Fellow TLr

Greetings Fellow TLrs. Just wanted to share a couple of experiences I’ve had with the Falken ST 515 high performance tires for the last 20 months. http://www.falkentire.com/tires_st115.htm

Before I explain, you should know I’m riding on the Comptech springs with front and back camber adjusters installed. The TL is aligned to factory specs.

The size of tires I purchased with my tire/wheel package was the 235 35 ZR19s. I’m very meticulous about my tire pressure checking them frequently keeping 36 lbs in the front and 34 lbs in the rear.

I experienced frequent ride issues as far as the tires developing flat spots. I had to have the tires balanced abnormally frequent. During one of the balancing appointments, the retailer noticed I had stress cracks on three of the tire’s side walls. This was due to driving over a set of terribly bumpy rail road tracks at a fairly good speed. I was given a replacement set without any additional charge. No damage to the wheels.

On the second set, I noticed slight pull to the right. I also experienced this on the first set of tires. I had the wheel alignment checked and it was fine. Last week I went to the retailer again to report tire vibration between speeds of 65 to 80 MPH. As the tire technician spun the wheel on the balancer, he pointed out the tire was not round. I asked the technician if the Falken tire was common for this defect. His reply was yes on all sizes including the SUV sport tire. I asked if there was a tire available in my size that would not give me such a problem. He suggested the Michelin. Again, they gave me full credit on the set of Falken tires and I paid the difference for the Pilot PS2. http://michelinman.com/catalog/tires...etype=3&tire=1

So far the tire is great. The first thing I noticed that the ride was much better. After driving on the road, I noticed the steering wheel was in the correct position as I drove straight and there is no longer a pull to the right. So far, so good.

I wanted to share this with all of you who are planning to purchase an aftermarket larger wheel/tire package (18s and up). Ask your retailer if the tire you are considering is known for ride issues. Additionally, purchase the free replacement insurance. It paid in my case. It’s worth the $30.00 per tire.

janrish

Thanks for the post, I had my eyes on Falken tire's st115 due to the low road noise. I am considering 20' rims and I'm trying to get as much information as I can.