I got the 205/50/15's my very first impression is that they make the steering feel a bit loose as compared to stock. Is this how you guys out there with the Falken's feel or is it just me. Oh and what tire pressure are you guys running on the Falkens? Other then the steering feeling a bit loose i love them. They are great and inexpensive.

 

If you put them on stock rims, then yes--they will fell like crap. No amount of air pressure will overcome that.

 

I put mine on some Kosei K1 15x7 and I still feel that the RE010s were more responsive. MPH drove my car and he gave the same opinion.

 

Why is that? Is it because the tires are too wide for the stock rim?

 

Yes, although I found that after the tires were broken in (~ 500 miles and one day in the rain), they felt just as good as stock, and gripped a hell of a lot better.

As far as track use, they started to feel a little sloppy at the end of a 25 minute session. Nothing dramatic, but they noticeably lost grip and felt "loose". They were great up to about the 22 minute mark though

 

After 500 or so miles on my Azenis on stock rims they feel much better. At first I thought I was going to have to get rid of them, they sucked! Very sloppy feeling, but after some miles and a weekend of autocrossing, the slop they initially exhibited seems to be gone. <whew!>

 

That's good to know i guess...I'll give em some time and see how they feel.

 

Wow I think these are the first negative comments I've heard about the Azenis (besides rain and snow performance obviously).

 

how much did you pay for them and where did you get them. Do you think they are better than dunlop sports.

 

I think that most tires feel sloppy until you get a few miles on them. When I put the tires that I have now on, I was uncomfortable driving the car, then I broke them in and they are satisfactory (at best). But I can deal with it. BTW, they are not Azenis.

 

I got mine through discount tire for $302. But they wanted a lot more then that until I found a site that was selling them for $63/tire + $50 shipping. When I found that site I asked the guy at discount what he would charge me just to mount/balance them. He said that he'd save me the trouble and just match the price for me ($302 includes what would have been my shipping cost). So if you want a set and don't wanna go through the hassle go to discount and ask them to price match for you. Oh and the site was.... http://www.vulcantire.com/azenis_t.htm

Oh and then of course he charged me for mounting and balancing...so total was like $365.


[Modified by Fugazi, 11:02 PM 7/8/2002]

 

they feel sloppy cause the tire is too big for the rim and the sidewall is all bubbled out. Personally I don't like slop steering it makes the car not handle as well and makes it unpredictable in certain situations which can be dangerous.

That's why you shouldn't go with an oversized tire on your stock rims.

I talk from experience. Go with Azenis but stay with 195's.

 

I have 15x7 rims and the feeling is still sloppy...compared to the RE010s that is.

 

hmmm weird...is the sidewall not stiff?

 

They no longer make Azenis in 195/55 15.

 

not really , mines from the beginning felt great as performance wise .

 

Well, that's just been my experiance. :shrugs:

 

When I first put them on my 7.5" wheel and did the "twitch" test where you yank the wheel side to side real quick, they felt a bit sloppy as well. However, on the track they are great.

You can keep the pressures low to get the most contact out of them, and the stiff sidewalls will keep them from rolling over. Maybe 32 psi cold, +/- for your preference, but you don't need to over inflate them like most street tires. I agree, they start to go off at the end of a track session, though. Sort of a greasy sensation.

They make a great intermediate tire when you need something more than street tires, but aren't quite ready for Khumos yet.

-David, who might get the Khumos next time around.

 

Kunho's over the Azenis?

 

New tires will feel less grippy because of the deeper tread depth, which means the tread blocks have more room to shift around when pushed to their limit, as opposed to tires that have worn down some (slicks have no tread obviosuly, and so grip the best in dry).

 

No, Socal ITR was right. New tires feel less grippy because they haven't been scrubbed of oils and such on the surface. After the first few hundred miles, they feel better (even though they still have the deeper tread depth at that point).

Here's what it says about this on the Tire Rack website:

Tires are comprised of many layers of rubber, steel and fabric. Due to these different components, your new tires require a "break-in" period to ensure that they deliver their normal ride quality and maximum performance. As tires are cured, a "release lubricant" is applied to prevent them from sticking in their mold. Some of the lubricant stays on the surface of your tires, reducing traction until it is worn away. Five hundred miles of easy acceleration, cornering and braking will allow the mold release lubricant to wear off, allowing the other tire components to begin working together.

They also mention the deeper tread depth as another factor, but that's a separate issue.

Can't anyone here spell "Kumho"?



[Modified by nsxtcjr, 11:04 AM 7/9/2002]

 

Now that was an honest typo.... I really did mean to put an m there....

 

when i first got mine they felt sloppy too, but now i love them, ....they just need some breakng in

 

I think this has been brought up about a dozen times now, but yeah, what they said - drop the pressures down to low low 30's for the street and the snap/twitch feel will come back to some degree, but still be a tad more sloppy then 195's.

Mine are about used up after only 2 months... (though many track/autox/drag sessions) Hopefully they will last through the next HPDE in Topeka in a couple weeks. Then, I'm not sure what I'll get for the street as I'm switching to R-compound for racing on my 2nd set of wheels. Maybe good 'ol Kumhos.

 

What does everyone think about the dunlop sports.