Annoying road noise, Kumho's

[TonyFoster]

I got tyres from blackcircles online, who were very efficient I may add, and have no negative comment at all about as they really handle their stuff well. Also the garage that fitted them, Central Tyres who were also excellent.

"Kumho KU31 205/45 R16 W (87), Reinforced"

I just have some problems with the Kumho's, ok so they were budget but now I am wondering maybe I should have stuck to the Turanza's!

Wear is "ok" but nowhere near the ER's...but the big thing is that after some time I am really noticing some noise (maybe due to the tread pattern). Does anyone get this?

It seems to have now they have bedded in.

At 40Mph its like a chopper or roadhumps. Its actually less noticeable at the higher speeds but still there (ride is not actually compromised).

I try and get others to hear it in my car but its not so evident....although my partner has heard it, but when you are driving all the time its noticeable.

Fronts are probably down to 3-4mm and rear's haven't done much (I'm not sure if its from there). It may even be something other than tyres, but I doubt it.

(the brakes whilst having been noisy in the past seem to be less of a problem now but I wouldn't rule anything out).

Im just planning to revolve the tyres and see if it changes as I have been to a few garages and no one seems to highlight any kind of fault or need to change anything.

Just wondered if this was unique or if others had the same?

I wouldn't have them again to be honest if it is this, because while great value and performance the noise is enough to drive you mad.

[vindaloo]

I got tyres from blackcircles online, who were very efficient I may add, and have no negative comment at all about as they really handle their stuff well. Also the garage that fitted them, Central Tyres who were also excellent.

"Kumho KU31 205/45 R16 W (87), Reinforced"

I just have some problems with the Kumho's, ok so they were budget but now I am wondering maybe I should have stuck to the Turanza's!

Wear is "ok" but nowhere near the ER's...but the big thing is that after some time I am really noticing some noise (maybe due to the tread pattern). Does anyone get this?

It seems to have now they have bedded in.

At 40Mph its like a chopper or roadhumps. Its actually less noticeable at the higher speeds but still there (ride is not actually compromised).

I try and get others to hear it in my car but its not so evident....although my partner has heard it, but when you are driving all the time its noticeable.

Fronts are probably down to 3-4mm and rear's haven't done much (I'm not sure if its from there). It may even be something other than tyres, but I doubt it.

(the brakes whilst having been noisy in the past seem to be less of a problem now but I wouldn't rule anything out).

Im just planning to revolve the tyres and see if it changes as I have been to a few garages and no one seems to highlight any kind of fault or need to change anything.

Just wondered if this was unique or if others had the same?

I wouldn't have them again to be honest if it is this, because while great value and performance the noise is enough to drive you mad.

Tyres or a less than perfect wheel bearing IMO. Though you might be lucky and it's a stone stuck in the tread...

If it's the same as mine, you almost feel you're on a train going over joints in the track...

[orbital]

hi there, i use the same tyres and have no probs at all,infact i could'nt wait to get the oem bridgestones off.hope that helps a little.

[VRSPhil]

I've had these on my last three cars and have never had any problems.

[matt_theforce]

We haven't had any of these problems with the KU31's on SWMBO's fabia nor on my Octi. We both find them to be very quiet.

[Gaz_vrs]

Ive got them on the back of mine and am suffering the same problem. Mine went for it's 40k service yesterday, got the dealers to look at all the wheel bearing and they were fine. But apparantly my rear tyres were wearing out of shape.

[Daddyfix]

I've also had similar noise/problem and like Gaz_vrs it turned out to be the rear tyres wearing out of round.

[PastyBoy]

I had KU31's all round on my previous Seat Ibiza TDi Sport, because of the price.

After a few months I thought my wheel bearings had gone, but had it checked and they were fine but the rear tyres were wearing inconsistently.

The front of each block was wearing faster than the rear of the blockl meaning in profile they looked like a saw blade!

I swapped the backs to the front and they soon wore down to acceptable again but the car was sold on before i could find out if it was the tyres or if it was dodgy rear suspension geometry.

[karlos_fabVRS]

I had one wearing out of shape and I even had to get rid of it for an MOT! Wasn't pleased at all. Now I have another noisey one and it does sound like a bearing I must admit. I don't think I'll be getting Kumhos next time.

[Wabey]

I run these tyres...have done for nearly 2 years now...and had no problems whatsoever with noise. They are a hell of a lot better than the Michelin Primacy tyres that were on the car when I got it!!

[TonyFoster]

Cheers all the advice, in fact I concurr, but they are good tyres or as good for the money nevertheless.

I have just found that revolving the almost "new" rears, to the front, so the more worn fronts are also on the rear, has made a huge difference and compell anyone with the same problem to consider that its likely to be the tyres first

Also don't expect the tyres places to always consider your best interests (several have looked at mine, one even commented they were "dangerous" which is a bit laughable but I guess they gotta sell tyres)

I suppose I could have just changed them early....but this seems to fix it and I have been thinking bout it for a while to just try.

Forgetting the wheel in regard to noise, the fronts "catch" a little, well certainly moreso on the drivers side when spinning but I guess with 40k of wear on original pads/disks this could be expected ! Doesn't seem to be the cause of the noise tho.

Certainly quieter on newish tyres, and with tyres pumped to optimal pressure also feels "softer" / more comfy at the front too. Guess this isn't brain surgery but like others above I was worried about bearings etc, seems to have been unfounded glad to say !!!

