garytucker

They are just as quiet as my Corvettes when they have decent tires on them. Don't let one seemingly bad car scare you off.

Touring2004

iTrader: (1)

I just took a set of Eagle F-1 All Seasons off my 04. I was very dissapointed with the road noise I experienced as well. It wansn't a "problem" at first, though I noticed it, but over time it got worse and worse. By the time I had 20-25k on the tires, it became unbearable. I have an Injen True Dual exhaust and it was being overpowered by the tire noise.

I changed the tires, and instantly the noise was nearly negated. The performance of the Eagle F-1s was fantastic. But I did not go back to them, and I do not plan to because of the noise. I'd be curious if the Summers have the same issue I had. I'd like to try a few more types of tires anyway.

Spike100

I have a 2003 350 Performance model with Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 (summer performance tires, 245/40-18” F and 245/45-18” rear). They are very noisy. I am surprised a little by this since the Survey results on TireRack.com give this tire a relatively high rating for noise (8.3 out of 10).

I would also say that the OEM Bridgestone summer performance tires were noisy as well, but my 2003 model had issues with tire feathering. I don’t have this feathering issue with my Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 (I’m fanatical maintaining alignment with these to prevent wear, but the Goodyear’s are still very noisy, so that’s not the problem).

If you test drive a 350Z coupe and an Infiniti 35G coupe, you notice one big difference (the Z is very noisy and the G is reasonable quiet). Why is there a big difference? The Z coupe has little sound deadening and its rear wheels are inside the car’s compartment, while the G has more sound insulation and the rear wheels are inside the car’s trunk (insulated from the car’s interior).

But, it’s not just the rear tires. The front tires make a lot of noise as well.

Here is what I’ve discovered (and I welcome comments from other members here):

• Sound deadening in the rear cargo-area of the car (including over the rear wells), the front doors, and the front floor and front wheel wells quiets the car significantly; but you add substantial weight (200-plus pounds).
  
  
• Spraying sound deadening (aka rust-proofing) in the outer shell of the front and rear wheel wells provides a significant lowering of sound from your tires (about as much as adding sound deadening to the car’s interior).
  
  
• Combining sound deadening with spraying sound proofing makes the Z quiet (about what you have with the 35G).

Hope this is helpful,

--Spike

R350nate

iTrader: (4)

road noise = bad tire quality + bad wheel quality + camber/toe/alignment problems.

however your wheels were on your g, they will be on a z.

garytucker

Spike-Funny thing about TireRack is that sometimes you see a manufacturer "manufacturing" reviews. I actually witnessed this with the Goodyear RS-A on the TireRack site...the RS-A is one of the worst wet-performance tires out there and GM sticks them on nearly everything. I realized it when I couldn't drive 50mph on a flat straight road in the rain without my traction control kicking in on my Trailblazer SS and the tires were only 5,000 miles old.

I started hearing from friends and family members that they were experiencing the same thing...so I started looking for new tires. Looked at the RS-A on TireRack and the reviews sucked...just what I'd been hearing. A few months later I was back on TireRack looking for a set of tires for another vehicle and the RS-A popped up...so being a curious person, I click on RS-A reviews and nearly all of the reviews are positive! How does a tire go from crappy to the cure-all for your driving needs so quickly...a blitz of "reviews" from people that have a stake in Goodyear...that's how.

I always take the TireRack reviews with a grain of salt for that reason alone. It's like logging into Amazon...anyone can review anything...they don't even have to own it. It's nice when the non-owners at least mention that they don't own the product in their reviews so you can discount them.

Sorry to hear you are in F1 hell...they are great performing tires, but man are they loud.

j.arnaldo

DavesZ is right; our cars are noisy under any consideration (Sports car, Coupe, Roadster, etc.) Also, some tires are noisier that others; for example, when I got rid of the OEM Potenzas, I got Dunlops, & the difference was surprising. Not quite as jarring a ride as with the Bridgestones & much, much lower noise intensity. Do your homework & search for tires that'll suit your needs, dude. G'luck!

nerdyjoe

I have a 2008 base model and I am now experiencing the same problem. At 20mph I get a very loud road noise, and then it goes away at around 30mph. I had my bearings go out on an old car when I was younger and the sound is very similar. A low droning sound. However, I don't think its my bearings as the sound goes completely away above 30mph and below 20mph. I bought the car new and I have 24,000 miles on the original tires. I am going to replace them and get an alignment and see if that fixes the problem.

Either way im glad you posted this so I dont feel so alone with the problem. I really hope I didnt ruin anything on my car as I drive very aggressively.

Spike100

^^ The noise you hear is your tires, not your bearings. My 2003 Performance Model with Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires runs quietly at 30 to 45 mph, and then gets very noisy above or below this speed range. I experienced the same thing with OEM Bridgestones.

I check alignment twice a year, so that’s not the problem.

I run Dunlop studless snow tires during the winter months, and this tire is very quiet.

--Spike

Jimmies

Hi Spike, I noticed you said you're fanatical about your alignment. I have feathering on my 2003 Enthusiast, what specs do you keep your car in? I drive about 6,000 miles a year so maintaining alignment should be easier for me than most.

Thanks.

Spike100

^^ Trust your Nissan dealership or your tire-installer. Both had problems in 2003-2004 because the devices were not calibrated properly for the tight specs on a Z. That's fixed now.

--Spike