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Finally bought wheels and comitted to the 4x100 conversion, now tires...

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Chesapeake
#1
Ok so I've gone back and forth and I like to change my wheel setups fairly frequently, so I have purchased the tool and in the spring when it warms up I am committing to doing the 4x100 conversion. That being said, I have purchased my wheels already which I am thrilled about, I have a spare set of TPMS, so all that leaves is tires.

For those that are going to ask, I purchased some 17x8 +40 TRMotorsports FF10 in Light grey. So 17.1lbs advertised weight. I also am currently riding on the Maxxim Sixx 16x7 wheels that I picked up when they were $27.xx each and they are 4x108 and 4x100 which works out great. So I have lug nuts for the wheels, got centering rings with my order (had to call to clarify the car they were going on to get the right rings), and I have a spare set of TPMS to put in them.

So I will be on a Bilstein B8/Eibach Pro Kit combo, so not too low, but I also don't want to be rubbing too much, but not afraid to fender roll if need be. I already have camber bolts installed up front as well. As much as I would love to go with a 205/45/17 (simply because of the cheaper/better tire options) I figure it's wise to go with 215/40/17 to prevent too many problems. So this is where I need some input from people who may have owned these specific tires. I am not really interested in stretching a 205/40/17 tire on there, we have potholes and I would like a little bit of protection.

Side note* this is a daily driver at almost 100 miles a day and it does get cold and it does rain in VA frequently to include standing water, they will not be driven in snow though. I do not need Star Specs, RS-RRs, etc.

1.) Pirelli P Zero Nero GT - They got solid reviews from Tirerack, I had them on my MK6 GTI when I bought it and they were a solid tire overall in most conditions and they lasted quite awhile before getting obnoxiously loud.

2.) Yoko S-Drives - I've had these on my MR2 before, feel like they are just an old technology tire and nothing special, but get the overall job done?!

3.) Federal 595 Evo's - I don't know much about these, nor do I know anyone who's run them, however reviews are a mixed bag on these. They are rumored to last quite a bit longer than the RS-R's though.

4.) Federal 595 RS-R's - Aside from noise, many people seem to enjoy these and they are pretty sticky, but claims of low life expectancy has me weary.

5.) Nitto Neo-Gen - I had a set of these on my R53 Mini and overall they seemed solid (maybe it was just these specific tires), but I could never get rid of a nagging steering vibration until I got different tires. Balanced, road-force balanced, etc. still vibration.

6.) Falken FK615 - I like the reviews, but I am not fond of the price. They will actually be more expensive than the wheels were and I've read reviews of low life expectancy as well.

So, any thoughts or valuable input on these specifics that could help lead to an overall decision?! Personal experiences or comparisons of multiple if you've owned multiple would be great. Absolute grip above all else is NOT what I'm looking for. Just something capable of handling the X37 power while still maintaining the enjoyment I get from driving the little FiST daily.

Yes I've searched, yes I've read a ton of threads on this forum and others about specific tires, but comparisons would be great. I'm currently leaning toward the Pirelli's I think due to the solid price and overall performance.

Thanks!
 


TyphoonFiST

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#2
Ok so I've gone back and forth and I like to change my wheel setups fairly frequently, so I have purchased the tool and in the spring when it warms up I am committing to doing the 4x100 conversion. That being said, I have purchased my wheels already which I am thrilled about, I have a spare set of TPMS, so all that leaves is tires.

For those that are going to ask, I purchased some 17x8 +40 TRMotorsports FF10 in Light grey. So 17.1lbs advertised weight. I also am currently riding on the Maxxim Sixx 16x7 wheels that I picked up when they were $27.xx each and they are 4x108 and 4x100 which works out great. So I have lug nuts for the wheels, got centering rings with my order (had to call to clarify the car they were going on to get the right rings), and I have a spare set of TPMS to put in them.

