[taj]

Hey I ve seen Santro xing on 195/45/14 at Kochi, Didn't get a chance to talk to him, any one of you or your friends tried it ?,
if yes what all mods required for it ?
Please comment - Badly need to upgrade Xing.

[MAS]

Hi guys, this thread has been very useful. Have been reading this for quite sometime. I have a 2001 Santro Zipdrive. Done 48K kms and the stock bridgestone tyres looked good for another 10K kms. But after hearing so many advices regarding age of the tyre, I decided to get a new set of tyres for the old horse. My stock tyres were manufactured in May 2001.

As Santro would not be used much, decided to go for a wider footprint. Called up Raghav of IgNite and he recommended either 165/65 or 175/60 tubeless as upsize from the stock 155/70 tube tyre. Took the car to XL tyre point in Velachery (those in Chennai would know this place). Selected Yokohama A359 (175/60/R13) tubeless on the advice of Ram, the owner of XL tyre point.

The ride has improved dramatically, but would write more on handling and grip levels once I take her for a long drive.

I paid 2800 per tyre + 500 for balancing and alignment. The old tyres and tube were sold for Rs. 1200 (knew it is low, but I knew I will not have the time to search for a shop which gives me a better price)the total I paid was Rs. 13300/-. Ram was very kind to fill in Nitrogen for free. Got an Arrow shirt as compliments from Yokohama.

The car already had League 5.5J alloys and this wide profile tyres look great on the alloy. The car looks cool with these tyres.

All in all, I'm loving it...

Cheers

[naidusown]

Hello There,

My Santro Xing is running on its stock Bridgestones (Tube S322, 155/70 R13). Based on the information and loads of discussion in this thread, I have now decided to upgrade to 165/65 R13.

Following tires have been shortlisted (what's new?):
the XM1,the Turanza & B250 & the Yokohama AA01

From what I've gathered here, tires seem to be priced the best in Pune/Mumbai followed by Blr.. Information on Hyderabad is limited but is suggestive of being on the higher side.

Has anyone in this forum recently put on a B250, AA01 or the Turanza in Hyd? Can BHPians point me to their recent experiences of putting new shoes from a dealer in Hyderabad?

thanks,

[naidusown]

Hello,

I was quoted 2750/tyre for a 165/65/R13 Bridgestone Turanza ER-60. This amount includes straightening my stock Santro steel rims, rubbing and painting them.

This is in Hyderabad.. Is this a good price? Has anyone recently bought these tyres in Hyderabad?

thanks

[Nikhilb2008]

That seems to be a decent price given that they will be doing some work on the rims as well. Just make sure that there is not too much rust on the inside of the rims where the tubeless neck is usually fitted. If there is, then there will be air leakin from there in very small amounts which will lead to your tyre pressure decreasing every few days.

[naidusown]

The dealer is promising to sand paper the rims and put a proper coat of paint.

OT not sure how the car will stand in the meantime if all her legs have gone for 'waxing'

[naidusown]

(Further update)

Another dealer has quoted the following rates:

Turanza ER-60: 2600, Alignment + Balancing: 400
Yokohama AA-01: 2500 Alignment + Balancing: 400

This dealer has promised to take care of the rims - but not polish or paint them..

Again - Is this a good deal?

Cheers

[kpzen]

Instead of spending Rs 400 + Rs XXX on balancing/ Painting etc. Ask the dealer to get u a brand new set of rims which some Santro owner must have exchanged for a set of alloys.
Those rims set should cost u max Rs 1000 and will save u a lot of head ache.

[MAS]

Hi Naidu,

Would suggest you try 175/60 instead. Looks cool on the car and gives a great ride.

Cheers

[naidusown]

The tire upgrade project for my Santro Xing went through a lot smoother than the the ICE upgrade (which is still WIP)..

The Yokos, ER-60 and the XM1 were in consideration on the final day. The ER-60 was the hardest of the three - and also 'seemingly' the most 'bulky'. The Yoko AA-01 were on the other side - softest and 'least bulky'.

