What tires are you using

I would like to thank everyone for their input. I have decided to go with the Yoko Advans. I will update this page once I get a chance to drive on them. I am not sure if I should sell my OEM wheels or not. If I dont, I will put another tire on them like the continentals and see if they really feel like its driving on gummy bears and compare the two.

Jason
You will not regret this decision. After talking to the service manager at the Acura dealership where I bought my car, the manager (who owns a NSX himself) said he had just put them on his car and that they were fantastic. I was in the process of ordering a new set of wheels and had the tires mounted and shipped from TireRack. I've put about 4,000 miles on them, and have also recommended them to a few of my local NSX friends. None of us are disappointed with our selection, you won't be either. Great car, great tire, enjoy!!!
 
I have the Dunlops and really like them.

I have OEM 02+ wheels with Dunlop Star Spec Z1 tires. I think Tirerack is the only place where you can get them now. Great tires.

I also have the Dunlops and love them. This coming from the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 tire, which was also a great tire (discountinued NSX sizes now)
 
I would like to thank everyone for their input. I have decided to go with the Yoko Advans. I will update this page once I get a chance to drive on them. I am not sure if I should sell my OEM wheels or not. If I dont, I will put another tire on them like the continentals and see if they really feel like its driving on gummy bears and compare the two.

Jason[/QUOTE


Hey Jason,

I have driven on the Conti's I would not call them gummy bears at all. They felt soft but they worked great and felt really nice on the roads around here in Atlanta but then so did the Swift Sport springs. I wish I had a picture of them but they are on RJRKRP - I think that's right anyway you pm him - his name is Rob and he's got a white 93. The pics he showed me are great!

Hope that helps - and I'm looking forward to your take on the Advans - what was it that made you decide to go to them? I've been reading all this thread.

See ya
 
Great choice!, but what makes you decide to go with the Advans over the Z1? I know they handle better but IMO Z1 looks better.:biggrin:

I wonder how long the Advans last compare to the Z1 on the same spec'd car. BTW, I am pretty sure you have already looked at alignment settings to maximize tires life, such as toe and camber.
 
Great choice!, but what makes you decide to go with the Advans over the Z1? I know they handle better but IMO Z1 looks better.:biggrin:

I wonder how long the Advans last compare to the Z1 on the same spec'd car. BTW, I am pretty sure you have already looked at alignment settings to maximize tires life, such as toe and camber.

HUH?

OH this is not good... I didn't know that was an issue.

It is amazing how much I don't know! You have to do an alignment when you get a new set of tires? And you said settings... as apposed to the hammer I see alignment places use to pound the car into alignment? Can any alignment place do this or is it specialized work?

As for what made me choose the Yoko Advan AD08's? HotWls said:
"read Ken Sax's (NSXTASY) posts or search Continental Extreme DW's for some other opinions. That's what I did before I purchased mine." So I found on other threads that the Yokos were very highly recommended.

I had pretty much picked three options.. and of those choices it seemed if you wanted that 1/10th of a second performance the yoko advans were the best choice. So I decided to just bite the bullet and try them even though they cost a little more. Then maybe throw the Dunlops or conti's on the OEM wheels or maybe next time when I burn the tread right off these suckers:)

I drove at 1230am to see what tires were on the car, then compared the user ratings for the dz101's with the three choices and I decided to spoil my car and spend a little more to make up for the year with the worst tires available! LOL. They weren't the absolute worst actually, but were pretty close. User rating of 6.4, lowest I could find was 6.3. The continentals actually have the best rating of ALL.. but that gummy bear comment scared me off!

