bags_RENAMED

I am looking to see if others who have purchased the Pirelli P Zero Nero's as replacements for the EL-42's have found the P Zero's to be "soft" compared to the EL-42's.

I bought the P Zero's on recomendations read on this forum. Almost all said that the Pirelli's gave better handling, better wear, etc. I believe that the cars handling is worse with the P Zero's. While i do agree that the Pirelli's have better traction thatn the EL-42's ever did, they seem much softer to me. I assume that the sidewall is less stiff than the EL-42 sidewall. i have about 2000 miles on them and highway handling feels a lot less precise than it did with the El-42's. Sure, small bumps around town feel better, which is a plus, but i would rather "feel" the bumps than loose the prcise feeling while reaching higher speeds on the highway.

i would like to hear how others would access the Pirelli's...

Does anyone have factual info on whether the P Zero sidewalls are less stiff than the EL-42's?

SebringSilver

It could be down to something as simple as tire pressure.

I've put about 4,000 miles (a fair bit of wet weather mileage included) on my Pirelli P Zero Neros so far, and they don't seem "squishy" to me. I haven't used any other tire on the TL yet, so I can't offer an objective comparison. And I have the A-Spec suspension, which would certainly account for part of the overall handling experience that I've become familiar with on this car up to now.

lenmen

I have over 20k on my P Zero's, everything about this tire is better than the EL-42s. I have 32 psi rear, and I go between 34 psi and 32 psi in the front. The handling is way better on the P Zero's. I live in South Florida and it can rain often, these tires just stick to the road.

bags_RENAMED

thanks for the replies... maybe i need to check my psi... that certainly could be the problem.

lenmen... when tyou say that the handling is way better... do yo mean "tighter" and "stiffer" then the EL-42's... or are you speaking from a traction standpoint only?

cM3go

no problems on my Pzeros...

richrath

bags_RENAMED,

"What lenmen said!"

'cept I don't have 20K yet, only 6 or 7. IMO, the handling is better in both traction and response. One of the first things I noticed was that very small steering inputs with the Zeros resulted in....get ready.....STEERING!! I wasn't used to that with the EL-42s. I had to re-learn steering my TL but it was sooooo worth it!

And definitely check the pressure. I use 32 psi all around. I also find that I need to put air in them every couple-three weeks. One thing about the 42's -- they really held their pressure.

04TL5ATNAV

The Nero's dramatically improved the handling and traction of my 04TL. I can't say enough about them; when these wear out I am going to buy another set!

bags_RENAMED

ok... just checked my PSI. Seems that my fronts were both around 32/33... and the backs were about 30/31... so i jacked 'em all up a bit. Fronts are now at 34 and the backs are at 32/33 (the guage i was using was not exactly accurate)

either way... there is a very noticeable difference in the handling. i knew tire pressure was important, but jeeez. one pound seems as though it can make a huge difference. i have yet to take it out to see if i feel the handling has improved, but i will let you all know tonight.

TampaMike

I think these low profile tires in general are very sensitive to the tire pressure. I can change the driving characterisitics by changing the psi as little as 1psi. At least on the TL they seem to behave that way, even with my OEM Michelins.

bags_RENAMED

yup... sure enough, i put the car through a few paces with the tires up a few lbs. and it does handle MUCH better. It is still not as tight as i'd like it to be, so i'll probably have to play with the pressure until i get it perfect. Still can't believe what a difference a pound can make.

TLTrance

Damn I can also say the same.. Even a few pounds on just ONE tire makes a huge difference to handling. The car feels less sluggish with proper inflation (even proper + a few lbs).