Yep, 15,000 miles, and time to get some new tires.

As anyone might remember, I wasn't too fond of the stock SO2s since day one. They handled relatively well, but there were other tires in the past that I've had that I liked better. So, I figured that I'd try out another tire.

Why 245/45s? Well, if our tires are not really 225s, then chances are they are the 245/45 size. And, if they are really are 225/50s. then moving up to a larger size shouldn't have been a problem, as long as the sidewall was reduced. As a matter of fact, 245 is the largest size one can run on a 7.5" rim.

So, I got 'em. Yep, the Michelin Pilot Sports. They are roughly the same price as the SO2 PP's, and luckily I could get them at Costco for about the same price as Tire Rack (and that was installed).

The specifics? They are a "Y" rated tire (as opposed to the Ws), have a 220 wear rating (as opposed to the 140 on the SO2) and have a cool rim protector built in the design of the tire. And, to make it better, they have tread on them (well, the OEM SO2s did too at one time, but when I got rid of them, they didn't).

My initial impressions? These tires rock. I haven't taken them to a track (I didn't take the other ones to a track, either), but in my sweeping exit ramps tests, these tires stick even better than my old SO2s did. And, I've taken it easy, being that there is the release compound that is on tires for about 500 miles. So, in a few hundred miles, I'll post back with some more feedback.

Oh, on a sidenote, I was told that unless I used the OEM SO2s, I'd kill my tires in 5000 miles, due to the design of the S2000. So, we'll see about that one too.

 

The 5000 mile prediction makes no sense.. if you got 15K on the originals you will probably get 20K on these. Having different tires with different characteristics on front and rear is not recommended, but you will find out yourself if these are close enough that you can live with them.

 

Ldogdotcom,

Cool...let us know how they last through some abuse!

By the way...the stock S02's are equivalent to 255's or 265's.

On the left we have our stock beloved dry weather tire (not wet weather)...225/50/16, on your right we have some 255/35/18 Dunlop SP9000.

 

That's what someone at a respected mail order tire place told me. Not naming any names or anything, but the rationale went kind of like this...

"Even thought the S2000 doesn't have much torque, it has a torquey rear end. If you put the Pilots on the back, you'll be lucky if you get 5000 miles out of them."

Hmmmmmm...

"...but my friend got 25,000 miles out of the Michelin Pilots on his M3, and that car has a whole heckuva lot more torque than the S2000 does," I said. "How can my car, with less torque and weight get less milage?" I asked. "The SO2 is designed for the S2000, any other tire isn't going to work nearly as well."

Oh.

I guess only time will tell if the OEM SO2 is the best choice for the car, or if someone has a huge inventory of them somewhere. I decided I'd take the chance.

 

Hmm...Ldogdotcom said that 245 is the largest size you can fit on a 7.5'' rim, but Unicron's comparison of the stock S-02 to the Dunlops shows they're closer to 255...what gives?

 

Unicron...

If that's the case, then Honda is putting a tire that is too wide for the rim on the car. When I got the work done I did a (by eyesight) off-the-rim tire-to-tire comparison. The width appeared the same (the SO2s were a little more "square", but then again they had 15,000 miles on them), and then I did a "mounted SO2" against a "mounted Pilot Sport" comparo. Once mounted, they appeared the same width.

On a side note, when both SO2s were lying next to eachother on the ground, one looked about 1" (at least) wider than the other. Not too sure why, though.

Given, this experiment had the scientific validity of spontanoeus combustion, and there are no concrete measurements, but by no means was the difference like the picture that you posted. The 245 Pilots looked to be the same width as our OEM 225s.

 

I see your point.

But...

In my neighborhood, they are still building and there is tan colored mud on the ground.

One day I took a tape measure to the dust width (contact surface) across my Toyo Proxes T1-S 245/35/18 (on the car) and the S02 225/50/16 on ITR's car.

T1-S measured under 8 inches.

S02 measured over 8 inches.

Take a tape measure accross the width of your tire that has wear/dust across it. Those Pilot Sports probably have a more "square" design to it that my T1-S.

 

It is possible that the rim width has something to do with it. You can have a wider tire on a rim and have a smaller contact patch than you'd have if you ran a narrower tire on the same rim. Therefore, a 225 tire on a 7.5 inch rim can theoretically have a wider contact patch than a 245 on an the same rim. Also, that same 225 on a 7.5" rim could have a larger contact patch than a 245 on an 8.5" rim.

Sounds confusing? It can be.

I figured that since 2 manufactures (Bridgestone and Michelin) said that the widest tire that you can run on a 7.5" rim is a 245, I'd be safe. And since our 225s are wider than they actually are, moving up to a 245 would be inline with the tire's design.

So, (once again) theoretically speaking, if you plus size the wheels and tires, you could run these sizes with the corresponding speedo error. (note: these sizes might not exist, though). (I used the 245/45-16 size as the benchmark)

245/35-18 +1.4%
255/35-18 +0.3%
275/30-18 -0.7%

But with our rims (if they are a 225)...

245/45-16 -0.7

And coincidentally, 245s are the largest size you can run on a 7.5" rim...

 

I think the actual contact width of the tire really depends on the tire. Some tires are designed to be extremely square like the OEM S02s while others are not. Nevertheless, it is obvious the contact patch of the OEM S02s are wider than the 7.5 inch width of the stock wheels.

 

SO3's are due out soon...did you look into them?