So I will be on a Bilstein B8/Eibach Pro Kit combo, so not too low, but I also don't want to be rubbing too much, but not afraid to fender roll if need be. I already have camber bolts installed up front as well. As much as I would love to go with a 205/45/17 (simply because of the cheaper/better tire options) I figure it's wise to go with 215/40/17 to prevent too many problems. So this is where I need some input from people who may have owned these specific tires. I am not really interested in stretching a 205/40/17 tire on there, we have potholes and I would like a little bit of protection.

Side note* this is a daily driver at almost 100 miles a day and it does get cold and it does rain in VA frequently to include standing water, they will not be driven in snow though. I do not need Star Specs, RS-RRs, etc.

1.) Pirelli P Zero Nero GT - They got solid reviews from Tirerack, I had them on my MK6 GTI when I bought it and they were a solid tire overall in most conditions and they lasted quite awhile before getting obnoxiously loud.

2.) Yoko S-Drives - I've had these on my MR2 before, feel like they are just an old technology tire and nothing special, but get the overall job done?!

3.) Federal 595 Evo's - I don't know much about these, nor do I know anyone who's run them, however reviews are a mixed bag on these. They are rumored to last quite a bit longer than the RS-R's though.

4.) Federal 595 RS-R's - Aside from noise, many people seem to enjoy these and they are pretty sticky, but claims of low life expectancy has me weary.

5.) Nitto Neo-Gen - I had a set of these on my R53 Mini and overall they seemed solid (maybe it was just these specific tires), but I could never get rid of a nagging steering vibration until I got different tires. Balanced, road-force balanced, etc. still vibration.

6.) Falken FK615 - I like the reviews, but I am not fond of the price. They will actually be more expensive than the wheels were and I've read reviews of low life expectancy as well.

So, any thoughts or valuable input on these specifics that could help lead to an overall decision?! Personal experiences or comparisons of multiple if you've owned multiple would be great. Absolute grip above all else is NOT what I'm looking for. Just something capable of handling the X37 power while still maintaining the enjoyment I get from driving the little FiST daily.

Yes I've searched, yes I've read a ton of threads on this forum and others about specific tires, but comparisons would be great. I'm currently leaning toward the Pirelli's I think due to the solid price and overall performance.

Thanks!
What temperature do you plan on running this setup in? This will play a crucial factor in getting summer tires or an all season tire. If it's anything above 50° go for a summer time tire....if the other route get an all season. I have Nittos on my Typhoon on a 17 inch wagon wheel....Pirelli scottozero on my stock winter wheels and I'll be running some Summer time Bridgestone on my powder coated stock wheels in the warm weather. Good luck

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk
 


OP
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Thread Starter #3
So VA temperatures can be a little weird, but probably only going to run sprig through fall, so should be above 50 MOST of the time. I do want to lean towards something more summer tire, but I also don’t want to have to buy tires every year.

The 4x100 wheel options are endless and cheap, so I’ll pick up something with an all season tire for the winter months here. Or I have the maxxims and I can get something better for all seasons in 2018.
 


TyphoonFiST

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#4
So VA temperatures can be a little weird, but probably only going to run sprig through fall, so should be above 50 MOST of the time. I do want to lean towards something more summer tire, but I also don’t want to have to buy tires every year.

The 4x100 wheel options are endless and cheap, so I’ll pick up something with an all season tire for the winter months here. Or I have the maxxims and I can get something better for all seasons in 2018.
That's also a trade off...you'll probably get 20k out of them maybe more depends on if you go autocrossing. But man do the gripe....especially on a nice warm day and you're beating around a cloverleaf.

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk
 


OP
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Thread Starter #5
That's also a trade off...you'll probably get 20k out of them maybe more depends on if you go autocrossing. But man do the gripe....especially on a nice warm day and you're beating around a cloverleaf.

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk
I won't really be autocrossing them, just some spirited runs and maybe a trip to skyline drive in western VA and possibly tail of the dragon. I'd love to get AT least 20k miles out of the tires.

Anyone else have any other input? Especially with the Federal 595 Evo's or newer Neo-Gen's?
 


