what kinda tires are ppl running? i need to get some new ones for my 03 EM2. im looking for something that will perform well on the track and do decent on the road. i do mostly drag racing but occasionally i do road racing, etc. so just curious for some suggestions. what would be a good size to run on my stock Ex 15" rims?

 

-What car do you have (make, model, year, package, engine...etc)
-What size rims (diameter, width, offset)
-What is your budget
-What is more important; longevity or stickyness
-What is the purpose of this car (DD, some autocross...etc)
-What is the climate (sun and warmth all year long or do you have snow)

 

i daily on Dunlop Direzza dz101 and autocross on azenis. the dunlops are very comfortable due to a soft sidewall that helps manage a stiff suspension, but the dont provide the grip of the azenis. since you mentioned drag racing, one complaint ive heard about the azenis for that is that despite their very sticky tread, their stiff sidewall makes good launches tough. i havent noticed much of that on autocross starts, but then again i drive a 100some whp miata
seeing as youre in colorado, is snow an issue? if so you might consider a set of all seasons for the colder months or if you get enough snow, a set of dedicated snow tires, and run the stickier rubber in the summer months

 

i drive a 2003 Civic Coupe Ex. im going turbo this summer so i will want ot make sure the tires will be able to still perform well with the increase in power. im running stock ex wheels right now. they are 15" im not sure on the width. i think 7". the track is my primary focus cuz i will be riding my bike to work. i live in Grand Junction, Colorado so the climate is warm (100+ degrees in the summer) and typically dry. i want good tires so im willing to pay a decent price.

ive had some experience with Kuhmo. any thoughts on them?
what about toyo? ive heard they have stiff sidewalls making them very rough
also a friend runs yokohamas on his 04 civic and seems pleased. he is more DD tho. thoughts?

 

Your stock tires are 185/65-15 and your car can also use 195/60-15 tires. Unfortunately, the really sticky tires (like the Falken Azenis RT-615 and Goodyear F1 GS-D3) aren't available in those sizes. About the best tire in either of those sizes is the Yokohama ES100, which is a good "bang for the buck" tire, but isn't really up to the demands of a high-horsepower application. Any chance you might consider larger wheels, for which the top tires might be available?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 03turboem2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ive had some experience with Kuhmo. any thoughts on them?
what about toyo? ive heard they have stiff sidewalls making them very rough
also a friend runs yokohamas on his 04 civic and seems pleased. he is more DD tho. thoughts?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Every brand makes some tires that are very good, some that are not so good. So you're really not being very specific when you ask about Kumho or Toyo or Yokohama, since each of them makes a wide variety of tires. Again, though, your bigger problem is finding the very best tires in the sizes that fit your car, and availability is a major issue for you.

 

im starting to think it might be worth going ahead and upgrading to a 16" wheel at the same time since there will be more available tires and i want to do that eventually anyway. i'll just wait a little longer while i save up the money.

 

so the Toyo dealer in town cant order in the T1-R. they recomended runnign the T1-S. has anyone used the T1-S? the supplier claims the only difference is the speed rating. any suggestions?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 03turboem2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so the Toyo dealer in town cant order in the T1-R. they recomended runnign the T1-S. has anyone used the T1-S? the supplier claims the only difference is the speed rating. any suggestions?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Don't get the T1-S. That tire has been discontinued. Your tire guy is making a recommendation to you because he's trying to sell his discontinued stock, not because he wants to recommend the best tire for your needs. Find a different tire guy.

It's tough to come up with a recommendation for you because it sounds like you're asking your tires to do a lot of different things - daily driving and track use, and maybe even winter driving...? Also, you mention maybe getting 16" wheels. Having more than one set of wheels will enable you to get tires to fit each individual need. Some of us even have three sets of wheels, for daily driving, winter driving, and track driving. If you get 16" wheels, what do you plan to use those tires for?

For example, the best 16" tire size for your car is 215/50-16. In that size, you can get good all-season tires and good "bang for the buck" daily driving tires, but not top-of-the-line performance tires or track tires. So it then becomes a matter of which wheels you plan to use for which purposes. Let us know and we can make an appropriate recommendation.

 

Sorry for the hi-jack, but I have the same issues:

Im after some 195/55R15 wheels for my 15x6.5 TE37s..

The car (99 EK SIR) is mainly used for daily, but might see a trackday once a year.. although most likely not too. Ive just sold my 16" wheels with F1 GDS3.. and those tires were awesome, and are avail in 205/50r15 I think..

