Ls 430 Road And Tire Noise - Please Help

[Larry]

I just purchased my 2002 LS430.

The road noise...Dunlop tires...is very annoying. I am coming from an older LS400 then a Jaguar Vanden Plas. The tires have another 10,000 miles left on them and are in good condition. Nothing is wrong with the suspension.

I brought the car to two Lexus service techs who tell me that that is the way it is...affect of the tires against different road surfaces. We live in Florida.

I find it almost hard to believe that this would be the case for a car with under 20,000 miles and the most expensive car I have ever owned.

Will you advise me as to other feedback and solutions for this?

1. Have you heard this complaint before?

2. Is there a noticeable difference between the two tires, someone recommended the Bridgestones, feedback? Other tires?

3. Is there anyone who I can speak with or a place you can refer me to that has tested different tires on the vehicle?

4. Is there a suggested place to purchase these tires affordably?

My old LS400 had Michelins recommended for it.

I don’t care about performance per se, I want smooth and quiet.

HELP!!!

Thanks,

Larry

[bartkat]

It depends on which Dunlops you have. Usually the more agressive tread, the more noise. If you go to www.tirerack.com an select your tire size, the ratings for different tires include "road noise". Usually a lower performance rated , straight groove, small block, summer tire will be quieter.

You can also go to www.goodyear.com and select your preferences as to the most important criteria. I think you can do the same on tire rack. Just put low noise as your highest criteria and rate performance lower. I think you'll then see in the pictures, the treads that give the lowest noise.

[Larry]

Thank you very much for the comments. I will visit the sites.

Do you know if wheel/rim size has an effect?

Do you know if there are Lexus warranty issues if tires are changed?

Thanks again,

Larry

[Rodders_UK]

I have found Bridgestone Potenza S03s to be very quite indeed. The are no warranty issues conncted to changing tires.

[GrandAlf]

I had this problem when I bought my first LS400. Just turns out that quieter the car, the more you notice other noises, like the creak of leather on a cold morning. Its a phycological thing rather than absolute noise. Maybe they should generate a bit of white noise to fool the brain .

Advice about different tyres is good, they do vary quite a lot.

[Larry]

The person I spoke with at Tire Rack suggested the Turanza LSH 225x60x16s.

He said they are very quiet and come with a 30 day test drive...Bridgestone will refund your money if you aren't satisfied.

Sounds pretty good.

Still researching though.

[riki]

i have a similar noise problem on ls 430 , which i started noticing after just 5000 miles .the noise is a whistling noise ,which starts at 25 mph.the car has 12000 miles now. this is not a tire problem , as i hv replaced the original dunlop sport with michlen energy ,still noise persists . i hv gone to two different lexus dealers several times ; hv spoken to lexus customer service umpteen number of times ,but of no avail . i am extremely frustrated with the after sales so also the noise .any suggestion to fix the problem ?

[flotsam]

Larry,

The noise made by tyres on the road is just about independent of the car to which they are attached. GrandAlf is correct when he states that the quieter the car the more you hear other things.

What you want is a tyre tread which is quieter as the other posters have recommended. Usually this is a tyre which has a continuous tread around the circumference of the tyre. The quietest would be completely smooth tyres (for example the 'slicks' in racing) but they would be illegal for the road. Most manufacturers offer treads where there is, for example two continuous rings around the centre of the tyre tread with the usual tread blocks either side. The standard fit Dunlop SP Sport 270s on the LS430 are designed for "grand touring", have a centre band which is continuous and should be quite good for noise. The rubber compound will have an effect as well.

Dunlop's D65 Touring has a five out of five rating for noise performance.

Frankly, I think a change of road surface will make more of a difference.

Tyres do not affect the warranty (within reason).

[Larry]

Thank you.

I'm getting closer to replacing the tyres and getting more used to the "road noise".

I heard Michelins wee quieter.

Do they have a favorable treead pattern?

