Who's running What??

[Humble]

I've gone through a good number of tires, usually at least 2 sets per car per year. I blame the I-can't-help-but-drive-fast mountain roads. I see mostly sunny weather here, a month or 2 of constant rain in the winter and sometimes up to 4-6 inches of snow, yeah even in California 9 miles from the ocean. So here's what I've burned through:

Yokohama S.drive
pretty grippy in dry and wet, not really affected by cold weather >45F. Great street tire and lasts very long with hard driving, but on the track it leaves you wanting more, a little pricey though, great for street though

Yokohama A032R/A048R
grooved R compound tire for street/track use. sticky like duct tape on duct tape, wears like butter on a hot skillet but you'll never be able to get that stupid grin off your face. Do not expose to cold temps below 40F, tires will harden and lose life, they are like plastic at those temps anyway. great for track and you can drive home on it (I do to scrub rubber off) not so good for the street

Kumho Ecsta MX/XS
more grip than the S.drive and they get stickier when they heat up. pretty long life on the bug so far 10k+ and maybe 50% to go. Good in the wet too but in the cold >40F they just slide. good track/street tire

Hankook RS2/RS3
a lot like the kumhos but they stick more and wear a lot faster. got about 8k miles (stretching it) a set. these tires were fantastic in the wet and reacted like there was no water at all, good track/street tire

Continental Contisport Contact 3
like the hankooks but cost twice as much, however they are not as good in the wet, good track/street tire

BF Goodridge gforce t/a kd
very sticky tire more than the hankook, not so good in the wet, useless in the cold, expensive and asymetrical so you can't rotate staggered wheels at all, but a great track tire that will survive on the street

Bridgestone potensa re050a pole position
expensive, better than the hankook and last as long as the kumho's, good tire and you get what you pay for. not very good in freezing temps good track/street tire

Bridgestone potensa re-11
very sticky tire, great in the wet, great on the track but wears fast like the continentals. not good in the cold

As a general rule I stay away from firestone, fusion, and sumitomo because they don't make any sticky tires.

[fast Ed]

I had the Eagle F1 GS-D3 on my T-Bird Super Coupe, used them for summer street driving and some open-track days. Nice ride and great grip, killer wet grip too, which I really loved.

Obviously comparing apples & oranges as far as the vehicle type here, but I've ridden with a few students at track days with those tires on various cars, and they've great on everything.

Another one to look at is the Dunlop Direzza Star Spec, they are a max. performance tire, one step below an R-compound really. I have these on my Taurus SHO, which I put together primarily for doing track days with, but didn't want to be switching wheels & tires when I got there. Stiffer ride than the GS-D3, but grip is a level beyond for sure, and wet grip is quite impressive too. The first time I was out in the car this year for the Solo I school, I was basically driving by almost all of the other instructors in the pouring rain ... pretty funny when I had never been out on the track with the car before, and I had no idea where to set the shocks and tires.


cheers
Ed N.

[chug_A_bug]

Originally Posted by Humble

Kumho Ecsta MX/XS
more grip than the S.drive and they get stickier when they heat up. pretty long life on the bug so far 10k+ and maybe 50% to go. Good in the wet too but in the cold >40F they just slide. good track/street tire.

Well after reading and Some thinking I have Order a Set of the Kumho's
thanks for everyones help and when they get put on the Bug I'll let everyone know how they are

thanks again
Chris.

[Humble]

I'm a little harder on my tires than most cruising through the mountains everyday. I've always wanted to try r-compound/semi slick tires for daily use but I would have to get smaller wheels to make tire prices a little more wallet friendly at the rate I go through tires. I've pondered redrilling the bug rotors to 5x100 and getting light 15x7" wheels just for this purpose.

[big daddy]

I have a set of SIMMONS rims that I am trying my very best to use when ever I go to track days. My car is a swingaxle with a narrowed rear end. I am running Porsche Turbo Brembo's and for regular street driving I use Porsche Twist with 17 x 7 x 55mm all around. I also have a set or SIMMONS 3Pc RACING RIMS, the fronts are 17 x 7.5" x 51mm offsets, the rear's are 17 x 8.5" x 57mm offsets Rims which are too wide for my ride with 130mm bolt pattern.
I do have 2" wider fenders but I would have to use huge spacers in the rear to make them fit. I want to stick to the original fenders but if I have to I am willing to trade the wider 17 x 8.5 for a 17 x 7 Simmons.
It's hard to believe that nobody out there in Bug/Porsche world has no Simmons 17" Rims or Barrels or parts???

Anyone has any parts, sell, trade or suggestions for me at this point.

Thanks in Advance

[Humble]

2 of the tires I didn't put in my list were the Falken 215 and 615. The 215 was the older version and was a great all around tire. The 615 is a great street and autox tire but in the mountains and on the track it gets greasy once the tires get hot. They slide a little bit more and the tires wear faster once they get too hot. I'd recommend them for street use but not for track.