Sell your new set of S-03 fronts if they cannot match your rears and buy a matching set of 4 tires for your car. I think you know that is the right way to do this.
Was in a bind - what do you think?
- Thread starter 95gsrturbo
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Sell your new set of S-03 fronts if they cannot match your rears and buy a matching set of 4 tires for your car. I think you know that is the right way to do this.
Okay....I am not trying to bust your chops, I really am trying to help you. Here are some flaws with that logic on the points you listed:
1.) Normal drive WILL be an issue because emergency stopping, accident avoidance, and even low speed maneuvering to miss that ball that just bounced in front of your car ALL involve your tires having appropriate grip. Thinking it does not matter is fooling yourself. A couple of years ago someone I knew wrecked their '92 NSX in a housing development trying to avoid a dog that ran into the road and the back end swung around and hit a metal mailbox. He was running some super cheap tires on the back, and OEM Yoko's on the front. Rear had no grip.
2.) It is easy to simply say 'be more careful in rain', but that is a pretty generic term. At what point are you technically 'being more careful'. When the NSX gets in heavy rain with odd tires the back end twitches terribly, and you pretty much are a moving obstacle to other motorists. I made that mistake before, and will never do it again.
3.) Again, what is the definition of 'too crazy'? Driving this car aggressively AT ALL with mis-matched tires is just stupid. That may sound harsh, but it is. You are rolling the dice on if the rear will hold or not. The fact is running mismatched tires and ANY level of high speed mountain driving is just asking for it.
I know this is not what you want to hear, but I think you are compromising safety for your wallet. While I love to save money, it is a huge mistake to fool yourself (which is what you are really doing) into thinking that mismatched tires of any level is a good idea. I would like for you to stay around here with your NSX for a long time....I do not want to lose another member of this community over something as stupid as mismatched tires. Be safe, bro.
Im not trying to save money im tryint to be rational
I watched the prices of tires and how they sell online once used- you get nothing for them.
I drove on the mismatched set yesterday (last night) so far put on 60 miles, I think you guys are forgetting a very important thing in that the KDW traction is VERY similar to the S-03, keep in mind that BFG is made with Michelin compounds (michelin owns BFG) and that the KDW is also considered a very high perf. tire for all season like the S-03
city driving ABSOLUTELY not an issue thus far
highway driving - I only notice slight lift on the front of the carwhan changing lanes, HOWEVER, I also know that my suspension is not set properly at this time, my shocks are stiffer in front than rear but i need to call TIEN and ask what the best way to set it up would be AS WELL my front ride height is higher than it should be.
I agree with you guys for the most part, I will be trying to sell the tires
Anyone want a set of 225/35/18 (4 tires)????
I watched the prices of tires and how they sell online once used- you get nothing for them.
I drove on the mismatched set yesterday (last night) so far put on 60 miles, I think you guys are forgetting a very important thing in that the KDW traction is VERY similar to the S-03, keep in mind that BFG is made with Michelin compounds (michelin owns BFG) and that the KDW is also considered a very high perf. tire for all season like the S-03
city driving ABSOLUTELY not an issue thus far
highway driving - I only notice slight lift on the front of the carwhan changing lanes, HOWEVER, I also know that my suspension is not set properly at this time, my shocks are stiffer in front than rear but i need to call TIEN and ask what the best way to set it up would be AS WELL my front ride height is higher than it should be.
I agree with you guys for the most part, I will be trying to sell the tires
Anyone want a set of 225/35/18 (4 tires)????
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Sure you are trying to save money, everyone is. Nothing wrong with admitting it. You said as much when reacting to the treadwear of the RE050 tires. If people did not try and save money we would all be running RE050's.
You mentioned that you will get less for your extra tires than they cost new...well, if you got them for free (which I think you said you did), then anything you get is pure profit.
Again....if you are happy with your decison, fine. Good luck with that. But high performance tires are tricky birds. Some are close and are designed to be direct replacements for a tire that is being discontinued, and others just happen to be in the same general category. I am not saying the BFG's are bad tires, just that if you really want to do it the right way you should match all four...period. Tell yourself whatever you want, but you will never hear someone of any knowledge tell you that matching all four tires is a BAD idea for safety....think about that.
P.S. -- Nice car....looks like you picked up a gem.
