Tire Review: Cooper CSR touring T P225/70R16

by Tony R.
(Fostoria Ohio)

I just bought these from Cooper for My 2002 Lexus RX 300 and when i saw them i really liked them especially since my old tires were way past replacing. But right away i noticed it was a bumpier ride then my old tires.

My vehicle used to always pull the right and i always thought it needed a front end alignment. There mechanic who does this was on vacation so i havent had it done yet since buying them just last week. Now it pulls to the left and i have to be careful not even to take my eyes off the rode as the steering seems so tight, something i didnt notice with the old tires. I seem to feel every bump i hit in the road. Not like the old tires.

Is this an issue? Is there to much air in the tires? The smooth ride i had isnt there anymore and it concerns me. Thought i would try this before i go back to Cooper Tire Service and ask them about it. thanks.

Comment:
A bumpier ride, as you describe it does sound like there may be a higher air pressure than before, but there are a couple of questions that come to mind.
First, are these tires the same size as what you used before? If you changed sizes you may need to use a slightly different pressure to compensate for the difference in tire size.

Also, were you in the habit of regularly checking the pressure on the tires before? It is possible that you may have had some of the problems you were experiencing because one tire might have been with a lower pressure than the others. This is one of the reasons a car will tend to pull to one side.

In your case, there is a possibility that your car was pulling to one side because of a low tire pressure and now, assuming the pressure is the same all around, pulling to the other side might, indeed, be a problem with alignment.

So if tire pressure is now the same all around, and it is pulling to one side, get the alignment done. Then check the recommended pressure level for the tire size on your car and make sure this is being used. If that still does not give you the ride you expect, you might try dropping the pressure by 1 or 2 psi to see if this affects the ride, but when you do this you need to inspect your tires regularly to make certain you are not causing an irregular wear on the tire.

If you start adjusting tire pressure do it gradually, that is try only a small change at first and see how it performs. If you think it needs more adjustment, make another one and try that for awhile. Watch your tire wear by inspecting the tires at least once a month after making pressure adjustments.

TG