At long last I got my 05 XJR to the level of "whisper quiet" one expects in a Jag sedan. The car came to me with nearly new Falken unidirectional Summer High Perf. tires on 19" wheels and the road roar was a PITA.

After sorting out some front end issues, 1 bad shock, a lower control arm, 1 bent wheel and alignment, I replaced the 2 front Falkens with 2 Pirelli P6 Four Seasons. Road roar decreased about 75%. The replaced Falcons were worn on the inside edges as a result poor alignment. The remaining 2 Falkens were in good shape except for some slight inside ware so I had them flopped on the wheels and installed on the rear.

Last week I replaced the 2 remaining Falkens with Pirelli P6s and the car is amazingly quiet. It may be my imagination, but the ride seems improved as well.

It's important to draw the correct lessons here. IMHO the lessons are: the Falcons are good tires and performrd well. They liked hard cornering and panic stops. They, like all Summer High Perf. tires are inherently noisy and poor to dangerous in cold weather. Any XJ tire unevenly worn or cupped will give you hell. All season tires are inherently quieter because they have a more complex tread pattern usually incorporating more anti noise designs. Low profile tires and their poor ride and noise characteristics are problematical as the only sure cure is wheel/tire replacement and that will do a number on your check book.

 

Nice job!

What made you suspect the LCA was bad?

 

It was leaking oil from the big end (front) rubber bushing. All my problems were from the right front.ie, control arm, bent wheel, leaking shock. I have always imagined somebody hit a curb or pot hole with that corner and really did a number on it.

 

Thanks for this thread because I believe this is gonna be a good reference for anyone with same complaints as yours
Happy driving

 

This is strange. I had Pirelli P6's on my car and couldn't wait to get rid of them. They were so noisy. My mechanic said he has had a some complaints about them too. I recently replaced them with Hankook's and the difference is amazing. I wonder if it is just that new tires are inherently quieter than tires with some miles on them.

 

The thing about tires is that you can get impassioned testimonials for or against any brand or type you care to look at. I think the only way to deal with the subject is in generalities when dealing with subjective owner experiences and specifics when dealing with objective data from tire testing agencies.

What I mean by this mouthful of blather is:

1. Summer high perf. low profile tires really perform as advertised but the trade offs in terms of noise, ride quality, Winter characteristics and mileage are significant.
2. Most brand name tire companies put out an acceptable tire in each category. Some of the Japanese and Korean tires are real bargains. The difference among tires by brand is not great, the possible exception being Michelin.
3. Given the amount of craftsmanship/hand work that goes into each tire's construction it's not surprising that a basically good brand can have quality control issues. Remember too that 1 bad tire in a set ruins the experience.
4. If your tire store is not a "satisfaction guaranteed" business you are just asking for a screwing because the only way back from a bad tire is a money back guarantee.

My final point is this. You must have a solid relationship with your tire company. My tire guy has been getting my business for 15 years. I insist that he drive my car before and after. He knows exactly what I want and that I will be persistent. He also knows that I want him to be successful and profitable.