Any suggestions as to the quietest, acceptable "legal" tires?

[flotsam]

The Tire Rack are probably the best known on line site for providing test comparisons. Here's their Grand Touring/All Season test results:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testRe...=GTAS&x=15&y=11

The best performer in these tests was the Bridgestone Turanza Revo H with a noise score of 8.23. Ride comfort was also high at 8.19. Actually from the article they sound so good that I may consider them when I next change tires. The only poor rating seems to be the traction figure but I don't do many jack-rabbit starts anyway and the traction control should help.

I assume Lexus have done all their homework on the dynamics of the wheel and tire combination but a change of tire shouldn't affect this too much.

OOps! Just read the previous posts which have already recommended the Tirerack and Bridgestones. You seem set on the Michelins. The test results weren't bad for the MXV Energies on the same test as the Revos.

[lexuslexus]

If you wish to stay with Dunlops - Dunlop have brought out a ' super quiet' tyre, and are currently running an advertising campaign for it in the UK. Go to: http://www.dunloptyres.co.uk/site/tyres/ca.../patterns/SP01/

to see details.

[ColinBarber]

not much choice in tyre size for those Dunlops. Don't think the standard LS430 size is available

[JohnS]

I recently changed the DZ8s on my LS400 with four new ones. There was avery noticeable improvement between the new tyres and the worn outgoing tyres. You may notice an improvement whatever you put on your car.

I have an idea that bthere was an earlier thread on tyre noise with a suggestion that the new low noise Dunlops are not any better than the earlier tyres.

I think road surface is most important of all, as on an area of new tarmac on the M27 near Fareham there is almost no road noise at all whereas on the same road where the surface changes to concrete the noise becomes deafening!

[rexlowin]

I have exactly the same problem as the original post.

I bought an LS 430 Mk1 to replace 2 previous LS400's, expecting it to be a better car.

On a good road surface it is fine, but on a poorer surface it is definately much worse than the LS400 MkIV in terms of tyre noise. Lexus centrally have been no help at all, and my local garage suggests changing my Dunlop SP Sport 270's for Bridgestones.

Any feedback as to exactly which model is best, or other recommendations, would be appreciated.

[Tony-Bones]

I just purchased my 2002 LS430.

The road noise...Dunlop tires...is very annoying. I am coming from an older LS400 then a Jaguar Vanden Plas. The tires have another 10,000 miles left on them and are in good condition.  Nothing is wrong with the suspension.

I brought the car to two Lexus service techs who tell me that that is the way it is...affect of the tires against different road surfaces.  We live in Florida.

I find it almost hard to believe that this would be the case for a car with under 20,000 miles and the most expensive car I have ever owned.

Will you advise me as to other feedback and solutions for this?

1. Have you heard this complaint before?

2. Is there a noticeable difference between the two tires,  someone recommended the Bridgestones, feedback?  Other tires?

3. Is there anyone who I can speak with or a place you can refer me to that has tested different tires on the vehicle?

4.  Is there a suggested place to purchase these tires affordably?

My old LS400 had Michelins recommended for it.

I don’t care about performance per se, I want smooth and quiet.

HELP!!!

Thanks,

Larry

←

facts first: what pattern is the tyre 8000 or 9000, where is the noise front or rear, do the tyres show a "heel and toe" wear pattern.

[Tony-Bones]

I have exactly the same problem as the original post.

I bought an LS 430 Mk1 to replace 2 previous LS400's, expecting it to be a better car.

On a good road surface it is fine, but on a poorer surface it is definately much worse than the LS400 MkIV in terms of tyre noise.  Lexus centrally have been no help at all, and my local garage suggests changing my Dunlop SP Sport 270's for Bridgestones.

Any feedback as to exactly which model is best, or other recommendations, would be appreciated.

←

Seems my last post was ment for you what size and model of tyre do you have....the SP Sport 270 is not complete in definition.