Tire choice

[911teo]

I am looking to choose the tires for my car.
Mine is a street/track car (daily driver) so I will not go for R-compound.
I need a good compromise between wet and dry traction.
For the size I need (rear 315/35/17) these are the possible choices.

BF Goodrich G-Force

Goodyear Eagle F1

Yokohama AVS Sport

Dunlop SP Sport 8000

Sumitomo HTRZ

Prices are all similar, with the Yokos being the most expensive and the Sumitomos as the cheapest.

Does any of you have any comments/experience on either tire?

Thank you very much

Matteo

[BeauBlues]

I put the GS-D3's on mine and they seem to be reallllly grippy. I've been trying to break them loose around the streets will no avail. Also they are completely phenominal in the rain.

[maxhofer]

My vote also goes to the Goodyear F1 GS-D3's. I recently put them in my car and also find them extremelly grippy (swaped from Pirellis P7 which were in quite good condition). They look very aggresive too.

[porschenut]

Yes, Goodyear GS-D3 all the way.

[CarreraS2]

The only one of those that I have used are the Sumitomos.

I bought them for my daily driver BMW because they were on sale at Tire Rack for dirt cheap.

I've been REALLY happy with them. They seem to run very quiet. They also balance very well - the BMW is very sensitive to tire balance and the Sumis seem to have balanced better than any other tire I've used on it.

Grip seems good, but its a street car and I don't test ultimate grip on the street! We've had a lot of rain lately, though, and the grip in the wet seems excellent.

All in all, they've definately exceeded my expectations!

That being said, they were at the time a lot cheaper than the other tires you have listed. For the same price, some of those others might be better for a street/track car. I just wanted to give some props to the Sumis!

[Jack Olsen]

Anecdotal reports from users are not as useful as actual tests. Tirerack's tests are probably filled with scientific and procedural holes, but they're all we've got.

Here's one with the Good Year F1 GS-D3. The tire gets a track rating of 8.08.

Here's one with the BFGoodrich G-force T/A KD. The tire gets a track rating of 8.25.

In my opinion, a tire only needs to be adequate in wet or street driving. You're not really pushing the car in those situations. On the track or in autocross, you want the best tire you can get within the constraints of your tire budget.

[randywebb]

Where are the S-03's in all this?

Tires involve compromises - ultimate grip often means a sharp breakaway with little feedback to tell you exactly when that will happen. To follow up on Jack's comments -- for the street, I would like gradual breakaway and really good "feel" rather than ultimate grip.

Then there's the whole width vs. hydorplaning issue.

At one time, dry grip and wet grip were inversely related! Todd Serota & I talked about that at one time (not sure where - it might be on Rennlist archives or maybe it was in person so no record). The upshot was that he thinks that is no longer an issue.

But you will really really need to think hard about where you will drive & how, to select the best tire for you. And in a few years, the tire technology will change...

I agree re the tire rack tests. Another huge problem is that the vast majority of posts tout a huge improvement with x new tire -- BUT the poster is erring by comparing x with a tire that is several years old -- and therefore has hardened appreciably.

[911teo]

The S-03s are not avaliable in 315/35/17. They would be my 1st choice. Unfortunately they only go up to 275.

I tend to agree with Jack that I will not be pushing in the wet nor in normal driving condition.
At the same time the car is driven on the street daily and hydroplanning can be an issue even at 60mph.

Also I don't mind a tire that gives me a little feedback on the track.

I think no matter what I go for, the tires will be the weakest link of my setup (TRG sways, TRG 21-31 tbars, ER monos and polybronze bearings, ER triangulated strut bar)...
So I might decide to go for a second set of Lindsays wheels with R compound tires in the future if I decide the tires are inadequate for DE.

In the past I only heard horror stories about the Goodyear... So I am a little hesitant about them.

I was leaning towards the Yokos, but Jacks link made me revisit the BF Goodrich.

[white87911]

Can you get these sizes in Michelin Pilot Sports? I know they are expensive, but, they are, in my mind, the best all arond tire. They grip great in the dry and the wet. They wear very well, and also run very true (very little balancing rquired) and do not make very much road noise. I have them on my 911 and my best friend has them on his Subaru and we love them. I do not know if they just justify the $ premium that you pay over an ES100.

Erik

[white87911]

Ijust looked and they do not offer this size in the Michelin Piolet Sport, but if you only drive the car @ 3-5K per year, and not hardly in the rain, you may want to consider the Yoko A032R, they are super, super gripy and work well unless you are in a total downpour.

Erik

[JackT]

I have had problems with the Sumitoma HTRZ. Have they get really hot, like on a track on the summer, they develope road noise in the highway. I also had the 2 rears blow out at different times. The tire dealer said it may have been that lot of tires that was defective.
I replaced the Sumi's with Bridgestone SO3's. What a great tire. Sorry they do not have your size.

[WERK I]

Originally posted by white87911
Ijust looked and they do not offer this size in the Michelin Piolet Sport, but if you only drive the car @ 3-5K per year, and not hardly in the rain, you may want to consider the Yoko A032R, they are super, super gripy and work well unless you are in a total downpour.

If it is primarily a street/highway driven machine, dry traction and noise have to carry equal weight in your decision. Nothing ruins the sound of that boxer engine more than the noise of tire tread slapping the pavement. Those A032R's are one noisey tire, but what a grip!

[Jack Olsen]

The best lap times on that list will come from the BFGoodriches.

Ask me how I know.

[VincentVega]

Damn, finding 245/16's is a PITA!

[KobaltBlau]

it is? not sure this link will work forever:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compare1.jsp?width=245%2F&ratio=45&diameter=16&startIndex=0&search=true&pagelen=20&pagenum=1&pagemark=1&x=46&y=5&performance=MP&performance=C

if it doesn't, just search on tire rack for 245/45-16 max performance and competition tires.

[kaisen]

I had the 275/40-17 fr and 315/35-17 rear on a non-P-car and really liked the GS-D3's. They were smoother and quieter and wore better than the Dunlop SP8000's I had, and the D3's were slightly better than the Goodyear Eagle GS F1's they replaced (discontinued).

I've also driven the BFG Drag Radials on all four corners.....don't laugh! They were actually great! Pretty bad for real rain or standing water, but better than a shaved 'track' tire. Had tremendous grip, even laterally (I understand they were designed for a straight line). They wear better on the street than many track tires and are much quieter than the Yoko A032R's, which constantly sound like bad wheel bearings. They would QUICKLY deteriorate on a road course as they're too soft.

The Yoko AVS Sports are overrated and getting long-in-the-tooth, in my opinion. Too bad they don't make the ES100's in these sizes. They're a great tire for the money.

Not that you are choosing on looks, but the D3's look mean too! I vote Goodyear.

E

[jorian]

I have the Yoko's on the 911 and the Volvo. Love em'.

[jorian]

Sorry didn't see your size requirement for the rears. I'm running the AVS ES100s'.

[thabaer]

I've been running AVS Sports for a few years, got caught in a murderous downpour and I ran out of visibility before they ever gave a hint of letting loose. They are great in the dry too, I'm also running a set of 245 S-03s vs the 225 Yokos and the Bridgestones feel sloppier.

[Bill Verburg]

This is why I like 18s, you could get a PS2 315/30 x18 ~25.5" tall.

I laso agree w/ Jack in those sizes the BFGs are tops.