Tire Information Thread

[coolhandluke]

Official Tire Reference and Discussion Thread

Tire buying tips:
-Treadwear ratings are not always indicative of actual tread wear. Example: A 200 UTQG tire may be softer/stickier than a 180 UTQG competitor. This is sometimes due to racing regulatory bodies, etc.
-Tread width varies between manufacturers and individual tires. Example, one 205 width tire may have wider tread than a 215 width tire.
-Avoid comparing tires from different tire categories. Examples: Comparing tires in Extreme Performance Summer to Ultra High Performance Summer or comparing Street tires to Rcomp tires.
-Pay attention to tire manufacturer dates.
-Tire compound technology changes every few years, make sure to compare the newest technology compounds.


Special Offers
May 2021:
Bridgestone RE-71R on close out. 15'' are gone but FK8 sizes are available.



Legend:
* = Not a recommended size
Many = 12+


15x8 Quick Reference
225/45/15 Street Tire Options:
-Falken RT660 ~$135
-G-Force Rival S 1.5 $148
-Hankook RS-4 $128
-Khumo Ecsta V720 $128
-Maxxis Victra VR-1 (S1/S2) $121
-Nankang CR-1 $155
-Nexen N Fera SUR4 $112
-Toyo Proxes R1R $141
-Yokohama Advan A052 $154

225/45/15 Rcomp Tire Options:
-Nankang AR-1: $135 @ Phils Tire
-Nitto NT-1
-Maxxes RC-1 (R1/R2) $159 @ Maxxis
-Toyo Proxes RR
-Pirelli P Zero TROFEO R



Extreme Performance Summer Street Tire Category:

1.) Bridgetstone RE-71R
Sizes:
15'': 195/50, 205/45 ~$135
16'': 205/45 ~$160
17'': 205/45, 215/45, 225/40, 235/45, 245/40, 245/40, 255/40
18'': Many
19": Many
20": 245/35, 255/40, 285/35, 295/30
Treadwear: 200AA
Tread Depth: 8/32''

2.) Hankook RS4
Sizes:
15'': 195/50*, 225/45, 245/40
16'': 205/45
17'': 215/45, 225/45, 235/45, 245/40, 245/45, 255/40
18'': Many
19": Many
Treadwear: 200AA
Tread Depth: 8.9/32"

3.) Toyo Proxes R1R
Sizes:
15'': 195/55, 205/50, 225/45 ~$131
16'': 205/45, 225/45
17'': 225/45, 235/40, 235/45, 245/35, 245/40, 245/45, 255/40, 275/40
18'': 255/35
Treadwear: 200AA
Tread Depth: 8/32"

4.) Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec
Sizes:
15'': 195/50, 195/55, 205/45
16'': 205/50*
17'': 205/45, 215/40, 215/45, 225/45, 235/40, 235/45, 245/40, 240/45, 255/40
18'': 225/40, 225/45, 235/40, 245/40, 255/35, 265/35, 275/35, 285/30
19": 245/40, 275/35
Treadwear: 200AA
Tread Depth: 8/32"

5a.) Falken 615k+
Sizes:
15'': 205/45 ~$118
16'': 215/45 ~$142
17'': 205/40, 215/40, 225/45, 235/40, 245/45, 255/40, 275/40
18'': 225/40, 235/40, 245/40, 255/40, 265/35, 275/35, 295/40, 315/30
19": 245/40, 275/35
Treadwear: 200AA
Tread Depth: 7.9/32"

5b.) Falken RT660
15'': 205/50, 225/45 ~$128 / $135
16": 215/45 ~$149
17": 205-245
18": 225-315
19": 245-315
Treadwear: 200AA
Tread Depth: 8/32"

6.) G-Force Rival S 1.5
Sizes:
15'': 205/45, 225/45, 245/15
16'': 215/45/16
17'': 225/45, 245/40, 255/40
Treadwear: 200AA
Tread Depth: 7.2/32"

