[Bat Van]

We just bought a 2006 Touring w/PAX last night, completely unaware of the PAX issue until we called a local Discount Tire to price replacing the tires.

I've dug around all over the internet for several hours last night and again this morning to learn as much as I can (I'm an ex-Ford Master Certified Service Advisor and ex-AC Delco mechanic, who now writes auto repair articles for part of my income - so I soaked up a ton of info pretty quickly).

After all the research we decided to DePax the van since, otherwise, we love it. I read up on how to do so on here and several other places and then I called the one and only Discount Tire here in the Twin Cities that works with PAX to get thier take.

They told me the PAX tires have a load rating of 104, while no other tire made to fit the Odyssey has a load rating higher than 102. They also said the wheels that are non-PAX don't have sufficient load ratings to handle the PAX vans either.

Since I haven't found any place on the web that addresses the load rating issue (which, according to Discount leads to premature wear of the new tires and cracked wheels) I thought I'd start a thread here and ask for anecdotal evidence.

Also, I'd love it if someone who has successfully "DePaxed" can fill me in on what goes on with the message center and warning lights once you install EX-L or MDX wheels and new TPMS sensors.

Thanks in advance!

 

[DavidGSR]

102 load rating = 1874 lbs
104 load rating = 1984 lbs

Will that 440 lbs make a big diffrence in the overall load rating in the manual. You may want to see what the owners manual says. I can guess part of the increased load on a touring vs. ex-l is the weight of the wheels themselves. I would guess each Pax wheel/tire is 25 lbs heavier than its EXL counterpart.

 

[marjenmiller]

I have had the HANKOOK VENTUS with 102 load rating on my '06 Touring for over a year. Decent tire, though a little louder on the road than the original pax tire because it is a 60k mile tire compared to the 20k-25k pax. Good tread and grip through snow and rain. I mounted them on some 2010 Acura TL take off rims that I got from an Acura dealer for $160 each. If you like that rim, just call around to an Acura service counter. The tires I ordered from Discount tire and they mounted them for me.

For the TPMS, I ordered new TPMS from Honda (many dealers online offer discounts) and they aligned with the Ody message center after driving down the road about a mile. The only thing you have to remember is if you do get a flat, the message center will tell you to keep it under 55mph because the message center still thinks you have pax on the vehicle....so don't drive with flat.

Mike Tran is a great contact to help you through a depax. He'll even ship you rims and tires with new TPMS. He helped me on how to get a spare too.

There is also a 'sticky' at the beginning of the forum labelled "Depax the right way Detailed How-To Article" which helps with a lot of info and advice.

Good luck and say goodbye to your pax tires.

 

[Bat Van]

I just spoke to a Honda service advisor who has been with his particular dealership for a long time. He said he has many customers who have Depaxed with EX-L wheels and Michelin tires and they've had no issues based on load rating. One myth dispelled.

Thanks for the load rating info, DavidGSR. I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that a Honda Mini Van put more direct weight on a tire/wheel than, say a Ford Excursion. So, the whole deal Discount Tire told me just didn't make sense...

 

[Bat Van]

I have had the HANKOOK VENTUS with 102 load rating on my '06 Touring for over a year. Decent tire, though a little louder on the road than the original pax tire because it is a 60k mile tire compared to the 20k-25k pax. Good tread and grip through snow and rain. I mounted them on some 2010 Acura TL take off rims that I got from an Acura dealer for $160 each. If you like that rim, just call around to an Acura service counter. The tires I ordered from Discount tire and they mounted them for me.

For the TPMS, I ordered new TPMS from Honda (many dealers online offer discounts) and they aligned with the Ody message center after driving down the road about a mile. The only thing you have to remember is if you do get a flat, the message center will tell you to keep it under 55mph because the message center still thinks you have pax on the vehicle....so don't drive with flat.

Mike Tran is a great contact to help you through a depax. He'll even ship you rims and tires with new TPMS. He helped me on how to get a spare too.

There is also a 'sticky' at the beginning of the forum labelled "Depax the right way Detailed How-To Article" which helps with a lot of info and advice.

Good luck and say goodbye to your pax tires.

Thanks! I'd read through the threads in question before posting, but like I said, I hadn't come across any load rating issues/concerns before, so I thought I'd ask.