I also did a search for the 888's RA1 and Hancooks:

888's: Couldn't find them for either front or rear
RA1: Couldnt find them for either front or rear
Hancooks: Available for my rear size, but not my fronts

My sizes are not standard I guess. These wheels came from an NSX, but I don't think they are the norm:

215 40 17 fronts
255 40 17 rears

I seriously cannot believe how helpful everyone has been! Thank you!!!
Jason
 
This is a good thread. I was talking to Billy about this about a week ago and the Dunlop Star Spec Z1's are a great tire for the price. Sometimes it is an issue of whether they make your size tire in that brand/style. I like the Dunlops but they don't do 19", only 18" tire sizes.

I would go with either the AD08 or the SS Z1 and you will be pretty happy with either.

Now as Billy said if this is just for driving around town than honestly you may not notice it as much if you track your car. Tires are the number 1 important mod when you go to a track. You want good traction as your number 1 priority.
 
Sorry to miss inform you. An alignment is not necessary after tire change. Correct me if I am wrong.

I have a 92 so it came with the aggressive alignment setting. I believe it has more toe for stability at high speed turns. The early years NSXs are infamous of having the rear tires going out fast. Honda got complaints and made later years less aggressive to compromise better tire wears and handling. I just realize you have a 97 with stock suspension?, so I think you are fine if you are worry about tire wear. Unless, you worry about handling more.

Hugo

HUH?

OH this is not good... I didn't know that was an issue.

It is amazing how much I don't know! You have to do an alignment when you get a new set of tires? And you said settings... as apposed to the hammer I see alignment places use to pound the car into alignment? Can any alignment place do this or is it specialized work?

As for what made me choose the Yoko Advan AD08's? HotWls said:
"read Ken Sax's (NSXTASY) posts or search Continental Extreme DW's for some other opinions. That's what I did before I purchased mine." So I found on other threads that the Yokos were very highly recommended.

I had pretty much picked three options.. and of those choices it seemed if you wanted that 1/10th of a second performance the yoko advans were the best choice. So I decided to just bite the bullet and try them even though they cost a little more. Then maybe throw the Dunlops or conti's on the OEM wheels or maybe next time when I burn the tread right off these suckers:)

I drove at 1230am to see what tires were on the car, then compared the user ratings for the dz101's with the three choices and I decided to spoil my car and spend a little more to make up for the year with the worst tires available! LOL. They weren't the absolute worst actually, but were pretty close. User rating of 6.4, lowest I could find was 6.3. The continentals actually have the best rating of ALL.. but that gummy bear comment scared me off!

I also did a search for the 888's RA1 and Hancooks:

888's: Couldn't find them for either front or rear
RA1: Couldnt find them for either front or rear
Hancooks: Available for my rear size, but not my fronts

My sizes are not standard I guess. These wheels came from an NSX, but I don't think they are the norm:

215 40 17 fronts
255 40 17 rears

I seriously cannot believe how helpful everyone has been! Thank you!!!
Jason
 
I just ordered a set of Khumo Ecsta XS 215-45R16 and 255-40R17 from Tirerack, price/performance wise these seems very difficult to beat!

Designed for SCCA racing that demands high Uniform Tire Quality Grades, this incredible tire delivers unrivaled dry grip with split-second steering response, and its unique footprint is designed to deliver consistent handling performance at high G-forces.

pass_ultr_ku36.jpg
 
Sorry to miss inform you. An alignment is not necessary after tire change. Correct me if I am wrong.

I have a 92 so it came with the aggressive alignment setting. I believe it has more toe for stability at high speed turns. The early years NSXs are infamous of having the rear tires going out fast. Honda got complaints and made later years less aggressive to compromise better tire wears and handling. I just realize you have a 97 with stock suspension?, so I think you are fine if you are worry about tire wear. Unless, you worry about handling more.

Hugo

Thanks for the info. Yeah, mine is a 97 with stock suspension. Well, I can only assume it is as I am not the first owner. But the car is 100 percent stock in every other way.

Here is a new question, speaking of allignment... I am going from stagered 16/17 set up... going to 17's all around do I need an alignment or any other modifications?

