Need help finding tires? LOOK HERE FIRST!

[Bu11dogg2]

TIRES!!!
As we all know, there are many tire companies out there.
and finding the right set of tires at the right price can be difficult.
Allthough I can't tell you exactly how much tires will cost you, I can steer you in the right direction.

When you buy your 2005+ Subaru you get a set of Potenza RE92's.
The majority of the subaru community will say that these are the worst tires SOA could have chosen for this car.

Before you go out and buy there are several things you need to consider.
1. What are my driving habits?
2. What type of weather will I be driving in?
3. What is my Budget (important)
4. Will I be racing?
5. Most important SAFETY!!

There are several types of tires.
Fro example: SUMMER
Summer Passenger Tires
1.Extreme Performance Summer (may not be good in wet or snowy conditions)
2.Max Performance Summer (may not be good in wet or snowy conditions)
3.Ultra High Performance Summer (may not be good in wet or snowy conditions)
4.High Performance Summer (may not be good in wet or snowy conditions)
5.Grand Touring Summer (May be ok for some wet conditions)
6.Track & Competition DOT (May NOT BE STREET LEGAL!!!)
All-Season Passenger Tires
1.Ultra High Performance All-Season (If you prefer all seasons, these are your best bet)
2.High Performance All-Season
3.Performance All-Season
4.Grand Touring All-Season
5.Standard Touring All-Season
6.Passenger All-Season
7.Winter (should be rated at "H" for speed NAD NOOOO HIGHER!)

The Tires that are on a new Legacy/WRX (2006-2008) are 215/45/ZR17.
The "Z" is the rating of the tire.
For example:


P - 93 MPH
Q - 99 MPH
S - 112 MPH
T - 118 MPH
U - 124 MPH
H - 130 MPH
V - 149 MPH
Z - 149+ MPH (our tires)
W - 168 MPH
Y - 186 MPH
So as you can see our stock tires are rated for 149MPH +



With our car I would highly recommend sticking with the "Z" rated tires.



Different tires will have a different "stickyness" to them. It all really depends on the type of driving you plan on doing.
For example:
if you love the twisties, you want a tire with alot of stick, on the other hand, if you love to drag race, you may want a softer tire.



Once you decide what type of tires you want, you have to decide what brand.



Here are a few brands that carry Tires for our car.
Avon, BFGoodridge, Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Firestone, Fuzion, General, Goodyear,
Hankkok, Hoosier, Kumho, Michelin, Pirelli, Sumitomo, Uniroyal and Yokohama.

[banned4life]

I like my Falkens.

[TrickyDik]

ipikes FTW!

[Kevin]

ipikes FTW!


yup I love them

I wish I can find more at the 79 each I paid 2 winters ago.
I think this will be last winter on this set.

[Murphy2012]

IIRC, I pikes are no longer made.

[Subygirl8330]

i got some generals for this summer to save money (planning on upgrading to larger tires so didnt want to spend $$ on tires i'd junk after a season or two) and they are working rather well, even though they are less known for a performance tire.

[Kevin]

IIRC, I pikes are no longer made.

damn that sucks.

do you know what they replaced them with or any other cheap stupid aggressive snow tires.

[FREAK]

Toyo Proxes 4..........ftmfw

[Murphy2012]

i got some generals for this summer to save money (planning on upgrading to larger tires so didnt want to spend $$ on tires i'd junk after a season or two) and they are working rather well, even though they are less known for a performance tire.

I got General Exclaim UHP for my summer DD tires, love them. one of the best rain tires I have ever had and they are pretty decent for minorly aggressive driving. Not the stiffest sidewalls, but for under 90/tire for 225/45/17 I cant ***** at all.

[Bu11dogg2]

Toyo Proxes 4..........ftmfw


Second best tire I ever owned :)

Best:

Continental Contitracs all season

Awesome wet/snow:D (almost as good as my snows)

Decent dry:)

Awesome wear :D

[FREAK]

I love pushing them. I've lost traction a couple times under full boost though.

