Which tires to buy for 18's and 19's?

S

SuncoastNSX

Registered Member
Joined
3 January 2003
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Location
Srasota, FL, United States
Looking for recommendations. Any available tire will handle good enough for my driving style, however, I'm looking for treadlife and road noise. Tirerack suggests Bridgestone Potenza (220 treadwear). Yoko AVS's are out, so are the Parada's. Maybe Toyo Proxes? (I have had good luck in the past with these on 18's)

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Inventory
  1. 1992 Acura NSX Black
  2. 2002 Audi TT 225 Coupe Black
  3. 2002 Lexus IS 300 Blue
  4. 2001 Nissan Xterra Blue
  5. 1968 Lincoln Sedan Black (Yes the Matrix Car!)
    [/list=a]
 
If you are looking to get a good tire with good treadwear and at a good price, purchase some Nitto tires. Those are the ones I have on my 18/19 rims. 215/35/ZR18 front and 265/30/ZR19 rear. If you order them from tire rack, you get free s/h via UPS ground and they offer a warranty for the tires should anything happen to them. You really don't need the warranty for the rear tires, but more so for the front, as rear tires go so fast anyway. The front's last forever, and are more likely to pickup something on the road that would damage a tire. They replace the tire for you with the warranty w/o hassles and is worth the few extra bucks. But those are the best tires I found with regard to price, quality, grip, treadwear, and ease to find replacement should something happen. God knows how hard to it to get a replacement Pirelli or Yokohaha w/o getting ripped off or exhausted from searching cause "they aren't in stock". None of this trouble with Nitto. AND the tires look good too!
 
I think the ones I have are the Nitto NT 450's. And they have a 300 treadwear rating (off the top of my head), and are quiet. I have had EVERY tire out there that has fitments for a 18/19 Rim Combo on an NSX, and Nitto best matches your concerns, which were similiar to mine when selecting my current tires.
 
Originally posted by hdsr5:
If you order them from tire rack, you get free s/h via UPS ground
Click to expand...

As far as I know, the Tire Rack does not offer free shipping/handling on any tires, and does not carry Nitto tires.
 
I am gong with The Bridgestone SO3's
225 or 215/ 35 up fronts and 275/30's on the
rear. I have 265's now and they are a little small. I have 9.5" rear wheels. I have decided to stay away from the 285's in the rear. I would use them if I had 10" rears.
I have Racing Hart M5 3pc.
YMMV
Len
n9s5x-t
 
Whoops. Sorry. It was Discounttiredirect.com that has the Nittos and offers free s/h via UPS Ground. And I also have Racing Hart M5 19x9.5 rear rims, and I currently have 275/30/ZR19 rear tires. I do not like the look. It is alright, but a 265/30/ZR19 rear would have more of the Japan look. If you know how most Japan peeps pick their tires to go with their rim sizes, than you know what I am talking about. I say a 265/30/ZR19 tire is PERFECT for the Japan look and with 215/35/ZR18 tires up front. But that is just my opinion.
 
Originally posted by hdsr5:
Whoops. Sorry. It was Discounttiredirect.com that has the Nittos and offers free s/h via UPS Ground. And I also have Racing Hart M5 19x9.5 rear rims, and I currently have 275/30/ZR19 rear tires. I do not like the look. It is alright, but a 265/30/ZR19 rear would have more of the Japan look. If you know how most Japan peeps pick their tires to go with their rim sizes, than you know what I am talking about. I say a 265/30/ZR19 tire is PERFECT for the Japan look and with 215/35/ZR18 tires up front. But that is just my opinion.
Click to expand...

Nice choice in rims. Does your front tires rub at all. I have 215/40's and they rub under full lock. I am not up on the Japan look thing, well I guess I am now. I looked at my wheel. The look may vary, depending on the brand of tire you have. I need the extra lateral support on the sidewall. I track my car. The 265's are also too small to offer the lip protection on my rim. The tire has the appearance of being streched to fill the rim. It does not look bad. But I can feel the lack of support.
Len
 
Wow. I think my car would run too if I had a 215/40/ZR18 front tire.I got the 215/35/ZR18 front tires and they have J-U-S-T enough clearance considering my car is slammed. I also see that you are familiar with the "JDM" look of a somewhat stretched tire look. And yes, You are right in that there is ZERO rim protection with that look, as the rim is exposed. BUT I don't expect to hit anything with my rims, nor track my car with a 18/19 rim combo. Why don't you get different rims to track your car with? I would say a 17/18 or 16/17 combo would be better for track, AND save you $$$ on buying expensive 19 inch tires. With the criteria you have, you should get the 275 tire. But for the JDM look (which I think is proper considering the fact that the NSX is arguably one of the BEST cars to EVER come out of japan) the 265 is better. A 275 rear tire with a 215 wouldn't match up too well though. you should run a 225 front with a 275 rear, or a 215 front with a 265 rear to keep the handling from becoming "weird". Just my $.02. Good luck...
 
hdsr5,
Got any pics with the M5's? I'd love to see how they look. I have the stock 15/16 currently with 1.75 inch drop and I consider it slammed. I'm currently looking for some 18/19's, so I'd like to see if you have pics.
Thanks,
Z
 
I was too lazy to take any pics before, but I will take some once my car is out of the shop, as they are replacing my ABD Modulator Assembly due to a leak somewhere. I will post them and let you know when they are up...
 