7.) G-Force Rival S
Sizes:
17'': 255/40
18'': 275/35, 315/30, 335/30
Tread Depth: 7.2/32"

8.) Advan Neova AD08 R
Sizes:
15'': 205/50 ~$152
16'': 205/55*, 225/50*
17'': 205/45, 205/50, 215/40, 215/45, 225/45, 235/40, 235/45, 245/40, 245/45, 255/50
18'': Many
19": Many
Treadwear: 180AA
Tread Depth: 9/32"

9.) Khumo Ecsta V720
Sizes:
15'': 225/45
16'': 225/50*
17'': 215/45, 225/45, 235/45, 265/35
18'': 225/40, 235/40, 245/40, 265/35
19": 235/35, 245/40, 275/35, 305/30
Treadwear: 200AA
Tread Depth: 8/32"

10.) Nexen N Fera SUR4
Sizes:
15'': 225/45
17'': 215/45, 225/45, 235/45, 245/40, 255/40
18'': 225/40, 225/45, 235/40, 245/40, 265/35, 275/35, 275/40
19": 225/40, 235/35, 245/40, 275/35
Treadwear: 200AA
Tread Depth: 9/32"

11.) Maxxis Victra VR-1
Sizes:
15'': 205/50, 245/40
17'': 255/40
18'': 245/40, 265/35
19": 295/40
Treadwear: 200AA
Tread Depth: 9/32"



DOT Rcomps Section:

Entry-Level:
1.) Nitto NT01
Sizes:
15": 205/50, 225/45 ~$161-172
17": 205/40, 214/45, 225/45, 235/40, 245/45, 255/40, 275/40, 315/35
18": 225/40, 235/40, 245/40, 265/40, 275/35, 275/40, 305/35, 315/30, 335/30
19": 235/35, 285/35, 305/30, 325/30
20": 255/40, 285/35, 315/30
Treadwear: 100 AA A
Tread Depth: 6.3/32"

2.) Toyo R888R
Sizes:
15": 195/55, 205/50, 225/50* ~$132
16": 205/45, 225/45 ~$141
17": 205/40, 205/45, 215/45, 225/45, 235/40, 235/45, 255/40
18": 225/40, 235/40, 245/40, 255/35, 265/35, 275/35, 295/30, 315/30, 335/30
19": 235/35, 265/30, 295/30, 305/30, 345/30
20": 285/35, 315/30
Treadwear: 100 AA A
Tread Depth: 6.3/32"

3.) Toyo Proxes RA1
Sizes:
15": 205/50, 225/45, 225/50* ~$190
16": 225/50*
17": 235/40, 255/40, 275/40
18": 275/35
Treadwear: 100 AA A
Tread Depth: 8/32"

4.) Nankang AR-1
15": 195/55, 205/50, 225/45
16": 205/45, 225/45
17": 205-255

Mid-Level
1.) Maxxis RC-1 (R1/R2)
Sizes:
15'': 205/50, 225/45, 245/40
17'': 225/45, 235/40, 245/45, 255/40, 275/35, 275/40
18'': 235/40, 265/35, 275/35
Treadwear: 100 A A
Tread Depth: 6/32"

2.) Toyo Proxes RR
Sizes:
15": 205/50, 225/45, 225/50* ~$194
16": 225/50*
17": 235/40, 255/40, 275/40
18": 275/35
Treadwear: 40 C A
Tread Depth: 3.7/32"

3.) Pirelli P Zero TROFEO R
Sizes:
15": 205/50
17": 205/45, 205/50, 225/45, 255/40
18": 225/40, 235/40, 245/40, 265/35, 265/40, 295/30
19": 235/35, 245/35, 265/30, 265/35, 285/35, 295/30, 305/30, 325/30
20": 235/35, 245/30, 245/35, 265/35, 295/30, 295/35, 305/30
Treadwear: 60 AA A
Tread Depth: 5/32"

