Chiburbian

iTrader: (1)

About 18k miles and about two years ago I replaced my tires with BFG Comp-2s since they were available in the stock tire size and were reasonably affordable.

BFG Comp-2, 205/45-16, 340 treadwear, 23.2" overall diameter, ultra high-performance summer.

I drove them without issue until a couple weeks back when we had our first autocross of the year. It was the first time I drove truly hard on the tires since I installed the turbo. After the 18k miles and the single autorcross where I probably was running too high of pressures due to heat, I burned off all the tread in the center section of the tire. I didn't realize this until I drove home during a rainstorm last week and had some terrible hydroplaning.

So I can safely drive it the remainder of the year, I am considering replacing the tires. I know I can safely autocross with them the way they are but I don't want to have to switch cars everytime it looks like rain.

Next year's plans call for 6ULs in 15x9 with RS3s...

Options:
A) Same BFG Comp-2s to tide me over until next year. Hopefully I don't burn these out in a single autocross.
B) one PAIR of Hankook RS3s in 205/45-16 for the rear tires (200 tread wear)
C) Full set of Hankook RS3s in the same size
D) Star Specs Z2, 205/50-16, 200 tread wear, 24.1" overall diameter (either full set or partial)

Obviously I'd prefer to save money by buying only a partial set. If I buy a full set it may mean that my RS3/6UL project is delayed by several months next year.

I have heard good things about star-specs. Buying a full set of them will give me a spare set of decent tires to rotate out with the 6UL/RS3 if conditions warrant, however they are a pretty good bit taller than stock. I don't have the money to buy even a cheap set of 15" wheels (unless I can unload my 16" wheels for similar money).

What would you do in my case?

Seefo

iTrader: (5)

I definitely wouldn't autocross on 24.1" diameter wheel+tire combo. Especially with an high grip summer tire like that.

I would do my best to sell the current wheels, and move on the 6UL setup asap. maybe you can pick up a used set around here.

Anyway you look at it, buying new tires for 16" wheels is a waste if you are planning to buy new wheels AND tires in 15" in ~6-7 months.

Chiburbian

iTrader: (1)

There is a guy local who has rs3s with 30% life left on them for $50. Only prob is finding decent wheels to put them on cheap

Scrambles

iTrader: (7)

I wouldn't spend money on anything for a 16" set-up. I'd try to Craigslist those superfly chrome 16s to a m-neter and find a cheap set of (used) 15s to put a rain/dd/non-serious autocross tire on. Use these while you save for your 9" 6ULs and RS3s etc.

Chiburbian

iTrader: (1)

Not chrome, stock alloys... but I'll include a can of free chrome spraypaint if they want.

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

Federal 595RSR if you still want to be fast for hella cheap (like $64/ tire in miata size). Primewell PZ900 if you just want something that does everything in a non-offensive manor and lasts forever, for cheap (like $56/tire in miata size).

For serious, RSR is fast enough to win at the national auto-x level with the right driver. And the primewell is good enough to finish in the top quarter in lemons.

Chiburbian

iTrader: (1)

Unless someone can talk me out of it, here is my plan as of this morning.

Stick with stock 16" wheels for the following reasons:

My ultimate goal is XIDA Club Sports with 15x9 6ULs. I can't afford XIDAs until sometime next year and I am running Hard-S Bilsteins in the interim. 15x9s are incompatable with my Bilsteins, and so I would need to upgrade both suspension and tires/wheels at the same time. All together, this would cost me about $3,600 including alignment etc.

So, instead I am going to buy RS3s in 205/45-16 and plan on upgrading to XIDAs with my next tax return. That means that by the time the tires are burned out (about a year from now) I will be in a position where I can both afford and support my 15x9 wheels and tires.

It sucks buying $600 worth of tires but I would probably be doing the same thing next year anyways even if I was able to upgrade to the 6ULs (or other wheel) today.

Any criticism of this choice?

curly

iTrader: (25)

Yes, you're spending $600 on tires that are going to wear out fast and that you know you'll be replacing. There are 5-6 tires on onlinetires.com that I would consider sporty DD tires, and they're all in the $350 shipped range. Then spend another $50 to mount and balance them.