[Bu11dogg2]

I love pushing them. I've lost traction a couple times under full boost though.


that WILL happen in YOUR car :lol:

[Seraphinwolf]

Toyo Proxes 4..........ftmfw
Gotta love'm. Only problem is the sizing is a bit narrow. I have Nexen 215's the same contact wide as my 4's 235's. Great all year tire as long as the car's not too heavy. AKA GF+4=GREAT! SVX+4= Tank with no traction cause the don't bite enough.
Randy you should add Nexen to the list. GREAT tires and very well priced. N3000's have amazing wet/dry traction. Hydroplaned only once and that was 2-3" standing water @ 40-65MPH(don't remember exactly it was getting on 101 at exit 13)
-Gaddis

[Bu11dogg2]

toyos are my next set :)

[Robk0000]

Dunlop Zr-1s, i really like my kdw's but they are just too expensive.

[Bu11dogg2]

bump

[drdabbles]

Bump

Tire buyin' time

[Bu11dogg2]

bump for suggestions for adding material to the OP

[Bu11dogg2]

bump for suggestions for adding material to the OP

[tehsbean]

Sometime when I'm bored I'll have to start listing out some good things to add there (like treadwear ratings varying by manufacturer, and other awesomely useful cool things to know.) I have a feeling that will probably be Friday morning or early afternoon. ;)

[Seraphinwolf]

DO EET!!!

[Robk0000]

Basically it comes down to what you want from the tires.

driving habits
mileage
area you drive
autox or track days

[synergy]

Suprised.... Nobody mentioned checking the date of manufacture of the tires... This is important because rubber does cure after time so the fresher the tire the better.

There is a DOM stamp with a *_ _ _ _ The first two places are the week in the year. The 2nd two places are the year.
EX: *2308 Means the tire was made in the 23rd week of the year 2008.

[Seraphinwolf]

Good point to bring up, but probably more helpful when buying used than new. Ussually there isn't much close inspection at purchase time unless they KNOW they are discounted or discontinued tires.

[Robk0000]

For example. SUMMER MODE

I am currently on RE01r's, 245/45/17 on a 2009 WRX w 17x8 wheels

AutoX once a month
Aggressive on the on ramps nothing more
20-25k per tire
lots of highway with bumps


If i were to get a flat and cant replace my re01r's this is my list. 245/45/17 max performance ultra high performance ONLY.

#4
Kuhmo Ecsta's MX XRP 220AAA 95Y $167, these are always instock and hover around that price, personally not a fan of kuhmo's because of weak sidewalls
#3
Bridgeston Potenza RE-11 180AA 95W $224 closeout within the next couple months GAURANTEED, will be 50-60% off. Wait until they go on discount, Worth the lower mileage for the performance/price
#2
Dunlop Z1 Star spec's 200AA 95W $149, these are amazing tires for the price, should be borderline on 20k but for $149 you cant go wrong.
#1
BFGoodrich KDW-II 300AAA 95Y $143, these are also amazing tires for the price, they are #1 in the rain. They heat up very fast so they do exceptionally well in autox. If you can bare with the stupid flame like pattern then get these, they will not let you down. Very hard sidewall, heats up fast and is very loud around 30-40 mph.



From what i have researched, Perelli makes the most expensive tires followed by goodyear. Mainly because they offer runflats... useless since it goes flat after 55 miles.

[synergy]

Good point to bring up, but probably more helpful when buying used than new. Ussually there isn't much close inspection at purchase time unless they KNOW they are discounted or discontinued tires.


Yeah for sure but sometimes those "discount" tires at places are just tires they found out back after a few years of sitting... No good.

[Robk0000]

Winter mode, if you can find a used set. Get it, winter tires last 4-8 seasons, or years. So long as the owner had two sets of wheels and changed them before and after first snowfall.

I am in love with blizzak's, so excuse me if this is strayed towards them.

