Initial Review - Falken Ziex S/TZ04 tire in 255/55R18 size

[sasquatch]

I had to replace my worn out Hankook Ventus AS on stock 18" wheels. Budget was a concern so I elected to try out the Falken Ziex S/TZ04 in 255/55R18 size. Fresh alignment so I'm keeping an eye on the way these tires wear down. I've got about 100 miles on them and love them so far. Very quiet, smooth ride. They feel very responsive and also decreased tramlining significantly. Very impressed for the price. I'll keep this thread updated to let everyone know my feelings about this tire.

[bgsquad]

I had those, exact same size as well. they get noisy, i mean REALLY noisy (I suspected something wrong with the car) after a couple of months. They are bad on water, watch out while driving on wet pavement. My friend has them on his FX35, and he says the same about bad wet traction... I replaced them with Vredestein Sessanta, and the ride is sooooo quite and smooth, perfect wet traction, and a fantastic look... man, you should have asked us before

[sasquatch]

We've had some pretty big rain storms lately, along with freezing temps. Tires have done very well so far. Pretty quiet too. My only complaint at this point is the cornering ability.....they seem to flex a little more than I'm use to. But then again, I went from a 2004 VW R32 with ultra high performance tires to this big tank, so I'm still getting use to the handling.

[sasquatch]

Just wanted to update everyone. Currently have 4500 miles now on these tires and I gotta say they are giving me major problems. Serious flat spotting issues when driving in the morning. Vehicle sits overnight, go to drive it in the morning, and the entire vehicle bounces up and down. I've isolated it to the tires. Talked to the tire dealer I bought them from who said this can happen on the cheaper tires. They recommended the Yokohama YK520 tires.

[Boston X5 4.4]

Just curious - why did you switch from the Ventus?

[x5sportman]

Man, I'm glad to know about the Falkens. I was ready to replace my factory Michelins with them, and now I'll reconsider for sure. Like Boston X5, I'd like to know about your experience with the Ventus.

[sasquatch]

The Ventus were worn down past wear indicators (bought the rig used with these tires). Plus, the famdamnly and I were on the road, got a huge puncture from a giant bolt, and had to quickly find a tire place to get it fixed. Price was a factor since this was an unexpected event so I chose the Falken based on the tire dealer's advice and price.

Since then, it's been so-so. Just had them rebalanced...again.....without much luck. Currently arguing with Discount Tire on getting them replaced. I was fortunate enough to buy the certificates, so we're currently haggling over my out of pocket costs, which I feel should be zero.

One thing I've learned from several different tire guys in town is that the european vehicles tend to be more susceptible to tire issues if using cheaper brands with nylon cords. Something about the suspension setup (generally stiffer) tends to amplify tire problems. They recommend a tire like Michelin.

[sasquatch]

The Ventus were OK but like I said they were worn down. I can't really comment too much on the handling, ride, etc. They were really noisy though.

On the plus side, the Falken tires have been very quiet on the road and seem to handle good. Just got a big down pour yesterday and the tires seemed well behaved. Haven't tried them in snow/ice yet.

[4.6toddy]

I had a set of the Falkens in a 305/40R22 on my Hummer and I loved them. Hard to comment on road noise due to loud exhaust on the H but the wear was great. After 35,000km I sold them complete rims and tires for more then I paid (Dealer pricing)

I recognize the H was not a high performance unit, so that may be the difference?

[X5Dawg]

Yea, I hate to hear that because I ran 3 or 4 sets of the STZ01s on an F150 Supercrew and loved them. Always got around 40K miles per set and don't remember any noise issues. And they had great traction, wet and dry.