Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Spalding
I’ll look forward to that report. I’ve been considering the Toyos as well.
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Went to the Balboa Blvd America's tire, and here is my report after 30 miles of driving (tires inflated to 34 psi):
Wheel shake - There is some minuscule shake at the 60-64 mph range. It's really nothing though. I went as high as 84 mph, and the only time I would feel anything is in the 60-64 mph range, and it was barely noticeable. To be honest, sometimes there was no shake. Perhaps it was a combination of the following factors: road conditions, the stiffer tires (115 load rating vs OE 113), the stiffer nature of KDSS, today's removal of the spare tire and wheel (more on this later). Ultimately, I am extremely happy and content with the lack of steering wheel shake. Totally relieved. I could film a video if desired.
MPG - Have not driven enough to say for sure. However, it will still be higher than what the vehicle was getting day 1. I switched to premium fuel a few weeks ago just to experiment and noticed a 1.2 MPG increase in fuel efficiency. Decided to not post my findings here because they are controversial. Efficiency went up. My driving habits are routine. No out-of-the-norm driving for me. And since day 1 I have been driving in a manner that keeps the ECO light on as much as possible (this is second nature for me since driving my wife's Lexus CT so much). I also just dropped the spare for good, which makes a noticeable difference. Lastly, I almost exclusively driver streets (except for today's test). Removal of the spare will also help my MPG.
Ride Quality - No noticeable increase in road noise. But I have the TRD exhaust. The most noticeable thing about this tire is when making sharp turns. Even though the load rating is only 115, I can most definitely feel that these AT3's have a much stiffer sidewall than anything I had driven on in the past. Noticed instantly on sharp turns. The OE Duelers had a lot of flex. I do not know what your preferences are, but this is a huge positive for me. Ride quality is a little firmer than the Duelers. Not much of a noticeable difference (except on sharp turns). I will add that the lack of a spare does contribute to the increased firmness, so it could be that. I removed my spare while I had the Duelers on for a short period, and ride quality did stiffen, which was to be expected. I just did not think I would notice so easily. I am very happy with the ride quality. I should disclose though that I hate very soft rides.
I love the tire so far. I am wondering though if the wheel shake at 60-64 mph is even wheel shake at all. I was driving in a very heightened state of alert, looking for even the tiniest amount of wheel shake. It may have been just been me anticipating wheel shake. I'll probably go for a spin later today.