Need some new tires, looking for some advice

[nathan]

The rears on my NSX are definitely toast. I have worn them down to the belts They are the Toyo T1Rs, and were a great tire for everyday spirited driving. I bought them because they were also lightweight.

The fronts are good for a while, so I am only purchase some rear tires, as the front will be replaced probably at the end of the year. I am going with 275/35/18 this time in the rear. The T1Rs were 265/35/18.

So many new tires have come on the market. I don't track my car, but I drive it pretty hard. I was looking at the BFG KDW NT on Tirerack because of their super dry/wet traction and strong sidewall. But, I was also looking at the Conti ExtremeContact DW. However, I wasn't sure about the new Toyo T series either.

Anyway, comments and suggestions are most welcome. I am also open to other tires, hence why I am starting this thread. Just keep in mind that I am only buying the rears at the moment, and will order the fronts later when they are worn down more.

Thanks,
Nathan

 

[nsxtasy]

As a general rule, it's best to have four matching tires (same make/model), so that the handling is neutral and predictable. Since you will be using these with the mediocre T1R in front, I would recommend getting another pair of T1R for the rear. Then when all four tires need replacing, you can step up to a better tire, like the ExtremeContact DW, for all four corners at the same time.

I do not recommend getting the oversized 275/35-18 in the rear; the greater "stagger" (difference in treadwidth, front vs rear) will make the handling worse. Stick with 265/35-18.

 

[nathan]

As a general rule, it's best to have four matching tires (same make/model), so that the handling is neutral and predictable. Since you will be using these with the mediocre T1R in front, I would recommend getting another pair of T1R for the rear. Then when all four tires need replacing, you can step up to a better tire, like the ExtremeContact DW, for all four corners at the same time.

I do not recommend getting the oversized 275/35-18 in the rear; the greater "stagger" (difference in treadwidth, front vs rear) will make the handling worse. Stick with 265/35-18.

To my knowledge Toyo doesn't make the T1R anymore. Otherwise, I would definitely get them. I do understand your concern with 275s in the rear. However, I need a bit more tire in rear as my HP is will increasing even more this summer(well over 400rwhp). But, it sounds like you are a fan of the Conti Extreme DWs? After reading up on them, they seem to be more than adequate for my hard runs.

 

[nsxtasy]

You seem to make the mistake of thinking you will get much better traction with wider tires. The big differentiator in traction is the tire's design (compound, tread pattern, etc). Getting a "stickier" tire will give you a much, much bigger improvement than the negligible difference from getting a slightly wider tire. Since you have a high-horsepower application and are using it for the dragstrip, you really should consider one of today's supersticky "extreme performance" tires, such as the Bridgestone Potenza RE-11, Dunlop Direzza Z1 Sport Star Spec, or Kumho Ecsta XS, and 265/35-18 in the rear is plenty. And you should definitely get four of them. Putting those in the rear with the T1R in front may be fine for the dragstrip, but elsewhere it's a prescription for extreme understeer - not a good idea.

Another option would be to get a separate set of wheels and tires (two or four) for the dragstrip, such as drag radials, and then get something a little more street-friendly for the rest of the time, such as the Continental ExtremeContact DW. The ExtremeContact DW is very very good, but the extreme performance tires are even stickier; the Continental has other advantages for the street, such as better wet traction, longer treadlife, and in many sizes lower prices.

 

[CL65 Captain]

You seem to make the mistake of thinking you will get much better traction with wider tires. The big differentiator in traction is the tire's design (compound, tread pattern, etc). Getting a "stickier" tire will give you a much, much bigger improvement than the negligible difference from getting a slightly wider tire. Since you have a high-horsepower application and are using it for the dragstrip, you really should consider one of today's supersticky "extreme performance" tires, such as the Bridgestone Potenza RE-11, Dunlop Direzza Z1 Sport Star Spec, or Kumho Ecsta XS, and 265/35-18 in the rear is plenty. And you should definitely get four of them. Putting those in the rear with the T1R in front may be fine for the dragstrip, but elsewhere it's a prescription for extreme understeer - not a good idea.

Another option would be to get a separate set of wheels and tires (two or four) for the dragstrip, such as drag radials, and then get something a little more street-friendly for the rest of the time, such as the Continental ExtremeContact DW. The ExtremeContact DW is very very good, but the extreme performance tires are even stickier; the Continental has other advantages for the street, such as better wet traction, longer treadlife, and in many sizes lower prices.

+1 and for the strip all you would need is a rear pair. If you are planning on ever doing a road course then all four.

And Ken you know that even those of us who track NEVER drive aggressively enough on the street to really make a big difference with mismatched tires for the street. In addition, having understeer in a car with big hp, is safer. In reality you could have snow tires on the front and Nitto NT01s on the back of a turbo NSX and street driving I'd bet 100% of the time that back end will be swapping ends before the front. Granted it's driver error not car balance, but that's the reality.

