Tire choices

[Stanislav94]

Trying to decide which tire to go with for this season. Just wanted to get some extra input. I ran Falken Azenis RT-615 last year, they were nice. Here is a few that I'm considering:

1. Bridgestone Potenza RE-11
2. Kumho Ecsta XS
3. Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08

Then these two, but they might put me out of street tire class.

4. TOYO Proxes R888
5. Nitto NT-01

[DQ Driver]

I voted for the Nitto NT-01, because they look serious.

[EvolvedDSM]

The Toyos are great on track, but you're not going to be able to put enough heat into them to get the full use of them in a parking lot. They're also a bit noisy on the street. You need a 200 tread wear to maintain "street tire" status. Where's the Star Spec compound?

[YU_LOST]

I like the Yokohama's just because they look cool:thumb

[Stanislav94]

Star Specs would be cool, especially for the price, but they only have 195's. Nittos probably would not last the whole season, but would be sweet to try. The Yokohama's do look nice, would like to see them in person though.

[EvolvedDSM]

You know which ones you liked last Sat :)

[hndaklr]

I like the Yokohama's just because they look cool:thumb

Ya, it reminds me of a beautiful waterfall.

[Stanislav94]

No love for the Kumhos huh. They would look sweet with some blue letters and kinda sorta match my plates...

[Stanislav94]

;)

[EvolvedDSM]

Hot off the press! GRM did a quick comparison on their test course with the following results (in order, quickest at the top):
Kumho ECSTA XS 205/50R15 - 34.170
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 205/50R15 - 34.266
Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R 195/55R15 - 34.478
Toyo Proxes R1R 205/50R15 - 34.522
Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec 195/55R15 - 35.209 (Damn that taller sidewall!)
Falken Azenis RT-615 205/55R15 - 35.302

It appears minimum treadwear for SCCA's Street categories is 140. Other tires mentioned to be potential contenders were Federal 595RS-R, Hankook Ventus RS3, Nitto NT05 and Yokohama Advan Neova AD08, but none were tested due to lack of size availability for their Civic test vehicle. (Who the hell drives a Civic!?!!?!)

[Stanislav94]

Haha, lol, I don't know who drives a civic, I drive this: :thumb

[Stanislav94]

That's some good info on the tires. Would be a little better if they were all the same size, but what you gonna do. Pretty sure the Falkens are 205 50 15 :beer . Kind of wish they would have a basic all season tire in there for comparison. I never even thought about the Federal. Those RS3's don't look too exciting, well at least compared to these: :thumb . I think the smallest NT-05 is a 235 40 17 that would be a little tight unless it's a brand new civic.

[Stanislav94]

These are pretty crazy as well. Good size too :thumb

[EvolvedDSM]

I would like to change my vote to the Uniroyal Tiger Paw Touring T :D

[Stanislav94]

Sorry, all votes are final. You've made an excellent choice by the way:thumb and so did I :D .

[DQ Driver]

Stas,

What do you suggest for an all year daily driver, averaging ~25k miles a year, with wicked camber issues due to a 2.5" drop.

Currently running 205/60/15 BFG Traction T/A H, UTQG 440AA A, which run ~$69 each.

[Stanislav94]

Just stick with those, why change a good thing.

[DQ Driver]

Maybe something lighter weight or with a lower rolling resistance for better MPG?
Or higher treadwear, so I can log some more miles before replacement?

You're the tire expert, I only chose Traction T/A's for nostalgia, because they were good enough for cutting low 1.6 sixty foots in the RUST RKT.

[Stanislav94]

Well, you could step to a T rated one, save 4 dollars, get the higher tread wear and a softer ride, and probably get an extra 10k out of them.

Michelin HydroEdge seems to have the highest tread wear of 800. They do last a long time and Michelin is always a safe bet. I've had a few people come back for their second set. Then the Harmony is right there behind it.

If you go with what's new, like, Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max, the name is comforting and it's nice to feel like you can save money with a tire. But you're taking a risk on a new product and being a Goodyear and seeing the track record of how long their new tires stay in the market, it's a big risk. Being called GoodSquares for a reason of less than acceptable uniformity most of the time, you might have a vibration that will never go away. Sometimes you get a good set, but we've had more returns on Goodyears than any other tire.

