tyre recommendations

[Robbks]

Hankook Ventus Sport V12 K110.
$190 fitted a corner for my 3-RB

Clarence recommended them to me, very happy ever since
As good all round as the RE050A's, but at 1/3 the price

[shav]

ok, just to update, I went for the Falken Azenis FK453 tires in a 225/40R18 from Bob Jane. Paid $235 per tire (yes I know it a lot of coin), got wheel alignment done for free and that price included RAA discount of $5 off per tire. Standard free tire check/align after 5000km, then get the tires checked every 10,000km after that. The dude reckons if I keep up with the maintenance on the tires I should see over 50,000km from the set which I didn't think was too bad.

I know its a bit too early to report back findings at the moment. Ive only done 20km in them and in the wet. But from initial reports, the ride is smooth, noticeably reduced road noise compared to my old Kumho KU21's, handling feels flatter around round abouts and corner's at moderate speed, but that could be the wheel alignment improving things. (I havent had a wheel align for 20,000km due to slackness).

The tires look wider on the rim. Not stupidly, but you can tell there is more rubber there to the point that the extra side wall could protect the rim from some gutter rash. Its not bulgy by any mean's just a bit more noticeable meat.

Here is a review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQc54TXiZoM
http://www.1010tires.com/Tires/Reviews/ ... nis+FK-453
http://tirereviewsandmore.com/falken-az ... eviews.php

couple of pics (apologies for the pic quality, its pissing down with rain here)

[Tones99]

Hi All,
Im looking at the RE002s also.
Is there a noticeable difference in look from the standard 215/45/18 to a 225/45/18?
I don't want my GTB to look more 4WD than AWD.

Thanks
Anthony

[paggaz]

Hi All,
Im looking at the RE002s also.
Is there a noticeable difference in look from the standard 215/45/18 to a 225/45/18?
I don't want my GTB to look more 4WD than AWD.

Thanks
Anthony

SidewallTyre diameter is 8 mm taller. Noticeable difference, but bearable IMO.

I ran 225/45/18 Kumho KU31s which filled out the guards: (suspension is Billies/Tein S-techs)

[Manaz]

Hi All,
Im looking at the RE002s also.
Is there a noticeable difference in look from the standard 215/45/18 to a 225/45/18?
I don't want my GTB to look more 4WD than AWD.

Thanks
Anthony

Sidewall is 8 mm taller. Noticeable difference, but bearable IMO.[/img]

Are you sure?

Sidewalls on a 215/45 should be 96.75mm.
Sidewalls on a 225/45 should be 101.25mm.

Grand total difference of 4.5mm

[paggaz]

Hi All,
Im looking at the RE002s also.
Is there a noticeable difference in look from the standard 215/45/18 to a 225/45/18?
I don't want my GTB to look more 4WD than AWD.

Thanks
Anthony

Sidewall is 8 mm taller. Noticeable difference, but bearable IMO.[/img]

Are you sure?

Sidewalls on a 215/45 should be 96.75mm.
Sidewalls on a 225/45 should be 101.25mm.

Grand total difference of 4.5mm

You're right, Robert. I meant to say tyre diameter is approx 8mm taller, not sidewall.

Just fixed my post above.

[jacks-GTB]

wanna give us some feedback on ya conti's...nathan

[shav]

Well I've done a good 350km in these Falken's in both wet and dry conditions after they were some what worn in. I gotta say, these are pretty good tires. Im finding I am able to hang the car around corners with more confidence and speed. Noise wise they are noticeably quieter than the previous Kuhmo's I had. They seem to grip well in both wet and dry with some speed (not pushing it too far) and comfort wise they are quite good. Not too firm, not too wallowy. With the bigger tire width also, I am finding the car wants to sit flatter in corners (could be due to the wheel alignment still) and I am noticing the sway bars are really complimenting the wider track width due to the bigger tires.

[Tones99]

Just had a look at the Tempe Tyres website. They still have RE050As. Does anyone know long ago were these discontinued?

Shav, I used to have the Falken FK452s on my rexi and they were by far the best tyres I had on it. Sure I needed to replace them often but they stuck to the road like nothing else! Im leaning towards the Falkens now too.

[shav]

Just had a look at the Tempe Tyres website. They still have RE050As. Does anyone know long ago were these discontinued?

Shav, I used to have the Falken FK452s on my rexi and they were by far the best tyres I had on it. Sure I needed to replace them often but they stuck to the road like nothing else! Im leaning towards the Falkens now too.

Well from the reviews I have read, the fk453's are better again. Compared to the kuhmo KU21's I had on there before, they are chalk and cheese. I haven't been pushing super hard either in the corners but from the extra speed I have put into the corners with these on, they feel like there is more speed in them. The car just wants to handle now which is what I wanted. If I keep up with the servicing of the tires, I am aiming for high 40,000km range from them.

[Shooters]

Just had a look at the Tempe Tyres website. They still have RE050As. Does anyone know long ago were these discontinued?

Shav, I used to have the Falken FK452s on my rexi and they were by far the best tyres I had on it. Sure I needed to replace them often but they stuck to the road like nothing else! Im leaning towards the Falkens now too.

Re050a in 225/45/18 are currently on special for under $1000 for a set!

[paggaz]

wanna give us some feedback on ya conti's...nathan

Yeah sure

I'm now rolling on Continental ContiMax Contact (MC5) 225/40/18....they're a new sport tyre by Continental and were on a manufacturer discount at $248 each from Jax, cheapest quality sport tyre they could get for me overnight while I was in Bundy. (I was leaving the day after)



I've had them on for about 2500kms now and I don't regret choosing them. I can say that they're definitely a quieter tyre than my last two sets (Kumho KU31s and Dunlop Sport Maxx), both of my previous sets I could hear slightly over my exhaust, but the conti's are silent. They also provide better grip than both, very close but still better than the Dunlops. I read somewhere that they're comparable to a Pirelli P7 in terms of grip. They have a treadwear rating of 320 (compared to the RE050 which has 180- I think) so it's pretty high for a performance tyre. They're more than sufficient as a performance street tyre, you'd definitely be pushing them to the limits if you took them on the track, but I wouldn't hesitate to.

For the value, handling characteristics and treadwear rating, it ticks the necessary boxes for me. If I went for a grippier, IMO it would be a bit overkill for street use and would probably sacrifice longevity, which would be a con since I do quite a lot of highway kms. It will be interesting to see how long they'll last...

[Robbks]

I am noticing the sway bars are really complimenting the wider track width due to the bigger tires.

Technically you haven't increased the track width.

Track is measured at the centre-line of the rim.

[shav]

I am noticing the sway bars are really complimenting the wider track width due to the bigger tires.

Technically you haven't increased the track width.

Track is measured at the centre-line of the rim.

ok so maybe I have increased the tread width then?

[Brunsy3.0]

I put a set of G/Y Eagle F1 Directional 5's on my 3rb 225/45R18 they are 1.8% difference in speedo reading, rrp is $340 fitted per corner

the 225's were the widest I put possibly fit on the 7" rims, as per legal guidelines and going as close to OEM rolling diameter as possible

I have so far gotten around 25,000km out of them and are nowhere near half worn, I don't give them hell everyday but give them a good warm up every now and again, especially now I am basically finished my tune with XRT

the G/Y AS2's are one of the best tyres I have seen though they cost an arm and a leg, around $450 rpp per corner, (just a memory off the top of my head but they're not cheap)

the Directional 5's are a pretty good bang for buck, I don't personally deal much with softer tyre compounds like Pirelli's, or khumo's, or yoko's etc. as the temp's up here in NT are too extreme to get any sort of decent wear out of them