First off throw Perelli out of the window. They suck, really soft ride feels like a pogo stick and dont hit anything with these. THe chip large chunks off easily.

#3
Dunlop SP Winter 3D $158, If you dont want to extend your budget plan on these. They handle great in slush, even in ice racing these grip very well. One thing i noticed with them is they gum up the wheel well very fast. They track everything, so on those days when its just sandy outside and no snow. Expect to have the dirtiest car.
#2
General Altimax Arctic $117. Cheap tires, they hate slush. Going through snow is amazing with these but stay away from slush please. These have a great feel on the road, not loud and pick up very little sand when its dry.

#1
Blizzak WS70 $145. These have come down in price over the past 2 years its crazy, im still using ws60's which cost just over $300 used with one season. I said it before, i love them. They eat snow, slush and can tame the ice well. They have a stiff ride, almost like you are driving on summer tires. And if you want to race on them, they handle very well on dry pavement. Ice racing these tires do alright, i would give a race to the general's though.

[Robk0000]

Common sense and when to change your tires.

Look at the treads, if you have some crazy wear, its probably a suspension issue and you may need an alignment. Inner wear is from negative camber, outer wear is the opposite.

Your tires should typically wear from center outwards, unless you enjoy the neg camber handling. Then you will have wear from the insides to middle.

Penny test, its always been the penny. Some dealerships or tire vendors say the nickel, well they are lying. They jsut want to sell you some new tires. Performance tires can go a little further down, but you most likely wont pass inspection. So plan accordingly. :)

Look for holes, gashes or strings, these usually will lead you to a exposed steel band if its bad enough. Some holes you can plug others, just have to be replaced. Since you are most likely driving an AWD car, if you replace one. Make sure you check the other 3. Dont get one new tire and keep the rest. This can lead it serious issues with wear, excessive strains on the differential or serious drivetrain issues.

[Robk0000]

my .03 cents.

[Seraphinwolf]

Huge fan of the Dunlop DS2's here. I'm on my second set and have my mother riding on some for her winter mod in the Maxima. LOVE'M! Around $600-700 a set new.

Any autocrossers used Nexen's before? I really liked the set of N3000's I had on my Impreza but never had a REAL push other than fooling around on back roads. Super nice wet traction at a good price. Also lasted a TON of miles. Actually I still have them with a ton of tread but I don't run 215's or 17" wheels anymore. I really want a set of Dunlop Star Specs and there are rebates for Dunlops right now but I'm still not sure. Any other suggested Summer rated Dunlops to suggest?

[Robk0000]

I know one person on here who uses them, up until last year. They have a good amount of side roll, and they dont heat up fast. Thus, they suck at autox.

[jmb1983]

#2
Dunlop Z1 Star spec's 200AA 95W $149, these are amazing tires for the price, should be borderline on 20k but for $149 you cant go wrong.


I had these on summer wheels! I loved them!

[DHGurs]

Nexens are good... if you are going to run stupid brotastic camber and still last 20k. It's because they are just slightly softer than pavement. :lol:

[tehsbean]

Suprised.... Nobody mentioned checking the date of manufacture of the tires... This is important because rubber does cure after time so the fresher the tire the better.

There is a DOM stamp with a *_ _ _ _ The first two places are the week in the year. The 2nd two places are the year.
EX: *2308 Means the tire was made in the 23rd week of the year 2008.

This doesn't bother me at all. I buy from places like Tirerack that are extremely good about not stocking old, worn tires. I remember they put a set of UHP's (forget which ones they were) on clearance because they had an older manufacture date. Also, the tires I buy are usually recent released tires (i.e. Z1s instead of RE01Rs or Ecsta Supra's) so even if they were one of the first production batches, they still wouldn't be "out of date."

[Alpine.Star]

When I first got my 18" rims they had nexen 3000's on them. Crappiest tire I've ever driven on in my life. My stock 03 wrx motor with 06 wrx transmission could spin all 4 in 2nd when it was lightly raining out. Actually kind of scared me.