I was looking for an improvement in the ride-feel. Am normally a sedate driver and do typically 100-110 on the highway in a cruise mode.. As such the comfort versus grip equation tilts slightly more towards the comfort piece.

First impressions of the Yoko's have been very favorable.. Extremely soft and cushy - the feeling is similar to changing from a coir based (old) bed to a brand spanking new cotton based bed..

Cornering has improved by leaps and bounds as well - though this could be attributed to an alignment improvement and the fact that one of my older tires was showing its radial 'metal belt'

Thanks to Prajesh, MAS and other Team-Bhp members who showed the way with their shoes and guided me to a decision.

Final damage to the card was 11,000 - includes 4 Yoko AA-01 165/65/R13's, Balancing and Alignment (one more alignment free) and a tubeless puncture repair kit. This also includes about 250 for using the CC

Team-Bhp rocks!!

Cheers

[kosh4u]

I have been going through threads pertaning to upsizing etc as I have been planning for an upsize for my '06 Santro Xing which currently runs on stock tyres.
All the while I was pretty clear that I'll go for 165 / 65 R13 tyres, as many had suggested they are the best bet (less error, FE not negatively affected etc etc).
However as the norm goes in ICE section, after spending time on this thread, I've become confused about the final options!!!!!!!!!

Dear Tyre Gurus, I need your help... please help me out of this misery. Sorry for the long post & many queries being repetitive

I have Goodyear GPS 2 155/70 R13 tyres running on OE Steel Rims. One of the rim got bent when I hit a pothole - though this was hammered out by the Service centre (Advaith Hyundai, Whitefield Bangalore), am sure it is not really 'true'.
The car has done almost 44K kms, much of it being covered in the last 2 years. I drive 80+ km a day, with half of it on the the well laid Outer Ring Road (ORR) and the balance on the B'lore - Tumkur Highway (which is a nightmare due to construction, potholes & mad truck guys!!). I normally touch 90-100 kmh on ORR & 80+ often on NH4.
The treads on 3 tyres have really worn out & it's pretty tricky whenever it rains. I am planning to change all the 5 tyres in max. a months time.

Please give me your valuable answers after going through this -

Santro being a small & rather light weight car, I feel it's not so big a worry to keep the unsprung weight down by going in for Alloys. Moreover they are expensive & it's also a worry how to be assured about the quality of comparatively cheaper alloys. Correct me if am wrong in this understanding.

However if I am to go for Yoko or Michellin, which are available in tubeless, then I have no choice but to go for alloys, isnt it? Especially since daily I face a pothole ridden drive for atleast 5-10kms and already have a bent rim!
And if I am to go in for tubeless tyres, could it be done with a new set of OE Steel rims (either from Hyundai or from any fellow T-BHPians willing to sell them from their new Santros when they opt for alloys straightaway)?
And in tubeless, can I go in for 175 / 60 / R13 or is it better to stick to 165 / 65 R13? Is sticking to OE Steel rims a constraint if one wants to go beyond 165/65?

So here comes the dilemma -

(1) Should I go for tube type or tubeless tyres?
(2) Should I go for Alloys or stick to OE pressed steel rims?
(3) What should be the ideal size -

(a) for tube type (on OE Steel rim)
(b) for tubeless type (on OE Steel rim)
(b) for tubeless type (on Alloys)
(4) based on the above 3 points, which brand would be the best bet - GY, BS, Yoko or Michelin?

By the way I hope to go in for another car in the next 1-1.5 yrs (i20 diesel probably).

In Whitefield (B'lore) there's a multi-brand shop named Tyre Emporium, which is near to my place. They have BS, GY, Accelere, Mich etc & has a good setup. Any feedback about this place?
It'd be great if you could kindly suggest a good tyre shop near Marathahalli / Brookefields where I stay - since I find it very difficult to manage far off places on weekdays.

Thanking you all in advance & looking forward to your suggestions / guidance.

