Tire Selection!
02-26-2011, 08:07 PM
#1
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
Tire Selection!
Well it looks like its time for tires! I really have gotten great use and satisfaction with the General Exclaim UHP's that I have been running. I have been on 245/40/17, but I think I may move up to the 255/40/17 this time around. Nothing that I am interested in is in stock in that size so I need to order in whatever I decide to go with.
I have narrowed it down to these choices.
Dunlop dirreza Z1 star spec $175 each high rated, worried about tread life
continental extreme contact DW $167 seems like a good choice
bridgestone potenza re760 sport $156 seems well liked
kumoh ecsta le sport $131 high rated
hankook ventus v12 $112 May be my first choice for price/performance
or just stick with what has been a very good tire.
general exclain uhp 114
I think the general UHP is good tire but not current technology. seems like the hankook v12 is a great option for the price, just not sure about wear.
What are your guys thoughts?
I have narrowed it down to these choices.
Dunlop dirreza Z1 star spec $175 each high rated, worried about tread life
continental extreme contact DW $167 seems like a good choice
bridgestone potenza re760 sport $156 seems well liked
kumoh ecsta le sport $131 high rated
hankook ventus v12 $112 May be my first choice for price/performance
or just stick with what has been a very good tire.
general exclain uhp 114
I think the general UHP is good tire but not current technology. seems like the hankook v12 is a great option for the price, just not sure about wear.
What are your guys thoughts?
02-26-2011, 09:23 PM
#3
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
^not interested in running a 35 aspect ratio
02-26-2011, 10:37 PM
#4
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I'd stick with the General UHP.
If they work, they work. And I've heard others say they're very good value.
If they work, they work. And I've heard others say they're very good value.
02-26-2011, 11:32 PM
#5
Suzuka Master
02-27-2011, 02:00 AM
#6
Team Owner
If you're considering the Star Specs, definitely look into the Nitto NT05. They usually have the edge on the track and are quieter on the street. They have amazing traction, turn-in, and the break away is very gentle and forgiving. I don't think there's a better street/track tire out there and they will work perfectly in the San Diego climate. The only tire that compares out of your choices are the Star Specs. The rest are not in the same league.
02-27-2011, 06:28 AM
#7
Don't know of any tire made in 255/35-17 and if they did they would be even smaller than the 255/40-17, by an inch.
Nankang doesn't list them on their site and the smallest tire diameter for the 255/35 is 18".
Nankang doesn't list them on their site and the smallest tire diameter for the 255/35 is 18".
Last edited by Turbonut; 02-27-2011 at 06:38 AM.
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02-28-2011, 10:18 PM
#11
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
Well I am thinking I may just stay with the Generals they have been great to date.
I just found out something kinda cool. I was at Costco getting gas and my tire pressure warning had gone off because of the cold so I thought I would use there compressor to bring them back up to 35 all around. Well they are only using the Nitrogen fill now so they topped them all off. So the guy says to me next time you come by to shop just drop off your car and we will deflate all your tires and refill with the nitrogen. No charge and I dont even get tires there. They dont even carry Generals.
I was never a big fan of the nitrogen hype anyway. but for free what the heck.
I just found out something kinda cool. I was at Costco getting gas and my tire pressure warning had gone off because of the cold so I thought I would use there compressor to bring them back up to 35 all around. Well they are only using the Nitrogen fill now so they topped them all off. So the guy says to me next time you come by to shop just drop off your car and we will deflate all your tires and refill with the nitrogen. No charge and I dont even get tires there. They dont even carry Generals.
I was never a big fan of the nitrogen hype anyway. but for free what the heck.
03-01-2011, 02:25 PM
#14
If you're considering the Star Specs, definitely look into the Nitto NT05. They usually have the edge on the track and are quieter on the street. They have amazing traction, turn-in, and the break away is very gentle and forgiving. I don't think there's a better street/track tire out there and they will work perfectly in the San Diego climate. The only tire that compares out of your choices are the Star Specs. The rest are not in the same league.
ive been saying in the next month or so, but i barely drive...
I'll make the purchase soon tho.
