So I've seen a lot of questions on how to best get started auto-xing and how to best start the modding process. Here's a really cool way to do it.

Start auto-xing your car in stock form. When your tires die, replace them with Hankook RS-2's in a 225/50 front and a 245/45 rear but at this time, add the comptech front sway bar or any other bar of your choice.

I just bought these tires and I've been running the comptech on full stiff with the OEM potenza's for the last two years.... Well, the hankooks in these sizes with the front bar are better a performing combination than stock. The best benefit is that the car has similar handling characteristics on street tires and race tires. No more of the pushing on the street due to the mismatch of the big front sway bar and the little 205 potenzas.

Also, if you race with these tires and the bar, you will be a better driver than if you go straight to the r-comps. The street tires won't let you get away with rough inputs like the race tires will. They will teach you to be smooth. Shoot, I'm considering finishing the season on street tires just for the learning experience.

Just thought I would share my experience with the Hankooks.

 

ive heard nothing but good things on the kookies. im getting them for my track project EG hatch. best of all they are cheap! ~385 shipped for the s2k

 

Well, as a tire, the kookies are soft in the sidewall and suck at transitional stuff... but who cares? These are street tires. To really explore the deficiencies of these tires on public roads would be crazy.

 

I'm running the same setup and am very happy with them. For a CHEAP street tire, you can't go wrong, IMO.

 

There are quite a few street tires that fill this niche:
Sumitomo HTR Z
Kumho Ecsta MX
Azenis 615 (not too sure on this one, so someone correct me if I'm wrong)
Toyo RA-1

The main point is to get good tires that come in a 225/50/16 to go along with your swaybar

 

I was gonna get 2 new front S02's but getting 4 new Kookies sounds like a better (and cheaper) idea now!

 

In my experience after 3 HPDE's with the RS-2 on OEM wheels. The sidewall is very soft with a lot of tire deflection in high speed cornering. I can only say great things about dry/wet traction. Close friends of mine have not experienced the tire deflection in lower profiles.

You can see some of the deflection from the link below if you look close.

http://www.hart-photography.com/2005/pca20.../61/albums.html

 

What tire pressure are you running?

I have run the hankooks on stock suspension and they seem to do fine.

They are better than Sumitomo HTR Zs because they have a better tread design and you don't have to shave them. They also seem to be a little softer compound.

 

I run 36f & 35R hot. I am on Buddy Clubs 1 click from full soft in the rear and 9 clicks from soft in the front.