Ok Guys and Gals hope i can get some feed back here shortly. Im going cheep and am wondering if anyonme on board has tried the sumitomo htr zII or the htrZIII ? and how are they with handling and road noise?
thanks for any and all feedback.

 

I bought a pair of Sumotumos, not sure the letters, had them on the back for a while and moved um up front when I went with 18" wheels all around.They were cheap and I am really happy with them and will use them again!

 

I have the 2s. They have a better looking thread pattern than the 3s. For the money you can't beat them. They aren't too good for icy conditions though.

 

Thanks for the reply's Guys. Im pushing for the 2's also but just want to make sure.

 

junk junk junk

i really dislike these tires when so many better choices exist. i was actually given a set of sumis awhile back and honest to god have to tell you they are one of the single worst tires i have ever driven. the only time i could see someone saying positive on these is if A: they don't push their car or B: their old tires were dry rotted and anything new is a step up.

i will guess you run either 295 35 18 & 275 40 17 or 275 40 18 and 245 45 17. if you run the 295/275 combo the nitto nt05 is one of my first choices since they are a current model you won't find old ones laying around in the back. all should be 08 or newer castings. they also hold their own with the other high end summer tires like the kumho xs, advan 08, bridgestone 11 and dunlop star spec. if you run the 275/245 combo the bridgestone re-11 is your best bet. either of these tires should last around 15-20k miles and REALLY step up the performance. if you would like a harder tire for less money the kumho spt {this tire is very inexpensive} is available in 275-245 and the bridgestone 760 sport in 295/275, the 760 is similar in cost to its softer cousins however, it just wears a 340utqg versus the 200/180 of the nt05 and re11



link on the nitto http://www.nittotire.com/#index%2Etire%2Ent05

the re11 http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes

 

This is some good info thanks. The reason im looking into the sumitomos is that im on a very tight budget and want a decent tire that would ride well.
Im not gonna be doing any auto x or too much hard driving. I just want to enjoy my 99 frc i just bought (the only reason im going cheap) But i cant do that with bald f1's lol. Maybe later in the future when i know my car better.

 

Take a look at the Falken 452's. I'm happy with the pair I bought for the rear. I drive like an idiot and since I added the sway bars I really push the corners hard and these cheap Falkens just keep doing what they're supposed to do.

 

the kumho spt is superior {slightly} and also cheap, read up on the tire rack. matching sets are available for the vette, if nothing else you now have something to compare before you make a choice

actually, here we go. sumis are $139/99 and the spt is $159/98

here's the spt at tire rack http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes

 

this is another tire very similar to the spt. i haven't had a chance to drive this one but the utqg and construction are similar. so is the price for that matter. discount tire also has these in stock. imo this or the spt would make a better choice than the sumi and for similar money

 

This is some good info guys. So, Do i want a higher utqg ro a lower? A friend of mines says the higher lasts longer is this correct? Thanks again on all the replys im glad i didnt purchase yet.

 

Look into the price of the Firestone Wide Ovals.

 

the choice is yours with a higher utqg. imo something around the 180-240 range is good for the corvette. they will allow the car to hook, handle well and still last at least 15k miles. the harder tires, around 300utqg will last longer and ride just as nice but lack ultimate traction due to the harder rubber. since cost was a concern in this chat you're basically looking at the 300utqg tires which might be fine for you if you aren't pushing the car. it really boils down to what you need and what you will spend.

in short yes higher utqg will last longer. how some tires are rated i seriously wonder about. if anyone remembers the old bfg kd and the many people who pulled 20-25k miles out of a set with a utqg of 200 it looks kind of fuzzy when the falken rt615 is also a utqg 200 and lasts 15k miles in most situations.

the whole trick with tires is buying the most for your $. in this case it's kind of a "do i want GREAT dry traction and okay wet traction in the bridgestone re11" or "do i want decent dry and wet traction with a longer life in the kumho spt or falken 452"

if you ever had a chance to drive the 11 it would blow your mind with the kind of grip it generates compared to the harder choices. it's just cost/treadlife

how many miles per year do you drive anyway?

 

Thanks for the information you've got me thinking real hard. I'll probably put under 5k as thats how much i put on my camaro in 2 yr.s lol. But this vette is going to be my daily so who knows.

 

i know exactly the thoughts you're experiencing. at 5k/year the re11 would be nice since it would last 3 years. however, if you DD the vette the increased mileage and larger water channels of the spt or 452 also factor in, the reduced cost also plays a part. it's a personal, let us know which of the 3 you choose and what you think once you drive them

 

For a couple of $'s more check the General Exclaim's out, just put them on the wife's vert nice tire for the dollars, just my .02

 

as in this tire?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....el=Exclaim+UHP

our only problem here is that A: it's an all season tire which means it works okay in all conditions but masters none. B: it's the hardest rubber compound of any tire mentioned. what's really kind of comical about the ad at tire rack is that the tire carries a M+S rating but is suggested not to be driven in snow or ice. yea...M+S {mud and snow} but not to be driven in snow, anyone else find that odd?

when we look at this versus say the kumho spt you trade off even more 3 season performance for a little bit longer life. this is the only tire of them all that has M+S even though the text states not to use them as such, so if the vette sees ice or snow, it might be the better choice, maybe

 

Ok all With alot of thought put in I Just purchased a set of kumho Spt's and am waiting for the shop to install. I will let you all know how it goes.
Thanks Racebum For helping me make the decision.

 

you made the decision, i just dug up some information for you to pour over

the spt really isn't a bad tire when you look at the cost/benefit i just hope they are a somewhat new casting. if you get a chance look at the date code. anything from 2008 or newer is fine

 

My opinion....

I have had the F1s, the Pilot sports, and the Kumhos, and just recently put on the Sumitomos HTR ZIII under the recommendations of three other C5 guys in my area Corvette Club. These guys are like me and use their cars either sparingly or just driving to work. No autocrossing, no bad weather driving ( snow or ice ), try to avoid rain as much as possible even though yesterday it was a downpour and the tires did great even at 80 MPH on a long curve. Honestly I am super happy and got all four balanced and installed for right about $530.00! The other guys have had them for multiple sets on their cars and I made my last set , Kumhos, last three years and 35,000 miles. So if you don't get the vette out in bad weather and just do some spirited cruising they are great tires at a great price. But again, just my opinion.

Sully

 

For what it's worth after the fact I have the SPTs on the front. Good tire. Wears fine. Grips well. Corners hard. Likes the rain. Replacement time is coming up and I'm leaning towards a match to the rears, but the SPT price is attractive.