I will soon be updating probably to Y2k rims 18" front and back and am looking for tires that would give the best dry grip for street and occasional autocross use. Wet grip is not an issue as I do not ordinarily drive the car in the rain. Right now I am between bridgstone S-03, Kumho MX, and pilot sports (but would consider others). I have heard a lot of good things about the kumhos however have had michelins in the past (MXX3s) which I loved (however I do not love the price). Any input would be greatly appreciated.

_Brian

 

No rain.......hmm.... Slicks sounds good to me :D

 

Sounds like a candidate for the BF Goodrich G-Force tire. It is by far the best street tire on the market for dry traction, has a decent treadwear rating, a VERY handsome tread, and its made by Michelin! This would definately be the one I would choose. :yesnod:

 

Got them on mine :D

 

Kuhmo VicoRacer V700's...these will beat anything short of a drag radial for straight-line acceleration, and anything short of a slick for cornering...amazing tires!!


[Modified by Zix, 2:37 PM 11/3/2002]

 

The G-Force would probably be my first choice at this time however they do not make them in the right size for an 18" rim (275/35/r18). My current plans involve black Y2k rims with a polished edge. My other option that I am still considering if I can not find suitable 18 in tires is AFS A-mold replicas in ZR1 sizes. So this is why I am in need of help with tires. Also how would the kumho victoracers hold up on the streets? wear?

 

Michilin makes the G-force tire?? I like it better already!!

 

The Michelin Pilot Spots are expensive but I have never owned a better tire. They stick even when it's wet and wear very well.

 

Don't know if this is a typo or not, but this may help mich PS for 193 a piece.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compar...turer=Michelin

 

BFG KD or Kuhmo MX, they look very similar & share the same huge blocks of tread, buy one or the other.

 

BFG KD, not KDW or other BFG. The Michelin Pilot Sports would be a close second, be quieter, nicer ride, and great in the wet, but cost more.

 

I spoke with someone at Tire rack and found out it is not a mistake... There are two pilot sports they make in this size... The one they have for 193 is the OE front tire from a viper which according to the sales rep is no different from the other pilot sports. I am not sure if this makes my decision easier or harder. The Kumho supposidly has superior dry grip which is still more important to me however michilin makes a very high quality tire and I have no experience with Kumho. I am also still considering the AFSs which would give me a bigger contact patch.

 

If money is not an issue (ya, right) then Michelin is your best bet. Pilot sports are great tires (kinda wish they made the MXX3 still).
Kumho makes a good tire for low cost. I haven't tried their MX, but I hear good things. The SO-3 is fantastic. My buddy brought them to the track (road race variety) and they never liquified in the 97deg day. They can take the abuse.
I have never met a BFG tire I liked. They flat spot at the first oops, and they don't feedback well.

Michelin gets my vote.

Did I mention michelin yet?

 

I have the Kuhmo ecsta mx and they have been great so far (just bought them about three weeks ago). My budget was the main motivator, I was looking at Michelin pilots, BFG KD's and Kuhmo V700. Price was high for Pilots and KD's and quick wear (but great grip) on the V700 is what made me choose Kuhmo mx (p.s. nice looking tire :D )


[Modified by C4FEVER, 11:40 PM 11/4/2002]

 

BFG KDW's. Sure, KD's if a) you'll never be out in the rain, and b) you are made of money.

I've put about 3000 miles on my KDW's and love them.

 

aren't kdw's like a 300 compound tire? if someone was looking at dry grip they would want the most amount of rubber on the ground and the softest compound there budget would allow. a friend of mine is going to start driving on victoracers but 5,000 street miles is the expected life. the kuhmo mx is a silica based version of a BFG KD in my oppinion & probably offers better wet performance becuase of the rubber. another thing to consider is how often you can change the tires, UV rays kill rubber & i'd pick a tire you can afford to replace yearly if your after max grip. retail on a mx 275 40 17 is $150, i still for the life of me have not seen a single tire that can compete with it for the milage you get {220 silica rubber} the dry grip you get {huge blocks that are a great copy of the KD} and the price, i mean what else is there in that cash catagory? or even outside or it, the michelin sport? they wear nice, also are pretty quiet, i'd also be willing to bet my bottom dollar a MX will pull more G's than a sport. hmm..what else is there? yokohamas es100, yea it's a great rain tire, i even run them in the winter, will it touch a mx, nope. dunlop? noda, the P-zeros that started out on F-40's, they might get somewhere close to the MX but they have no rain performance and wear out in under 10,000 miles, same with the yoke a032r. how about bridgestone, i've used the s-02's & they aren't bad by any means, i even liked the rain performance but they cost a good deal more than the MX & i swear this set of toyo T1-S tires i was basically given to experement on hook harder and it's a total rain design. oh wait, i have an idea for max dry grip :jester {those are in my living room by the way}


[Modified by gtsyellow, 1:32 AM 11/6/2002]


[Modified by gtsyellow, 2:36 AM 11/6/2002]

 

Wow, All this great advice... Why do I feel more confused? I truely appreciate averyones advice and have narrowed down the field. I have decided on the 17" AFS A-Molds due to the fact that I can use a wider rear tire and have a larger contact patch. My other concern with the 18" fronts and rears is how they will look without lowering the car (I do not want to lower the car at this point as I am already having clearance issues). So now that I have decided on the AFS wheels I am brought back to the problem of tires: Kumho MXs are out as they are not made in a 315 width. At this point the two tires that I am still considering are the BFG G-Force KD and the Pilot sport. For a set of four there is only a difference of around $150 which will not be the diciding factor. The question I am wrestling with at this point is this: I can go with the G-Force for all out performance and spend over $1100 on tires that will wear out quickly (A lot of money for a tire that will not last) Or I could spend an extra $150 on the Pilot Sports which also have amazing grip although slightly worse than the g-force and will have a better ride and last MUCH longer. I have always had a brand loyalty towards Michilin (especially after owning an M3 with MXX3s) but also hear great things about the KDs (someone even mentioned they are made by Michiln). Although it sounds like an obvious decision I am still tempted by the thought of maximum dry grip. One thing I have to remember is that anything will be a huge improvement over 7 year old GSCs with no tread and littlie cracks in the tread area (horrible traction on wet and dry. Thanks again for the imput!!