 

[Powderkeg]

I own two 2006 Honda Odyssey Touring editions. I bought both of them used with around 40,000 miles on each.

One came with brand new PAX tires that were installed as part of the transaction. The second one came needing tires.

I immediately de-paxed the van through two sources.

I got the spare tire and associated hardware from College Hills Honda. Search this forum or google them. They sell a kit that has everything you will need.

I bought the tires, rims, and TPMS sensors from a guy (Miketr75) in San Francisco who can be found on this forum. The guy I must admit knows his stuff, is responsive, and provides the tires installed on the rims with the TPMS sensors. If you compare his prices and the fact that you are getting four tires and rims ready to bolt on the car it is a no brainer. All you have to do is bolt them on the car. After installation the TPMS sensors registered automatically when I started the car and drove it the first time. The tires if you are interested are Hankook 235/55R18 104V XL. The rims are OEM Honda wheels. I had to remove the "H" centercap from the old rims and install them on the new ones.

As far as the difference. Much better ride, better handling, the rims do not get dirty like the PAX rims, and so far I love them. I live in Tampa Bay and drive to Miami for work a few times a month. I have driven both cars and prefer the de-paxed vehicle.

With respect to your question regarding the computer and converting the tires you need to keep in mind that the vehicle does not know that you no longer have PAX tires installed. With that said when the TPMS sensors detect that tire pressure is decreasing it will notify you that you can drive "X" number of miles when in fact you cannot. I had to educate my wife and to the best of my knowledge there is no work around for that.

My Odyssey with the PAX tires still on it looks like they will need replacing in about four months. No doubt in my mind I will do the same thing when they wear out.

I have four PAX tires stacked on the side of my house today. I asked the local Honda dealer (Crown Honda St Petersburg) if they wanted them and they said no. Soon I will have eight of them stacked on the side of my house and I still am unsure how to get rid of them.

 

[Bat Van]

I own two 2006 Honda Odyssey Touring editions. I bought both of them used with around 40,000 miles on each.

One came with brand new PAX tires that were installed as part of the transaction. The second one came needing tires.

I immediately de-paxed the van through two sources.

I got the spare tire and associated hardware from College Hills Honda. Search this forum or google them. They sell a kit that has everything you will need.

I bought the tires, rims, and TPMS sensors from a guy (Miketr75) in San Francisco who can be found on this forum. The guy I must admit knows his stuff, is responsive, and provides the tires installed on the rims with the TPMS sensors. If you compare his prices and the fact that you are getting four tires and rims ready to bolt on the car it is a no brainer. All you have to do is bolt them on the car. After installation the TPMS sensors registered automatically when I started the car and drove it the first time. The tires if you are interested are Hankook 235/55R18 104V XL. The rims are OEM Honda wheels. I had to remove the "H" centercap from the old rims and install them on the new ones.

As far as the difference. Much better ride, better handling, the rims do not get dirty like the PAX rims, and so far I love them. I live in Tampa Bay and drive to Miami for work a few times a month. I have driven both cars and prefer the de-paxed vehicle.

With respect to your question regarding the computer and converting the tires you need to keep in mind that the vehicle does not know that you no longer have PAX tires installed. With that said when the TPMS sensors detect that tire pressure is decreasing it will notify you that you can drive "X" number of miles when in fact you cannot. I had to educate my wife and to the best of my knowledge there is no work around for that.

My Odyssey with the PAX tires still on it looks like they will need replacing in about four months. No doubt in my mind I will do the same thing when they wear out.

I have four PAX tires stacked on the side of my house today. I asked the local Honda dealer (Crown Honda St Petersburg) if they wanted them and they said no. Soon I will have eight of them stacked on the side of my house and I still am unsure how to get rid of them.

Thanks for the info, Powderkeg. I've been talking to Mike about getting his set #2. Now I just need to pull the funds together.

I was thinking about it last night and the question popped into my mind 'What will Honda do if/when they run out of tires for the PAX system?'
Answer: They'll tell everyone to switch to EX-L wheels/tires and put out a software update to handle the message center/TPMS/Run Flat lights.

With the overwhelming amount of anecdotal evidence from people who have DePaxed, it seems like a no brainer now.

