silky

I just moved to 17" from 16" wheels and bought Sumitomo HTR+ tires hoping that the harsh noise I was getting over road irregularities would improve. I knew to expect the 17's to be a little less smooth due to shorter sidewalls etc, but the Sumi's tested out to be a very quiet tire at Tirerack. Unfortunately for me I'm still very aware of every little ripple etc. in the pavement--the improvement I was hoping for is very modest.

So my question is: Is there anything else, other than tires, that could account for problem? How long do stock shocks and springs last? I have 44K miles. I feel like I have the "floaty" Lexus ride and the car handles well, but rough pavement is very annoying. My old Chevy pick up cuises over the same roads and I barely sense the irregularities.

If what I have is "normal" for a GS400, then I can only wonder how loud rough roads must be for you guys with 18-19-20" wheels. Thanks for any feedback.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

tires make a big difference. i have no idea bout yours, but i had yoko avs sport before and it's stupidly loud... hate it.... but now i have the bridgestone so3 and it's very quiet, even quieter than my 17 imho