Tire Thread!

King_Mooseman · 10-13-2009, 01:26 PM

Those of you that read my previous threads may recall that I have had some issues which appear to be stemming from the central diff area. Now that I have the STi ECU back in, this problem has been reduced, but has not disappeared.

The STi is currently with Richmond Subaru and the initial thinking was that due to the front tires and the rear tires being different, that this could potentially lead to the drivetrain heating up and jamming as the wheels may not be running in sync.

Has anyone suffered problems such as this? I had read that is was preferable to have the same tires on each wheel (same make and tread wear etc) but not that it could cause such a serious issue

Fingers crossed that the STi is running the way it should be soon .... at which point I will very likely do a jig!!

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rs420 · 10-13-2009, 01:28 PM

my buddy had a problem similar to that with his 04sti. it came with different front and rear tires. he got new tires and it eliminated his problem... I think it was some kinda diff noise from the rear...?

King_Mooseman · 10-13-2009, 01:36 PM

Yeah, this seems to be both front and rear and is totally not consistent. It also does not happen for at least 30 mins, enough time for the drivetrain to heat up I guess, so I am hoping it is the same issue.

007WRX · 10-13-2009, 01:39 PM

What size are the tires?

King_Mooseman · 10-13-2009, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 007WRX

What size are the tires?

To be honest I have not done a detailed measurement yet, and can't confirm of the top of my head. The wheels are stock, Bridgestone's on the front and Cooper's on the rear. It def appears that they were fitted at different times due to the wear difference.

Splinter · 10-13-2009, 01:55 PM

From what I understand no wheel can be further out than 1/8" diameter difference from any other wheel.

Seeing as every manufacturer has different tread depth, this could be a problem.

King_Mooseman · 10-13-2009, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splinter

From what I understand no wheel can be further out than 1/8" diameter difference from any other wheel.

Seeing as every manufacturer has different tread depth, this could be a problem.

Well, one way or another I will find out today and post up what the source and remedy of the problem is ...

Petrie · 10-13-2009, 06:47 PM

Have any of you gone to Blaine to get tires and have them mounted there?

Which shops do you recommend?
Did they charge you WA sales tax?

Seems like I can save $800 (after taxes) on snowies now that the $$ is good.

sandman21_21 · 10-13-2009, 06:58 PM

Didn't see too much in Blaine, but found that Discount Tire in Bellingham were quick and cheap. Quote prices off of the discounttiredirect.com page and they will match and bring the tires in themselves. I ended up saving quite a bit of money.

Petrie · 10-13-2009, 07:02 PM

Did you pay state sales taxes or were you let off because you're from up north?

Linkseal · 10-13-2009, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petrie

Have any of you gone to Blaine to get tires and have them mounted there?

Which shops do you recommend?
Did they charge you WA sales tax?

Seems like I can save $800 (after taxes) on snowies now that the $$ is good.

No good/reliable tire shops in Blain, as I asked twice in NW chapter before.
Lynwood, Bellingham has some reputable tire mouting shops, yes, they charge WA tax.

Is it worth it to mount tires down in NW? I don't know, I paid $65 tax + $65 mounting labour for a set of $680 tires, how much the WA tire shop to mount tires, I bet about the same?...

Also, FYI, my friend just got busted when he back to the broader 2 days after he picked up and mounted new tires in Seatle, so twice duty charges, and blacklisted...just make sure, you drive up to 500 miles to break-in the tires before you come back the broader.

jewps · 10-13-2009, 07:41 PM

I'm about to head down to Blaine to pickup a couple sets of wheels and tires (winter and summers) I ordered from Tirerack. After doing a bit of math factoring duty, taxes, mounting in Canada charges, no matter how you look at it, purchasing in the states is a much better deal. I even ordered some rims and tires for next summer.

Some of the border agents I've talked to are so accustomed to people going down to get new tires, they just wave people through without having to pay duty and taxes. I have a Nexus pass so I'm expecting to pay duty. Though who knows, I'll be coming back through the regular crossings, maybe the agents on-duty that night will be nice to me

semaj · 10-13-2009, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petrie

Did you pay state sales taxes or were you let off because you're from up north?

You have to pay WA State tax. They don't care where you are from. If you go to Oregon, there is no tax though

semaj · 10-13-2009, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linkseal

Also, FYI, my friend just got busted when he back to the broader 2 days after he picked up and mounted new tires in Seatle, so twice duty charges, and blacklisted...just make sure, you drive up to 500 miles to break-in the tires before you come back the broader.

Or how about you don't be an idiot and just claim the new tires like any other purchase you make?

Petrie · 10-13-2009, 07:46 PM

It seems impossible to get hold of Blizzak WS60s in the stock STI size this side of the border. I just may have to pay both taxes.

