Radar Dimax AS-8 225/55R19 103V Tires Finally Installed

yrwei52

2016 Mazda CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech Pkg
Contributor
:
Plano, Texas, USA
Bought these Radar Dimax AS-8 225/55R19 103V tires for $84.49 each (price match to WalMart.com) and DT Independence Day Event 10% gift card rebate from my local Discount Tire Store more than 2 years ago and finally installed them today due to a puncture at right front tire strangely by a metal tubing and there’s not much tread (3/32” ~ 2/32”) left to worth the flat repair. This’s the first time I use tires which are not name brand, but for the price and other member’s recommendation I’m willing to give it a try.

Another tire option for 19" wheels

Radar Dimax tires are manfactured by Omni United that's been around since 2006. Omni United is located in Singapore but its tires are manufactured in 8 locations across 3 countries. My AS-8’s are made in Thailand.

Noticed the tire balancing machine at DT now has a lift helping the tech to raise the tire to the hub and tighten up the wheel for balancing. In short drive home I can only tell these new Radar Dimax AS-8’s are definitely quieter and a bit softer than A23’s even though they’re extra-load 103 tires. The other strange spec is the maximum tire pressure is rated at 49 psi, not 51 psi most new tires are having nowadays. Lastly, the tread depth on these new tires has only 9/32”, which is the same as my stock A23’s when they’re new. With “600 A A” UTQG, these tires should last much longer than stock Toyo A23 with “300 A A” UTQG.

I did ask the tech to position the new tire to the wheel based on the red and yellow dots on new tires. But they said no worries, the balancing will do the trick.

As usual, once I got home I installed the wheel caps to my liking on position, and re-torque all wheel lug nuts to 94 ft-lb. Tomorrow morning I’ll re-check the tire pressure on new tires most likely they need some more air to 39 psi which I prefer.

And my stock Toyo A23’s lasted 44,032 miles.

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I'd agree, especially for OEM tires.

Looks like one or two of the OEM tires have some toe wear (tire in the first pic, and the top tire in the third pic). Are you also planning to get a wheel alignment?
 
I'd agree, especially for OEM tires.

Looks like one or two of the OEM tires have some toe wear (tire in the first pic, and the top tire in the third pic). Are you also planning to get a wheel alignment?
Yes, an alignment at Brakes Plus® has been planned.
 
⋯ As usual, once I got home I installed the wheel caps to my liking on position, and re-torque all wheel lug nuts to 94 ft-lb. Tomorrow morning I’ll re-check the tire pressure on new tires most likely they need some more air to 39 psi which I prefer.
Checked the tire pressure the first thing this morning, they’re between 36 ~ 38 psi as expected even thought I specifically told one of the technicians I wanted the tire pressure to 40 psi and he told the other tech. There’re 2 technicians and 2 sets of tire installation and balancing machines on each side. It could be variations of different machines and diffrteng personnels. it could be the inaccuracy of my Accutire digital tire pressure gauge although I have compared this gauge with another Craftman digital tire pressure gauge the they both show the same read outs all the time. The key is the tire pressures on 4 tires should be consistent, and show all the same psi, not in a range.

I put the tire pressure at 39 psi on all 4 new tires. Also added more air in the mini spare at 60 psi.

As expected too wheel lug nuts were torqued inconsistently (some were very tight、some were loose) based on the feeling when I loosed and re-torqued each nut even though torque wrench was used by 2 technicians.

Lastly, wheel caps were been put back to the desired way relatively to the wheel pattern.
 
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What's the manufacture date for these tires that you had sitting around for two years? Hopefully they weren't already sitting in a warehouse somewhere for too long. I'm sure with your attention to detail and recommendations, you're aware that it's recommended to not use a tire past 6 years from its manufacture date. Half that life or more might have been gone before you even installed them.
 
What's the manufacture date for these tires that you had sitting around for two years? Hopefully they weren't already sitting in a warehouse somewhere for too long. I'm sure with your attention to detail and recommendations, you're aware that it's recommended to not use a tire past 6 years from its manufacture date. Half that life or more might have been gone before you even installed them.
Actually tire manufactures are warranted their tires for certain miles and 6 years. Discount Tire Store won’t provide any tire service if the tire is over 10 years old. I’d consider using tires less than 10 years old is safe, of course it also depends on the condition of the tires.

In my situation the pandemic delayed the plan of the tire installation. Those tires are very fresh when I bought them, and all have manufacture date “1819”, the 18th week in 2019.

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⋯ As usual, once I got home I installed the wheel caps to my liking on position
I hate these round wheel center caps as they’re difficult to find a good orientation to the wheels. On my 1998 Honda CR-V and 2000 BMW 528i, the wheel center caps are designed in specific shape to accommodate the lug nuts or bolts and they’re very easy to put back in a proper position and been aligned perfectly to the wheels. On my past 2001.5 VW Passat it had round wheel center caps and I always had a hard time to make those caps aligned properly to the wheels.

My CX-5 has the same issue like the Passat with round center caps. I figured out a logic for cap installation. The lock lug nut is put at the opposite side of valve stem position; and the pointed part of Mazda logo on the center cap is also pointed to the valve stem. This’s still not easy to make the cap aligned perfectly but at least they look better to me in this way.

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Huh. I always thought those things were glued in.

I guess yours make it easy to find the valve stems. I'll have to check mine.
 
I tried to pry mine out but I would guess I might have to remove the rim and poke them out..

A little off topic but my wheels have green valve stem caps. They are easier to see than the black ones.
 
I tried to pry mine out but I would guess I might have to remove the rim and poke them out..

A little off topic but my wheels have green valve stem caps. They are easier to see than the black ones.
Normally green valve stem caps indicate that the tires have been filled with nitrogen.
 
I tried to pry mine out but I would guess I might have to remove the rim and poke them out..

A little off topic but my wheels have green valve stem caps. They are easier to see than the black ones.
You can pry the wheel center cap off but with the risk of scratch the rim and cap. The best is you push out the center cap from inside, when the tire is off.

Before I went getting a new set of tires, I took all 4 tires off, wash both sides of wheels throughly. That’s the time I punch the center cap out with the handle of a dead blow hammer.

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I believe It’d be more accurate with a clean wheel for balancing. And the sticky weights used for outer side of the rim can stay there better. it’d also be easier to see any damage to the wheel by the technician if it ever happens.
 
Finally had a chance in the weekend driving the CX-5 on the highway with new tires. These Radar Dimax AS-8’s were very quiet on highway speed, which made me hear more wind noise than before with stock Toyo A23’s. They absorbed the bumps and gaps on concrete road surface much better too even though I put 39 psi on these tires. So far I have no complaints to these Radar Dimax AS-8’s.

Still need to find time to do the 4-wheel alignment at Brakes Plus®.
 
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