[matt_theforce]

it might also be worth noting that there is now a new KU31 design which doesn't follow the Directional design, I wonder if these will be better when they wear lower.

[Willsvrs]

Just to add that the Falken 512s (different tyre manufacturer i know) I have on mine howl like a mofo. They were on the rear, then i moved them to the front to confirm that it wasn't rear wheel bearings. I certainly won't be going for these again, although I hear Falken 452's are better...

[KenONeill]

This "sawtoothing" wear of tread blocks seems to be associated with regular hard braking, and not with a specific tyre brand or design.

[PastyBoy]

This "sawtoothing" wear of tread blocks seems to be associated with regular hard braking, and not with a specific tyre brand or design.

SWMBO's 30 mile everyday commute in the Ibiza was mostly country roads

I guess the truth alays comes out in the end!!

[Sonic_Vrs]

Also called castling, or castle walling. tread pattern (es. on non drive wheels) wear in an unbalanced way. ie all traction with road is due to breaking, not accelerating. fronts brake and drive so are more balanced.

Stolen frm Audi forum:

General notes on tyre noise

Tyre noise that can be heard by the human ear is caused by vibrations which are transmitted by the air from the source of the sound to our ears.

Of interest here are the noises caused by certain characteristics and effects while the tyres are rolling (source of the sound).

The cause of the noise is largely dependent on the combination of the road surface and tyres.

The road surface structure and material will greatly affect tyre noise. For example, the noise level on a wet road is much higher than on a dry road.

The tread pattern on the tyre contact surface also has a significant influence on tyre noise. Tyres with transverse grooves at an angle of 90° generate more noise than tyres with grooves running diagonally.

Small tread blocks are unstable. Their highly pronounced deformation agitates the air as the tyres roll. This creates the air vibrations that cause tyre noise.

Wider tyres are louder. They need more tread channels to displace water. When they are rolling, these tread channels displace the air, also creating air vibrations.

Further effects that also influence tyre noise:

“Tyre vibration” is the principal cause of tyre noise. It is caused by the columns of air in the tread channels being agitated.

“Air pumping” is the compression and expansion of the air caused by the deformation of the tread blocks as the tyre contact area moves along the road surface.

Useful information regarding tyre noise

Tyre noise is determined primarily by the tyres and the road surface.

As regards the road surface, it is the roughness, structure and material which influence tyre noise.

As regards the tyres, the width of the tyre and rim has an influence on tyre noise. Due to their larger contact area, wider tyres will cause more tyre noise than narrow tyres, as more air has to be displaced and more mass is agitated to create vibrations.

A wider wheel rim will also cause a tyre to have a wider contact area. The effect on tyre noise is thus very similar to that of a wider tyre. Moreover, the damping characteristics of the tyre may also be adversely affected by the wider wheel rim.

On vehicles with a front-mounted engine, tyre noise is more perceptible at the rear of the vehicle, as wind and engine noises are not as loud there.

Saw-tooth wear

Saw-tooth wear is a stepped wear pattern on the individual tread blocks – see illustration – that can cause increased tyre noise. The saw tooth pattern ("heel-and-toe" wear) is caused by uneven deformation of the tread blocks in the tyre contact area. Saw-tooth wear is more pronounced on non-driven wheels than on driven wheels.

New tyres are more susceptible to saw-tooth wear because of the greater elasticity of the high tread blocks. As the tread depth decreases, the tread blocks become more rigid and the tendency to wear in a saw-tooth pattern decreases.

What does a saw tooth wear pattern look like?

Viewed in the direction of travel, the tread blocks are higher at the front than they are at the rear, see illustration. Pronounced saw-tooth wear can lead to customers complaining about tyre noise.

Pronounced saw-tooth wear occurs:

- when toe-in values are too high

- when tyre pressures are incorrect

- when the tread is coarse, open

- on tyres which are fitted to the non-driven wheels

- when the vehicle is driven very fast around tight corners

1 - More pronounced wear at the front of the tread block

2 - Direction of rotation

Non-directional tyres:

In the event of saw-tooth wear, the direction of rotation of the tyre must be reversed. If saw-tooth wear is especially pronounced and tyre noise has increased, interchange the tyres diagonally. This will reduce the saw-tooth effect. On front-wheel-drive vehicles, this effect is intensified by the greater wear on the front axle. Tyre noise will be somewhat greater immediately after the tyres have been interchanged, but will return to the normal level after driving about 500 – 1,000 km.

Directional tyres:

In the event of increased saw-tooth wear on the rear tyres – in particular on front-wheel-drive vehicles – interchange the front and rear tyres. In the event of increased saw-tooth wear on the outer edges of the tyres on one axle, turn both tyres around on their rims. The left-hand wheel must then be fitted on the right side of the vehicle and the right-hand wheel on the left side.

SA 20 - tyre noise

Saw-tooth wear is a normal wear pattern and can be rectified on non-directional tyres by rotating the wheels diagonally. The wear should then be compensated after approx. 500 – 1,000 km.

The complaint report should include information detailing the previous repair work.

Modern tyres are designed for maximum driving safety, even in wet conditions. This demands an open tread pattern at the shoulders of the tyre and a softer rubber composition for the tread itself, both of which accelerate saw-tooth wear.

Saw-tooth wear is a normal wear pattern and does not constitute a fault which is covered by the warranty.

[Mr Ree]

Had them on my vRS, and not particulary impressed. Uneven wear and noisy. Thought it was the wheel bearings but it wasn't.