Jason
 
Continental ExtremeContact DW
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec
Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08

All this knowledge and first-hand experience with these and other tires being tossed around but the Tire Reviews section of the Wiki was last updated almost 2 years ago (and not a mention of any of these three tires).

Please update with info on these tires and updated info for existing tires on that list (availability in sizes suitable for OEM rims, etc).
 
I'll reply to a bunch of the posts here in a moment, but just to give you a quick answer to that last question - you do NOT need to do an alignment to the car when moving from 16"/17" wheels/tires to 17"/17" ones.
 
Sorry I didn't see this topic until now, but the replies you've gotten have provided very good advice. I'll try not to repeat what's already been said.

Several different kinds of tires have been mentioned in this topic, and they are very different in fundamental ways. I'll use the Tire Rack's terminology for their "performance categories":

a. Maximum performance summer tires (Continental ExtremeContact DW, Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3) last longer (more miles) than the next category ("extreme") and are somewhat quieter. They offer excellent performance, although they are not as sticky as the extreme tires. They are a great choice for someone who is looking for a balance between longevity and stickiness.

b. Extreme performance summer tires (Dunlop Sport Z1 Star Spec, Yokohama Advan Neova AD08, Kumho Ecsta XS) are the stickiest street tires you can buy. They won't last as long as the previous category and they can be somewhat noisy. The Star Spec and AD08 are very similar to each other in performance; the XS offers similar performance on dry pavement but is significantly worse than the Star Spec and AD08 in rain.

c. Competition tires (Nitto NT01, Toyo Proxes R888, Toyo Proxes RA-1) are designed for racetrack use, and I don't recommend them for the street, due to a combination of high cost, short treadlife, poor grip in rain, etc.

d. Ultra high performance summer tires (Dunlop Direzza DZ101) offer nowhere near as much performance as the maximum performance summer tires. They are designed to offer a blend of economy (low purchase price) and performance, and may be a good choice for an inexpensive sporty car like a Civic Si. But I would not use them on an NSX - especially since they're not all that much less in price than the significantly superior Continental ExtremeContact DW.

Now, on to the specifics...

These wheels are both 17's... I heard the TCS may not like a non staggered wheel set up.
That's simply not true. The TCS depends on the outer diameters of the tire sizes to operate properly, and the wheel diameters really don't matter. The TCS will operate just fine with 215/40-17 and 255/40-17 on any year NSX.

Are you saying that the OEM tire was superior? Do you have any suggestions of tires that are better?
The OEM tires (Yokohama A022H and Bridgestone Potenza RE010) were designed specifically for the NSX, and are unsurpassed for handling "feel" and precision. However, today's extreme performance summer tires offer better grip. See above for examples.

As a note Discount Tire will price match anyone. I went online to Tire Rack for these tires and even with shipping, Tire Rack price was better by 10/tire. I told this to Discount, and they matched it, no questions asked.
By all means shop around. And don't forget to make it an apples-to-apples comparison of bottom lines, including shipping (free at local dealers and Discount Tire Direct), sales tax (applies by local dealers but not usually on mail order sales), and mounting and balancing (sometimes free at local tire dealers, otherwise typically $10-30 per wheel/tire).

I've found that, in general, Discount Tire Direct (their internet mail-order arm) is usually slightly cheaper than Tire Rack. Local dealers (including Discount Tire's "bricks and mortar" shops) may or may not be able to equal mail-order prices; it's easier for them to do so in a state with low or no sales tax since that's where they are typically at a disadvantage.

I don't think you have said what they will be used for/what you're looking for in a tire?

Peak performance - dry grip - wet grip - longevity - tire noise - track rat - occasional track use - daily driver - importance of comfort, etc...
Very true. This will determine which of the above performance categories you ought to concentrate on.