I am using HRE 540r's in the 18x8 format and 19 x 10 rear. I am leaning toward Nitto based on their cost and treadwear factor. They will allow me to replace more often also. Bridgestone Potenze looks like a good option, highest rated on tirerack. Anyone know about Pirelli's good stuff?

------------------
[email protected]
Inventory
  1. 1992 Acura NSX Black
  2. 2002 Audi TT 225 Coupe Black
  3. 2002 Lexus IS 300 Blue
  4. 2001 Nissan Xterra Blue
  5. 1968 Lincoln Sedan Black (Yes the Matrix Car!)
    [/list=a]
 
You're willing to spend money on the HRE's so don't skimp on the tires. Go with the SO3s!

Also, are you going to upgrade your brakes? If not you will notice a difference with the additional weight.

[This message has been edited by Shuey2k (edited 20 February 2003).]
 
I don't think the Bridgestone's are good enough over the nitto's to warrant how much more you pay for them. And on top of that their treadwear is a bit worse. A good driver with Nitto's would SMOKE an ok driver with Bridgestone's. (ie. I have the Nitto's and I GUARANTEE I would toast ANYONE with SO3's in a freeway or track race if we both had the same car & setup.) People underestimate how good the Nitto 450's are. I have been playing around with all the different performance tires over the past 8 years, and can honestly say the Nitto's have a god mix of price, performance, and longevity. AND discounttiredirect.com has a warranty you but for about $15 that wil replace a tire you buy from them FOR FREE should anything mess up the tire.
 
Wheels will be on the way soon! I send photos. Just finished the stereo install and the sound quality is surprisingly good for such a small car.

------------------
[email protected]
Inventory
  1. 1992 Acura NSX Black
  2. 2002 Audi TT 225 Coupe Black - SOLD!
  3. 2002 Lexus IS 300 Blue - FOR SALE!
  4. 2001 Nissan Xterra Blue
  5. 1968 Lincoln Sedan Black (Yes the Matrix Car!)
  6. 2003 BMW M3 Coupe Laguna Seca Blue - New Addition!
    [/list=a]
 
Originally posted by hdsr5:
People underestimate how good the Nitto 450's are.
Click to expand...

are you sure you're not talking about the Nitto 555's?

my friend was driving the 450's and he said that the tires are hard and crap (he's a professional test car driver), but I've had the 555's and LOVED them.

Allen
 
You need to quote and respond to my ENTIRE statement, NOT just a section of it that you choose. Regarding price, treadwear, performance, availability, and value, Nitto 450's are hard to beat. And I also said I would smoke ANYONE with a N/A NSX who has SO3 tires in my NSX, which has 450's. People put TOO much value into their tires. They should look in the mirror and think that they could just possibly be a subpar driver. Shawn
 
Originally posted by hdsr5:
You need to quote and respond to my ENTIRE statement, NOT just a section of it that you choose. Regarding price, treadwear, performance, availability, and value, Nitto 450's are hard to beat. And I also said I would smoke ANYONE with a N/A NSX who has SO3 tires in my NSX, which has 450's. People put TOO much value into their tires. They should look in the mirror and think that they could just possibly be a subpar driver. Shawn
Click to expand...

Translation: "I can beat other drivers, even though I use crappy tires."
biggrin.gif


While I agree that differences in driver skill can trump differences in the capabilities of the cars, I disagree that people put too much value in the tires. Tires can make more difference in your car's capabilities than any other part on the car. The difference between grippy tires and crappy tires is huge - and can make a bigger difference than the thousands of dollars that people spend on suspension mods and powertrain mods. Money spent on upgrading tires is often a better investment than money spent on any other mod for the car.
 
Jus like in Grand Turismo!!!! hehe
biggrin.gif



Originally posted by nsxtasy:
Money spent on upgrading tires is often a better investment than money spent on any other mod for the car.
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by hdsr5:
You need to quote and respond to my ENTIRE statement, NOT just a section of it that you choose. Regarding price, treadwear, performance, availability, and value, Nitto 450's are hard to beat. And I also said I would smoke ANYONE with a N/A NSX who has SO3 tires in my NSX, which has 450's. People put TOO much value into their tires. They should look in the mirror and think that they could just possibly be a subpar driver. Shawn
Click to expand...

Hi Shawn,

I tried Nitto 450, and I must say they are the worse tire I ever tried. The 555 on the other hand is a decent tire.

IMHO, Tire is a very important factor on performance driving. That being said, I agree with you that depending what you use them for, one might chose tire with less grip for one application.

And I'm also up for the challenge on track driving. There is a track event on March 22-23 in LVMS, and I'm looking for a car to drive so I can just fly over there. Maybe a friendly wager would be good in this case. I fly over, drive your car, and if I don't turn faster lap time than you do by at least 1 sec per lap by the end of the day, I'll pay for your track event registration. If I beat you more than 1 sec per lap, we both pay for ourself and I thank you for letting me drive your car.

I need practice in LVMS in preparation for OTC. And the fact that I never been there before would put you in the upperhand, no?
 
Ken,

no nothing is wrong with my NSX. But I can't take too much time off work, and the drive to LV from San Francisco is about 9 hrs. I would much rather fly there and drive someone elses car.

We have been using Tom's car for practice for OTC, since his car is the one we will be using for OTC.

This is also a shout out and real proposal for people in LV. If they are interested in letting me drive their cars, I will be more than happy to provide free instruction. I would much prefer to instruct somewhat an advance driver that totally beginner though.
 

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