the car.

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130? Yikes, I didn't know that it could go that fast!

Anyway, why did you switch to the Bridgestones? Did the Michelins not work for you? You're referring to the MVX4 S8, right?

 

[ewetho]

If you match the current speed rated tires say V with V if doing one axle all should be fine. If you Replace V with H you may come away disappointed with your results. Handling will change for the worse.

 

[Bamaro]

1st, if S rated tires were that bad, they would probably stop making them.
2nd, worry about the load rating, not the speed rating . If you drive a Corvette like granny you could get by with S rated tires (if you could find the size). If you drive an Accord like a Formula 1 you would need V rated tires. The idea of associating a speed rating with a specific car model escapes me.

 

[benjamming]

Logic doesn't compute on your first point. There are a lot of things made that are horrible. For example, Rocky Mountain Radar still makes what they call a passive jammer but it doesn't work one bit. They make & sell them every day. The list is almost infinite. As long as there is people buying them, the product will pretty much always be made.

I agree that a specific car doesn't require a specific tire speed rating, but the way a particular car is typically driven does as you point out.

One can lower their standards enough to "get by" with a lot of junk.

 

[CapriRacer]

Just some technical background:

Compared to V rated tires, S rated tires:

* Have less dry and wet traction
* Are less responsive to steering input.
* Have better snow traction (This is highly variable, but this is directionally correct.)
* Have better wear
* Have better rolling resistance (This is highly variable, but this is the general direction.)
* Have less speed capability

So changing from a V rated to an S rated can produce some degradation on handling, both in terms of grip, but also in terms of the way the vehicle responds to steering input.

One of the peculiar things that generally gets glossed over in this type of discussion is the issue of "capability". In some respects this is a "safety" issue.

Put another way, using less of a product's capability is safer. This doesn't matter what the product is - it's an engineering kind of thing.

So making this kind of move does increase one's risk. The increase is small, but it's there nevertheless and it's important to be aware of this.

 

[y_p_w]

Quote:

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Just some technical background:

Compared to V rated tires, S rated tires:

* Have less dry and wet traction
* Are less responsive to steering input.
* Have better snow traction (This is highly variable, but this is directionally correct.)
* Have better wear
* Have better rolling resistance (This is highly variable, but this is the general direction.)
* Have less speed capability

So changing from a V rated to an S rated can produce some degradation on handling, both in terms of grip, but also in terms of the way the vehicle responds to steering input.

One of the peculiar things that generally gets glossed over in this type of discussion is the issue of "capability". In some respects this is a "safety" issue.

Put another way, using less of a product's capability is safer. This doesn't matter what the product is - it's an engineering kind of thing.

So making this kind of move does increase one's risk. The increase is small, but it's there nevertheless and it's important to be aware of this.

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I would agree that there are very few S rated tires that are likely to be considered high performance types built for responsive handling. The temperature rating is likely to be lower. Higher speed-rated tires generally have a nylon cap that reduces the chance of blowouts and holds the tire together in case of a blowout. I did have a blowout once, on a Dunlop D60M2. It was a H-rated 195/60R14 size. I heard a whump, whump after passing through what I think might have been construction debris. The tire was shredded although it seemed to stay in one piece. I don't remember if it had a nylon cap (this was back in the early 90's).

I don't know about snow traction. There are going to be many V-rated performance winter tires that have better snow traction that a typical all-season S-rated tire. There's a lot that goes into snow traction.

 

[tenderloin]

For your vehicle IMO "S" would be fine. They will last longer, brand vs brand, model vs model and will ride much smoother and quieter. You will give up some cornering power and steering response, but will be a safe tire...assuming you don't travel at constant speeds above their rating.