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I do about 100k a year. My NSX alone has 135k. Our 05 RX330 has 70k 
Trust me when I say, I research my tires. Only because no matter how great the rest of the car is, they all rely on one thing... the little patch of rubber touching the road.
That said, Mismatched tires are never recommended, but if you feel the need to do that, then do it. Funny thing is, I saw this post 3-4 days ago and I thought I posted a link to ebay with 275s (a pair with 70% tread) on there. Can't find it anymore but there is still one here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/One-...2QQihZ012QQcategoryZ66477QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Point is, in my opinion a nicely used matching set is bette then new mismatched sets (and cheaper )
Then again I drive on all-seasons right now on the NSX (but they are matching)
Trust me when I say, I research my tires. Only because no matter how great the rest of the car is, they all rely on one thing... the little patch of rubber touching the road.That said, Mismatched tires are never recommended, but if you feel the need to do that, then do it. Funny thing is, I saw this post 3-4 days ago and I thought I posted a link to ebay with 275s (a pair with 70% tread) on there. Can't find it anymore but there is still one here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/One-...2QQihZ012QQcategoryZ66477QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Point is, in my opinion a nicely used matching set is bette then new mismatched sets (and cheaper
)Then again I drive on all-seasons right now on the NSX (but they are matching)
No, it isn't. Not even close! Using the KDW along with the S-03 is downright dangerous, because they are so very different from each other.
Let Discount Tire swap them for a pair of RE050A Pole Positions to use with the S-03. Or else buy a set of four matching tires.
NSXTACY: I highly value your opinion as you DO know what you are talking about when it comes to tires.
I have read many of your posts both old and new, I know you have knowledge of rubber when you speak.
However, I WILL NOT spend the money ona tre that has a tread rating of 140 which means on the rear of an NSX I will be lucky to get 5-7000 miles.
this is a WASTE of money-
Buy my S-03 225/35/18's (set of 2 or 4) so i can purchase an extra set of KDW. thus far at 100 miles i dont notice any problems with handling and i have been pushing around winding corners, especially since the weather is cold. I will look into a set of kdw for the front.
but i think suggesting anyone purchase the RE050A pole position is a poor choice unless the car is a track car and yo uexpect to drive hard and wear thru tires rapidly.
I have read many of your posts both old and new, I know you have knowledge of rubber when you speak.
However, I WILL NOT spend the money ona tre that has a tread rating of 140 which means on the rear of an NSX I will be lucky to get 5-7000 miles.
this is a WASTE of money-
Buy my S-03 225/35/18's (set of 2 or 4) so i can purchase an extra set of KDW. thus far at 100 miles i dont notice any problems with handling and i have been pushing around winding corners, especially since the weather is cold. I will look into a set of kdw for the front.
but i think suggesting anyone purchase the RE050A pole position is a poor choice unless the car is a track car and yo uexpect to drive hard and wear thru tires rapidly.
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I hope you also know UTOGs are HIGHLY inacurrate as the SOLE basis of treadwear.
And if you are worried about value why not do this:
$ 97 x 2 = $194 - Kumho ECSTA SPT in 215/35/18
$161 x 2 = $322 - Kumho ECSTA SPT in 275/30/19
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$516 for a full set of Kumho ECSTA SPT which are in the same class as the BFG, score better in treadwear, noise and comfort then the BFGs which seem to favor your criteria of standards over the "Track Oriented Thinking" of corner and dry ratings when pushed to their limits...
And if you look at TR's price for the BFG in 275/30/19 for a pair its exactly $516!!!
And sell your pair os 225-35-18s on ebay for another $100+ if they are in decent condition. OR save them until you find another 275/30/19 pair of S-03PPs?
I think there are still better options than the route you picked... But thats just MHO.
And if you are worried about value why not do this:
$ 97 x 2 = $194 - Kumho ECSTA SPT in 215/35/18
$161 x 2 = $322 - Kumho ECSTA SPT in 275/30/19
-----------------
$516 for a full set of Kumho ECSTA SPT which are in the same class as the BFG, score better in treadwear, noise and comfort then the BFGs which seem to favor your criteria of standards over the "Track Oriented Thinking" of corner and dry ratings when pushed to their limits...
And if you look at TR's price for the BFG in 275/30/19 for a pair its exactly $516!!!