[StiXXX]

For Summer, Falken RT615 Azenis FTW.
I get SIKK traction and they last my STI an average of 2.5 summers a set, including track days (1/8 or 1/4 mile drags). I have yet to EVER break them fully loose, on any off-ramp, EVER. :D
They run $150 each in 245/40/18, a 17" runs about $25 a tire less.

Winter...
BLIZZAKS (FTW!) in 225/45/17 have been INCREDIBLE, & they stick good on dry pavement, too.
I got 3 winters and Springs out of them, and they were, again, about $600 for a set of 4 through TireRack.


XXX

[Bu11dogg2]

Khumo Ecsta SPT...

Great tire if you want an all around summer tire. The grip is decent all around, but not great for any type of speed.

I'll prolly get a grippier tire this fall when they're cheap :)

[Kevin]

I ran Falken RT615's in 255/40/17's this year. they were pretty good put about 7k miles on them and they still look in good shape. They spin very easily in wet condtions but thats fun lol.

I have hankook i-pike's for the winter and there insane. got three winters out of my first set and I'm on my secound. there wicked cheap too.

[Captinbob]

I bought star specs(225/45zR17) for my rpf1's 17x7.5-BUT they sent my DZ101's. Is it worth the pain sending them back or are they as good as star spec's for an autoX tire. And did i make the right choice in getting the 225/45's. any issues with stock suspension?

[DHGurs]

Not sure on GM tire clearance, but the star specs are muuch better than the dz101. I know that's probably not what you want to hear, but it will definitely be worth the effort?

[tehsbean]

It's hard to say whether or not the tires will fit on your '00. I'm assuming your RPF1's are +48 offset wheels. That'll give you a good chance they'll fit without rubbing, but outside of offset, it all comes down to suspension setup. Z1 Star Spec's are also known to run a bit wide for their sizing, I don't know if the same holds true for DZ101's.

DHGurs is right though. Z1's are a far different animal from DZ101's... and a far better one at that.

[Captinbob]

It's hard to say whether or not the tires will fit on your '00. I'm assuming your RPF1's are +48 offset wheels. That'll give you a good chance they'll fit without rubbing, but outside of offset, it all comes down to suspension setup. Z1 Star Spec's are also known to run a bit wide for their sizing, I don't know if the same holds true for DZ101's.

DHGurs is right though. Z1's are a far different animal from DZ101's... and a far better one at that.
im glad i aked. yes they are 48 offset. tire rack recommends 205/50R17. so 215/45ZR17, slightly wider and shorter -.3 . am i in the right direction or not?

[tehsbean]

Yep.
First number = Tread diameter.
Second number = Aspect Ratio (a ratio of tread diameter to sidewall. This means a 225/45/17 will have a different height of sidewall than a 235/45/17.)
Last Number = Wheel diameter (of course.)

On a GC, 215/45/17 is usually a guaranteed fit on a normal offset wheel. Worst case with a 225 is that you need to roll your fenders slightly.

[Captinbob]

Yep.
First number = Tread diameter.
Second number = Aspect Ratio (a ratio of tread diameter to sidewall. This means a 225/45/17 will have a different height of sidewall than a 235/45/17.)
Last Number = Wheel diameter (of course.)

On a GC, 215/45/17 is usually a guaranteed fit on a normal offset wheel. Worst case with a 225 is that you need to roll your fenders slightly.
first number is tread width in mm?
i am going to get the 215/45ZR17. thanks for the info

[Psychoreo]

^yes

[StiXXX]

Falken RT-615 Azenis FT (Summer) Win.

[tehsbean]

Falken RT-615 Azenis FT (Summer) Win.

If you want the stickiest, Hankook RS-3s or Yokohama Advan AD08s are where you want to drop your cash. RT615s aren't particularly bad, the new RT615K compound is better, the title of "best" goes to one of the other two options, though.