03-01-2011, 09:34 PM
#16
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
^ I cannot justify the 2x price difference
03-01-2011, 09:40 PM
#17
Team Owner
In the beginning I was looking at jumping ship to a better tire for the street. Usually when you do a big comparison you find something better. I was looking for something better, I hold no loyalty to the NT05, I just want the best street tire for my purposes. But I don't see getting rid of the NT05s for a very long time. It did give me new respect for what modern street tires such as yours and the Nittos offer. I thought I could throw on some R compounds and instantly have better traction. I was wrong.
What are your impressions of the RE-11?
03-01-2011, 10:03 PM
#18
Those are very good tires, very good looking too. I got the chance to test several of the ultra performance summer tires along with R compounds on my TL and I have data on all of them. I've been meaning to post but I never take the time. I suppose I could always post in the form or raw data. One of my good friends is on a race team and I got many sets of used tires for free or nearly free. A couple were bought off of e-bay for next to nothing.
In the beginning I was looking at jumping ship to a better tire for the street. Usually when you do a big comparison you find something better. I was looking for something better, I hold no loyalty to the NT05, I just want the best street tire for my purposes. But I don't see getting rid of the NT05s for a very long time. It did give me new respect for what modern street tires such as yours and the Nittos offer. I thought I could throw on some R compounds and instantly have better traction. I was wrong.
What are your impressions of the RE-11?
In the beginning I was looking at jumping ship to a better tire for the street. Usually when you do a big comparison you find something better. I was looking for something better, I hold no loyalty to the NT05, I just want the best street tire for my purposes. But I don't see getting rid of the NT05s for a very long time. It did give me new respect for what modern street tires such as yours and the Nittos offer. I thought I could throw on some R compounds and instantly have better traction. I was wrong.
What are your impressions of the RE-11?
the tires are beyond predictable, in very sharp turns the tires do not chirp at all. the road feel and steering response is unbelievable.
the tl is my nice weather DD so i dont have to worry about driving in the snow and rain. i got caught in a crazy rain storm on my way back from atlantic city and i was very surprised how they performed, i didnt push the limit but very little hydro-planning and still felt stable.
also i have been driving it above and below freezing temperatures and they are fine.
the thing is to get the best out of these tires you really need to have some suspension work, without it the tl stock suspension makes it feel like a boat and makes these tires pointless
they are alittle pricey at around 200 a tire but in my eyes, it is well worth it to me because i didnt do all of these performance mods to not take advantage of them and every time i take an entrance or an exit ramp it puts the biggest smile on my face
my friend with a e36 m3(30lbs of boost) said hes going to kick his nt01s and give the re11's a shot once he puts it back together, if he ever does lol
03-01-2011, 10:22 PM
#19
Team Owner
that is awesome, i wish i had the chance to do that, the different tires i drove were all sadly on different cars, but it is still very comparable aslong as im not doing doughnuts in a rwd car and under no throttle
the tires are beyond predictable, in very sharp turns the tires do not chirp at all. the road feel and steering response is unbelievable.
the tl is my nice weather DD so i dont have to worry about driving in the snow and rain. i got caught in a crazy rain storm on my way back from atlantic city and i was very surprised how they performed, i didnt push the limit but very little hydro-planning and still felt stable.
also i have been driving it above and below freezing temperatures and they are fine.
the thing is to get the best out of these tires you really need to have some suspension work, without it the tl stock suspension makes it feel like a boat and makes these tires pointless
they are alittle pricey at around 200 a tire but in my eyes, it is well worth it to me because i didnt do all of these performance mods to not take advantage of them and every time i take an entrance or an exit ramp it puts the biggest smile on my face
my friend with a e36 m3(30lbs of boost) said hes going to kick his nt01s and give the re11's a shot once he puts it back together, if he ever does lol
the tires are beyond predictable, in very sharp turns the tires do not chirp at all. the road feel and steering response is unbelievable.
the tl is my nice weather DD so i dont have to worry about driving in the snow and rain. i got caught in a crazy rain storm on my way back from atlantic city and i was very surprised how they performed, i didnt push the limit but very little hydro-planning and still felt stable.
also i have been driving it above and below freezing temperatures and they are fine.
the thing is to get the best out of these tires you really need to have some suspension work, without it the tl stock suspension makes it feel like a boat and makes these tires pointless
they are alittle pricey at around 200 a tire but in my eyes, it is well worth it to me because i didnt do all of these performance mods to not take advantage of them and every time i take an entrance or an exit ramp it puts the biggest smile on my face
my friend with a e36 m3(30lbs of boost) said hes going to kick his nt01s and give the re11's a shot once he puts it back together, if he ever does lol
Nice. I'm curious how they hold up long term. Looks like you're going to get some decent mileage out of them so far. One of my friends with a Brabus CL65 Mercedes was the first to try those. The car felt like it picked up hp but what we figured out was the traction control was not having to kick in as much. They did very well and especially for a 5,200lb 700hp car. If any car can overwork and overheat a set of tires it's that one.