Drakar · 10-13-2009, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by semaj

Or how about you don't be an idiot and just claim the new tires like any other purchase you make?

ding ding ding

eman_69 · 10-13-2009, 08:07 PM

yeah any more then i think 15% front to rear difference can cause
drivtrain issues when i worked at subaru we always went on that rule

Dragon_Ski · 10-13-2009, 08:37 PM

I bought tires from Discount Tire in Bellingham and got great service . They ordered them in for me and I paid the Washington taxes and duty at the border and still saved $110 per tire. With our dollar up its hard not to take advantage of that

jewps · 10-13-2009, 09:06 PM

Come to think, how about having Tirerack ship the tires to their recommended tire shop? Since the sale is done outside of WA (billed in Indiana iirc), it's tax free.

HondaAtHeart · 10-13-2009, 09:18 PM

What about buying from Tirerack and just bringing it back over to mount? you'll still save money.... Can't get too greedy sometimes...

Petrie · 10-13-2009, 09:20 PM

Tirerack is $100 shipping to WA.

If I buy in WA and pay $100 to mount them then that something I don't have to pay for when I get back.

WhtSti77 · 10-14-2009, 12:25 AM

I ordered a set of winter wheels and tires from Tirerack shipping to WA. They have a recommended shop at Ferndale which is before Bellingham.

kachun · 10-14-2009, 12:47 AM

Getting my tires from Discount Tires this Saturday. Got them to beat Tirerack's price for WS60 and price match the all seasons. Great service so far, even called me long distance to tell me my tires have arrived at their shop in Bellingham.

truenosan · 10-14-2009, 01:17 AM

you guys should also check out www.discounttiredirect.com

They seem to have even better prices sometimes.

There is a whackload of winter tires sitting outside The Letter Carrier when I was down there on Friday

Petrie · 10-14-2009, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kachun

Getting my tires from Discount Tires this Saturday. Got them to beat Tirerack's price for WS60 and price match the all seasons. Great service so far, even called me long distance to tell me my tires have arrived at their shop in Bellingham.

Good to know, thanks

10-13-2009, 01:26 PM	#1
King_Mooseman Scooby Newbie Member#: 224865 Join Date: Sep 2009 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: Vancouver Vehicle: 2004 STi WRB	Tires on an STi Those of you that read my previous threads may recall that I have had some issues which appear to be stemming from the central diff area. Now that I have the STi ECU back in, this problem has been reduced, but has not disappeared. The STi is currently with Richmond Subaru and the initial thinking was that due to the front tires and the rear tires being different, that this could potentially lead to the drivetrain heating up and jamming as the wheels may not be running in sync. Has anyone suffered problems such as this? I had read that is was preferable to have the same tires on each wheel (same make and tread wear etc) but not that it could cause such a serious issue Fingers crossed that the STi is running the way it should be soon .... at which point I will very likely do a jig!! * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

10-13-2009, 06:47 PM	#8
Petrie Scooby Specialist Member#: 1260 Join Date: Apr 2000 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: Squamish Vehicle: 09 STi, DGM 04 WRX Stage 2, red	Tire shops in Blaine Have any of you gone to Blaine to get tires and have them mounted there? Which shops do you recommend? Did they charge you WA sales tax? Seems like I can save $800 (after taxes) on snowies now that the $$ is good.

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10-13-2009, 01:28 PM	#2
rs420 the cone killer Moderator Member#: 157784 Join Date: Aug 2007 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: victoria baby Vehicle: 02 swapped bugeye anthricite	my buddy had a problem similar to that with his 04sti. it came with different front and rear tires. he got new tires and it eliminated his problem... I think it was some kinda diff noise from the rear...?

10-13-2009, 01:36 PM	#3
King_Mooseman Scooby Newbie Member#: 224865 Join Date: Sep 2009 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: Vancouver Vehicle: 2004 STi WRB	Yeah, this seems to be both front and rear and is totally not consistent. It also does not happen for at least 30 mins, enough time for the drivetrain to heat up I guess, so I am hoping it is the same issue.

10-13-2009, 01:39 PM	#4
007WRX Scooby Guru Member#: 125884 Join Date: Sep 2006 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: Kelowna Vehicle: 06 Evo IX MR Black 76 Datsun ZZZZZZZ	What size are the tires?

10-13-2009, 01:55 PM	#6
Splinter Scooby Guru Member#: 106510 Join Date: Feb 2006 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: Osoyoos, BC Vehicle: 98 Widebody 3.4L Smooth Safety Blue	From what I understand no wheel can be further out than 1/8" diameter difference from any other wheel. Seeing as every manufacturer has different tread depth, this could be a problem.