[aditya.86]

Hey...

It all depends whether you want to stick on to the steel rims or go in for alloys.

In case you are planning to stick onto the steel rims you can go in for 165/65/13 tubeless tyres. And in that size i would suggest you go in for the Yokohama A drives's.

If you are thinking of getting a set of alloys then you can go for 175/60/13 which is the size i have been using for quite sometime now. You will feel the difference as soon as you drive the car. In that particular size go for the Yokohama A539's. Amazing grip and handling unlike the stock 155/70's.

Other options in the same size being the Potenzas gIII's. Good set of tyres from Bridgestone.

[naidusown]

kosh4u,

Santro rims can be easily repaired. Worst case, you would need to buy a new rim. This should not cost more than 700-800 Rs.

One can mount tubeless on steel rims as well. Guidance is for rims to be rust-free and to provide a good even contact surface to the tire - as it is this surface that binds to seal in the air.

As Aditya has mentioned, Yoko AA-01 (16/65) and A539 (175/60) are both tires that are liked here on the forum (backed by personal experience)

One aspect you may want to consider is your preference for grip versus longevity of the tire. At a very basic level, a soft tire provides great grip - but the same 'softness' causes it to wear out earlier than a hard tire. In my (unscientific) opinion the Yoko's are the softest of the lot whereas the Bridgestones are the hardest. Do note that hardness (As measured by pushing in an un-inflated tire sidewall) is deceptive and could be any number of things (not least of which is the stiffness provided by the underlying radial belts). It is a good start though in the absence of a Cray or kpzen next to you in buying tires..

All the best - and do keep us posted on your choice..

Cheers

[kosh4u]

Originally Posted by naidusown

kosh4u,

Santro rims can be easily repaired. Worst case, you would need to buy a new rim. This should not cost more than 700-800 Rs.

One can mount tubeless on steel rims as well. Guidance is for rims to be rust-free and to provide a good even contact surface to the tire - as it is this surface that binds to seal in the air.

As Aditya has mentioned, Yoko AA-01 (16/65) and A539 (175/60) are both tires that are liked here on the forum (backed by personal experience)

One aspect you may want to consider is your preference for grip versus longevity of the tire. At a very basic level, a soft tire provides great grip - but the same 'softness' causes it to wear out earlier than a hard tire. In my (unscientific) opinion the Yoko's are the softest of the lot whereas the Bridgestones are the hardest. Do note that hardness (As measured by pushing in an un-inflated tire sidewall) is deceptive and could be any number of things (not least of which is the stiffness provided by the underlying radial belts). It is a good start though in the absence of a Cray or kpzen next to you in buying tires..

All the best - and do keep us posted on your choice..

Cheers

Originally Posted by aditya.86

Hey...

It all depends whether you want to stick on to the steel rims or go in for alloys.

In case you are planning to stick onto the steel rims you can go in for 165/65/13 tubeless tyres. And in that size i would suggest you go in for the Yokohama A drives's.

If you are thinking of getting a set of alloys then you can go for 175/60/13 which is the size i have been using for quite sometime now. You will feel the difference as soon as you drive the car. In that particular size go for the Yokohama A539's. Amazing grip and handling unlike the stock 155/70's.

Other options in the same size being the Potenzas gIII's. Good set of tyres from Bridgestone.

Thanks a lot guys. I'll keep you posted. Regarding Alloys, I'd love to go for them..it all depends on my convincing powers of better half (she's already wondering why am I getting obsessed with my car )

How are Michelins? XM1 comes in 165/65 but I couldn't find any 175/60.

What about Tube type tyres... I know Michs & Yokos dont come in tube type. Are there any other equally good brands which are tube types?

[tsk13]

Originally Posted by kosh4u

but I couldn't find any 175/60.

Hi,
Well you get 175/60 in Yokohama A539 and Bridgestone Potenza GIII. I got HR alloys today and will be getting Yokohama A539's tomorrow. Will put up the pics soon.

Regards
tSk