Ordering 2 new F1's - 215 or 225?

[Fireblade]

I need to get 2 new front tyres. At the moment I'm running Goodyear eagle F1 GS-D2's, of size 215-45 R17.
I think I'll stay with the F1's and order a pair of the new GS-D3's from Mytyres.net (http://mytyres.net). The recent tyre test in Evo magazine put the F1's top. I have read the recent posting about a members failure with F1's, but I've not had any problems with them.

Is it ok to stay with 215's? They were on the car when I bought it. Would it be better to go for 225's as they are the proper size for an Evo V? If I were to go for 225's, could I just replace the front set, and then do the rears later, or would having 225's on the front and 215's on the rear be a problem??

Any knowledge on this would be greatfully received.

Mike

[AndyS]

You really want the same size (well, rolling circumference) at both ends of a 4WD car. As to the difference between 215s and 225s, I doubt there is much difference in the real world (215s give you slightly shorter gearing and marginally less rolling resistance, so your acceleration might be a little better. On the other hand, 225s will give you more mechanical grip. I doubt very much whether anybody here could honestly tell the difference just from driving the car though...)

As for F1s, I've always liked them in the wet but they don't "feel" as good as some other tyres I've tried. I recently put some Toyo Proxies on my car (they came at the "right price") and have been very impressed so far - probably as good as the F1s in the wet and with a much better feel in the dry.

[AndyS]

P.S.
With 215s, your speedo will be a tiny bit (about 1.4%) optimistic, since the car is designed to run on 225s.

[Dave Henshall]

blah!:( wash your mouth out - F1's are poo. Once you have had decent stuff like bridgestone s02's you will hate them. And i would personally prefer the same size all round. Sounds like whoever had it before you couldnt afford the correct size:rolleyes:

[AndyS]

I strongly disagree with Dave's sentiments on the F1 (although I do understand exactly why he feels that way).
I just wish Metzeler (http://www.metzeler.com) made tyres to fit my Evo...

[AndyS]

Originally posted by Me
your speedo will be a tiny bit (about 1.4%) optimistic
P.P.S. If you want to do the calculation for various tyre sizes, you can use my Excel spreadsheet (http://www.evo6.com/tools/tyres.xls)

[Fireblade]

Don't know whether to get F1's now or not. From the various posts, there doesn't seem to be a consensus on which tyre is the best for an Evo. Some posts say Toyo Proxies are good, some say the Bridgestone SO3's are good etc etc.

Which ones do I go for. I want a good all round tyre, that offers excellent grip in the dry, and hopefully also in the wet, as I do live in Scotland :D

I need to get this sorted out ASAP as I'm currently running on two illegal front tyres :eek:

Mike

[Dave Henshall]

all i can say is that i have had experience with the following on the evo 6....

Bridgestone S01
Bridgestone S02
Goodyear F1 GSD2
Goodyear F1 GSD3
Yokohama A032R
Avon ZZ3

and the only ones i would go for again are the S02's but as they are not readily available any more, S03 looks like the only choice.

Just had a quote from Expedia tyes: 4 all inc VAT delivered £465.78 for s03. The sidewalls for my styles of driving (without going on the track) on all but the bridgestones are just far too weak and IMO spoil the handling of the car. Its like buying a laser guideance system for your car and then strapping it to a motorised shoping trolley. Might get from A-to-B but not the way you would want to.;)

[SwinYE5]

When I was looking for tyres, I looked at a few threads, etc and the conclusion I came to was that the PZERO Assimetrico 'Yellows' seemed to be as highly recommended as any other...

Apparently they are a very good all round tyre and I picked up my 225/40/18's from a local dealer for £560 all inc, although I'm sure I could have got a better price if I'd hunted about.

From what I've had from them so far, they do seem very good in the dry. Not really had them in the wet yet though...

The tyre debate could be argued until the cows come home and ,still, people will disagree I'm afraid...

[Fireblade]

Apparently the PZERO Assimetrico 'yellows' are not available in 215/45 configuration :(

Really don't know which tyres to order :confused:

Any other views on tyres... Anybody.

Mike

[SwinYE5]

Just go the whole hog and get 4x225's then... ;)

Why the previous owner put 215's on is anyone's guess, seems pretty strange to me...

[Fireblade]

I'd love to get 4 x 225's, but at the moment I just can't afford to. My 45,000 mile service last week cost me £733, I have to get two new tyres, a new front damper, and probably new brake discs all round :eek:

So it's got to be two tyres I'm afraid. Probably best just to stay with the 215's then. Still not sure which ones to get though, although the Toyo Proxies seem to be favourable.

Is it ok to have different tyres on the front and rear?

Mike

[Dave Henshall]

so is it the 215's or the 225 that need replacing? id go for the same all round just for the fact that you can then rotate your wheels round the car to evenly spread the wear over them all, and if you need to put a full size spare on, the tyre width will match on any axle. does it not make you feel warm inside knowing that they are all the same...?;)

[AndyS]

THe other reason it's important to have the same rolling circumference at both ends is your drivetrain. If the front/rear wheels have diffeent diameters, you'll put additional strain on your centre diff.

[Dave Henshall]

like he said:D

[Fireblade]

Originally posted by Dave Henshall
so is it the 215's or the 225 that need replacing? id go for the same all round just for the fact that you can then rotate your wheels round the car to evenly spread the wear over them all, and if you need to put a full size spare on, the tyre width will match on any axle. does it not make you feel warm inside knowing that they are all the same...?;)

At the moment, all my tyres are 215/45's, and I need to replace the front two. I was just wondering should I stay with 215's or go for 225's. If 225's, seeing as I can't afford to buy 4, would it be ok to just replace the front two, and do the rear ones some other time.

From what the posts are saying though, unless I change all four to 225's it would be best to just stay with the 215's.

Another question then. Would there be any benefit from going for 215/40's instead of the current 215/45's? If so, would I need to replace all four, or could I have 215/40's on the front, 215/45's on the rear, and the rear ones at some later time?

Mike

[negri]

why dont you buy the 225s . put them on the back , keep the narrower tyres to the front . next month or two get another 2x 225s and keep the 215s for spares or sell them on the forum