10-13-2009, 06:58 PM	#9
sandman21_21 Scooby Specialist Member#: 152118 Join Date: Jun 2007 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: Vancouver Vehicle: 1999 RBP 2.5RS Sold 1998 RBP WRX swap XO GC	Didn't see too much in Blaine, but found that Discount Tire in Bellingham were quick and cheap. Quote prices off of the discounttiredirect.com page and they will match and bring the tires in themselves. I ended up saving quite a bit of money.

10-13-2009, 07:02 PM	#10
Petrie Scooby Specialist Member#: 1260 Join Date: Apr 2000 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: Squamish Vehicle: 09 STi, DGM 04 WRX Stage 2, red	Did you pay state sales taxes or were you let off because you're from up north?

10-13-2009, 07:41 PM	#12
jewps Scooby Newbie Member#: 143538 Join Date: Mar 2007 Chapter/Region: VIC Vehicle: 2007 2.5i Wagon UGM	I'm about to head down to Blaine to pickup a couple sets of wheels and tires (winter and summers) I ordered from Tirerack. After doing a bit of math factoring duty, taxes, mounting in Canada charges, no matter how you look at it, purchasing in the states is a much better deal. I even ordered some rims and tires for next summer. Some of the border agents I've talked to are so accustomed to people going down to get new tires, they just wave people through without having to pay duty and taxes. I have a Nexus pass so I'm expecting to pay duty. Though who knows, I'll be coming back through the regular crossings, maybe the agents on-duty that night will be nice to me

10-13-2009, 07:46 PM	#15
Petrie Scooby Specialist Member#: 1260 Join Date: Apr 2000 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: Squamish Vehicle: 09 STi, DGM 04 WRX Stage 2, red	It seems impossible to get hold of Blizzak WS60s in the stock STI size this side of the border. I just may have to pay both taxes.

10-13-2009, 08:07 PM	#17
eman_69 Scooby Newbie Member#: 153034 Join Date: Jul 2007 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: kelowna Vehicle: 05 STI SILVER	yeah any more then i think 15% front to rear difference can cause drivtrain issues when i worked at subaru we always went on that rule

10-13-2009, 08:37 PM	#18
Dragon_Ski Scooby Specialist Member#: 178153 Join Date: Apr 2008 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: Armstrong BC Vehicle: 1996 555 Sti blue	I bought tires from Discount Tire in Bellingham and got great service . They ordered them in for me and I paid the Washington taxes and duty at the border and still saved $110 per tire. With our dollar up its hard not to take advantage of that

10-13-2009, 09:06 PM	#19
jewps Scooby Newbie Member#: 143538 Join Date: Mar 2007 Chapter/Region: VIC Vehicle: 2007 2.5i Wagon UGM	Come to think, how about having Tirerack ship the tires to their recommended tire shop? Since the sale is done outside of WA (billed in Indiana iirc), it's tax free.

10-13-2009, 09:18 PM	#20
HondaAtHeart Scooby Newbie Member#: 220088 Join Date: Aug 2009 Chapter/Region: NWIC Location: Blaine, WA Vehicle: 2007 Impreza WRX STd WRB	What about buying from Tirerack and just bringing it back over to mount? you'll still save money.... Can't get too greedy sometimes...

10-13-2009, 09:20 PM	#21
Petrie Scooby Specialist Member#: 1260 Join Date: Apr 2000 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: Squamish Vehicle: 09 STi, DGM 04 WRX Stage 2, red	Tirerack is $100 shipping to WA. If I buy in WA and pay $100 to mount them then that something I don't have to pay for when I get back.

10-14-2009, 12:25 AM	#22
WhtSti77 Scooby Newbie Member#: 209127 Join Date: Apr 2009 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: Richmond, BC Vehicle: 2009 STi AWP	I ordered a set of winter wheels and tires from Tirerack shipping to WA. They have a recommended shop at Ferndale which is before Bellingham.

10-14-2009, 12:47 AM	#23
kachun Scooby Newbie Member#: 82346 Join Date: Mar 2005 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: Burnaby Vehicle: 05 WRX wagon World Rally Blue	Getting my tires from Discount Tires this Saturday. Got them to beat Tirerack's price for WS60 and price match the all seasons. Great service so far, even called me long distance to tell me my tires have arrived at their shop in Bellingham.

10-14-2009, 01:17 AM	#24
truenosan Scooby Specialist Member#: 78893 Join Date: Jan 2005 Chapter/Region: VIC Location: Vancouver, BC Canada Vehicle: 2013 Scion FRS	you guys should also check out www.discounttiredirect.com They seem to have even better prices sometimes. There is a whackload of winter tires sitting outside The Letter Carrier when I was down there on Friday