[Psychoreo]

I need tires. Someone suggest a decent "All season" that won't get me killed in the snow.

[tehsbean]

Conti DWS?
Nokian WRG2?
Bridgestone RE960AS?

Budget/size/focus (more snow oriented or more summer oriented) is a huge plus in being able to make suggestions in these matters.

[Psychoreo]

More summer focused with the ability to drive safely in the snow. The cheaper the better. Drive safely does not mean 80mph in 6 inches of snow. Mainly go, stop, turn with some semblance of control.

[tehsbean]

I can't speak much from personal experience except that Sumitumo HTR T4s and all the random off brand Wal-Mart junk I've driven friends cars equipped with suck. A lot.

Speaking based on what I've heard from others, you have choices.
Bridgestone RE960AS are regarded as the best UHPAS with a summer performance focus, but still safe in the winter months. They're a bit pricey.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Potenza+RE960AS+Pole+Position&partnum=055WR6RE960PP&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

BFGoodrich G-Force Super Sports are reputed to be a decent, average midrange tire that's pretty much decent/acceptable at everything. They're also pretty cheap, comparably.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=BFGoodrich&tireModel=g-Force+Super+Sport+A/S+H%26V&partnum=055HR6GFAS&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

Then there's the Conti DWS which appears to have a plethora of fanboys. Also reputed to have pretty squishy sidewalls no matter the tire pressure they're run at. They are also known for relatively high snow/winter traction.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ExtremeContact+DWS&partnum=055WR6ECDWS&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

[Joe]

Well, since thru the last three storms my balding, probably 40K+ mile Yokohama Geolanders have done zero in the traction, control, and stopping area; I need to pick new tires.

Budget: 500 for all four.
Use: Daily driver in all conditions that sees a decent amount of highway
Car: 2006 Forester XT with 17 inch Rota SDRs and WRX suspension swapped in.


I am going to need an all-season that will do well in the snow, but not burn up over the summer. it doesn't need to handle racing or mad tyte JDM on-ramp driving as i drive like a wuss. My budget doesn't allow for a summer setup until 2012.

I read this thread, and been looking thru TireRack and found these.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ExtremeContact+DWS&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=25WR7ECDWS&tab=Sizes

Anyone have expieriance with them? all the reviews are amazing, and the price isn't too terrible.

[Andrew3776]

Hey, dont use sunny tires for the winter. They get you moving but stopping is a problem :lol: 70$ a piece and an only summer tire

[arcadia25]

Alright guys, my sp sport 600's blow. lol. Plus they're all cracking for the most part. :(
I need an all season tire that doesnt cost a **** ton because honestly I won't be able to afford summers and winters this year. I was looking at 2 tires mentioned above. The Continental DWS and the BF Goodrich G-Force Super Sport A/S tires. Has anyone here actually had these tires or have driven on them or had any experience with them?? Or if you have a tire in mind that would be good then let me know!

[SicRedGt]

I had the Conti's on the wifes Saab 9/3. If your not going to auto X they do everything well. Great in snow and wet, remarkably smooth ride and decent dry performance. The car was virturally undriveable in the snow until I put the Conti's on. I think the B-stones are kind of pricey compared to Contis. If your on a budget I had Kumho ASX's on my LGT. For the $$ I had no complaints except for treadwear. I got about 25,000 miles and the were between 3-4 32nds.
Try and get something uni-directional. Directionals get super noisy at about half tread depth. Hate em, will never buy directionals again.

[arcadia25]

I think Im probably gonna end up going with the continentals. I'm gonna try to get dunlop to warranty the tires I have now because there all cracking in the tread with less than 16K on them. We'll see how it goes.

[Bu11dogg2]

+1 Continentals

[SicRedGt]

I see you live in Mass. The Pothole Republic. If you go with Conti's see if you can get a road hazard plan. Big potholes take the sidewalls out rather easily.