Tyres to suit 17x8 rims?

[long-gone 152]

Getting a set of 17x8" rims next week, tyre spec will (probably) be 225/45R17.

On my list so far; Uniroyal Rainsport 3, Michelin CrossClimate and Conti Sport Contact 5. Anyone tried these or offer alternatives?

[Lauren 2259]

I run stock tyre sizes on that wheel size. I tried 225's but they were too grippy and I didn't like the sidewall flex as it reduced precision IMO. It's nigh on spring, so see no point in winter tyres as such. Contisport Contact 5's are a really good road tyre, I'm running those on my rears at the moment. I'd take Yoko V105's though if you're going to go on track. 

[Keethos 842]

Never tried the first 2 but the Conti's are very good in the wet and dry, only downside is they can wear quite quickly.

[shiftspark 41]

Lauren, would you say the V105's are better than Contact 5 for sprinting or longer track use ?

Thanks

[long-gone 152]

19 hours ago, Lauren said:

I run stock tyre sizes on that wheel size. I tried 225's but they were too grippy and I didn't like the sidewall flex as it reduced precision IMO. It's nigh on spring, so see no point in winter tyres as such. Contisport Contact 5's are a really good road tyre, I'm running those on my rears at the moment. I'd take Yoko V105's though if you're going to go on track. 

No trackdays.

I can find only 97Y Yokohama Advan Sport V105 which I suspect is more suitable for a heavier car than the GT 86?

The Continental Contact 5 is readily available in 87W so I think must be favourite for now.

1 hour ago, Keethos said:

Never tried the first 2 but the Conti's are very food in the wet and dry, only downside us they can wear quite quickly.

... unless I hear that ^^. Sounds like my experience with Goodyear F1 Assymetric 2 - great when new but rears poor after 5,000 miles and finished at 8,000.

Thanks both, the search continues...

Have time though, waiting for rims to ship from Italy.

[Paul 442]

+1 for the ContiSports, it's what I'm running. 

[Rich 378]

In 225 width there's a few new options: Pilot Sport 4s and F1 Eagle Assymetric 3s. Both reputedly better than the tyres they replace, but also a bit new to have much real world usage info. Also neither are available in 215 wide.

[DanJ 374]

I've got Michelin Pilot Super Sports, can't compare them to anything other than the Primacies on this car but they're truly excellent and the wear so far is very good after 5k miles, there's easily 3/4 of the tread left and the shoulders are standing up nicely to all the roundabouts near me :-)

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Keethos 842]

I was probably a bit heavy footed with them but they only lasted about 7-8K miles I think on the rears, the fronts were still good for a long while, could have probably done with rotating them but I'm too lazy

[Lauren 2259]

4 hours ago, shiftspark said:

Lauren, would you say the V105's are better than Contact 5 for sprinting or longer track use ?

Thanks

I haven't tried the Conti's on track, only on the road. I think their grip is great under acceleration but less so under cornering, though they are nicely progressive. The Yoko's I've got a ton of experience with on road and track. I prefer them overall. For the new sprint season I'm going to lose the Conti's but I think they are a very good road tyre. 

Wear wise I got 7K out of the rears with the Yokos, expect similar with the Contis. The fronts will last three times as long I suspect. 

[MikeB 79]

On my GT I run Yokohama 105 225 on 17 x 8 and really like them. I had conti 5's on BMW and they were good road tyre but prefer yoko's. Out of intrest on my new Beemer it came with Bridgestone Potenza S001 and not as good in cold weather as either yoko's or Conti 5's (225 x17).

[long-gone 152]

Went for the Yokohama:

[long-gone 152]

Got the white pen out later...

hehe

[long-gone 152]

The Yokohama Advan Sport V105 225/45 R17 have been excellent. Good grip in both wet and dry, decent wear rate, quiet and reasonably priced.

Replaced fronts with the same tyre but 215 wide (as per Lauren's recommendation), retaining 225 on the rears (oddly not worn as much as the fronts), so running a mildly 'staggered' set-up and it feels great. Cornering is noticeably more accurate - whether it's just fresh tyres or the narrower profile I'm not sure. 

I'll be replacing the rears in six weeks/couple of months. Is it worth considering sticking with the 225's or even it up and go with 215's? Any downsides to running differing front/rear tyres?

 

[Tareim 343]

running a narrower front tyre is meant to increase understeer, though I did run the F215/R225 combo and didn't notice an increase, maybe a decrease due to the slight stretch of a 215 on an 8j

[Church 209]

Even if you push it to grip limit eg. on track?

[long-gone 152]

I don't track it.

[Lauren 2259]

I don't think there is much of a downside if you're not driving it that hard. I would notice the understeer with a wider tyre on the rear as I've tried this on other people's cars. I would always go same size all round for handling balance. 

[Church 209]

Grip balance change might be noticed not just if one pushes hard on track, but also if grip itself is lowered, yet one drives as hard as if on "normal road". For example - heavy rain days, winter snowy/iced roads, gravel roads.

But then again on such roads people who don't care about handling probably will drive even slower (or at speeds/acceleration/braking/cornering like on "normal" family cars that have even less grip/worse handling) and they again won't notice ill-effects of staggered grip balance. Of course that in turn makes me think that they might have bought wrong car, as imho essence of these cars IS all that fun of driving at limits (artificially lowered by skinny tires and suspension tuning to lower/safer/still legal speeds) and feel of that rear movement and seems such a waste to see car used not for prized handling, but for looks only. But .. to each his own.