You have to do an alignment when you get a new set of tires? And you said settings... as apposed to the hammer I see alignment places use to pound the car into alignment? Can any alignment place do this or is it specialized work?
As noted above, you don't need to do an alignment when you get a new set of tires (although you do need to do one when you change suspension parts). However, if you haven't had an alignment done in a few years it's not a bad idea. Also note that there is one alignment setting that plays a role in tire wear - the rear toe, which affects the rate of treadwear on the rear tires. (Front tires normally last 2-3 times longer than rears so they are less of an issue.) When the NSX was first introduced, 6 mm of rear toe was recommended, which offered very precise handling but led to rapid rear tire wear. A few years later they changed the recommendation for all NSX years to 4 mm rear toe, which extended rear tire wear accompanied by a very slight degradation in handling feel. Some NSX owners are willing to trade off even more handling feel for greater tire treadwear in the rear, and are using 2 mm or even 0 mm of rear toe. Your car, your choice.
 
If the price was the same maybe I would take the Advan 08s over the Z1s due soley to brand loyalty, marketing hype or drivers who love to push their sponsor's products (which is after all their job):cool: . BUT the price is not the same, in fact it's quite the premium especially if you buy several sets a year. The difference between the two tires is minuscule. Some tests show the Z1 ahead and some show the A08s. The are both very, very good all around street/track/performance tires. So in this case, Mr Yokohama sponsored FXMD NSX, can sleep easy at night because he's pushing a good product. :tongue:

For the record - I have driven on both the Z1 and A08. For me they were so close that the extra $$$ wasn't justified.
 
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If the price was the same maybe I would take the Advan 08s over the Z1s due soley to brand loyalty, marketing hype or drivers who love to push their sponsor's products (which is after all their job):cool: . BUT the price is not the same, in fact it's quite the premium especially if you buy several sets a year. The difference between the two tires is minuscule. Some tests show the Z1 ahead and some show the A08s. The are both very, very good all around street/track/performance tires. So in this case, Mr Yokohama sponsored FXMD NSX, can sleep easy at night because he's pushing a good product. :tongue:

For the record - I have driven on both the Z1 and A08. For me they were so close that the extra $$$ wasn't justified.
I know you're joking but if that were true, then why does my NSX currently have Bridgestone RE01-R tires on it? -Because they were free from an ex-girlfriend (ya, pretty awesome).

For 99% of drivers, the laptime difference between the AD08 and StarSpec is the same. As I said in my previous posts, the AD08 barely edges out the StarSpec if you are able to extract the maximum performance out of the tire. I also said I believe the new Hankook might be even better. The StarSpec wins hands down for bang/buck and thus is one of the most popular options out.

The RE01R is probably in the same boat as the AD08 and StarSpec but not quite as fast (although capable of a 2:01 in an NA full interior NSX at Buttonwillow 13CW).

You also have to keep in mind, the toe-settings were reduced in the rear when the NSX went to wider tires (225 - 245) in the rear.


Billy
 
I use Yokohama S-Drive tires on my 17/18 wheel combo and am on my second set. I really have been impressed by these tires and am on my second set. They are very predictable at the limit, and do well in the rain too. Since they are ultra high performance tires winter driving is out of the question, but I have used these tires for daily driving and track days and I really enjoy them more than I thought I would. Affordable, great handling, and they wear well too.
 
For the record - I have driven on both the Z1 and A08. For me they were so close that the extra $$$ wasn't justified.
iagree.gif


I mentioned in my post above that the performance is very similar, but I neglected to mention the price advantage of the Star Spec. :redface: I agree that this makes them the better choice if you're looking for an extreme performance tire.

I know you're joking but if that were true, then why does my NSX currently have Bridgestone RE01-R tires on it? -Because they were free from an ex-girlfriend (ya, pretty awesome).
Your ex-girlfriend gives you free tires??? I'm VERY impressed!!! :biggrin:
 
Sorry I didn't see this topic until now, but the replies you've gotten have provided very good advice. I'll try not to repeat what's already been said.