Edited to add: a lot of tire shops will either take your old tires for a small fee (like $2/each) or tell you where you can take them to get rid of them. There's a lot of new industries springing up that use recycled old tires for new products, such as rubberized asphalt, flooring, etc.

 

[richysh]

Soon I will have eight of them stacked on the side of my house and I still am unsure how to get rid of them.

you can take them to one of those aluminum recycle place and they'll give you some cash.

 

[Bat Van]

We bought a set of Mike's #2 17"s last night. Can't wait to get them and install them.

Does anyone know a cheaper method of taking care of the spare tire than what College Hill offers? Mike suggested Tire Rack, but they only sell the tire, and with the parts & Tire Rack's tire price, plus mounting, it's more than College Hill.

 

[leecarter]

Recently depaxed

Here is my experience:

http://www.odyclub.com/forums/15-wheels-tires-suspension/148052-de-pax-after-5-yrs.html

I reused the sensors. Had the new wheels shipped to the house. Put the Ody up on 4 jack stands, and took the PAX off. Cut a hole in the side with utility knife and took out the sensors and mounted in the new wheels. Took the wheels to the local tire store, and they mounted new tires.

Discovered the rear shocks were bad at the same time. Easy change. $37 each.

Total cost $950. Plus shocks.

Spare: AAA card. 2 cans fix-a-flat. (Am keeping my eye out for a used spare.)

 

[pacanes]

As it turns out, TPMS sensors are identical for the following cars from Honda/Acura.
Odyssey Touring 2005-2007
Ridgeline 2006-2008
Pilot 2006-2008
MDX 2006
RL 2006-2008
TL 2006-2008
There may be more years than listed above but those years are for sure. So, if you get wheels from any vehicle listed above, the TPMS should work with the Odyssey Touring. Not all the cars listed share the same bolt pattern. However, the Odyssey, RL and the Ridgeline does. So my thought is purchase new aftermarket wheels for the Ridgeline, get TPMS for the Ridgeline and then buy tires that is more suited for the Odyssey.

As we know, Tirerack won't even talk to you if you tell them that you have an Odyssey Touring. But what if you tell them you have a 2006 Ridgeline. Order 17" or 18" Ridgeline wheels, order the TPMS sensor for the 2006 Ridgeline then order tires size that is more suited for the Odyssey. Tirerack will warn you that the tire size you ordered is not the recommended size for the Ridgeline but if you tell them you know and still want that size, they will sell them to you. Fortunately, the Ridgeline tire size and the Odyssey tire size is fairly close so it won't seem too odd to Tirerack. Now we know that the Ridgeline wheels fit the Odyssey without a problem. We seen several post in this thread as other threads that that has been done.

I've already done this. I ordered 18" wheels for a 2006 Ridgeline, ordered the TPMS also for the 2006 Ridgeline and got tires sized more appropriate for the Odyssey. Everything fits like a charm. Even the TPMS synced up with my Touring after about 5 minutes of driving. Now I have a depax set of wheels for way less than I would have paid for a new set of PAX Michelins from the stealership. I'll post some pictures when I get a chance.

 

[Bat Van]

As we know, Tirerack won't even talk to you if you tell them that you have an Odyssey Touring.

Heh. I've called Tirerack five times trying to get a Kenda spare and been given six different answers on whether or not it's going to be available ever again... my opinion of Tirerack has plummeted since this began.

Called Kenda themselves and got nothing but voicemails, sent them an email and never heard back.

 

[pacanes]

Here are some pictures of my '06 Odyssey Touring with new wheels from Tirerack. The wheels are Sport Edition TX5 18" and the tires are BFGoodrich Radial T/A size 245/55R18. The wheels are flush with the body and fill the wheel well much better. I always thought that the OEM wheels were too small and too sunken in into the body. Total cost to have it shipped to my door: $1088. This includes the TPMS sold and installed by Tirerack plus all the lug nuts, lug nut socket, centering ring, center cap. I tried to install the original Honda center cap. The hole is the right size but the clips that hold it in place don't grip anything so it just pops back out. I guess you can get creative and glue them in place on the back side but that's too much trouble for me. New wheels and lug nuts need a "break in" period so I'll re-torque them after a week or so and every so often after that.