The Yokohama AVID TRZ has been pretty popular and people seem to like them. It's pretty soft and should provide a comfortable ride.

Then again you could stick to the brand and try the latest from BFG, BFGoodrich Advantage T/A , should be pretty good.

[DQ Driver]

1) step to a T rated one
2) Michelin HydroEdge
3) MichelinHarmony
4) Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max
5) Yokohama AVID TRZ
6) BFG, BFGoodrich Advantage T/A


1) Not a bad idea. I can keep the Traction T/A name and appearance
2) at $115 each, I can replace the BFGs twice as often!
3) Potential at $95 each, I'm liking the 740 treadwear, but kind of heavy at 24lbs
4) I'm interested 580 treadwear, 18lbs/each, and only $81. Tell me more about "GoodSquares" and track how many cross your path.
5) The sidewall is ugly as sin.
6) I don't see the Advantage

[DQ Driver]

Opinions on ...

Bridgestone Turanza EL400
Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum
Yokohama Avid H4S

Please.

[Stanislav94]

There is a slight variation in appearance between a T rated and an H rated Traction T/A. Tread blocks are noticeably smaller on the T rated one when compared side by side. So the looks will change a bit. Less aggressive. The advantage on the new T/A is that it's the new hotness, or maybe just warmness, and it could possibly incorporate some new technology. Also there is less chance of it sitting in a wear house somewhere for five years.

On most Michelin's you are paying top dollar for the name, but then again you are paying for the top product. Michelin knows that they have a superior product and don't budge on the price too much. Harmony's are pretty thick, heavy duty, many people step up to those from Symmetry's. Then the good old MXV4 seems to be a popular choice in it's many variations. Even some car manufacturers seem to think that it's suitable as an OEM tire on their new cars, such as Honda and Acura. I kind of a have a liking for the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S. I put them on my mom's Accord and they are nice and smooth and quiet even grip pretty well with progressive breakaway. They're smoother than the Harmony's and do just fine in the snow.

While balancing many Goodyear products it is visually apparent that an alarmingly high percentage of them exhibit signs of irregular construction. On some you can clearly see the ply overlap, leading to high spots and vibration. Some exhibit excessive side to side movement or wobble. The RoadForce measurement for a passenger tire should be below 0.026" or it's considered bad. Bad as in pretty much any person will be able to feel a vibration while driving. Many GoodYears come in the high teens and low twenties, while still acceptable some individuals will feel a vibration if they are used to a better ride. I'm not saying that they are all bad. There are many that are perfectly fine, just the percentage of getting one that is unsatisfactory is greater than in other manufacturers.

The Yokohama TRZ is alright, they have possibly tried to do too many things at one time, asking to do three things at once, none of which is performed well. The Avid H4S is pretty much the same as the AS430 we carry. It is pretty soft and some people who were looking for a high performance all season have said that it's a little too mushy for their taste and went with BFG's. Otherwise for price and performance besides being on the soft side, they're very competitive.

Not too familiar with the Turanzas besides that they seem to be similar to RE92 which are complete garbage. I think some manufacturers thought it would be funny to put those on new cars so that people would have to buy new tires at 15-20k. Even though the Turanzas have a significantly higher tread wear I can't see them lasting three times as long. Unless the RE92's were a complete mistake.

Kumho's look like they're turning into a wannabe snow tire almost. Judging by the lifespan of others such as the Solus, I don't think these will last too long.

That's all I got for now.

[EvolvedDSM]

Stas,
Can you tell my why 2 out my 5 Michelin HydroEdge have a tread wear of 760 (740?) instead of 800 and can only be inflated to 36 PSI max? I'm trying to maximize MPG, but don't like putting more than 40 PSI in those two. Even though I've had them for at least 3 years and did not purchase them from your establishment, can I bring them in for exchange for a pair of 800's? Tread depth is nearly new with over 50K in mileage :)

Mikey,
Just get something narrow with a soft, tall sidewall. Then over-inflate them to maximize their diameter and decrease rolling resistance. Would you be interested in some 125/70R17 with a recommended inflation of 60 PSI mounted on steel wheels? I can get you a set of four... CHEAP!

