QuestionQUESTION: I just purchased four new yokohoma tires for my trailblazer. Everything seems fine, until you ride on a road that has grooves in it. The speed limit was 75 (interstate) and I felt like I had no control of my vehicle. The road looks like someone combed it while wet. That's the easiest way to describe the condition of the road. The vehicle seemed fine until I hit around 70, than it felt as though my tires were not getting traction. The tires felt like a wobble, but the steering wheel did not shake. I am at a loss. I dont know if the tires are not the right fit, if they were not balanced correctly, or if they have too much air. Any help would be great.
ANSWER: Michelle,
This condition is called groove wander and it is caused by the grooves in the tires lining up with the grooves in the pavement.
Take the tires back to the retailer and have them replaced with something else - this will not be fixed by replacing the tires with exactly the same thing.
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QUESTION: Can you advise if the tires are too slim or if they might not be the right fit? Any tire suggestions? I just want to know what I am talking about before going in, since I am a woman :)
AnswerMichelle,
First, you have a specific problem with a specific tire, but other than the manufacturer, I don't know which tire may be the problem, so I can't diagnose what the exact cause of it is (In other words, what about the spacing of the ribs is causing the problem. This would not only be specific for a given tire size, but might also be different between different tread patterns even within a given tire manufacturer.
Second, I work for a major tire manufacturer and really shouldn't make brand specific comments.
Third, your tire retailer is in the best position to know what works in his area - and he should know about this, unless this is one of the first cases he has encountered, and that's probably the case.