What would your suggestions be? I have looked at the new Potenza Adrenalin RE001.. but other than that the T1R and DZ101s are the next bet..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rafael_dias &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Sorry for the hi-jack, but I have the same issues:

Im after some 195/55R15 wheels for my 15x6.5 TE37s..

The car (99 EK SIR) is mainly used for daily, but might see a trackday once a year.. although most likely not too. Ive just sold my 16" wheels with F1 GDS3.. and those tires were awesome, and are avail in 205/50r15 I think..

What would your suggestions be? I have looked at the new Potenza Adrenalin RE001.. but other than that the T1R and DZ101s are the next bet..</TD></TR></TABLE>

In North America, the F1 GS-D3 is not available in 205/50-15; the only 15" size here is 195/50-15, which is too small for a '99 Civic. If you're overseas from here, it's possible that it's available in other 15" sizes, so it's worth checking.

There are lots of good "bang for the buck" tires available in 195/55-15, including the Avon Tech M500 ($61), Kumho SPT ($62), and Yokohama ES100 ($63). All of these are slightly better than the DZ101. The T1-R is decent too, but a bit more money ($78). All these tires are good for daily driving, but not top performers for the track.

The Potenza Adrenalin isn't available in the States yet, so I don't know anything about it.

The Bridgestone Potenza RE010 (stock tire for the Integra Type R) is also still available on closeout here. It's a very good tire, with excellent handling "feel".

 

Man nsxtasy, I see you been working overtime here! Its ok, I am back now!

I would have to agree with what nsxtasy said, you really need be sure on what you want to do with your tires.

 

i'm very pleased with my spt's. i just recently installed my first pair 2k miles ago. Car is daily driven on weekdays and driven hard on the weekends.

 

im in love with my azenis soo worth the money

 

Ok guys,

The Yokohama ADO7 aren't available anymore here, so they said the following were available ES100 A Drives and C Drives, also the A048 - but thats not required.

DZ101s are available, but I think its taking a step down from F1s.. Any other brands out there? Micheillin?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rafael_dias &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The Yokohama ADO7 aren't available anymore here, so they said the following were available ES100 A Drives and C Drives, also the A048 - but thats not required.

DZ101s are available, but I think its taking a step down from F1s.. Any other brands out there? Micheillin?</TD></TR></TABLE>

The tires you mention represent totally different categories. The ES100 and DZ101 are both what I call "budget performance tires", designed for pretty good performance (both dry and wet) and treadlife at a low price. The F1 GS-D3 is a "top of the line performance tire", designed for outstanding performance (both dry and wet) and decent treadlife, usually more expensive. The AD07 is a "specialty tire", designed for maximum traction on dry pavement in a street tire, with downsides of so-so traction in rain, short treadlife, and often high price. The A048 is an R compound track tire, designed primarily for racetrack use. So it all depends on what you're looking for in a tire; your priorities determine which of these categories you should concentrate on. Depending on which category best meets your needs, here are tires to look for:

budget performance tires - Kumho SPT, Yokohama ES100, Dunlop Direzza DZ101, Avon Tech M500

top of the line performance tires - Goodyear F1 GS-D3, Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position, Michelin Pilot Sport and Pilot Sport PS2, Dunlop SP Sport Maxx, Pirelli PZero Nero

specialty tires - Yokohama Advan Neova AD07, Falken Azenis RT-615, Bridgestone Potenza RE01R, BFGoodrich g-Force KD, Hankook Ventus R-S2 Z212, Kumho Ecsta MX

R compound track tires - Toyo RA-1, Nitto NT-01 and NT-555II, Kumho Ecsta V710 and V700 Victoracer, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup, Hoosier R6, Yokohama A048, Avon Tech RA, Hankook Z211 and Z214, Pirelli PZero Corsa, BFGoodrich g-Force R1

 

nsxtasy, thanks for your replies!

Im still learning about tires so to speak! But I have decided to go for the Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin in 195/55..

Will tell you how it drives

 

Sounds good. Based on what I've seen on their website, I think the RE001 (as the Potenza Adrenalin is designated) sounds like another super-sticky specialty tire, like their RE01R.

 

I've heard the RE-001 might be the next in line tire in in the S-02, S-03, RE-050A PP line. I don't know if it will be as track-able as the RE-01R.
I wish they would bring over the RE55S