[DQ Driver]

Stas,

GOOD INFO! :thumb

I'll be ready for a new set around Fall, so it appears that I'll have to decide between

1) BFG Traction T/A T
2) BFG Advantage T/A
3) Michelin Harmony

TireRack has the BFG Traction T/A H on "Closeout", so I do wonder how long they've been sitting around in a warehouse.

[Stanislav94]

Jamie, those two are probably the earlier models, check the dot for production date. Doesn't it say 26psi on the door jamb? Just keep doing whatever you're doing seems to be working. Rotate the spare in and you'll get a combined tread wear of a 1000 or something. :thumb There is a $50 credit right now if you're tires are not completely shot, toward a new set... probably not worth it though.

When TireRack had the RE-01R's on closeout they listed the production date. Maybe once rubber is about to expire according to whom ever they list it.

[EvolvedDSM]

Yeah, I just rotate the two "shitty" ones back and forth off the back spare tire carrier. I think you need a better answer though :)

[Stanislav94]

Well, lets see if my theory on the early production date holds true first. Maybe after the first batch came out the testing went on and it was discovered that they were good enough for 800. People who tested them first went to a few auto cross events and shaved off 50 or so of those points.

[DQ Driver]

There is a $50 rebate going on at Tire Rack right now when you buy 4 BFG Advantage T/A's.... pretty tempting to just store them in the basement to have them ready when the steel belts start poking through from the hard auto-x miles to come.

77 x 4 + 45 shipping - 50 rebate = $303
303/4 = 75 shipped for each tire!

[Stanislav94]

That's a pretty good deal. Trade some Benjamins for other Benjamins.

[DQ Driver]

What is the official tire pressure gauge endorsed by CDSM Autocrossers?

Any experience with Jeg's stuff? http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/65030/10002/-1

Or maybe Accutire? http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=13


I would like something that latches onto the valve stem and that has a bleeder

[EvolvedDSM]

Longacre.

I use their Deluxe 0-60PSI w/ ball chuck. You should go for the Temperature Compensated model... or at least the Pro-Team Tireliefs Kit w/ a Deluxe 0-15 gauge.

I don't see one that clamps to the valve stem.

Have you switched to Nitrogen, yet?

[Stanislav94]

I just use my foot. I kick the tire and by the deformation I determine that it's somewhere above 30psi and below 50psi and that's good enough.

[DQ Driver]

Stas, is this too good to pass up?

(49*4) + 44 = $240

240/4 = $60 shipped a tire!

[EvolvedDSM]

I'd be looking at Blizzaks.

[Stanislav94]

I pass up on a lot of good things and then live to regret it while waiting for something better to come along. I would be willing to pay that price if I felt that my tires were inadequate to handle the conditions that they would possibly be subjected to. So that does appear to be a pretty good deal for someone who is in the market.

[DQ Driver]

Ordered. I know the concept of value and didn't want to miss out.

The current tires still have some life in them, but these will be waiting and ready in the basement.

[Stanislav94]

Very good. I approve. It's nice to have fresh rubbers laying around just in case.

[DQ Driver]

Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 9:53 AM - Order Confirmation
Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 3:13 PM - Shipping Confirmation
Thur, Oct 1, 2009 at 03:45 PM - DELIVERED

:headbang

[Stanislav94]

Tire Rack is awesome! Pics of the goodies? (Cause I don't see enough every day)

[DQ Driver]

Tire Rack is awesome! Pics of the goodies? (Cause I don't see enough every day)

I totally missed this and I've been a little busy lately.

Good thing I had the camera out today!

[DQ Driver]

Traction T/A, tried and true

[DQ Driver]

Side by Side

[DQ Driver]

Hi Abraham!

[DQ Driver]

New Hotness, where did Mr. Lincoln go?

[Stanislav94]

Alright! Those are pretty!