michaelnyden

iTrader: (15)

I have two sets of wheel...18's for the street and 17's for the track/autoX...
and am having a difficult time choosing tires for each...


For the Street:
Toyo T1-R (probably handle a little better than the Avon Tech M500's and are lighter)
235/40/18
24lbs.
$151

245/40/18 (most likely this size, as it would save my wheels from curb rash a little better)
26lbs.
$155/each

For the Track:
Toyo RA-1 (probably would last longer than the Avon Tech R-A's according to reviews, the size for this tire I would consider)
235/45/17
25lbs.
$190/each

For the Street:
Avon Tech M500 (from reviews and such, these probably are quieter, more comfortable than the T1-R's)
245/40/18
28lbs.
$144

For the Track:
Avon Tech R-A (going with a smaller width would mean better/sharper response and less weight than the RA-1's...the size for this tire I would consider)
225/45/17
24lbs.
$187

Current Tire for the Street:
Yokohama ES100
235/40/18
25lbs.
$157/each

maxmale

i have no idea what you should get but as for me i'm thinking of getting the T1-R's

michaelnyden

iTrader: (15)

anyone have any more thoughts on this matter?

z32drifter

I guess you are looking for track tire that could be driven on the street .. too and from events??? RA1s are a nice tire sidewall is a little soft for me and they have a lot of tread squirm when new. I would also look at the Kumho Victo racer old style for running full tread depth...... V700s for wet or shaved for the dry .... if you want the best traction and don't mind swapping tires at the track ... full slicks will out perform any of the treaded "R" compound tires. I'm currently running Pirelli P-Zero Corsa for the track... traction is good and the wear has not been as bad as I expected .. looks like they will last 15+ soloII events.

For the street it depends on what you need and are willing to deal with. Since you live in the LA area you can get away with a summer tire all year long.... I would go with the Toyo over the Avon... just for the improved performance

thebear

I was looking for 245/45-18's for my '04 SE on Tire Rack . There are `owner's comments' posted for most sizes. The most prevalent comment in my size was poor tire wear followed by noise. All of the brands listed had 10-15k mile useful life according to the posters. A few apparently `feather-foot' as some claimed 25-30k life. Of course ther were many car makes represented and few Maximas (Maximae?).

Tosh

iTrader: (1)

Toyo's best effort at a performance tire is the T1-S.

New regulations in the European Union that will take effect in 2007 will mandate maximum (external) noise levels for new tires, and most present tires will be too noisy to be sold in Europe two years from now.

The Toyo T1R (Toyo has dropped the hyphen for this tire) is a modification of the T1-S for reduced noise. Any time you add a new criterion to the mix of parameters for which you are designing a tire, you have to take away from the other criteria, because there is no free lunch. How well Toyo has succeeded in getting near to T1-S performance with the compromises needed to achieve lower noise in the T1R remains to be seen in side-by-side testing, which, so far as I am aware, no one has done yet (except probably Toyo itself at its internal test facility).

In any event, I have run both Toyo T1-S and Dunlop SP Sport 01 tires on my Maxima (225x55-16 on SE wheels; I have not run either 17" or 18" sizes), and can report that they are both good choices in the 16" size. For performance, the SP Sport 01 has the edge, as one would expect for an asymmetrical design (all else being equal, an asymmetrical tire almost always will beat a unidirectional tire in any conditions that do not include standing water on the road surface). The T1-S has a more flexible sidewall, and a softer feel through the steering wheel, and does not transmit as much jar back to the driver's hands over small bumps as the SP Sport 01 does, but for anyone but the driver, experiencing the ride only "through the seat of the pants," the ride quality between the two is about the same.

If the reduced noise of the Toyo T1R is a plus for you, you will be interested to know that the Dunlop SP Sport 01, which is the OEM fitment on most Audi S4 and BMW 745 sedans, already meets European 2007 noise standards.

I have no affiliation, financial or otherwise, except as a consumer, with Toyo, or with Dunlop, or with any tire manufacturer or dealer.

BG

I just purchased the Yokohama AVS ES100. I haven't had them long enough to get past the break in period and really start to push them. (<500miles) But check tire racks survey's and road tests. They have some really good feedback as well as killer looks.

Give them a check out if your in the market - definately.

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

i was told rubber tires work well

RKS

Avons are ONLY available at TireRack. They are a house-brand, even thought the motorcycle tires are available in various venues the car tires are not.
I seriously think that TR is manipulating reviews to push their tire to the top. I have had 4 new Avons for a few months and their tread life is inflated, they are impossible to balance and TR is absolutely dropping the ball on truely reflecting the quality of tire.

The wet traction is not bad but no new tire should (except for the Potenza) be prone to hydroplaning while new.

