Sumitomo HTR Z
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 29
Likes: 1
I have a pair on the rear of a 4 mo old 2004 I recently purchased. Very loud and can't wait till the tread is down enough to put some Michelin Pilot Sport AS 3's on. My fronts are Goodyear Eagles and seem to be holding up well so will be a while before they're replaced. The tread pattern on the Sumi's almost make it look like a big drag tire.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 826
Likes: 12
From: Phoenix, AZ
Tires
I have a pair on the rear of a 4 mo old 2004 I recently purchased. Very loud and can't wait till the tread is down enough to put some Michelin Pilot Sport AS 3's on. My fronts are Goodyear Eagles and seem to be holding up well so will be a while before they're replaced. The tread pattern on the Sumi's almost make it look like a big drag tire.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 6,528
Likes: 752
From: South Dakota
The responses so far seem to be love it or hate it with nothing in between.
I ran them on a '94 and they were OK. I got pretty good wear on them. I ran them about 20k miles and still have well over half tread left. I didn't really notice the noise since on that car the exhaust was very loud, but they were not obnoxious.
I ran them on the front of my '99 on Z06 wheels and the grip was remarkably better than the Goodyear runflats. They also seem quieter than the Goodyears.
I think they are an OK tire. There are a lot of better ones for more grip/handling, but on a street car they worked pretty well for me. They are much better than the stock Goodyears.
I ran them on a '94 and they were OK. I got pretty good wear on them. I ran them about 20k miles and still have well over half tread left. I didn't really notice the noise since on that car the exhaust was very loud, but they were not obnoxious.
I ran them on the front of my '99 on Z06 wheels and the grip was remarkably better than the Goodyear runflats. They also seem quieter than the Goodyears.
I think they are an OK tire. There are a lot of better ones for more grip/handling, but on a street car they worked pretty well for me. They are much better than the stock Goodyears.
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Pro
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 658
Likes: 12
From: Clearwater Fl
Well, I had them on my 94 9 6 SPEED ),,,,, It could break the tires loose hitting 3rd gear on a hard run,,,,,,, when I swapped to my Goodyear F1's,,,,, they would barely scratch hitting second,,,,,,,enough for me.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 18,681
Likes: 47
From: Reno is so close to Hell you can see Sparks , State Of Confusion
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14
I had the HTRZ II on my car and for the money they were a good deal, I didn't like the thread design on the HTRZ. 315-35-17, On the front or rear? If on the rear why a 17 inch?
Racer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 299
Likes: 1
From: Punta Gorda Florida
I bought the HRTZ II's for street tires when my runflats wore out. You can't beat $400/set, $60 s/h, and $100 mount/bal, that's $560 for a set of vette tires. They are quiet and seem very stable. I'm going to replace my worn out Hankook V12s with HRTZ II's on my other rims for autocrossing as well. They are actually wider than the Hankooks
Last edited by GeneT; Nov 10, 2013 at 01:50 PM. Reason: add
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 29
Likes: 1
Mine are the HTRZ 2. I recently did a few parade laps at Thunderhill in northern California. Since I'm new to the car and tires I was concerned about the rears breaking loose as they're getting worn down. Kept picking the speed up and got to the point where the tires were squealing a little on the corners. Was impressed with their holding ability, meaning I didn't wind up in the dirt. As mentioned, mine are very loud but could be due to the tread wearing down. The tread pattern is interesting as it is slits running from the center towards the edge with a slight curve to them and the slits are not very wide. Therefore there is a lot of rubber in contact with the road which is probably very good for grip and why it looks like a drag tire.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,067
Likes: 46
From: Springfield IL.
Oldtimer
My 99 had a full set on it when I bought it. Thought they were ok but when I replaced them with a set of Hankooks it was night and day difference. I'd never buy another set, but when my Hankooks wear out I'll replace them with the same. The PO told me they only had 20,000 or a little less when I bought the car, the rears were showing wear, don't know why hehe. I know he put the car through the paces, and I did too at first. The Hankooks are much quieter and ride better to me .
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,403
Likes: 31
From: Allentown PA & Elk Twp NJ HPDE Addict
Good point. The HTRZs are the softest compound of the three different HTRzs available. Also how old those tires are, exposure to freezing temps, will effect the grip. I strongly considered them as a DE rain tire until I decided to just not drive in the rain.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,107
Likes: 31
From: oxnard california
I had them they hook very well on the street for stock cars . At "the track" I managed to keep up with a Subaru that was launching hard he only took my by a half car at start . Those tires last long
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 16,027
Likes: 170
From: oregon
single worst "performance" street tire i have ever driven, they do absolutely nothing well and are borderline dangerous to even drive
wouldn't be a bad training tire on the track. the grip is so low that if you could manage to stay on the track and get to the point you're doing consistent laps you would absolutely fly when you switch to a quality tire
wouldn't be a bad training tire on the track. the grip is so low that if you could manage to stay on the track and get to the point you're doing consistent laps you would absolutely fly when you switch to a quality tire
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,266
Likes: 5
From: Germantown, TN
Wow.....sorry OP looks like the replies are ALL OVER the place...LOL. I have these on another car, here is my opinion on them:
1. Great value for the $$$
2. Long thread life
3. Good dry traction, ok wet traction
4. very loud as they age.
Overall, I would rate them a 6 to 7 out of 10. They would rate higher if not for how loud they get over time.
1. Great value for the $$$
2. Long thread life
3. Good dry traction, ok wet traction
4. very loud as they age.
Overall, I would rate them a 6 to 7 out of 10. They would rate higher if not for how loud they get over time.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 826
Likes: 12
From: Phoenix, AZ
Tires
I currently have 18" in the rear, however the HTRZ's are so affordable I was considering purchasing a pair of 17" wheels. However with the replies I have gotten I am just going to fork out the cash and buy the 18" BFG Rival's