Messages
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Location
Gainesville
#6
Skip the Yoko S-Drives. I've had them for like 25K miles and they're okay but not very exciting. Tons of wheel slip during WOT and breaking is meh. Unless you don't plan on driving "spiritedly", skip the S-drives
 


OP
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Thread Starter #7
Skip the Yoko S-Drives. I've had them for like 25K miles and they're okay but not very exciting. Tons of wheel slip during WOT and breaking is meh. Unless you don't plan on driving "spiritedly", skip the S-drives
Thanks for the feedback, that helps push them further down the list of options!
 


Waterfan

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#8
Dirt cheap (~$85) and relatively sporty (UTQG340AA) , at 8.3" tread width the 205/40-17 BFG SportComp-2's are as fat as a "normal" 215/225.

Has to be mentioned, everyone who has them loves the Firehawk Indy 500 (7.3" tread width for 205/40-17. A bit of stretch is great for performance. Also dirt cheap (~$90) and UTQG340AA)
 


OP
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Thread Starter #10
Dirt cheap (~$85) and relatively sporty (UTQG340AA) , at 8.3" tread width the 205/40-17 BFG SportComp-2's are as fat as a "normal" 215/225.

Has to be mentioned, everyone who has them loves the Firehawk Indy 500 (7.3" tread width for 205/40-17. A bit of stretch is great for performance. Also dirt cheap (~$90) and UTQG340AA)
So I have definitely looked at the Indy500's because I was going to see if I could get away with a 205/45/17 on the 8" wide wheel since they seem to be a little narrow in the tread width, but don't really have the money to just take a chance and do not want to be rubbing terribly on my daily driver. The other user on here who just put 205/40 on his 17x8 grids, it did not appeal to me at all.

The Sport Comp 2's are an interesting thought since they have the tread width, but when I scour around on tirerack, they were tested on a 7.5" wheel as were the Pirelli's and they came in at a 23.5" total diameter with the 205/40. The 215/40 Pirelli came in at 23.9" on the same 7.5" wheel. That makes me worry that there will still be a good bit of stretch even with the SC2's. I do want to try and have a little bit of cushion to absorb the bumps.

I just don't get why more companies don't make 215/40... I need them for the front wheels on my MR2 as well come spring time and I hate the limited options.

In regards to the federals, I've been doing a bunch of reading on those and I am reading a lot that they are large for their sizes. A bunch of reviews are claiming the 215/40's appear to be almost the size of a 225/40.

Has anyone used the 595 Evo's? The reviews are like polar opposites either great or terrible.
 


OP
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Thread Starter #12
So after a little more research and digging, I guess the 205/40/17 SC2's are potentially an option. I pulled up the thread of the other user putting Indy500's in 205/40 on his 17x8 grids and saw the stretch, but the tread width on those is 7.3". When I look on tirerack, the tread width on the SC2's claims to be 8.3" on a 7.5" wheel.

On the other hand, the 215/40 Pirelli's (currently leading option) has a 7.6" tread width on a 7.5" wheel. So is it safe to say these would almost be the same size when mounted on my 8" wheels? I'm still trying to dig through calculating the diameters and such.
 


M-Sport fan

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#13
The Nero GTs will be about a half inch taller than, and slightly narrower at the tread than the SC2s, given that those TR dimensions are spot-on accurate (which everyone just seems to implicitly trust as being the case).
 


Waterfan

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#14
So after a little more research and digging, I guess the 205/40/17 SC2's are potentially an option. I pulled up the thread of the other user putting Indy500's in 205/40 on his 17x8 grids and saw the stretch, but the tread width on those is 7.3". When I look on tirerack, the tread width on the SC2's claims to be 8.3" on a 7.5" wheel.

On the other hand, the 215/40 Pirelli's (currently leading option) has a 7.6" tread width on a 7.5" wheel. So is it safe to say these would almost be the same size when mounted on my 8" wheels? I'm still trying to dig through calculating the diameters and such.
In my experience (2 sets of different types of tires on different cars in my lifetime), Pirelli's run narrow for their marked size and are dramatically overpriced for the quality. I'd buy almost anything before any Pirelli. YMMV.
 


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