I wanted not only a full size spare, but the ability to try and shred tires without concern of blowing money. So instead of just buying one extra wheel and tire, I bought two refurbed wheels on eBay, two used tires on eBay, and two TPMS from AliExpress. I finally mounted them up. I knew that one of the tires was not a SoundAbsorber, but when looking to buy to shred, I didn’t think that was a concern.
Quickly I noticed that the SoundAbsorber has foam on the inside. Mine was ripped out where a plug/patch was installed in the tire. I can see how bits of foam coins also get in the way of a standard plug sealing one of these tires.
After mounting the tires, I noticed two additional differences. The SoundAbsorber version also have a web pattern between the tread blocks. Not sure if this helps deaden the sound or not. More concerning is the fact that the SoundAbsorber appear to be a bit wider so the sidewalls are very vertical whereas the non-sound-absorber version seem a bit stretched. I might not have noticed this, but when dropping the back side of the wheel on the ground, the wheel hit the ground. The tire didn’t protect it. That’s not the case with the SoundAbsorber version. I wondered if maybe it was just thicker bead protection, but it really looks like the non-sound-absorber version are just a bit narrower.
This has me a bit more concerned about using this non-sound-absorber wheel with my brand new car. It’s probably better than any donut spare but might not be something I want to rotate in with the other tires just for the sake of rotation.
Anyway, this difference was more than I expected. I may keep my eyes peeled for another discounted sound-absorber tire.
Quickly I noticed that the SoundAbsorber has foam on the inside. Mine was ripped out where a plug/patch was installed in the tire. I can see how bits of foam coins also get in the way of a standard plug sealing one of these tires.
After mounting the tires, I noticed two additional differences. The SoundAbsorber version also have a web pattern between the tread blocks. Not sure if this helps deaden the sound or not. More concerning is the fact that the SoundAbsorber appear to be a bit wider so the sidewalls are very vertical whereas the non-sound-absorber version seem a bit stretched. I might not have noticed this, but when dropping the back side of the wheel on the ground, the wheel hit the ground. The tire didn’t protect it. That’s not the case with the SoundAbsorber version. I wondered if maybe it was just thicker bead protection, but it really looks like the non-sound-absorber version are just a bit narrower.
This has me a bit more concerned about using this non-sound-absorber wheel with my brand new car. It’s probably better than any donut spare but might not be something I want to rotate in with the other tires just for the sake of rotation.
Anyway, this difference was more than I expected. I may keep my eyes peeled for another discounted sound-absorber tire.