strange behavior with 17" Goodyear F1 asym

[pvn]

Hello friends.

I have two setups:
summer: Goodyear F1 asym 225/45 YR17 94Y XL - which I bought very fresh and brand new
winter: some old Bridgestone 205/55 R16 which came with the car

I think something is very wrong here. These Goodyear tyres are enormously stiff! They do not bend at all from the weight of the car and the pressure is 2.2 atm (32psi). The mark of the tyres on the ground is so small that I have very poor traction and braking distance comparing to the very soft and old Bridgestones? Even on dry surfaces I occasionally spin the wheels on green light and my acceleration is very very bad. When I hit the gas pedal hard on 1-st and 2-nd gear I feel like the front wheels are not touching the grand and there is no acceleration at all. I feel like I drive a 75hp car. Similar thing happen when braking. The ABS kicks in earlier in comparison with 205/55 R16 Bridgestones which increases the braking distance.

Did I bought the wrong tyres? Did I make the mistake of buying "94Y XL" which is the reason to be so damn stiff? I do not have a huge experience with many cars and tyres. Are all the 17" tyres so stiff, or this is because of the "94Y XL"? If all 17" tyres are like this I will sell it and buy a new 16" setup for the summer. If not, what tyres should I get? I though F1 asym are very good tyres.

Please advice and sorry for the bad English.

[Fredoops]

I'm thinking you you two sets of rims? one for the 16 and one for the 17inch.

I'mma make guess here, I'm thinking those tyres needs warming up, I heard from some UK guys that the F1 are rubbish cold.

And do you have suspension or damping mods?

[pvn]

Yes, two sets of wheels and tyres. Summer - 17" and winter - 16".
And no, no mods at all. Everything is stock.

[Fredoops]

1. Check if your sidewall is too low or something (Ie picked wrong sized tyres)
2. check if the rubber is "crusty". Goodyear's deteriorate like mad if left out in the cold.
3. Check dealer if you've been given Dud's or OLD tyres.

[natnat]

The F1 comes from different factories. Here in Australia we get some from China and some from German. Perhaps yours are the chinese made ones?

I guess your tyres are still new? All new tyres need break in period. See this:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=5

[pvn]

I am not sure about the exact DOT number, but the tyres was pretty fresh when I bought it. I remember I have checked the DOT back then and it showed that the tyres was produced in the beginning of 2010 (~3-4 months before the purchase). Also "Made in Germany".

My biggest suspects for the tyres being so stiff anf gripless are:
1) "Y" speed rating which is very high
2) "XL" index which probably stands for "strengthened side wall".
3) "94" load index which is a little bit higher compared to stock tyres (91)
Maybe all these three tyre settings combined together does not play well with our particular car model? Or maybe the tyres are targeted for very very sporty driving on very hot weather and surfaces. Can anyone confirm this or make a suggestion?

The wheels are 8J and fit just perfect with the tire and fender.

I have 15000km with these tyres so the break in period should not be an issue. The summer is coming and I am trying to decided what to do.

[aaronng]

Are they run flat tyres? Run flats can have very stiff sidewalks.

[Fredoops]

I have a feeling he's got either old tyres or the summer tyres were exposures to extreme cold...

[natnat]

the location does not seem to be in Australia?

here we don't need summer / winter tyres.

[pvn]

No, they are not run flats.

The location is eastern Europe. We have very distinguished seasons here.

I will try to find a driver with more experience in different cars and different tyres and give him a test drive to tell me whether this is normal or not.

[tony1234]

I am not sure about the exact DOT number, but the tyres was pretty fresh when I bought it. I remember I have checked the DOT back then and it showed that the tyres was produced in the beginning of 2010 (~3-4 months before the purchase). Also "Made in Germany".

My biggest suspects for the tyres being so stiff anf gripless are:
1) "Y" speed rating which is very high
2) "XL" index which probably stands for "strengthened side wall".
3) "94" load index which is a little bit higher compared to stock tyres (91)
Maybe all these three tyre settings combined together does not play well with our particular car model? Or maybe the tyres are targeted for very very sporty driving on very hot weather and surfaces. Can anyone confirm this or make a suggestion?

The wheels are 8J and fit just perfect with the tire and fender.

I have 15000km with these tyres so the break in period should not be an issue. The summer is coming and I am trying to decided what to do.

The XL index stands for extra load which means stiffer sidewalls.