Competition-Level
1.) Hoosier A7
Sizes:
15": 205/50, 225/45
16": 205/45
17": 225/40, 225/45, 245/40, 275/35, 275/40, 295/35, 315/35, 335/35
18": 245/35, 245/40, 255/35, 275/35, 285/30, 295/30, 315/35, 335/30, 345/35
19": 235/35, 295/30, 315/30, 315/30, 325/30, 345/30
Treadwear: 40 C A
Tread Depth: 4/32"

2.) Hoosier R7
Sizes:
15": 205/50, 225/45
16": 205/45
17": 225/40, 225/45, 245/40, 275/35, 275/40, 295/35, 315/35, 335/35
18": 245/35, 245/40, 255/35, 275/35, 285/30, 295/30, 315/35, 335/30, 345/35
19": 235/35, 295/30, 315/30, 315/30, 325/30, 345/30
Treadwear: 40 C A
Tread Depth: 4/32"
1.) Advan A048
Sizes:
15": 205/50, 225/50*
16": 225/45
17": 225/45, 235/45, 245/40
18": 235/40, 265/35
Treadwear: 60 A A



Wet Tire Recommendations
Street
1.) Toyo Proxes R1R
2.) Hankook R-S4

Rcomp
1.) Toyo RA1
2.) Ho ho wet



Archived - Old(er) tire compounds
Street:
Hankook R-S3 (RS3)
G-Force Rival/Rival-S
Falken 615/615k
Dunlop Direzza Z/ZI Star Spec
Advan Neova AD07/AD08
Bridgestone RE-11

Rcomp
-Toyo R888 (original)
-Toyo RA1 (dated)


Version History:
2021.7.21 - Add Yokohama Advan A052 & Nankang CR-1 to 225/45/15 section

[coolhandluke]

Track day tire tips:
1.) Do you have adequate tread depth?
Yes = Good to go. Slow tires will teach you how to drive smooth. Smooth is fast.
No =Start with Extreme Performance Summer tires section

2.) First rcomp = Start with Entry-Level rcomp tires section

[aw614]

re71rs arent available in 225/45/15.

Who is going to be the first to put a 245/40/15 on an integra

[coolhandluke]

re71rs arent available in 225/45/15.

Who is going to be the first to put a 245/40/15 on an integra

Thank you for catching the typo. I think my eyes got crossed between all the tire sizes.

[Xian]

General and high level impressions of some of the different Street Tires:

Dunlop Z2 SS - Great all around tire, excellent wear compared to the point end stuff. Only particular downside(s) is that it's an older compound now and not competitive with the Rival-S/71R/SUR4G and it's sensitive to heat. Get the tire hot enough and it'll grease up pretty badly... add to this the 205/50 being the biggest ITR fitment and the tire doesn't make a ton of sense for competition.

Rival S (and 1.5) - Great autoX tire! Not awesome in the rain but excels in the dry. Decent with heat and is available in multiple sizes. Good choice for autoX and possibly TT/TA. Wears quickly so not superb for DE use. It's also one of the more expensive options available.

RE71R - Everyone seems to love these because of their stiff carcass and sharp turn-in. Personally, I prefer the feel of the Rival and Rival-S as they can carry more slip angle without slowing you down. Wear is a little better than the Rival S and the tire has a better/grippier compound... but the Rival-S is available in wider sizes if you've got the wheel width to make it work.

SUR4G - There was a SUR4 last year and now there's the "G". The old tire wasn't quite as fast as the BFG and 71R so Nexen went back to the drawing board and enlisted some very fast autocrossers to help with development (Heitkotter and Isley). The resulting tire is in the neighborhood of the fastest tires int he category on asphalt but appears to still lag behind a tiny bit on concrete. It's a little cheaper, has solid contingency, and drive well (IMO). This tire has a softer sidewall so it typically needs a wider wheel, more pressure, more camber, or a combination of all these things to get wear even. Solid option but it may not be for everybody.

RS4 - I haven't driven on these but the reviews all tend to be positive. Not the best autoX tire but it wears like iron and handles heat GREAT. These are probably 1 of the 2 best options for a DE tire. All the other stuff above is more focused toward autox/TA.

