Extra Load tires = better handling?

[GTS Jeff]

I am about to buy a set of Nokian WRs for my Subaru. I am thinking about the "Extra Load" version in my size, because I am hoping that it means it has a stiffer sidewall, therefore having less sidewall rollover, and therefore taking away one of the disadvantages of having an allseason. I'm wondering if anyone here knows anything about that? And if these XL tires have any disadvantages, such as increased weight?

Any tire design engineers care to chime in? Or maybe someone that just knows what they're talking about? Thanks...

[xrayvsn]

I have noticed the V rated version of my winter tires are also the extra load, while the H rated do not have the extra load designation, despite being the same size. Like you, I also assumed this meant a stiffer sidewall at the cost of increased weight, but I don't have anything to back it up with.

If you are looking for tires that are more responsive and communicate well, the Nokian WR are not for you. They really dull steering feel and feel "mushy". Great all-season tire, but definitely not one you would pick for performance, stiff sidewall or not.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by xrayvsn
I have noticed the V rated version of my winter tires are also the extra load, while the H rated do not have the extra load designation, despite being the same size. Like you, I also assumed this meant a stiffer sidewall at the cost of increased weight, but I don't have anything to back it up with.

If you are looking for tires that are more responsive and communicate well, the Nokian WR are not for you. They really dull steering feel and feel "mushy". Great all-season tire, but definitely not one you would pick for performance, stiff sidewall or not. I am pretty set on the Nokian WR, because I am looking for a Fall to Spring tire on a daily driver, all stock car. I know it will not be much of a performer, but I am hoping the XL size will make it more bearable for a guy that's used to Falken Azenis heh.

Are you using an XL tire right now? How is the ride and handling and whatnot?

[xrayvsn]

Originally posted by GTS Jeff
I am pretty set on the Nokian WR, because I am looking for a Fall to Spring tire on a daily driver, all stock car. I know it will not be much of a performer, but I am hoping the XL size will make it more bearable for a guy that's used to Falken Azenis heh.

Are you using an XL tire right now? How is the ride and handling and whatnot?

I have owned 2 sets of Nokian WR - one for my old Acura as my winters, and one for our minivan, year-round. It is a very good all season tire. Orders of magnitude better than the stock Potenza RE92s they replaced on the Acura even on the dry, but where they really shine is when the snow starts flying. Having these and AWD, you will be unstoppable, regardless of road conditions.

Falken Azenis they are not, and you will definitely nostice how soft and uncommunicative they are. As long as you are not expecting them to be performance oriented, you will be happy with them. Another bonus is they wear incredibly well for tires that are biased toward the winter months. They are also pretty quiet.

For the STI, I now have Blizzak LM-25V XL. They are a bit more noisy than the RE070, but they grip surprisingly well. I have been pleasantly surprised with the ride quality and grip. I have a benchmark on ramp that I take daily, and I am still able to wind around that cloverleaf at 60+ mph. At the limit, the RE070's just communicate better and I know exactly how much lateral grip I have left. The Blizzaks feel softer, but not overly so. I havent driven on the non XL version of the Blizzaks to compare with, though.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by xrayvsn


I have owned 2 sets of Nokian WR - one for my old Acura as my winters, and one for our minivan, year-round. It is a very good all season tire. Orders of magnitude better than the stock Potenza RE92s they replaced on the Acura even on the dry, but where they really shine is when the snow starts flying. Having these and AWD, you will be unstoppable, regardless of road conditions.

Falken Azenis they are not, and you will definitely nostice how soft and uncommunicative they are. As long as you are not expecting them to be performance oriented, you will be happy with them. Another bonus is they wear incredibly well for tires that are biased toward the winter months. They are also pretty quiet.

For the STI, I now have Blizzak LM-25V XL. They are a bit more noisy than the RE070, but they grip surprisingly well. I have been pleasantly surprised with the ride quality and grip. I have a benchmark on ramp that I take daily, and I am still able to wind around that cloverleaf at 60+ mph. At the limit, the RE070's just communicate better and I know exactly how much lateral grip I have left. The Blizzaks feel softer, but not overly so. I havent driven on the non XL version of the Blizzaks to compare with, though. Sweet, I am replacing the factory RE92s and I am looking for pimp winter use while still getting 4 years of mileage out of these tires. I think I'll go for the XL size...hopefully it's worth the extra $100.

[GTS Jeff]

Ok, so I did it...I now have a set of Nokian WRs in 205-55-16 XL. The sidewall does seem a bit thicker on the XL tires versus the standard load ones.

Right now, the tires are still only at the factory 35psi, but I will soon pump them up to 45-50psi to take advantage of the XL construction. So far, they feel a bit more comfortable than the RE92s, quieter too, though they do grip better. The sidewall flex isn't bad either; my old KW19s scared me with how floaty they were, but these are alright. I expect them to be even better with more air too.

[rage2]

Sidewall flex really isn't a problem unless you have a very heavy car with undersized tires, or you're cornering at higher lateral loads. Which means the tire has to be able to produce high amounts of grip under cornering (doubtful with all seasons unless you have some serious downforce) before tirewall flex will become an issue.

I guess that gives you an excuse to install that big wing!

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by rage2
Sidewall flex really isn't a problem unless you have a very heavy car with undersized tires, or you're cornering at higher lateral loads. Which means the tire has to be able to produce high amounts of grip under cornering (doubtful with all seasons unless you have some serious downforce) before tirewall flex will become an issue.

I guess that gives you an excuse to install that big wing! haha you dink, then how do you explain all the scuff marks on my sidewalls after cornering hard? Plus I hate the floaty feeling and slow turn-in anyway.

[rage2]

ya if u plow obviously it's gonna scuff it :rofl:. Doesn't mean you're going faster.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by rage2
ya if u plow obviously it's gonna scuff it :rofl:. Doesn't mean you're going faster. Hey, get back on topic or I'll report you to a moderator.

[GT-R rated]

why don't you just ask your kal-tire guy what the XL means. they'd probably know better than anyone else here (unless someone works there). the nokians are good tires but imo michelin X-ice FTW!

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by GT-R rated
why don't you just ask your kal-tire guy what the XL means. they'd probably know better than anyone else here (unless someone works there). the nokians are good tires but imo michelin X-ice FTW! 1. I know what XL means (as evidenced by the title of this thread.

2. Working at a tire shop doesn't mean you're a tire guru, it just means you earn $12/hour at a tire shop. To give you an example, the guy I bought my tires from thought RNFT in the Nokian flyer stood for "reinforced." I didn't tell him that it actually stood for Run-Flat haha. He also thought the Falken 512 was a higher performance tire than the RT-615.

3. I am not looking for pure winter tires, as you would have seen in my original post had you bothered to read it. I think I also politely asked for people to not post if they were going to give me a response like yours. Thanks though.

[GT-R rated]

sorry bout that, if your not wanting purely winters, definitly go for the nokians, probably the best all season for our climates imo

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by GT-R rated
sorry bout that, if your not wanting purely winters, definitly go for the nokians, probably the best all season for our climates imo I've been driving all day in the terrible roads with these tires...

WICKED!

[zieg]

Yes it will have a stronger sidewall, and yes it will be heavier.

[GTS Jeff]

I should add that I found the weight difference...0.2 lbs.

[xrayvsn]

Originally posted by GTS Jeff
I've been driving all day in the terrible roads with these tires...

WICKED!

Hehe AWD + snow + snow tires = :D

I think these tires should come as OEM for most of the cars sold to Canadians. They really do work well for our climate.