What a difference a tyre makes.

[rushy]

My Factory rears finally gave up the ghost last week after 4 years and 40k, so I put my 225/45/17 extra load from the front to the back and got new 225/45/17 extra load's for the front. She doesn't like them on the rears I know that. There a great tyre on the front, great grip wet and dry and am happy with road noise and everything about it, but on the rears its just bang and rattle, i'm sure the grip will be great but the noise is doing my head in. I take it "extra load" is a thicker side wall so less give hence a harder ride? Any ideas guys.

[pricey]

I noticed the difference with the XL's I had on the last vec, it gave a slightly firmer ride. Like you say i think it's a thicker sidewall.

I never noticed any extra noise on the rears though, what make you got on?

[rushy]

Hankook. The actual tyre isn't giving any extra noise, but more noise coming through the hole rear end.

[_ZS_]

Can you actually get that size without XL? Even my Astra runs XL's in 225-45/17. It rides fine, much better than my old Mk4 on 205-50/16.

[Big Sig]

yes you can get them with out the XL rating. You don't need XL's on the 2.2

[rushy]

I fill the boot to bursting for my work so XL's come in handy. Plus when I got the tyre the first time they just so happened to be XL's.

[glynn]

with new boots on the car makes all the difference like having a new car again