Mounting Enekei RPF1 18x9.5 fronts and 18x10 rears on the FD. I need some tires now but Im having a problem picking out a good set. I dont want to spend more than 1K for a set of tires and I would like to run 255/35 front 265/35 rears. Any recommendations as to what tires to get? BTW my car is just my weekend toy that I will drive to work once in a while and take to the track maybe twice a year.

 

At that price point, Dunlop Direzza Star Spec.

///Thread.

 

Hankook RS3, Bridgestone RE-11, or the Dunlops mentioned above.

Also, in spring, Michelin SuperSports come out. Better grip than the Sport Cups, and much higher than PS or PS2s.

 

^^Good info on the new michelins.

The RS3 arent available in the sizes he wants, and the RE-11 are out of that price range, as are the AD08.

 

I've had very good luck with Sumitomo HTR Z IIIs for their price point. Only complaint is not-so-great treadlife.

Roughly 725 + shipping off tirerack.

 

Kumho Ecsta XS. I loved mine and they are always rated well in tests. The price is reasonable also.

 

I agree with all. My favorite are the starspecs as Rich mentioned. I ran the Dunlop Direzza Z1 Starspec 275/35/18 on CCW classics 18x10 in 2008 for approximately 20 track days and 3-5000 track miles and they just would not give up. I bought them when I first got home from Afghanistan to shake the rust off/make sure I hadn't picked up any bad habits before going back to R Compounds. When I took them off, they still had roughly 60% tread left. They were more consistent on track than any of the other extreme summer street tires I'd driven on. Did fairly well on the street as well. I also like the Nitto NT05's. Another cheap tire that I believe should be available in your size are the Falken Azensis RT615K. The older RT615 were a good tire, but would get a little greasy during sustained use(20 minute track sessions in July in Alabama towards the end of the day)

 

The tire with the best rating and value to mee seem to be the Hankook Ventus V12, which I understand doesnt hold any value off the opinions of people on here, or at least to me because people here actually track their cars. Most the people that do reviews on the website are people that daily drive their vehicles and just complain of road noise or tread wear. Either way they have the highest rating and come in right around my price range. I really would like to fit a 275 in the rear but I dont know if I can do that without fender rolling which is something I do NOT want to do.

 

Just thought about this, 255's on the 18x9.5 +45 shouldnt rub should they?

 

V12's have really good dry grip, but a softer sidewall than the 'fast' tires. wet/cold traction blows.
they're probably the best choice if comfort and road noise are a concern.

 

I had Kumho XS on a set of Fikses for awhile, and they weren't too shabby in the dry.... beware the rain though. I can't recommend them over the Star Specs. FWIW, I also didn't like the way they looked on the wheels.

The ventus v12 have received good reviews much like the newer Continentals, but for the kind of driving I do I wouldn't even consider either. Esp if you plan to make some serious torque with that camaro motor

I ran 18x9.5 +45 RPF1 with 265/35 Hankook RS2s (front and rear) briefly and had zero issues with clearance on stock fenders. i sold them to a fellow FD owner and he's been very happy with their performance and fitment AFAIK.

I still say the Dunlops, in a loud authoritative voice

 

Dunlops it will be than

 

I run those sizes in federal 595 RSR. I really like them a lot. Good grip 140 treadwear tire thats over $300 less than a set of the star specs in same size.
http://www.citytireonline.com/Federal595RS.htm
I have heard nothing but great things about the star specs, if they are in your budget im sure you wont be disappointed.

 

^ how would you compare those federals to R-comps? Or could you just discuss that tire in comparison to previous tires you have owned?

 

According to Hankooks website they are, but I haven't found them anywhere in the 255/35 size.

http://www.hankooktireusa.com/Psearc...Num=1&subNum=2

SizeLoadSpeedMeas. RimRim Width RangeODSWTWTDRevs/MileSidewall TypeMaxAirLoad87W7.5 7.0-8.523.08.98.09.0903SBL511,20192W7.0 6.0-8.024.99.18.09.0834SBL511,38991W6.5 5.5-7.524.98.47.59.0835SBL511,35691W8.5 8.0-9.524.79.89.19.0840SBL511,35698W9.0 8.5-10.025.010.29.09.0830SBL501,65387W7.0 7.0-8.024.68.47.99.0843SBL511,47794W7.5 7.0-8.525.08.98.09.0832SBL501,47794W8.0 7.5-9.025.49.38.69.0819SBL511,47790W9.0 8.5-10.025.010.29.59.0831SBL511,32397W9.5 9.0-10.525.310.79.49.0821SBL501,60995W9.5 9.0-11.025.610.910.29.0813SBL511,521101W10.0 9.5-11.025.911.410.19.0803SBL501,81988W8.0 7.5-9.025.19.18.49.0828SBL511,23591W8.5 8.0-9.525.49.58.89.0818SBL511,35697W8.5 8.0-9.525.79.88.79.0808SBL501,609102W11.0 10.5-11.526.312.311.49.0791SBL501,87487W8.5 8.0-9.525.59.58.89.0816SBL511,20189W8.0 7.5-9.026.19.18.09.0796SBL501,27994W8.5 8.0-9.526.79.89.19.0777SBL501,477 Technical Data subject to change without prior notice.

 

+1, if you want to spend less than 1k I would also recommend getting used tires off of ebay from a reputable seller. Used tires are usually significantly cheaper if you look for a set with around 7/32 to 9/32 tread left.

 

How about:
-BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW 2 or
-Falken FK-452

Seems to be rated highly on the websites but haven't heard much on the forums as far as light autox or tracking duty.

 

There's a reason you don't hear about either on a track

Both are old technology tires, suited for drivers that aren't very concerned with ultimate grip. I'd never recommend either for an FD unless the car was at near-stock power levels and was strictly street driven .

 

Well Dunlops it is for me, too! Finally going to mount the set of wheels I bought from Rishie in Dec...2009 lol.

 

No experience with R comps or lots of track time. I can say they are the grippiest tires ive ever owned and they dont get greasy when hot like the rt615's did. The most notable ones ive had in the past were probably Azenis rt615, Hankook RS2's, and Khumo MX's. I have not tried star specs or any of the newer models to be released in the last couple years so I cant compare to any of the more relevant current choices. I can say for the price I pay for these and the performance they offer I wont be switching anytime soon.

This guy gives a pretty in depth review on an evo board:
http://forums.evolutionm.net/evo-tir...l-595rs-r.html
he states that the 595RSR spanked the same size NT05 on a track with a 370whp evo.

 

Another vote for the Dunlop Star Specs. If you can tolerate the roar around 30-40 mph and above 70 mph, they deliver an unmatched level of performance per dollar. If you've never tried an Extreme Performance Summer tire, you really don't know what you're missing.

 

About KDW2... I would not say they aren't gripy. I have them 255 (18" 8.5) in the rear with close to 400WHP and they do not break loose 1st and 2nd gear. I am very surprised with the grip. Other people who drove my car said the same. I do not have any experience with other tires mentioned above but KDW2 are not bad. I'm about to order wider tire because I got 9.5" wheels and I'm thinking KDW2s again...

 

Check out Nitto NT-01. It's got better performance than most and a lower price. They last 10,000 miles supposedly too depending on how you drive on the street.

 

I am running the same exact set up wheel wise as you....same offsets and everything. I will be running 265/35/18 front and rear. I am running Kumho XS tires....as I don't drive the car in rain.

I bought the tires off ebay brand new for $608 shipped.

 

I hated my 615's. Switched to r888s and I'm in love now.
Amazing tire.