Several different kinds of tires have been mentioned in this topic, and they are very different in fundamental ways. I'll use the Tire Rack's terminology for their "performance categories":

a. Maximum performance summer tires (Continental ExtremeContact DW, Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3) last longer (more miles) than the next category ("extreme") and are somewhat quieter. They offer excellent performance, although they are not as sticky as the extreme tires. They are a great choice for someone who is looking for a balance between longevity and stickiness.

b. Extreme performance summer tires (Dunlop Sport Z1 Star Spec, Yokohama Advan Neova AD08, Kumho Ecsta XS) are the stickiest street tires you can buy. They won't last as long as the previous category and they can be somewhat noisy. The Star Spec and AD08 are very similar to each other in performance; the XS offers similar performance on dry pavement but is significantly worse than the Star Spec and AD08 in rain.

c. Competition tires (Nitto NT01, Toyo Proxes R888, Toyo Proxes RA-1) are designed for racetrack use, and I don't recommend them for the street, due to a combination of high cost, short treadlife, poor grip in rain, etc.

d. Ultra high performance summer tires (Dunlop Direzza DZ101) offer nowhere near as much performance as the maximum performance summer tires. They are designed to offer a blend of economy (low purchase price) and performance, and may be a good choice for an inexpensive sporty car like a Civic Si. But I would not use them on an NSX - especially since they're not all that much less in price than the significantly superior Continental ExtremeContact DW.

Now, on to the specifics...


That's simply not true. The TCS depends on the outer diameters of the tire sizes to operate properly, and the wheel diameters really don't matter. The TCS will operate just fine with 215/40-17 and 255/40-17 on any year NSX.


The OEM tires (Yokohama A022H and Bridgestone Potenza RE010) were designed specifically for the NSX, and are unsurpassed for handling "feel" and precision. However, today's extreme performance summer tires offer better grip. See above for examples.


By all means shop around. And don't forget to make it an apples-to-apples comparison of bottom lines, including shipping (free at local dealers and Discount Tire Direct), sales tax (applies by local dealers but not usually on mail order sales), and mounting and balancing (sometimes free at local tire dealers, otherwise typically $10-30 per wheel/tire).

I've found that, in general, Discount Tire Direct (their internet mail-order arm) is usually slightly cheaper than Tire Rack. Local dealers (including Discount Tire's "bricks and mortar" shops) may or may not be able to equal mail-order prices; it's easier for them to do so in a state with low or no sales tax since that's where they are typically at a disadvantage.


Very true. This will determine which of the above performance categories you ought to concentrate on.


As noted above, you don't need to do an alignment when you get a new set of tires (although you do need to do one when you change suspension parts). However, if you haven't had an alignment done in a few years it's not a bad idea. Also note that there is one alignment setting that plays a role in tire wear - the rear toe, which affects the rate of treadwear on the rear tires. (Front tires normally last 2-3 times longer than rears so they are less of an issue.) When the NSX was first introduced, 6 mm of rear toe was recommended, which offered very precise handling but led to rapid rear tire wear. A few years later they changed the recommendation for all NSX years to 4 mm rear toe, which extended rear tire wear accompanied by a very slight degradation in handling feel. Some NSX owners are willing to trade off even more handling feel for greater tire treadwear in the rear, and are using 2 mm or even 0 mm of rear toe. Your car, your choice.


It is so nice of everyone to share their knowledge. Some of us ( like me ), have zero of this knowledge and just love the NSX. Its great that you spend time to teach us everything you know. I feel so dumb, but didn't even know that the Advan Model 5's were made by Yokohama until I had to find hub-centric rings for the new wheels. All of this is a learning curve! So, I accidentally decided on both yokohama wheels and tires independently. The wheel repair shop I was referred to by other prime members ( wheel-tech in Highland park ), told me I needed these rings... I had no idea what they were even talking about!

