so i need new tires for my car. this is the first time i have ever owned any type of sports car. my size is 245/40/18. i want to get pirelli's but that is way to much money. can anyone give me any recommendations on some good sporty tires that perform great but dont cost 600 bucks a set?
i came across this name brand called lionheart. anyone ever heard of them before? are they good? here is the link. https://www.tires-easy.com/245-40-18...6n0aAtxK8P8HAQ

 

you get what you pay for with tires, please do not cheap out on tires, its not worth it. why cheap out on the only piece of you car that actually touches the road?

 

because alot of people pay extra money for just a namebrand...whether it is clothes or other stuff.

 

What is your actual price range? Are you looking for all seasons or what kind of climate do you live in?

 

he lives in pa. so we have a spring, summer, fall, and winter here lol.

If your going to go with a 245 tire then that means in the winter time your traction wont be as good as say on a 215 or 225. if you change your tire width as well you can find some more tires and good prices. for instance check out general tire altimax, cooper RS3's, hankook ventus tires just to name a few and they are all reasonably priced on discount tire.

 

Because tires aren't an important part of the vehicle or anything. It's unfortunate how prevalent this type of mentality is when it comes to tires.

 

i see where he is coming from. i did quiet a bit of spirited driving and street racing when i had my cobalt. in all honesty i found a soft tire that wore better and gripped better then the continetals and hankook ventus tires i had. yes they were a knock off but it was only $200 a set for the tires. i would much rather sit there and spend the $200 for tires i fry off anyway then spend $600-$800 on a set of tires for the same grip and longevity lol. so i can see where hes coming from. granted hes not making the power an lnf does so he has quiet a bit of options.

 

I did the same with previous cars, my LNF sedan's included. As I've gotten older though, I've realized that tires just aren't/shouldn't be something you skimp on.

Either way, to you and all of your common sense up there

 

hey im the same way now lol. i sold my lnf and im driving an infinity g35x and im getting brand new general altimaax tires put on it monday lol. i could have gotten cheap ones but since this is my daily and im not racing anybody in this thing ill gladly spend the money on good tires.

 

and if you live somewhere that snows do you really want to risk your life, and the lives of others with a cheap tire that wont perform when you really need it too. if you wreck it will cost a lot more than a good set of tires....

 

risking my life and others it the last thing i want...although that may have happened when i got a fast car...i just want to make sure I get the most bang for my buck. so i have narrowed down my list.

Fusion UHP sport A/S
Fuzion UHP Sport A/S | TireBuyer

Continentals or Pirelli's. what do you guys think? anyone have any name brands they would recommend?

 

Isaac- what wheels are you running because stock size is either 205-215-or 225 depending on what model of cobalt you have unless you are on 8" or wider aftermarket wheels.

 

i have 245/40/18

 

but what wheels are they on? stock? what 63 nova ss is trying to say is having a 245 wide tire on a stock 7" or 7.5" wide wheel is far from ideal, and you actually get better performance from a narrower tire, like a 215 or 225.

 

You won't be happy with Fusion tires. Nitto NT555G2's are fairly affordable.

Also get a set of dedicated Winter wheels and tires. Even all seasons UHP tires suck in snow.

 

they will be going on a stage 3 making 266 WHP at the moment....but once the stage 2 cams and ported head go on with the E85 tune...then **** is gonna be real. haha. so smaller tires huh? just for the front or on the back? stock is 215 correct?

 

Isaac- last time I ask- what width of wheels are you running? Are they stock 2005-07 cobalt lsj wheels?

 

they are aftermarket rims. they are 245/40/18 all the way around....

 

i think i should explain what happens with a wide tire on a narrow rim. tires are meant to fit on a certain range of rim width to get the proper tread contact patch. if you go too wide of a tire on a narrow rim the sidewall is pulled farther in than its designed to be, and this will roll the tread around to the sidewall and create a crown in the contact patch. not only does this give a reduced contact patch with the road, it allows the tire to deflect and creates "mushy" handling, not to mention reduced tire life.

the stock ss/sc rim is 7" wide, and the stock tire size was 215/45r18. that tire size is rated for a 7-8" rim, so as the theory goes, that tire is the widest you really want on that rim width. now back in the day a 215/45r18 was a very odd size tire that was expensive and had few choices, so everyone went to 225/40r18. that tire is designed for a 7.5-9" rim width. its not ideal, but seems to work alright. now a 245/40r18 is designed for an 8-9.5" rim, its way to wide for a stock ss/sc wheel.

so your best options would be (providing you do have stock ss/sc wheels) would be to go with a wider wheel to properly run a 245/40r18, or go with something smaller like a 225/40r18. if your looking for more forward bite, going wider isnt really going to help much, only a very soft sticky tire will do it, like a drag radial or slick. being fwd we have the laws of physics working against us.

 

since you added that while i was posting, what is the width of the rims? there will be a marking on the back of the spokes, or you can measure them, try and get a measurement between the bead.

 

well i already have 245/40/18's on the car. all the way around. but people are telling me that a skinnier front tire will help me with understeer. that and to get a rear sway bar and looser front suspension. and the rims are like 9 inches wide i think?

 

sounds like your wheels and tires are properly matched then.

a skinnier front tire will create understeer. less front traction will allow traction to be broken easier, and loss of front traction is what understeer is. going narrower on the rear would help with off throttle understeer, allowing rear traction to be broken easier and allow the car to rotate.

trying to make a fwd act neutral is a fine line on a street car. you can get the thing working pretty good in dry conditions with clean road but it can become unpredictable in panic situations. if you take too much rear traction away in slippery conditions under heavy braking the car can come right around.

i would stay with a square tire setup (the same all the way around). its the most predictable for street driving most people only start to play with staggering tire sizes on fwd cars on track cars. get a powell rear swaybar, they make a huge difference and still keep the car predictable.

 

ok. i was going to get a rear sway bar...that was def on my list. what about looser front suspsension?

 

what do you have in it right now for suspension?

the best setup for the dollar is tc struts and shocks and powell springs, or pedders springs. the tc front swaybar is smaller and in theory would help reduce understeer, however its not a very big difference and i dont know how it works in practice.

 

not sure what type of spings or anything. bought the car from someone else. i got eibach lowering springs...thats like all i know.