I know I have asked this question before, but the circumstances have changed. Now I'm pushing 256whp and no LSD, so my tires slip in first gear obviously. My Yoko AVS ES100 are wearing and have 25k on them, and are getting somewhat choppy. I am going to be replacing them soon, after I drive home (650 mile trek from NC to FL). I have had a friend recommend BFG Gforce Sports, and nsxtasy recommended Kuhmo Ecsta SPT if I remember correctly.

Car is going to track a few times per year, once soon after new tires on, next after new rods/pistons and higher boost.

Needs to have medium-long treadlife for a summer tire as well, this is a daily driver too.

Price is somewhat of an issue.

I'm running 215/50/17 that is near dead on with stock outer diameter
Stock was 205/65/15

I know they are choppy, because after the turbo I got realigned, and even with dead perfect alignment, car still pulls to the right, and if you run your hand over them they don't feel smooth. They have roughly 3/32" of tread left I believe, getting close to the tread bar marks.


Modified by msedacca at 9:35 PM 5/2/2007

 

Since you've taken the time and money to increase the horsepower on your car, I strongly recommend spending a bit more money on better tires. Nothing wrong with the SPT, which is a great tire for the money, but you can get more performance than the SPT by spending more money, and you should really do that in order to get the most out of your higher-horsepower car. It's also worth noting that the big advantage of the SPT over the ES100 is in wet traction; they're pretty darn similar on dry pavement, so if you're slipping with the ES100, you will probably be slipping with the SPT also.

I think 215/50-17 is the best size for your car (since it's so close to the stock outer diameter), but the two tires I will suggest are not available in that size. Two other sizes you could use are 205/50-17 and 225/45-17. 205/50-17 is 1.7 percent smaller in outer diameter than stock, so it will throw off your speedometer and odometer by that percentage, which isn't a HUGE deal. 225/45-17 is 2.0 percent smaller, so again, not a HUGE deal. The concern with 225/45-17 is that they are 30 mm wider than stock, so it's possible that they may rub slightly; however, since the outer diameter is smaller, which helps clearance, I'm guessing that this will offset any reduced clearance from the wider treadwidth. I'm just guessing here; you would have to try them to be sure. But if the 215/50-17 isn't close to rubbing anywhere, then the 225/45-17 shouldn't be, either. I would probably go with 225/45-17 as my first choice, 205/50-17 as second choice, for the two tires I'm going to recommend.

If you care ONLY about dry traction, then I would recommend the Falken Azenis RT-615, which is available in 225/45-17 $108 (but not 205/50 or 215/50). Outstanding dry grip. Downsides are so-so traction in rain, and very short treadlife (10-12K miles is typical). Given that you would like at least medium treadlife and you're concerned about value, this is probably not the best choice for you.

For excellent dry traction (significantly better than the ES100 or SPT, almost as good as the Azenis) and outstanding wet traction, and excellent treadlife (25-40K, like the ES100 and SPT), I recommend the Goodyear F1 GS-D3 ($149 in 225/45-17 for Y-rated, $156 in 205/50-17, less a $40 cash card on a set of four). This is one of the very best all-around summer tires on the market (it won the Car and Driver comparison test), and will give you the performance you need from your enhanced horsepower application. So this is the tire I would recommend for your situation, and I would try it in 225/45-17. I know it's more expensive than those other tires, but you really need to spend more money for better tires if you want to take advantage of the extra horsepower you've given your car. Especially since you'll occasionally be taking it to the track or dragstrip.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by msedacca &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I know they are choppy, because after the turbo I got realigned, and even with dead perfect alignment, car still pulls to the right, and if you run your hand over them they don't feel smooth.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The car pulling to the right can result from any of a number of causes:

- alignment (if it's indeed dead perfect, that would seem to rule this out)

- suspension problem (worn bushings, bent control arm, blown shock, etc)

- uneven treadwear on the tires (such as might result from an incorrect alignment that has since been corrected)

- torque steer (if it's happening when accelerating)

HTH

 

Thanks as always for your help nsxtasy.

One thing in the past that I had tire guys check out on my car, is what width tire I could fit on my car, and they all agreed that I had no more room in the front, but could fit a 235/45/17 in the back.

Since I am a resident of the southeast, I usually get a lot of rain, and with the upcoming summer season in FL, I expect a lot of rain, hence the need for better wet traction, with the not perfect dry traction.

Do you think you could recommend a tire that came with the 215/50/17 for the front while fitting the same tire in a 235/45/17 in the back? I like the idea of the Goodyear F1 GS-D3, I think I would fall within that category, but tire sizing poses an issue. Also on an off-note, due to the auto-5spd swap, my speedo is off by 20-25% anyways, so the 1.7% off ratio isn't a big deal I guess.

And as far as the tires, they were misaligned and wore incorrectly and it tends to drift the car to the right. The suspension is aligned properly, but the tires make it pull under normal highway speeds.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by msedacca &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Since I am a resident of the southeast, I usually get a lot of rain, and with the upcoming summer season in FL, I expect a lot of rain, hence the need for better wet traction, with the not perfect dry traction.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The F1 GS-D3 is awesome in the wet, and it's really terrific in dry, too - hardly "not perfect". While the SPT is excellent in the wet, I really don't think it's what you're looking for (since you're looking for better grip than the ES100 in dry conditions).

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by msedacca &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do you think you could recommend a tire that came with the 215/50/17 for the front while fitting the same tire in a 235/45/17 in the back?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I wouldn't do that (even though the F1 GS-D3 is available in 235/45-17). It could make the car understeer (i.e. tend to plow straight ahead when you turn the wheel) and will prevent you from rotating your tires to even out the wear.

Given the lack of clearance in the front, in your situation, I would go with the Goodyear F1 GS-D3 in 205/50-17 (at all four corners).