But yes, I agree with you 100% (in theory) that if possible you want the same category tire at all corners and size is less of a factor than the compound. My 205/40/17 NT01s gripped more than 215/40/17 Dunlop Z1 SS.

 

[nathan]

Ok then....what would be a good grippy tire for everyday driving (no track days) or drag strip runs? I would imagine the Conti Extreme DW are overkill.

I would need good traction for when I do push it on the street, and it needs to have decent dry and wet traction.

Thanks again guys.

 

[Nick.]

Check out the Hankook v12 evo, great tire for both wet and dry traction

 

[nsxtasy]

Ok then....what would be a good grippy tire for everyday driving (no track days) or drag strip runs? I would imagine the Conti Extreme DW are overkill.

I would need good traction for when I do push it on the street, and it needs to have decent dry and wet traction.

No, you've got it backwards. Since you want a really grippy tire, you need something STICKIER than a "max performance" tire like the Continental ExtremeContact DW (or the Hankook V12 Evo mentioned above). You need an "extreme performance" tire like the RE-11, Star Spec, or XS, although I'd rule out the XS since you mentioned wet traction.

 

[cmthomson]

+1 on XS. I had a set, and if the road was even damp, or had the slightest bit of sand or debris on it, HOLY COW! It was like driving on snow.

 

[Hapa88]

Check out the Hankook v12 evo, great tire for both wet and dry traction

It's a great tire but it's not available in any sizes that fit the NSX's front size.

 

[nathan]

Re: 18/19 Tire choices!!!

Yes - the S-drive is VERY big for it's size -

The star spec is not available in 18-19 sizes.

So would the S-drive be a good tire for non track day or drag day usage?

I am speaking about a 17/18 setup, with 215s in the front and 275s in the rear. Car is boosted pushing over 400rhwp. But, street only.

I was looking at the conti extreme DW, but that seems like a bit of overkill. Would the BFG KDW2s be better for street driving in both dry and wet? Or are the S drives better, or the Direzza Star Spec?

Thanks,
Nathan

 

[nsxtasy]

So would the S-drive be a good tire for non track day or drag day usage?

Your question has already been answered in the other topic you created. Why are you posting the same thing all over again? Especially since this topic is about tires for 18"/19" wheels, which you don't have.

The Yokohama S.drive NOT a good tire for an NSX. It's great for inexpensive sport compacts but is really not suitable for the NSX unless you're willing to sacrifice significant performance in order to save a few dollars (which most of us wouldn't do). It's an especially poor choice for an NSX with substantial horsepower modifications. Why go to the trouble and cost of increasing horsepower, only to buy cheap tires that can't put the power to the pavement?

For the absolute best traction in a street tire, stick with the "extreme performance" tires like the Bridgestone RE-11, Dunlop Star Spec, or Kumho XS. If you're willing to trade off a slight bit of traction for other attributes like treadlife and price, then consider getting a "maximum performance" tire like the Continental ExtremeContact DW. But the "ultra high performance" tires like the Yokohama S.drive and BFG KDW and KDW2 are a big step down from the tires in either of those other two categories, and not a good choice if you care about using the full performance potential of your NSX.

Unfortunately, those with 18"/19" wheels have only a limited selection, and there aren't any extreme performance or max performance tires that come in both 215/35-18 and 275/30-19, so they may have to settle for the reduced performance of an ultra high performance tire like the S.drive or KDW. But those who want the best performance from their NSX will need to use wheel sizes for which the highest-performance tires are available, which means 16"/17", 17"/17", or 17"/18".

 

[angus]

Actually, I think you may want to consider an R-comp. Maybe R888 or RA-1 if you can find it.

 

[CL65 Captain]

The problem with r comps for the street is that they need to be heated up to stick, so if he is worrried about traction because of hp on the street an extreme street tire like the dunlap z1 ss is a better choice. My r888 and nt01 actially had worse traction than the Dunlops for the first lap and a half on the track until they came up to temp.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[NSX GT]

If your like me and rarely drive and dont go over 85mph and shift before 6000 rpms, then just get Yoko S drives.

Tire Rack
275/35/18 $191.00
215/40/17 $111.00
Before install and taxes = $604.00

 

[Dejathoris]

+1. I have them on my '97 in stock size and they work just fine for the street at a reasonable cost. I read the comparison reviews for them and yes they are not the most sticky, but are an excellent compromise for the street in terms of wet and dry, not that most of us every drive on wet roads. Smooth, quiet, not the most stiff or quickly responsive sidewall, but like all tires you adapt to the characteristics to get the most performance from them.