I completely agree with you on the suspension work. With the razor sharp turn in of these tires, initial bodyroll would be horrible. I remember in the beginning I could hit the rear bumpstops with stock suspension going around a smooth corner at the limit.
That made things fun such as snap oversteer and then understeer and then oversteer again as it would hit the stops and then unload. With the current setup my suspension is perfect for the traction available and street use. With the R compounds fully hot, I could've used a little more spring.The one thing I really learned is if there were such a thing as "area under the curve" in relation to tires this generation of ultra high performance street tire would really shine. I always thought you could take an R compound out and after a few minutes of normal driving in the summer they would be at optimal temp. I was dead wrong. You have to drive like a mad man, ticket material on the street for sure to get them to stick. I would say the NT05s outperformed the Rs in outright traction measured with stopping distances and g-tech (cheezy I know) in any normal street driving. There was a measurable improvement with the Rs if you could get them up to temp on the street and there's no doubt they're quicker at the track, but it was very hard to reach that temp. What I didn't like was not knowing how much traction I had available at the time based on temp. It does not make you a confident driver when you have to guess how hot the tire is and if it's going to stick. A few had a nice linear break away but most let go abruptly.
I know this is off topic but one tendency my car had was to increase understeer as traction levels (both front and rear) went up. I have it balanced very well for the NT05s. Besides the 28F/24R swaybar combo, I have custom rate rear springs that are within a few percent of the front spring rate. It gives the car very neutral handling and just a touch of oversteer on the NT05s. However, that changed to understeer with the stickier tires during steady state but you could still kick the rear out with lift throttle.
Sorry for derailing this thing, I'll save the rest for when I get around to writing the actual review.
03-01-2011, 10:25 PM
#20
i actually forgot about one of the most important things about tires, braking.
before i have oem rotors and hawk hps pads, oem fluid and lines. and the tires wow'd me then
now i have stoptech cross drilled/slotted rotors with hawk hps pads, motul 5.1, ss brake lines and i cant even explain how much less stopping distance there is. when i press hard on the brakes, if it wasnt for the seatbelt, i would be through the windshield, honestly its incredible
before i have oem rotors and hawk hps pads, oem fluid and lines. and the tires wow'd me then
now i have stoptech cross drilled/slotted rotors with hawk hps pads, motul 5.1, ss brake lines and i cant even explain how much less stopping distance there is. when i press hard on the brakes, if it wasnt for the seatbelt, i would be through the windshield, honestly its incredible
03-01-2011, 10:33 PM
#21
Nice. I'm curious how they hold up long term. Looks like you're going to get some decent mileage out of them so far. One of my friends with a Brabus CL65 Mercedes was the first to try those. The car felt like it picked up hp but what we figured out was the traction control was not having to kick in as much. They did very well and especially for a 5,200lb 700hp car. If any car can overwork and overheat a set of tires it's that one.
I completely agree with you on the suspension work. With the razor sharp turn in of these tires, initial bodyroll would be horrible. I remember in the beginning I could hit the rear bumpstops with stock suspension going around a smooth corner at the limit. That made things fun such as snap oversteer and then understeer and then oversteer again as it would hit the stops and then unload. With the current setup my suspension is perfect for the traction available and street use. With the R compounds fully hot, I could've used a little more spring.
The one thing I really learned is if there were such a thing as "area under the curve" in relation to tires this generation of ultra high performance street tire would really shine. I always thought you could take an R compound out and after a few minutes of normal driving in the summer they would be at optimal temp. I was dead wrong. You have to drive like a mad man, ticket material on the street for sure to get them to stick. I would say the NT05s outperformed the Rs in outright traction measured with stopping distances and g-tech (cheezy I know) in any normal street driving. There was a measurable improvement with the Rs if you could get them up to temp on the street and there's no doubt they're quicker at the track, but it was very hard to reach that temp. What I didn't like was not knowing how much traction I had available at the time based on temp. It does not make you a confident driver when you have to guess how hot the tire is and if it's going to stick. A few had a nice linear break away but most let go abruptly.