And sell your pair os 225-35-18s on ebay for another $100+ if they are in decent condition. OR save them until you find another 275/30/19 pair of S-03PPs?
I think there are still better options than the route you picked... But thats just MHO.
Then you should not have bought an NSX. Because you probably won't be getting all that much more mileage from the KDW on the NSX, either. The NSX wears through rear tires rapidly, and that's a fact of life. If you want your rear tires to last longer, you can fiddle with the alignment a bit, but it's still going to go through rear tires rapidly. It sounds to me like it was a mistake for you to buy an NSX.
As noted above by CarCrazed4Life, treadwear ratings are notoriously poor at estimating treadlife, especially when comparing one tire brand with another.
I think it's a waste of money to use tires that are so mismatched that the car is unsafe. You won't have that with the RE050A PP, but you will with the KDW.
I also think it's a waste of money to pay a lot of money for a car that handles well, and then use mismatched tires that will degrade its handling. Talk about a waste of money!
Let your dealer swap a pair of those overpriced, relatively crappy KDW for a pair of the RE050A PP, and you will have a set of four tires whose performance is close enough that mismatched tires aren't a concern.
Oh goodie! Overpriced, crappier tires all around - talk about a waste of money! But if you're going to get crappier tires all around, then get the Kumho SPT; at least they won't cost you as much as the KDW.
I think suggesting anyone purchase the overpriced, crappier KDW is a poor recommendation, even for NSX drivers who only drive their cars on the street. Most owners want the NSX to perform as well as it's capable of doing, and didn't spend ~$30K (or a lot more) on a high-performance car so they could degrade its performance by getting low-performance tires to save a few hundred bucks. But you are obviously set on wasting your money, so if you are going to do that, at least be safe, by buying four matching, crappier tires. You can overpay for crappier tires by getting the KDW, or you can put cheap crappier tires on your car by getting the SPT. Your choice.
And mine.
My friend...I believe you should get a better grip on what you really want, and the correct knowledge for it. Tread wear ratings are relative, not standardized in any real way, and mean absolutely nothing when cross brand comparissons are made. Put bluntly, the number itself means nothing but giving you a HIGHLY GENERAL idea of the type of tire you are buying.
Also, you say you are not concerned about money or cost, then complained that you would be wasting money by getting the closest tire, the RE050. So which is it? Money or doing it right?
As some have stated before, if you are concerned about treadwear, buying an NSX was a mistake. Buying one with huge rims and maximum performance tires was an even bigger mistake. If you still want to keep driving the NSX but just want some cruising tires, sell your wheels and buy some OEM wheels with a more mileage friendly tire. If you keep the car and wheels, buy a matching set of tires and just settle in. The car is rewarding to drive, but you have to be ready to pay to play.
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Seriously you paid the same for just 2 BFG 275s when you could have paid the same for 4 Kumho SPT in 215 fronts and 275 rears. And they are in the same class of tires. Seems like someone didn't think it out properly.
Pay the same, get 2 tires, pay the same get 4 matching tires.... hmmm No brainer
Pay the same, get 2 tires, pay the same get 4 matching tires.... hmmm No brainer
DID you read the title! did you re-read my first post as to my explanation?
No i didnt have time to fully think it out my rear passenger was SPLITTING.........
No i didnt have time to fully think it out my rear passenger was SPLITTING.........
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FYI, BFG tire is not made by Michelin, The Company is part of Michelin Group but does not denote quality by being a part of the group. Everytime I hear this claim is always made by owners who has been told by the tire store "It is made by Michelin" So the owner think it is as good as Michelin. Besides Michelin tire will be poor choice for your S03's anyway. Get the RE050PP and be safe and enjoy your beautiful car. See you in the mountains soon.
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So then why are you posting here? if you made the move, are happy with it, why are you looking for feedback. And then when you get it, why are you bitter that it doesn't meet your expectations?
Is this your only car?
Quite honestly I have All-Season tires on my NSX right now due to the cold in the north east (I don't drive it in snow, just in cold temps) and I drive the hell out of mine. But I chose to. Many NSX owners here have a DD. Matter of fact My NSX is my DD, and my M3 is my garage queen... But between all the vehicles in the household, I don't rush car decisions or purchases realted to it just for that very reason... get stuck with something that doesn't make sense.
Hope things work well.
Good Luck
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