beerbaron105

I can see my pirelli's being done by next fall with their crappy treadwear, and im not shelling out such a huge amount for tires, but i still want to buy summers - can anyone recomend some low price summer performance tires?

i dont plan on lowering my car, should i go with 235/40/18, or will those rub
am i safer going with 225/45/18??

alleycat58

If you're on stock rims, 235/40/18 will not fit properly, you'll get distortion on the contact patch. Go with 225/45/18. I'm going with Falken Azenis, they're like $130/each.

beerbaron105

okay makes sense, and ive heard nothing but good things about azenis in dry traction, rain is another story!

alleycat58

Yeah, rain is iffy. I know a couple people who have them, I might talk to them about how they like theirs. They're supposed to be an awesome auto-x/track tire so maybe I can give up a little wet traction. Also the BF Goodrich KDW's aren't too badly priced in the 225/45/18 size, they're about $150.

CobaltSS422

I know I may get knocked for this but the High Performance Kumho's look decent and the ratings on TireRack are pretty good. These are the Kumho ECSTA SPT for $109.00/each and the ratings are all in the 8's

beerbaron105

looks good, and the azenis i was refering to that are horrid in the rain are the azenis rt-215, but i dont see an application for them for our car

freakaccident

Grip well but they wear funny. I ran them on my s2000 because I wore the tires out every 6k miles. I wouldnt buy them if you want good quality tires.

05OrangeSS

go with the 235/40/18 in the Falken Azenis Rt-615 it WILL fit the stock wheel and will not distort. I have proof of this because I have the goodyear eagle f1 gs-d3 in that same on my car.

beerbaron105

damn, mixed reviews on the tire size lol, and no rubbing with your stock rims? and the wheel shroud?

alleycat58

You have those on STOCK wheels???????? According to TireRack, the minimum wheel width for those specific tires in that size is 8". It might not look distorted to look at them but it's GOT to be affecting the contact patch on a rim that is a full INCH too small for the tires...

Here's the specs from TireRack's website:

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3
Size: 235/40 YR18
Service Description: 91Y
Load Rating: SL
UTQG: 280 AA A
Max Load: 1356 lbs.
Max Inflation: 51 psi
Tread Depth: 11/32"
Tire Weight: 24 lbs.
RIM WIDTH RANGE: 8-9.5"

beerbaron105

what about these
The SP Sport FM901 is Dunlop’s Ultra High Performance "summer" radial designed to blend sizzling appearance and performance for today's sports cars, coupes and sporty sedans. This also makes the SP Sport FM901 an ideal candidate for customizing vehicles by providing a look and size lineup that provides a wide range of "Plus Two" or "Plus Three" applications.

On the outside, the SP Sport FM901's wide tread features large interlocking tread blocks that are aligned in a directional pattern to enhance dry traction and handling, increase wet traction and resist hydroplaning. Dunlop's "Chaos" tread block arrangement varies the size and shape of the tread blocks to help break up repetitive patterns and minimize noise levels. On the inside, the SP Sport FM901 features two steel belts reinforced by a spirally-wrapped JointLess Band (JLB) of nylon to support the tread area for high-speed durability and predictable handling while minimizing weight and improving ride uniformity. Additionally, a single strand of steel that is spirally-wound forms beads that are rounder for a better fit to the wheel and to further enhance handling and ride quality.


they are 114usd for 225/45/18

1stbluSS

freakaccident.. something tells me if you were wearing your other tires out at 6k then perhaps it wasnt the kumho's it was the driver ?

I had NANKANGS on my t bird and they rode, gripped, and wore great... great price great tire... i am getting the 225/45/18 kumho ecstas for my car $95 a piece here...

05OrangeSS

O no there is no distortion on the stock wheel. They look like they should have came on the car stock. Just because tire rack says they wont fit a "7" inch wheel doesnt mean anything really. They do not rub on anything. You can still turn the wheel lock to lock with no problems at all. Although Im thinking about sportlines and am not too sure that it won't rub being lower. Although Im trying to get my car's suspension set-up VERY similar to the time attack cobalt's because it's insanely crazy good. I will take pictures for all the naysayers of the board and have them posted up this weekend sometime......with the wheel off of the car.

alleycat58

Well, if you're comfortable with them that's all that matters. Personally I won't go over what the manufacturer recommends. Same reason why I went away from 225/40R18s because it's absolutely crucial for what I need them for that I have an even contact patch. The distortion shouldn't be enough to tell a difference with your naked eye, but it's still there and even a slight distortion makes a HUGE difference when you're relying on the tires for performance cornering.

beerbaron105

TheExorcist if you could take pics of your wheels even when they are on the car id appreciate it to see just how wide the 235's would be on stock rims

IonNinja

look for some Kumho Ecsta 711's...they're a high performance summer tire for probably like $75 bucks a pop

I've got General Tire Exclaim UHP tires and they were about the same price

3fo893013L

Get what I got, excellent tires Nitto NT555's 225/40/R18, fills in the wheel gap and doesn't rub. Got them for $135 a tire and they wear great!

stlurbanpunk

I dont know how wide of a selection of tires the stores have in your area, but you could check into used tires. I know it sounds dumb, but I needed a replacement tire on my cavi and I got a michilan 14 inch installed for $30. I previously had pirellies, but they wear out quickly, i think its all pirellies that do that. but the used michilan tire i got had a little over half of its tread left and I got that tire before the winter; since then it has only lost a little tread, its down to about half. the michilan grips better than the pirellies too.

just my $.02

Brandon97Z

iTrader: (1)

I;ll be switching to Bf Goodwrench g-force sports. only $115/each on tirerack for 225/40/18

alleycat58

How are you guys with 225/40R18s doing as far as wear goes? I noticed with them also that they recommend a wider wheel than stock. How's the tread wearing? What about roll over on the sides?

3fo893013L

my wear seems to go all across the tire. it's not specific to just one side or the middle. If you go this big better reconsider your spring drop on your car.... just an FYI

Cobalt_Supercharged

When the time comes, I want to try BF Goodrich KDW2s 235/40/18. They are less than 1% differance on the speedo. I hope they fit. If not I'll go with the 225/45/18s.

3fo893013L

One guy I know on here has those and he had rubbing issues at first. He was able to resolve them but when you cut the wheel more then 3/4's your going to rub in the inner fender wall.

I believe 225/45/R18 is a happy medium. No tire rub for me to report and it quickly removed my wheel gap without a drop. I'm happy

Let me see If I can find that post.

3fo893013L

Found it

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/show...t=13584&page=2

His rubbing issue on his car...

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/wheels-tires-96/235-40-18s-rubing-ansser-inside-13967/

plyboy-illest

not a big fan of Kumho had a bad run witht here tires they were done ater 5,000 km on the Audi A4 we called Kumho and they would not do anything for us... so id never go back to them again...