I ended up going to a discount tire in Palatine and the guys there were EXTREMELY nice. They were the only ones that had the rings I needed anywhere around here. Their retail pricing for the tires was several hundred more than what I paid. They offered to come in 10 dollars higher than what I paid.

The next time I buy tires I will be buying the Star Specs, but so far I am extremely impressed with these. I couldn't stand it, so I took her out for a drive yesterday (no snow, no ice, no salt.. just cold). These tires had more grip at 35 degrees than the dz101's had at last summer. They also are much more precise. I can feel everything in the road. But its not a rough ride, its just.. responsive. I am sure the tire will be louder when its warmer and stickier but right now its better than the dz101's. And the steering is much improved. The steering wheel feels substantially lighter and easier to input commands, and the reaction is instant. As soon as i move the wheel the car instantly reacts. I am sure the star specs are the same way, but I am extremely impressed!
 
Currently running AD08's and love them especially on the track.

However this year I am going with the Z1's on my new 17/18 combo because of price only.
 
Jason,

I'm not gonna jump into the tire argument, but I have 17/17 Conti ExtremeContact DW and love them.......riding with Swift Springs...........on my White 94 (:D Tim...not a 93!! :tongue:).

Tim has driven my setup, so he can vouch for "everyday" stickiness, quietness, grippiness, and handling with springs/tires. Was a huge step up form the OEM springs and the tires compliment them well.

4608518345_bd2aef2daf_z.jpg
 
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Jason,

I'm not gonna jump into the tire argument, but I have 17/17 Conti ExtremeContact DW and love them.......riding with Swift Springs...........on my White 94 (:D Tim...not a 93!! :tongue:).

Tim has driven my setup, so he can vouch for "everyday" stickiness, quietness, grippiness, and handling with springs/tires. Was a huge step up form the OEM springs and the tires compliment them well.

4608518345_bd2aef2daf_z.jpg

I hope I havent offended your set up at all. I think your car looks amazing. The white with black is my second favorite color. Of course, yellow is my first:)
 
Jason, did you notice the gap over the tires - it's PERFECT! Man I just love looking at Rob's car - it is so nice and the Swift Springs are great feeling and the tires - well the DW is what I'm going with - they feel great - did I mention how good his car looks - damn!

Jason you asked if someone had a picture - well here it is - one more thing for your birthday...:biggrin: I have em and am just waiting to get time to get my car to Eiffel here in Atlanta! Adios amigos...

Thanks for piping in here with that photo and sorry bout cutting you a year short Bud...:wink:
 
Jason, did you notice the gap over the tires - it's PERFECT! Man I just love looking at Rob's car - it is so nice and the Swift Springs are great feeling and the tires - well the DW is what I'm going with - they feel great - did I mention how good his car looks - damn!

Jason you asked if someone had a picture - well here it is - one more thing for your birthday...:biggrin: I have em and am just waiting to get time to get my car to Eiffel here in Atlanta! Adios amigos...

Thanks for piping in here with that photo and sorry bout cutting you a year short Bud...:wink:

here is mine with new tires and rims. what do you think, should I lower her?


5406749909_4257bf2842_b.jpg
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Bestexposures by 3b3f4e5278f084143f86e0fee34434fd, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
I'm going with these as well, Mitch. I have ES100's on the car now and I find them to be responsive, predictable and competent sport tires. The only downside is the lack of ultimate dry grip- they will start to slide earlier than an AD08 or Z1, but not by much. Certainly not enough to justify the price increase for me. I do not do time attacks or race where every 1 or 2 seconds a lap counts. The S-Drive is Yoko's update of the ES100 so I can't wait to try it!


I use Yokohama S-Drive tires on my 17/18 wheel combo and am on my second set. I really have been impressed by these tires and am on my second set. They are very predictable at the limit, and do well in the rain too. Since they are ultra high performance tires winter driving is out of the question, but I have used these tires for daily driving and track days and I really enjoy them more than I thought I would. Affordable, great handling, and they wear well too.
 
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