I was running on RE71's with 205/50-15's on front and 195/50-15's on
the rear since it is the most that will fit my SE-R without sticking out
past the fenders. I know that John and Debbie Fessler ran on Pirelli PZero
Asymetricos in 205/50-15 on thier integra. Several cars had 215/40-16 or
205/40-16 Yokohama A520's. The top 2 cars both appeared to be on 225 width
tires, one on Kumho's (Eric) and one on BFG Gforce T/A KD's. One of the
Probes was on 225 width Bridgestone Pole position S-02's. The Renee Eady car
was Michelin sponsored so it was on 205/50-15 Michelin Pilot MXX3's. A few
others ran on the newer Michelin Pilot Sport that replaces the MXX3.
Can you tell I was looking? I am really not happy with the
performance of the RE71's in hot weather and on tigher courses. They seem to
heat up way too quickly and become unpredictable. I have seen as much as a 4
psi pressure increase during runs of tight courses on concrete in really hot
weather. The north course at nationals on Thurs. saw a 3 psi increase in the
front and a 2 psi increase in the rear after only 1 run in low 80 degree
heat. They also have a bit of a soft sidewall compared to many of the newer
tires.
So as far as the tire "to have" for STS, it appears as though there
is no real absolute best. From reading the test results from the Tire Racks
tire testing, I have deteremined the following: The BFG T/A KD's have
phenomenol grip, if you can run with a 17" or larger wheel. The Michelin
Pilot MXX3 and Pirelli Pzero Asymetrico provide grip that is pretty close to
the T/A KD and come in 15" sizes, but have both been discontinued and
replaced by tires that do not come in 15" sizes and are also not quite as
"grippy". The Bridgestone S-02 Pole Position is also very close, but again
only come in 16" and larger sizes. And all four are very expensive. The
Bridgestone RE71, Bridgestone RE730 and the Yokohama A520 are just slightly
less "grippy" again, but the RE71's have also been discontinued, and the
A520 only comes in 16" or larger sizes. The RE730 looks interesting though
with it's stiff sidewall and high silica content rubber compound. Then there
is the Kumho Ecsta 712's and the Yokohama AVS Intermediates which come in
barely right behind these, and you cant beat either on price, unless you run
on Pep Boys 4 for $99 specials.
Personally, I am going to try the RE730's first and see how they
feel since the test results from the Tire Rack and other sources rate thier
grip, response and handling to be a bit better than the Kumho's. If they
aren't the right tire, then I am going to try the Kumho's.
John Moore
1991 Nissan Sentra SE-R (STS)
1993 Toyota MR2 NA (CS) For Sale !
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brian Berryhill [SMTP:brianberryhill@usa.net]
> Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2000 7:25 PM
> To: Autox
> Subject: What tires were on STS cars in Topeka?
>
> The subject pretty much says it all.
>
> I assume people were going with 225's if they would fit on a 7.5" rim.
> And,
> I figure the smaller diameters were better... maybe like a 225/45r15 or
> 225/50r15.
>
> But, the main question is what is the best tire for STS... I've got RE71's
> and love them. I just wonder what everybody else was running.
>
> Brian
>
> --
> Brian Berryhill
> http://www.angelfire.com/ms/brianberryhill/
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