2021 CX-5 Bumpy ride on new tires

[konstnn]

Hi all! I am having an issue with bumpy ride after installing new tires which are Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive. Tried low tire pressure to the point the sensors start complaining. On recommend tire pressure it's unbearable. Around 30psi it is better yet far from wanted. The car feels kind of low magnitude bumpy, almost like shaking. Not bouncing like with dead shocks but shaking up and down. Responds to EVERY single asphalt crack, EVERY road imperfection, on any speed. I was happy with the ride before, on stock tires.

My other car is stiff(er) sedan, CX5 was a comfortable couch in comparison. Not anymore. I would say it is a coincidence and suspension is at fault, but the car only has 22K miles. Makes no sense and I can't explain. Hearing my wife earrings jiggle is fun but the new bumpiness is annoying. So I don't know what to do. I can try replacing the tires again but afraid it won't fix the issue. Same with replacing shocks.. Don't mind working on the car unless it not useless.

Has anyone experienced anything similar that new tires change the car ride dramatically?

 

[cz5gt]

if it changed after the tires ...well must be the tires. Some are harder compound than others and absorb road imperfections worse.
Could it also be very bad balance?

For example I run michelin PS4 all season now and its more bumpy with those but they stick and dont slip.
With the stock Toyo it was comfortable but the tires didnt grip well.

 

[a69mach1377]

Yeah, sounds like a tire dealer issue...

 

[SparkYellow]

Was the new set balanced/installed at a trusted shop by an experienced technician?

Last year I had a terribly bumpy ride after DIY tire rotations. Newbie mistakes were made.

 

[MrMcE]

I just bought a '21, dealer installed new tires and allegedly balanced them. Ride was bumpy.
Took it to Discount Tire, they didn't charge anything for a rebalance (properly done with road force balancing) and car smoothed out completely. It's the best first shot at fixing the issue.
The tire report showed pretty big imbalances before the fix. You could've just gotten unlucky with a lazy/amateur tech installing your new tires and did a poor job with balancing.

 

[BoomerZoomr]

If I wasn’t happy after paying $$$ for new tire installation, I would go back to the business and ask for a solution.

 

[SparkYellow]

I removed, rotated, and installed the wheels/tires using hand tools while the car was on the lift. The ride home was awful so I torque-tightened the nuts the next morning. It didn't help much. The tire shop always uses an impact wrench to tighten the nuts while the wheels are off the ground and torque-tighten once they're on the ground.

In 2024 I found a great deal on Bridgestone tires that turned out to be new old-stock (DOT code in 2020 and 2021.) They were half the price with half the life. It was not a bad deal for me though because I average 2K miles/month. I wonder if other aged new tires don't ride like new.

 

[dunhillmc]

what are the load and performance ratings of the new tires. How do those compare to the ones you replaced?

 

[bmninada]

Tire may be over pressured. Different type of tire - harder compounds, 3 peak rated perhaps - you sacrifice comfort for durability. Worst case - bad manufacturing causing hi and low load spots which is extremely common. Regular balancing won't detect.

 

[BoomerZoomr]

The yellow dot on a new tire marks the tires lightest point… and should be mounted at the wheel's valve stem, which is the wheel's heaviest point.
By pairing the tire's lightest point with the wheel's heaviest point, they create a natural balance that minimizes the additional weight needed. Instead of fighting against the tire's natural weight distribution, they are working with it.
Did they do that?

 

[konstnn]

Thanks for suggestions folks! It was the tires. Maybe the compound, maybe the load ratings, or maybe tires spent too much time in cold warehouse before.. idk. The tires were balanced fine, there was no vibrations on smooth roads at all. I went and replaced them with Pirelli Scorpio and the problem is gone now. Pirellis are noticeably softer at the recommend 35psi than Goodyear was at low 30psi. It is so different that I feel it immediately on a curb backing up from driveway into street. Ride is back to usual. I would just assume Goodyears in this size were designed for heavier and softer cars.