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bpeckham
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- #17
Getting the new tires today, and I stated thinking about if I needed a break in period for the tires. In the past I'd never really driven any differently on new tires, but the Z is a bit more of a beast than my earlier G37 and G35: more power and torque on a lighter car combined with the 007s (which break loose if you look at them funny).
So Google led me here:
https://www.tirerack.com/upgrade-garage/how-do-i-break-in-tires
500 miles!? Seems like FOREVER, but maybe it's the lawyers talking.
O wise Nissan. Z Club, what is your sage advice?
So Google led me here:
https://www.tirerack.com/upgrade-garage/how-do-i-break-in-tires
500 miles!? Seems like FOREVER, but maybe it's the lawyers talking.
O wise Nissan. Z Club, what is your sage advice?
RobotAZ
Well-Known Member
There are two tire break-ins. First is traction. Other is breaking in the physical tire components.
Traction is 100-200 miles on PS4, both summer and all season, with summer being shorter. NVH while breaking in is almost always 500 miles now with the compounds used in modern tires. I’ve had a set before, Conti I think, that I balanced at 2,500 and still had to balance at 5,000 miles. No Michelin I’ve ever owned needed more than 50 miles to prove round and balanced, or not. I did balance my wife’s 20” Murano LTX at 5,000 because the small shop just didn’t do a good job. Her tires are 3 years old and the dealer tech is becoming increasingly amazed at the condition of her tires as time goes on. They gather to look at her tires, baffled. They look new and have at least 20k miles on them. They are a size up and that size has a very deep tread and is one of the best tires ever made.
That said, Michelin PS4 have always balanced perfectly for me, even more so than decades of using the LTX varieties in various vehicles that are also very round, good tires.
I want to say my 10 or so sets of PS4 were smooth in 25-50 miles or less. Required no additional balancing. 75% of tires will need to be rebalanced after break in because they balance them not broken in and they aren’t as good as Michelin’s best. They’re just far better quality than anything I’ve tried. Maybe there’s better grip or mileage out there, but I have zero reason to try another tire. They’re that good IMO, but any good tire for these cars is fine in terms of grip for me. It’s smoothness and noise that matter the most.
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bpeckham
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Strangely the date codes are all over the place (well, late last year and early this year). I might have expected the front and rear to be different, but none of the tires have the same date code.
- 0125 Front Left
- 5224 Front Right
- 0225 Rear Left
- 4424 Rear Right
AlanZ
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What size and tires did you ultimately go with and from where? Tire rack?
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bpeckham
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Okay. Others on the forum have already said this, but allow me to echo:
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4Ss are astoundingly better than the Bridgestone Potenza S007s.
Since I got my new tires, I've done things in my Z that would've caused the S007s to break loose, or the car to fishtail, or the traction control to kick in. The PS4Ss are like, "Bill, that was fun, let's do it again!" It was pretty easy to find the limits of the S007s, but I haven't found the limits of the PS4Ss. TBH, I'm not sure I'll be able to on the streets around here.
I didn't get the PS4Ss sooner because I didn't want to get rid of "perfectly good" tires, but after suffering through two years of the S007s, my advice to people who are looking to upgrade: Go for it! Your Z will really come alive.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4Ss are astoundingly better than the Bridgestone Potenza S007s.
Since I got my new tires, I've done things in my Z that would've caused the S007s to break loose, or the car to fishtail, or the traction control to kick in. The PS4Ss are like, "Bill, that was fun, let's do it again!" It was pretty easy to find the limits of the S007s, but I haven't found the limits of the PS4Ss. TBH, I'm not sure I'll be able to on the streets around here.
I didn't get the PS4Ss sooner because I didn't want to get rid of "perfectly good" tires, but after suffering through two years of the S007s, my advice to people who are looking to upgrade: Go for it! Your Z will really come alive.
RobotAZ
Well-Known Member
I was thinking of something I hadn’t mentioned that is pretty useful for shoppers.
My 1st GR86 I was shocked at the road noise and put the A/S Pilots on at 100 miles. My 2nd I rode through the winter on summer Pilots.
Of note for the A/S: 1) they were just as noisy, 2) they were the same smoothness and overall Michelin summer performance feel, 3) they were not noticeable better in rain for me, 4) clearly the are going to be better in snow, 5) A/S tires you don’t have to worry about low temps ruining the compounds and making your car a death trap, especially when it gets warm and you’re terrorizing the neighborhood on damaged tires, 6) they looked the same as far as outside shape; as well as physical presence and appearance.
I recommend any driver of PS4 tires who drives below the temp cutoff on the summer version to get A/S. You will be very happy. However if you track your car, or have public roads that you safely max the tires out, I’d run the Non-A/S.
I can’t find Michelin’s stated specs, but while looking caught the below photo in a Stinger forum. This supports my understanding as well. I would not trust other brands to state a 20 F figure that low, be careful. I also think when they say don’t operate under 40 F, that 50 F is for your family driving your car, and 40 F is for the one who knows the car well.
My temp observation on the summer tires is that at 55 F on cold tires you either need to warm them up or be careful. At 45 F on cold tires your traction is so lost that I was able to spin the tires and do a 90 onto a main road from a stop to be quicker. lol! Total death trap. At 32 F I think you’ve damaged the tire, but Michelin may really say it’s 20 F. (FWIW I drove mine down to 0 F in snow and ice, but I have 36 years experience. I would never recommend that to anyone at all actually, but the tires will come through uncracked. Damaged? Probably. I didn’t push it.
I had to give my 1st GR86 100-mile summers with my 2nd GR86 to the dealer when I traded it in on my Z because of guilt that the summers I drove all winter in the 2nd one would kill someone. It’s serious stuff.
My 1st GR86 I was shocked at the road noise and put the A/S Pilots on at 100 miles. My 2nd I rode through the winter on summer Pilots.
Of note for the A/S: 1) they were just as noisy, 2) they were the same smoothness and overall Michelin summer performance feel, 3) they were not noticeable better in rain for me, 4) clearly the are going to be better in snow, 5) A/S tires you don’t have to worry about low temps ruining the compounds and making your car a death trap, especially when it gets warm and you’re terrorizing the neighborhood on damaged tires, 6) they looked the same as far as outside shape; as well as physical presence and appearance.
I recommend any driver of PS4 tires who drives below the temp cutoff on the summer version to get A/S. You will be very happy. However if you track your car, or have public roads that you safely max the tires out, I’d run the Non-A/S.
I can’t find Michelin’s stated specs, but while looking caught the below photo in a Stinger forum. This supports my understanding as well. I would not trust other brands to state a 20 F figure that low, be careful. I also think when they say don’t operate under 40 F, that 50 F is for your family driving your car, and 40 F is for the one who knows the car well.
My temp observation on the summer tires is that at 55 F on cold tires you either need to warm them up or be careful. At 45 F on cold tires your traction is so lost that I was able to spin the tires and do a 90 onto a main road from a stop to be quicker. lol! Total death trap. At 32 F I think you’ve damaged the tire, but Michelin may really say it’s 20 F. (FWIW I drove mine down to 0 F in snow and ice, but I have 36 years experience. I would never recommend that to anyone at all actually, but the tires will come through uncracked. Damaged? Probably. I didn’t push it.
I had to give my 1st GR86 100-mile summers with my 2nd GR86 to the dealer when I traded it in on my Z because of guilt that the summers I drove all winter in the 2nd one would kill someone. It’s serious stuff.
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offizial
Member
Im kinda upset that Nissan put those Bridgestones on from factory on the performance. I just picked up PS4S for the rears, and it’s exactly what you’re describing. The car feels as it should the day you get it.
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