Hi guys,

I'm looking into buying a new set of tires for my FD. I run 10 inches CCW wheels front and rear. The car is mainly used for street driving with 2 to 4 lapping events a year. Actually I have Yokohama A048 285/30/18 on all four corners. I do not want to stick absolutely to this tire size since there is not much choice. However I don't want stretched tires. My budget is around 1000-1300$.

Here is the three I had in mind:

Yokohama A048
Dunlop Direzza ZII
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11

What do you guys think about these ? Any other suggestion is welcome.

Thanks,

Alex

 

Dunlop zii are the best choice. Cheapest also.

 

None of those three are bad. You really can't go wrong no matter which one you pick from that group.

EDIT: The Yokohama model you listed is a r-comp so you'll likely barely get 8k miles of combined street/track with them (if you are lucky). The AD08R would be closer to the other two tires you listed.

 

Thanks for answers guys.

Is there any other size that would fit great for the FD (10 inches rim) ? That way I could maybe add Hankook RS-3 or Kumho XS. FYI my fenders are not rolled and I would prefer to keep it that way.

 

A 265/35r18 would work well also, although I agree that the Direzza ZII is probably the best street tire with occasional track days in mind. I think the RS3 would be my choice if it was a track day car with occasional street driving in mind, although they RS3 has been revised for 2014 and they state has a revised tread compound for better street driving and wet weather performance, but I havent read and reviews yet.

 

275/35 will also fit on an 18x10 but the overall rolling diameter is a bit tall at 25.6 inches so your 4.10 rear end effectively becomes a 3.90. You will benefit from a better ride due to the much higher sidewall vs a 285/30.

Any of the 'extreme summer' tires on the tire rack will work well for you, it comes down to budget and your preference.

 

what tires do you run on your fd, rich? i know you use to run ps2's no anymore though right ?

 

Ive ran r888's rs3's and now running zii's ln my FD which is mainly a track car with occasional street driving.

The zii have slightly better grip on the the track vs rs3 and heat cycle much better. They dont need much heat to get sticky and are good in the rain. Since rs3's cost about the same as zii's its a no brainer to buy the zii's.

The new yokis are good but not good enough to justify the price diff.

 

Thanks for the inputs guys.

I eliminated the yoko A048 from the list because I want something more street friendly. Now I'm debating between re-11 and zii. According to tirerack survey the re-11 is more comfortable. I think the re-11 answers the best my needs however I've always wanted to try the zii.

 

I run continental III in a 285/35/18's in the rear. It is a good street tire and not too bad on a track. Not as good as the others you mentioned.

 

It's been two weeks now and I still can't fix my mind on which tires (re-11 or zii). I wanted to get zii but I've read that they are really noisy on the highway. Someone has feedback about this? How is it compared to A048? I was able to tolerate my A048 but I don't want to get worst than that.

Thanks.

 

What about the AD08R?

If you want to go a bit more 'extreme' go with the Dunlops. The RE-11 are very street friendly and quiet relative to the ZII, and are probably the better street choice.

Hell, if you're in your 20s go for the ZII, if you're past the age of 30 get the RE-11 (which are what I run now)

 

The BFGoodrich Comp-2s are really nice. Very similar to Michelins. I have them on my car. There are good reviews for them as well. Price is nice as well

 

with 10" wheels I recommend going with 255/35/18 front tires, rear can be either 255/35/18 or 265/35/18.

The stretch of the tire gives you the best mechanical grip. It reduces understeer and will actually give you more grip than a 285 mounted on a 10" wheel. Sounds backwards for most people, but do the research.


URGE designs

Start at slide 34 and read on.
www.cb-racing.com/PilotCup_Presentation.PPT


Yokohama AD08R, RE-11 both good choices. I have Kumho XS on my car right now and they have done well.

 

Nitto NTO5 hands down if you want a little better tire life. I think there a 200 tread wear tire.

 

Federal RSR's 140 TW and cheapp

 

AD08R are a bit over my budget. I must say that re-11 and zii where at the very limit of my budget.

Anyway I followed your recommendations since I'm in the 30s.

Seriously I've read a lot a reviews about the zii saying that they are a bit noisy and since my car is mainly for street I opted for the re-11.

Rich can you tell me where these tires are made? It should be written "made in X" on the tires. Since I pick these at the US borders to bring back to Canada I'll have to pay an extra 7% if they are not made in North America. I may change my pick up strategy if it's the case.

 

Very interesting.

However when I've read your post my order (285/30/18) was already on its way. I would have save a few hundreds bucks. Oh well, next time...

I guess the ride is a bit stiffer with stretched tires?

 

The RE-11s are made in Japan according to tirerack.

 

no worries.