Recommendations on the Current best road tire for the RS2

[jade]

Hi

Looking for tire recommendations..... what are people using currently

Thanks

[smh]

Currently running Michelin pilot sport 4 but if you can get 4S both are really good

[K Simmonds]

I really like Toyo R1R's in 225/45/17, they're a semi track tyre that stick to the road like glue... However I think they've stopped making them but probably sell an up dated version.... They ones on my RS2 have covered 5K miles and still have a lot of tread left so they wear very well...

All the manufactures sell track day tyres and if grip is your priority then that's the route I'd chose.

For longer term use covering high miles at sane speeds then I'd probably go for Continentals or Michelin's.

[K Simmonds]

Charlie had some track day tyres from a budget manufacturer fitted to his RS2 that I can't remember the name of but it'll come to me, they were awesome in the dry and fine in the wet and not at all expensive, a set of four was less than £250, I fitted and balanced them for him after work as a favor...

It's worth noting that track day rubber always seems to be a touch wider for given size than regular tyres so a 225 is closer to a 235 and the side walls are seriously stiff. They tend to only come with 5-6mm of tread which is about the only down side to them

These Uniroyal's look good and they're what I use to run on my S2, couldn't fault them at all, they perform very well in all conditions and don't break the bank.

Edit... Just priced these up in 225/45/17 with the extra load side walls which I'd recommend, £60 a pop so a full set would be £240 plus fitting and balancing. If I was in the market for new tyres for my RS2 these would be a strong contender.

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/unir...-tyre-2009030/

[K Simmonds]

Just recalled the tyre's I fitted to Charlies RS2, they were Federal 595 RSR's... Which are now much more expensive!

However they are an excellent tyre, not quite as sticky as my Toyo R1R's which are basically R888's with a tread pattern that disperses water better... They don't make them any longer either, being superseded by these which I dare say are excellent.

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/toyo-r888r-tyre-778085/

My 225/45/17 R1R's cost me £105 each back in 2015 so I guess the price has increased with inflation, like everything else.

[Rikki Kitto]

Been using Uniroyal Rainsports for ages now great value tyres and great in the wet or the dry

[K Simmonds]

Been using Uniroyal Rainsports for ages now great value tyres and great in the wet or the dry

I can't fault then either, they performed very well on my RS2+ spec 3B in the stock 205/55/16 size, sure they didn't last long but no tyre would under those conditions... Great in the dry, amazing in the wet and with the XL sidewalls a very nice feel with good feedback through the steering.

There's a lot of snobbery attached to buying tyres, sure Conti's or Michelin's are great and they do come out top in most tests but they cost over twice as much as a set of the Uniroyal's and I don't think their twice as good, not even close... Avon are another brand that make some great tyres that don't break the bank.

Again though whatever brand you go for you want to be sure your buying the genuine product, unfortunately tyres are now also be faked on a massive scale by of friends in the east.

[jade]

Thank you for all the feed back on this... topic

[Rikki Kitto]

I have bought expensive tyres for years but wouldn't go back now

[struikie]

Currently running Michelin pilot sport 4 but if you can get 4S both are really good

+1
Running the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S on my 400bhp 335d. Love them, although they aren't cheap.
My tire shop said that one of their customers runs the 4S as a rain tire on his race car.
I wouldn't dare to skimp on tires...
Ran Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric's in the past as well. Hated Bridgestone and Dunlop.

JW

[K Simmonds]

Whilst there's skimping on tyre's there also making informed choices in lower price brackets, however it's a bit of a mine field and unless your working for a car magazine etc it's hard to try a lot of different options. I have worked as the tyre fitter in a couple of garages for extended periods over the years so got to inspect a lot of rubber and assess the things before and after a known mileage as well as actually fit and balance them which has helped me gain a bit of extra knowledge.

You simply can't go wrong with Michelin or Contti's, they both make excellent tyre's, however one can find hidden gems like the Uniroyals Rikki and I both like.

I certainly wouldn't advocate fitting something like 'Happy Ride' or 'Sunny tyre' one only has to look at the name to know they're going to pants.

One thing I will say that's in favor of the premium brands is longevity. Michelin in particular make tyre's that perform to a very high standard are very well made and also last really well, Conti's aren't far behind in this regard but I would say Michelin make the best lasting tyre's.

How easy a tyre is to fit and balance is also a good indicator as to their quality. Expensive trye's use less wights and tend to slip on to the wheels easily.

My old 3B would chew through a set of the Uniroyals in 2K miles whereas if I'd been using a Michelin I'd probably of been seeing nearly double that with a tyre that performed as well. However I got a set of four brand new Uniroyals for £130 at trade price back in 2014, Michelin's would have been more than double that.

I've not worked as a tyre fitter regularly since 2016, so I'm now a little out of touch with the market and prices, however I'm still the 'tyre guy' at the classic car specialist I work at as l actually like doing it. Making sure they're seated correctly and balancing them properly really suits my OCD and I also now fit some very obscure rubber onto wire spoked wheels etc.

Most trading estate tyre chains will give your wheel's seat a cursory scrub a wire brush, apply a liberal coating of sealant/lubricant paste and whack the tyre's on paying no attention to the spots where the valve is supposed to be to make balancing use less weight.

Whereas I would take the time required to remove all contamination with a selection of brass wire wheels on a dia grinder and always at least try and get them to end up sat within 15 degrees of the light spot for balancing. And I'd also balance wheels using as few a weights as possible, even if it meant pulling them off and starting again. As well as being really fussy about making sure the area where they stuck was spotless so they stayed on.

I'm going to inherit the old tyre changer from work soon for my own workshop so I'll at least be able to fit tyre's up to 19" at home. And I've managed to aquire an old school balancer that works using a level bubble, these will actually do a very good job if they're set up correctly.

[Rikki Kitto]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think uniroyal are made by Pirrelli

[K Simmonds]

Not sure bud, would have to Google that one.

I do know they're underrated.

Tristan was the member who pointed me in their direction, many, many years ago after they transformed his Turbo Technic's MK2 Scirocco. I priced up a set and thought they've got to be worth a try.

[struikie]

Yes, skimping would mean: Landsail, Goodride, Ling Long, Matador, Hifly, Wanli.
As Kitt points out, there are cost efficient choices to be made after doing some research.
Personally I choose to spend money on tires as, for me, this is a big safety factor.

JW

[newsh]

I used Nexen Nfera on the Avant before I sold it, they work well in all weathers, not tried on track though, I suspect they would go off very quickly.