Tyre Recommendation thread

[mrwillz]

Looking for 2 front new tyres for 18inch wheels.. after something cheap around 150 mark which is decent... thinking of getting Ling Longs! Anyone heard of this brand? its a copy of the Nankangs? What you guys reckon??

[EK9]

When i was hunting for tyres, i basically narrowed it down to a very similar list like yours. Was pretty much set on getting the C.drives as well, heard a lot of good things and are supposedly very quiet (compared to my previous BS GIIIs and RE010, which i found noisy esp in my ek9).

But i thought i'd try some Hankooks as i have a friend who works for them, and hearing alot about silica tyres i thought i'd give them a go, as they were a lil cheaper too. Got me some 205/45/16 Hankook K424s and honestly i was quite suprised and very impressed... to me they were lighter on the steering and handling and i felt they rolled alot better, and were quieter too. Can't complain about grip either, very good and on par with my previous GIIIs and RE010s. I've really come to liking them, and will very likely get another set of Hankooks later on... the model i got were performance/comfort... but i think the most popular performance is the K104, similar league to GIIIs, C.drives. Have a look into them too if you can...

[EK9]

Looking for 2 front new tyres for 18inch wheels.. after something cheap around 150 mark which is decent... thinking of getting Ling Longs! Anyone heard of this brand? its a copy of the Nankangs? What you guys reckon??

I've heard of them, duno how good they are tho...

Honestly, i've learned my lesson and i wouldn't recommend anyone go too cheap when it comes to tyres. They're what keeps u stuck to the ground, and safety wise they're one of the most important things on ur car. $100-200 difference for tyres isn't alot when u compare to claiming insurance or repairs or worse if anything happens due to shitty tyres. Anyway, i'm sure u can get a better set of tyres for only a little more.

[Kit]

Hello Everyone,

Mine is a lease car so am limited to my choices of preferred suppliers. From what I have read, surfed,etc., I am kinda narrowed to the following:

Bridgestone SO3s ($265ea)
Bridgestone G3s ($230ea)
Bridgestone ER30s ($280ea)
Continental CSC2s ($220ea)
Yokohama C.Drives ($220ea)

.

Out of the ones you mentioned I would probably only get the S03. The S03 is a higher grade than the G3. Also I haven't heard of the ER30 before.

I managed to get over 35,000km out of my set of S03s with rotation. But that is without any tyre abuse like burnouts etc.
My car makes a fair bit more power than the Accord so you should get significantly more mileage out of a set.
Like most tyres, they started losing a bit of grip towards the end of their life though.

One other thing to remember, the S03 has been around for a while now, so there are other tyres out there that perform equally as well or better for a cheaper price, such as the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx. Or the Goodyear GSD3.

[Kit]

Wear rating of 200 supposedly translates to about 55,000km. I doubt the C.Drive with 300 would 1/3 longer as the rubber would harden first. But it won't be as short as 24 months.

BTW, for Yokos, try calling up Tyrepower for quotes.

One thing to keep in mind is that the TWR is not a common grading across all tyre manufacturers but a general guide within a brand.

That is, a 200 Goodyear TWR will be different to a 200 Dunlop TWR.

[euro77]

One other thing to remember, the S03 has been around for a while now, so there are other tyres out there that perform equally as well or better for a cheaper price, such as the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx. Or the Goodyear GSD3.

I agree, the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 is a very good all rounder, and it should be cheaper than the S03.

This might help you decide which tyres to go with.
http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires...y_f1_gs_ds.pdf
http://www.eurotuner.com/techarticle...ide/index.html

[slidetaker]

If the C.drives have a rating of 300, almost assuring that I can get 45 to 50,000 kms, then they just creeped back into consideration. I read on the Tirerack web site that the Continental CSC2s are more of a dry weather tyre so I may just steer away from them

Sounds like treadwear is really important to you. I don't see how SO3 and GIII can out wear C.Drive while having a higher performance than them. Beside, you should get the C.Drive a bit cheaper than the Bridgestones.

Does anyone has any update on the performance differences in GSD3 between the countries that they are made in?

[Kit]

I agree, the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 is a very good all rounder, and it should be cheaper than the S03.

This might help you decide which tyres to go with.
http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires...y_f1_gs_ds.pdf
http://www.eurotuner.com/techarticle...ide/index.html

the GSD3 will be ALOT cheaper than the S03.. I know someone that bought a set of 16" for $150 each. S03, ever since they won the Wheels tyre test a couple of years ago have become a rip off.

slidetaker: I have *heard* that the german made GSD3 will outlast the Australian made ones, and that the Aussie ones lose grip towards the end.... but thats just something I heard from someone and I cannot confirm it.
And in anycase, whether a tyre loses grip towards the end of their life largely depends on how you treat them and how many heat cycles its been through anyway. I would say both Aussie and german ones would be pretty similar interms of quality and grip.

[aaronng]

One thing to keep in mind is that the TWR is not a common grading across all tyre manufacturers but a general guide within a brand.

That is, a 200 Goodyear TWR will be different to a 200 Dunlop TWR.

It is standardised and carried out under controlled conditions against a control tyre of rating 100. If under the tests, the manufacturer tyre lasts twice as long, then it is given a rating of 200. Granted, two 200 rating tyres will last the same under the controlled conditions, in real liffe it is different and they will each last a different duration. However, it is still a good guide.

The rating is mandatory for the US as the test is an NHTSA test. Therefore for tyres sold in australia, you won't find the wear rating on every tyre sold here.

[Kit]

The TWR situation must have changed then. I remember years ago when not all tyres had TWRs, it was a rating within a manufacturer and it wasn't standardised.

[aaronng]

Yup, now it's controlled and tested by NHTSA. No more fudging numbers. LOL. Instead they now fudge EPA fuel consumption numbers by putting in 5w-20 oil into Hondas in the US.

[slidetaker]

Yup, now it's controlled and tested by NHTSA. No more fudging numbers. LOL. Instead they now fudge EPA fuel consumption numbers by putting in 5w-20 oil into Hondas in the US.

I am not so sure about that. According to “Tirerack”..
“….it is important to realize that the Department of Transportation does not conduct the tests. The grades are assigned by the tire manufacturers based on their test results or those conducted by an independent testing company they have hired. The NHTSA has the right to inspect the tire manufacturer's data….”

“..Typically, comparing the Treadwear Grades of tire lines within a single brand is somewhat helpful, while attempting to compare the grades between different brands is not as helpful.’’

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...currentpage=35