You now have $200 to spend on 2.5" springs and ebay collars for your bilsteins. Now you have a more sellable suspension setup when it's finally Xida time, and you can upgrade to your RS3/6UL setup any time you'd like.

Chiburbian

iTrader: (1)

Ok, I kinda like that actually.

Minus the ebay coilover part. Or maybe not. Just more to research.

How about these as mentioned above?
http://www.onlinetires.com/products/...g+83w+bsw.html

Putting this here for now:
https://www.miataturbo.net/suspensio...-thread-78451/

curly

iTrader: (25)

Might wear out too quickly. If you're not planning on selling the 16", or even if you are, something that lasts longer might not hurt, so you can still use them after 6uls are purchased to keep RS3 wear to a minimum, and/or your resell value to a maximum.

Something like a Nitto Neo Gen, Hankook V2, or Dunlop DZ101 might be a better choice.

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

**** the Z101. They're hilariously turrible in the rain. Like let me accidentally do a massive burnout in a stock 1.8 miata turrible. Seriously taking off from a stop like a normal person = wow I'm sideways. My dad's miata has a set, in the dry they're fine and they dont hydroplane, but damn in the rain they might as well be rs3s or worse. The Handcooks in that range are ok, never driven them on the street, just auto-x. Nitto NeoGens will make everyone think you're a drifter wantabe. And if you're going to go into that range, save even more money and get the Primewells, they're really not that bad.

turbofan

iTrader: (1)

no no no on the DZ101. HORRIBLE tires. Run away.

My input is done here.

Chiburbian

iTrader: (1)

Nitto Neo Gen - Maybe
Hankook V2 - 500 treadwear! If I was going this high I'd rather stick with (a pair of) BFG Comp-2s!
Dunlop DZ101 - Never heard a good review of these tires
Federal SS-595 - Any thoughts?
Federal 595 RS-R - Likely not a good fit for mostly daily duty
BFG Comp-2 - only $80/tire and I only need two.

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

595RSR would be a good substitute tire to match the RS3s. Wait, you had 4 comp2s just get 2 more.

Lincoln Logs

iTrader: (1)

ThePass daily drove a set of Federal RS-R tires after I used them at an handful of autocrosses for 20k miles.

Mobius

iTrader: (2)

I have a set of Yoko Avid H4S on my car and I'm very happy with them for year-round DD use. I would recommend them to you except that Yoko in their wisdom discontinued them and none of their high-perf all-seasons come in this size any longer. Go Yoko.

So for you I recommend the BFG Super Sport A/S or the Conti Extreme Contact DWS. Neither are cheap (94/115 from Tire Rack respectively) but they should be reasonably quick tires that will survive being frozen through winters with DD use.

Don't put sticky summer tires on your only set of wheels. Put some sort of all-seasons on these, and put the sticky tires on a separate set of wheels that you store in your basement and that you never let freeze. DD use of RS3's or similar tires through a winter is how you waste your tire monies.

Chiburbian

iTrader: (1)

Well, I have a jeep for winter driving so my car is more of a three season auto. For the most part I don't drive when it's below 40 degrees.

Mobius

iTrader: (2)

Heated garage? The low temps kill the sticky compounds what I'm saying. Do not put RS3s or equivslenys on a set of wheels that will not be stored in climate controlled conditions. I killed my RS2s thus way.

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

Agreed, I have a heat cycled out set of rs3s to roll the car around in the garage. They're complete bricks after the winter.

Chiburbian

iTrader: (1)

Interesting! See I didn't know that cold itself killed the tires, I thought it was cold + driving on them.

I will stick with Comp-2s because the garage is heated and I don't feel like taking the wheels off the car for the winter. Yeah, I will damage the Comp-2s a little being that they are summer tires but I am sure it won't be as bad as something stickier.

Here is a link on tire rack about storing tires. I was originally going to be buying a tire rack for my garage wall to store my alternate wheels and tires but now I think that it will be silly to mount a rack on the wall that will only be used a couple months of the year. Might as well just store my alternate wheels and tires in the basement wrapped up. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=37