I know this is off topic but one tendency my car had was to increase understeer as traction levels (both front and rear) went up. I have it balanced very well for the NT05s. Besides the 28F/24R swaybar combo, I have custom rate rear springs that are within a few percent of the front spring rate. It gives the car very neutral handling and just a touch of oversteer on the NT05s. However, that changed to understeer with the stickier tires during steady state but you could still kick the rear out with lift throttle.
Sorry for derailing this thing, I'll save the rest for when I get around to writing the actual review.
I completely agree with you on the suspension work. With the razor sharp turn in of these tires, initial bodyroll would be horrible. I remember in the beginning I could hit the rear bumpstops with stock suspension going around a smooth corner at the limit.
That made things fun such as snap oversteer and then understeer and then oversteer again as it would hit the stops and then unload. With the current setup my suspension is perfect for the traction available and street use. With the R compounds fully hot, I could've used a little more spring.The one thing I really learned is if there were such a thing as "area under the curve" in relation to tires this generation of ultra high performance street tire would really shine. I always thought you could take an R compound out and after a few minutes of normal driving in the summer they would be at optimal temp. I was dead wrong. You have to drive like a mad man, ticket material on the street for sure to get them to stick. I would say the NT05s outperformed the Rs in outright traction measured with stopping distances and g-tech (cheezy I know) in any normal street driving. There was a measurable improvement with the Rs if you could get them up to temp on the street and there's no doubt they're quicker at the track, but it was very hard to reach that temp. What I didn't like was not knowing how much traction I had available at the time based on temp. It does not make you a confident driver when you have to guess how hot the tire is and if it's going to stick. A few had a nice linear break away but most let go abruptly.
I know this is off topic but one tendency my car had was to increase understeer as traction levels (both front and rear) went up. I have it balanced very well for the NT05s. Besides the 28F/24R swaybar combo, I have custom rate rear springs that are within a few percent of the front spring rate. It gives the car very neutral handling and just a touch of oversteer on the NT05s. However, that changed to understeer with the stickier tires during steady state but you could still kick the rear out with lift throttle.
Sorry for derailing this thing, I'll save the rest for when I get around to writing the actual review.
i might get decent mileage but who know how good they are going to be after 1 track day, which is coming up soon and i cant wait since i never took my car out on a track. that will be the real test, to see the DD vs tracking durability.
i kind of want to get a gtech for when i go to the track so i can see how many g's. id almost bet ive came very close to a g on some turns. time will hopefully confirm that lol.
i actually want to change my suspension over to kw or h&r because i kinda feel that would outshine the teins. or even a shock/spring combo but i dont want to piss away money testing each one out lol
03-01-2011, 11:09 PM
#22
If you're considering the Star Specs, definitely look into the Nitto NT05. They usually have the edge on the track and are quieter on the street. They have amazing traction, turn-in, and the break away is very gentle and forgiving. I don't think there's a better street/track tire out there and they will work perfectly in the San Diego climate. The only tire that compares out of your choices are the Star Specs. The rest are not in the same league.
Are they decent in the rain?
03-05-2011, 01:40 PM
#23
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
Damn General UHP's are on national back order. I have a set coming from indiana, but it may buy me enough time to find a set of larger wheels. I would like to go with some 18's!
03-05-2011, 10:27 PM
#24
Team Owner
Treadwear is definitely not as good as normal tires. I have managed to get around 20,000 out of my set though. Since we're done with rain for at least 6 months, I'll probably drive them through the summer and replace before it starts raining again. Probably 22,000 or so by then.
03-06-2011, 05:19 AM
#25
Great in the wet. Ok at channeling water away. Or in other words, as long as it's not deep standing water they're just as good as any other tire, probably better than most with wet but no standing water.
Treadwear is definitely not as good as normal tires. I have managed to get around 20,000 out of my set though. Since we're done with rain for at least 6 months, I'll probably drive them through the summer and replace before it starts raining again. Probably 22,000 or so by then.
Treadwear is definitely not as good as normal tires. I have managed to get around 20,000 out of my set though. Since we're done with rain for at least 6 months, I'll probably drive them through the summer and replace before it starts raining again. Probably 22,000 or so by then.
I think they may be my next set of tires.
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