Hi,

As part of my quest to build the ultimate AP1/CR hybrid, I am upgrading the thing that I think dates the AP1's the most: the wheels. I'm going from 2003 AP1 wheels to 2008 CR Gunmetal wheels (Technically AP2v3).

I've basically got two points of concern, and I couldn't find a thread that addressed this kind of upgrade specifically (could be my lack of ability with the new site )

1. Should I be on the lookout for any problems with the wheels? (like problems with alignment, suspension components, or the speedometer, not built for a wheel this large?)
2. What tires should I go with?
a. I've heard that Honda puts wider tires on the CR versus a standard 2008/2009 model S2000. Is this reccomended? What's the tradeoff?
b. I really loved my Bridgestone Pole Position RE960's on the rear, and Falken directionals on the front on my old AP1 wheels. The problem is the Bridgestones wore very quickly.
c. Right now I'm running the cheap Yokohama S-Drive's until my wheels arrive.
d. I live in Central Florida, so winter tires are not a concern. I'll be taking my S up to the Dragon soon, so handling is my primary concern, with tire life a close second.


So my wheels arrive late this week... if I want to buy from Tire Rack, what's the best way to do this? Have them shipped to my house and then drive the wheels + Tires to a shop to have them mounted and balanced?
Sorry for the noob question - I am just new to the tire-rack scene.

Thanks! And happy Mardi Gras!

 

Everything suspension wise will be the same.

Tires: larger doesn't have to mean a tradeoff. In fact, I can't think of any cons to wider tires. I have the same setup on my car as the CR tire wise. If you don't like the tire wear you basically will have to get all-seasons. All summer tires will wear very quickly on this car since you can't rotate. I have Hankook RS3's and they are amazing tires, to me anyway.

 

I greee with the tread life. There is no tire that is going to last a long time on the rear of the S2K. Using the 255/40R17 on the rear of the car will be a good set up and I also don't see a disadvantage. The best thing to do is to send the tires directly to an installer because you can't fit tire into the car. That way all you have to do is just drive to the shop and have them install.
If I can help just let me know.

 

Thanks for the replies, guys. I think I will go with Honda's CR tire sizes.

Given that, and my conditions, what kinds of tires would you reccomend? I've been seeing good reviews on TireRack for the Contenental ExtremeContact DW, and the price is much better than the Bridgestone Pole Position , or the Potenza RE-11's. I'm pretty new to this so please go light on me.

Jim I understand I basically buy the tires from your site, they ship them to a local tire shop - I drive the wheels there, have them mounted and placed on the car, and drag my old ap1's home. I guess I'll get my friend with a pickup to help.

 

Check install prices with the shop 1st. I had Tire Rack ship tires to a recommended installer and got screwed on labor charges.

 

I've never used them personally, but I've read good reviews for Sumitomo HTR Z III tires. They are pretty affordable and are rated at 300 UTQG.

 

Ok so I am narrowing this down slowly This is what I've found so far. Any advice is appreciated.

> Going with OEM CR tire sizes. The option of 225 in the front offers more handling control at a signifigant cost of acceleration and steering response. The wider (than AP2 OEM) rear has only positive benefits, negligible tire weight is the only real drawback.

> 215/45/R17 Front 255/40/R17 Rear

> Going through TireRack - their prices are the best - just need to watch the install shop techs like a hawk.

1. Continental ExtremeContact DW
> Well Rated, $588, 340 treadlife, AA traction, A temp. Best Seller. Highest TireRack user review rating for 2008 CR tires.
2. Continental ExtremeContact DWS
> Same as above, but for all-season. $480, 540/A/A, so better treadwear with less traction. Mixed reviews on its performance, but still a "Best Seller"
3. Hankook Ventus R-S3
> Recommended by my local performance shop. $496, 140/A/A. Concerned about the poor treadlife and only "A" traction rating. Also, I hear a lot about the Hankook "V12 evo's" but I don't see them on the TireRack list?
4. Sumitomo HTR Z III
> Seems to be best price/performance. $434, 340/AA/A, "best seller", Mixed/Poor reviews though.
5. Bridgestone Pole Position RE960AS
> Used to have these on the rear, performed extremely well, but are very expensive. $728 on TR. 400/AA/A. Mostly good reviews.
6. Yokohama S-Drive
> $468, 300/AA/A. What I run currently. Decent performance, not as good as the RE960AS Pole Positions. Much cheaper though. Tread life seems good.
7. Bridgestone Pole Position S-04
> $888, 280/AA/A. Included just because they seem to be perceived as the best performing tire available.

 

After further analysis - it seems the Continental DW and DWS are just superior in almost every category. The DW seems to have a slight edge on performance over the DWS, with slightly less treadwear. Does anyone here have experience with them?

 

Your list is all over the board with different kinds of tires. If you want to narrow the search you have to decide what it is you want out of the tires. The DW and DWS are totally different kinds of tires. The DW is going to handle a lot better in wet and dry. The DWS advantage is cold and longer tread life.
If I can help let me know.

 

I just wanted to say I called Jim @ TireRack and he was very patient with this tire 'noob' and very informative! Thanks, Jim!

Edit: Thought I'd post that I decided upon the Continental ExtremeContact DW's. They're a well-performing tire close to the "Extreme Performance" category of the RE-11's and Star Spec's, but will provide longer tire life. The DWS's were just not near the same performance, and the extreme performance tires had too short a life for my taste/wallet.