VR1 - I just picked up a set of these during their recent 20% off sale. This is a super solid 2nd Tier autox tire. Like the RS4, it won't be pointy end fast but it handles heat like a champ and wear is great. I'd pick these or the RS4 as a DE tire over the other, grippier options above. The fact that they've got a solid line-up of sizes certainly doesn't hurt either!

V720 - Haven't driven on them and don't plan to. Not everyone but many folks have had issues with chunking and delamination. They don't appear to be as fast or faster than other options so there's no upside to trying them.

R1R - An older tire whose time has come and gone... no longer competitive with any of the above tires.

Neova - I've heard good stuff but, IIRC, it's not a 200TW tire so nobody has really tested it since it's not legal for SCCA Street/Street Touring Autox.

615k+ - Some folks have had good results with this tire for DE/track stuff but it's been shown to be off the pace for autox. May be a good DE tire but the adoption rate has been slow on it. I've been told (take this with a grain of salt) that Falken and Dunlop shared some key bits of the design and technology behind the Z2 SS and the 615k+. Dunno how true this may or may not be.

Generally speaking, the BFG/71R are in the neighborhood of the same speed as stuff like the NT01 and RA1 but can also be street driven. Pressures for all the above tires will vary a fair bit depending on what your car is/isn't doing as well as the set-up, wheel width, and if this is track or autox. Starting in the 32-35psi hot range should work for most of them but be ready to drop the pressure on the Z2 SS and 71R as their super stiff sidewall helps them continue to get faster at super low pressures (for autox).

re71rs arent available in 225/45/15.

Who is going to be the first to put a 245/40/15 on an integra

A buddy of mine has already done it... they fit quite a bit better than I expected. Obviously the car has rolled fenders but fitting them appears to be waaaay easier than a Civic (EF or EG).

[coolhandluke]

Superb contributions (as always) Christian. This was the first time I had read a review on the SUR4/G, thank you. As I plan my next 15x8 tire purchase, it seems the Rival-S and RS4's are still top of mind.

[RTW DC2R]

BFG Control Manual https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3IOs ... 0dhRTdMdkU

[Xian]

Superb contributions (as always) Christian. This was the first time I had read a review on the SUR4/G, thank you. As I plan my next 15x8 tire purchase, it seems the Rival-S and RS4's are still top of mind.

Always happy to help if I can.

IMO, unless you're doing pointy end autox or TA/TT, the RS4 is probably the better choice. No, it's not quite as fast but it'll last a bunch longer and hold up to heat better (from what I've read/heard). Honestly, if you don't need the wider tires (i.e. running a 15x7), I'd strongly suggest looking at the new Continental ContactSport. It's supposed to be a much improved version of the DW Sport that's better in the dry without giving up wet performance. There were a bunch of cars at this year's OLOA that made solid showings on the Conti.

Not to take anything away from the SUR4G but the appeal to the outgoing SUR4 was that it was super cheap and "almost as fast" as the pointy end stuff. The SUR4G raises the price tag to the point where most folks will likely jump on the BFG bandwagon unless they run the Nexen for contingency (better payout than BFG). Just remember that the Nexen needs to be stretched a little like the first Rival and Rival-S. If you pinch them or don't have camber, they may be toast in as little as 40 runs in some applications.

[RTW DC2R]

Looking for my first R comp. Might give the Z214 or the RC-1 a try. Not interested in breaking the bank on my first set of R comps so Hoosiers arent an option right now.

The BFG R1S look to be a decent option but might have a limited heat cycle life. They seem to be popular in the BMW world but not sure of anyone running them on our much lighter and smaller econo boxes.

[coolhandluke]

Looking for my first R comp. Might give the Z214 or the RC-1 a try. Not interested in breaking the bank on my first set of R comps so Hoosiers arent an option right now.

The BFG R1S look to be a decent option but might have a limited heat cycle life. They seem to be popular in the BMW world but not sure of anyone running them on our much lighter and smaller econo boxes.

There is an entry-level Rcomps section.