The sidewalls on the Avons are not as strong as ther reviews imply. They are certainly NOT ultra-performance territory.

I will NOT recommend Avons to anyone wanting a smooth yet sporty ride.

michaelnyden

iTrader: (15)

what about the customer reviews on the tire...they clearly say that the sidewalls are too soft...but they do state they grip very very well for only being in the ultra performance category...none of the customer reviews on there stated they were impossible to have balanced...

MaximusMorpheus

iTrader: (3)

Which Avon's did you get, the tech m500 or tech m550a/s?? I was looking at these tires for oem replacements. What do yall think about Kumho ECSTA ASX or Yokohama Avid V4s? Trying to stay with oem dimensions.

Tosh

iTrader: (1)

Actually . . . no. Avon is a British company that has been around for 120 years, much lonegr than Tire Rack has. In the United States, Cooper Tire manufactures Avons, and the exclusive distributor appears to be Tire Rack. So your first sentence is correct (as to the United States), but your second sentence is not.

RKS

that's part of the problem. I don't think TR is going to allow customer reviews that blast the Avons. Mine isn't up there.

Doesn't Ultra-Performance imply great/ultra handling capabilities????

RKS

I have the M550 A/S. Did not consider the Kumho and the Yokos and Michelins were out of my desired price range.

I guess you either get what you paid for or if it is too good to be true...

RKS

I knew Avon has been around for motorcycle tires for years and was the oem for Rolls Royce but thanks for the clearification regarding Cooper as the manufacturer. I guess I will need to also serve them in my breach of merchantability claim.

And by House Brand I meant that if you go to the Avon car tire website and look up contact info it kicks you back to TR.

MaximusMorpheus

iTrader: (3)

Yea, I guess you do get what you pay for. I really want to get the best priced tire for my oem wheels and I am now leaning towards the Toyo Proxes 4 in 235/45/17 size. I have read really good reviews here on the org. Only thing is if they are wider will they make more road noise? They are only $108 per tire at edgeracing.com

Tosh

iTrader: (1)

Do you drive on wet roads? Then you do not want an all-season tire. No all-season tire will (or can) grip as well as a three-season ("summer") tire on a wet surface; it is a simple matter of what makes a tire all-season (affinity for water is what makes the tire grip snow; affinity for water is not what you want in the rain; you want the tire to shed water).

MaximusMorpheus

iTrader: (3)

Here where I live there are times when there is a lot of rain. But hardly any snow. What summer tire would you recommend??

Tosh

iTrader: (1)

For 40,000+ miles, I ran Nokian NR-V tires (a tire now called NR-Z; the new model NR-V is a different critter), which are probably the best rain tires in the world. (Finns would never dream about running the same tire 12 months of the year, but even in the seasons when they do not have snow on the ground and need true winter tires, they get a lot of cold rain, and Nokians are optimized for that kind of weather.) The Nokians are an excellent choice for wet roads, but a bit pricey.

I replaced the front pair of tires on my Maxima with a pair of Dunlop SP Sport 01 tires in February (leaving a pair of worn but servicable Nokians on the rear), and the Dunlops have exceeded expectations. The wet traction is just about as good with the Dunlops as with the Nokians., while the dry traction and steering response are better with the Dunlops. As a bonus, the SP Sport 01 is a relatively inexpensive shoe for the Maxima. I paid under $110 per corner for 225/55-16s. (FWIW, the SP Sport 01 is OEM on most Audi S4 -- the factory hot-rod from Audi -- and most of the BMW 745s.)

I had planned to replace the remaining two Nokians with another pair of SP Sport 01s some time in September before the fall rains set in, but while I was on vacation earlier this month the tread belt slipped on one of the old Nokians, and I had to get replacement tires on short notice. Because I was in a town where no SP Sport 01 tires were available, I had to settle for Toyo Proxes T-1S tires, which I put on the front, moving the Dunlops to the rear. I now have experience that allows me to tell you hoe the Proxes T-1S compares to the SP Sport 01; I can tell yoiu at length, but the bottom line is that the Dunlop is a better tire for the performance-minded driver.

You can find a description of the SP Sport 01, more informative than Tire Rack's, at the British Dunlop site, ><http://www.dunloptyres.co.uk/ourTyres/car/searchResults/SPSport01/>

na95gle

iTrader: (3)

Michael, where were you able to find the T1-R's for 151? Was this from an online vendor? Thanks in advance

michaelnyden

iTrader: (15)

I think it was www.onlinetires.com

they are the best pricing almost on the internet except if your in california like I am...and have to pay sales tax...which actually makes them more expensive then other vendors who charge more per tire...