Tires?

[RdstrRod]

I didn't want to start another tire debate, but I will be needing to order tires for my soon to arrive kit, and am looking for some suggestions. Powertrain is 306ci/340hp, T5z, 3:55 solid axle w/17" Hallibrand 9" & 10.5" wheels. I do not plan on any type of racing for this car. It will be driven solely on the street, both in town & also on the paved, country 2-laners where I ride my Norton. Therefore, I'm looking for an affordable street tire with a tread on it that will provide a fair amount of both dry & wet traction. The 315/35ZR17 rears leave few choices, among them being the Sumitomo HTRZ, and the Nitto Motivo. Has anyone had any experience with these? Are there some I've missed? And, as nice as they look, do I really need 315/35s in the back? What are you guys running?
Regards, Rod

[Jeff Kleiner]

The Sumis are not an optimum performance tire by any stretch but will work fine for a street cruiser. Even though they are not of the same caliber as many of 17" tire options they'll still outperform almost anything you'll find in 15".

Jeff

[CraigS]

I have been running the Sumis since 07. They are fine and you can't beat the price. No they don't have the traction that others do. I will continue to run them since they have no bad habits like getting noisy at half tread, cupping etc. And yes, I wouldn't consider anything other than 315s on the back. They are a perfect fit for the 10.5 wheels.

[edwardb]

For street only driving many are using the Nitto NT555 Extreme ZR's. That's what I'm using on my Mk4 build. Found out about them from some other guys here locally, and then started seeing them on the forum. My build is using Nitto NT555 Extreme ZR 255/40ZR17 front, Nitto NT555 Extreme ZR 315/35ZR17 rear. $780 at a local tire store mounted and balanced. Not too bad.

[OVCobra]

I am using the Kumho ECSTA XS KU36...still winter here so I can't offer any comment on performance. There was some issues with supply but I see that tire rack now shows inventory. Cannot confirm but it was reported tat the Nittos "run small". Goodyears are an option if money is no object.

[fisherste]

Kumho's...great tire for the money, if you want to run an auto x or two they'll do you proud.

[edwardb]

I am using the Kumho ECSTA XS KU36...still winter here so I can't offer any comment on performance. There was some issues with supply but I see that tire rack now shows inventory. Cannot confirm but it was reported tat the Nittos "run small". Goodyears are an option if money is no object.

No question the Kumho's are the tire of choice if doing something more than street driving. I seriously considered them last year when I was buying tires. But aside from the additional cost and supply issues, I was concerned by the cautions about running them at lower temps, wet, etc. Here in Michigan the spring and fall days typically start quite cool, and even though I don't plan to run in the rain, there's always the chance of getting caught. Since I'm planning only street driving, like the OP, decided to go with the Nitto's. By all accounts they are more of an all-weather and temp tire. But certainly not the tire of choice for track or auto-x use. Interested in your comments that Nitto's run small. The 255's and 315's I bought fit the FFR 9 and 10.5 FFR rims perfectly.

[Jeff Kleiner]

In addition to the Sumis I've been through 2 sets of Kumho XS and just changed to Nitto NT-01. I love the XS as a track/autocross tire and they work great on the street as long as you heed the cautions that Edwardb mentioned; below 50-60 degrees or so and in the rain you have to be aware that they can get a little dicey. While the Sumitomos do not have the same level of grip in optimal conditions the difference between their warm/dry performance and their cool or wet weather behavior is not as great. Haven't tried the Nitto 555 so can't speak for them. (Just as an FYI, the NT-01 I'm running now will be even less tolerant of cool or wet.)

Jeff

[OVCobra]

edwardb
While researching tires, there was a lot of agreement that the Sumitomos did not have great grip while the Nittos and Kumhos were appreciably better. Some of the forums had comments that the Nittos "run small" but I am not convinced that this was fact or subjective opinion. I suspect that it may be more to do with what seems like differences in the appearance of the tires...the Kumhos have a more rounded shoulder while the Nittos seem a little more square. No doubt in my mind that either tire will work well in most conditions...will be able to provide more objective info IF the snow ever leaves; snow flurries and below freezing today again!

Dave

[RdstrRod]

OK, thanks everyone. I'm beginning to narrow it down a little. The Sumitomos probably fit my needs and are not too expensive. The Nitto NT555 Extremes are new to me. Very interesting, although they are a bump up the ladder both in price & performance. I guess it's the old "you get what you pay for". Anyone had any experience with the Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta? Another bump up dollar-wise and have no clue as to it's performance characteristics.
Anyway, warmer weather finally creeping in here in Michigan. My powertrain package arrived last week from Mike Forte. Can't wait for my kit to arrive and get started.
Rod

[jrichards]

I am interested in the Vredesteins as well and haven't seen anyone post any experience with them on these forums. They look really good. However, the research I did on the internet on other forums was all pretty negative. What I gathered is that they are really soft in the sidewall and not a performance tire - solely for a show car, and they run smaller than the purported size. The tread pattern looks great though. From everything I have been able to find, the tire of choice on this forum (those who comment) for both a street and performance tire is the Kumho Ectsa XS but no one has them available or knows when they are going to do another run. The Nitto NT01 and NT05 seem to be in the running next but more of a track tire than dual purpose. I have landed on the NT555 and plan on buying a set for my coupe build. Seems like a good compromise between street and track and a decent price.

[Jeff Kleiner]

...From everything I have been able to find, the tire of choice on this forum (those who comment) for both a street and performance tire is the Kumho Ectsa XS but no one has them available or knows when they are going to do another run...

Actually within the last 6-8 weeks Kumho XS have arrived again (just two weeks ago I got a set fora roadster I built for a friend last summer that had been running on my old Sumitomos) but it is unknown how long the current supply will last. Of the tires mentioned the Nitto 555 and Sumis are the most street oriented. The Nitto NT-05 becomes more focused on higher performance street and occassional track/autocross use. The Kumho XS takes another step away from the street and focuses towards more serious track use and the Nitto NT-01 is considered a competition tire, in fact the sidewall is labled "Recommended for competition event use only". I have yet to see a Vredestein tire live and in person but have read some of the same reviews which tend to be less than flattering.

Jeff

[CraigS]

Jeff said, "Actually within the last 6-8 weeks Kumho XS have arrived again (just two weeks ago I got a set fora roadster I built for a friend last summer that had been running on my old Sumitomos) but it is unknown how long the current supply will last."
This is one of the reasons autocrossers got away from the Kumho 710 and use Hoosier A6s. Apparently Kumho makes a batch of model X tire in certain sizes trying to best guess future sales. Then they make a batch of model Y. Etc. The problem is that the batch lasts as long as it lasts, but is often gone quite some time before the next production batch. SO, like w/ the XSs recently, they may be out of stock for many months.