The 195/55R15 Tyre Thread

[Cubits]

50's will have a smaller radius, so it'll overestimate your speedo (no speeding fines if you go a little over ), you'll also get slightly lower gearing and better braking.

As long as the load rating is high enough, i'd just stick 50 profile preceda's on the front too. Not only will it be even with the rear, but you'll save like 50 bucks a tyre going down the size!!

I got my preceda's in 50 profile for 172 or something, and since then i've seen them as low as 155.

 

[BlueyZarzov]

Currently running Michelin Pilot SX GT 195/55R15 on the front and Michelin Pilot Preceda 195/50R15 on the rear of my 306 S16. BTW thats not a typo for the rears. I got the rears fitted a year ago and have only just realised my mistake!

Anyway, two questions:
1. I need to replace the fronts. I can get 195/55R15 Precedas for $225/corner, c.drives for $175 and Direzzas for $165. Is the Preceda worth the extra $$$?

2. Now that I've discovered my mistake of fitting 195/50R15 on the back, should I leave em there, or replace em?

Cheers,
Dunc

In my opinion, the Precedas are not worth the extra $50 above the C.drives.

 

[GTI124]

Currently running Michelin Pilot SX GT 195/55R15 on the front and Michelin Pilot Preceda 195/50R15 on the rear of my 306 S16. BTW thats not a typo for the rears. I got the rears fitted a year ago and have only just realised my mistake!

Anyway, two questions:
1. I need to replace the fronts. I can get 195/55R15 Precedas for $225/corner, c.drives for $175 and Direzzas for $165. Is the Preceda worth the extra $$$?

2. Now that I've discovered my mistake of fitting 195/50R15 on the back, should I leave em there, or replace em?

Cheers,
Dunc

I'd be getting the Direzzas at that price. They're a better tyre than the c.drive, IMO. But the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3s should be around the same mark as the Direzzas and are the pick of the bunch.

re: the 195/50s on the back. Depends how you drive, really. If you're out fanging it quite a bit, I'd be considering swapping them, otherwise you'd have a bit of imbalance front to rear. But, if you haven't noticed, just leave them on the rear. I doubt there is great speedo difference when you're running them on the rear wheels... the speedos are normally connected to the front wheels.

 

[GTI124]

After 3000+kms done on the GS-D3, the sidewall feels a bit soft comparing to DZ101 and Preceda, especially on high speed turns the car's grips well but steering feels a bit twitchy...what do you reckon ??

Wet grip is excellent and loving it !!

Jason

How are they settling in now, Jason?

 

[Cubits]

Are the gs-d3's asymmetrical?

The preceda has joined blocks in the outer tread band which gives them great stability and stiffness under big loads (and fairly average wet cornering as a result).

GTI124, my comment about the speedo was in regard to fitting the lower profile tyres to the front. It'd slash the cost of the tyres and would give the car a more even balance and safer handling (nothing like great wet grip at the front and average at the rear for an exciting drive).

 

[GTI124]

GS-D3s are directional. I personally don't think that assymetric has demonstrated any great benefit over directional...not shown in any tyre tests that I've read. There are benefits, maybe, but nothing I've seen is concrete enough...

 

[J206GTI]

How are they settling in now, Jason?

They're a bliss to drive especially I love it with recent wet weather in Melb, oil and dirt doesn't seem to have any effect with this tyre. It actually drives better in the wet than dry.

Very very soft compound, those stubbies from the mould was scrubbed off in 2-3 days and so is the release compound layer !! Funny though, the left front wheel is the only one that has those stubbies left no matter how haard i drive....

sometimes the tyres are a bit twitchy, maybe the lumpy road is causing it, i'm not too sure, but the only annoying part is the soft side wall, the car leans+twitches a bit when you load them up to go around the corner. I'm running 37psi cold already so i don't think there's a solution for it.

nonetheless I'm happy and certainly better tyre than Direzza besides the sidewall.

I did one emergency brake test, the ferodo pads + GSD3 managed to lock up the tyres before the ABS kicks in, imagine the G-force :crazy:

Jason

 

[dunc]

I'd be getting the Direzzas at that price. They're a better tyre than the c.drive, IMO. But the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3s should be around the same mark as the Direzzas and are the pick of the bunch.

Thanks, I'll see what price I can get the Goodyears for.

re: the 195/50s on the back. Depends how you drive, really. If you're out fanging it quite a bit, I'd be considering swapping them, otherwise you'd have a bit of imbalance front to rear. But, if you haven't noticed, just leave them on the rear. I doubt there is great speedo difference when you're running them on the rear wheels... the speedos are normally connected to the front wheels.

I have noticed a slight imbalance. Rear seems harsher over bumps too. So I don't think I'd like 50s on the front (as suggested by Cubits). If I decide to replace all 4, it'll have to be the Direzza (unless the Goodyears are around the same price).

Thanks,
Dunc

 

[dunc]

Damn, Goodyear don't do the GS-D3 in 195/55R15, or at least not in New Zealand anyway.

Also I just noticed that the load rating on the 195/50R15 Preceda is 82, whereas the OEM spec is 84. The 195/55R15 Preceda is 85 and the Direzza is 84.

I'm sticking with 195/55R15, so it looks like I'm down to Preceda vs c.drive vs Direzza. If I just replace the fronts, it'll be Preceda. If I replace all 4, it'll have to be Direzza, simply based on $. $660 vs $900!

To be honest, with the 50s on the rear I only really notice a front/read imbalance when I'm giving it heaps.
However, the harsher ride in the rear is something I notice all the time (seems to be more now that I know why :crazy: ).

I'm tempted to do all 4, given the harsher ride and inapproprate load index of the 50s on the rear, and try to sell the two used 50s second hand.

Decisions, decisions...

 

[GTI124]

Hey Dunc, did you call a tyre shop re: Goodyears? Goodyear Australia haven't updated their website with the 195/55s, but they are available... surrpised that NZ can't get them...

If you're running the incorrect load rating, I'd definately be swapping all four out, matey. Direzzas are a decent enough tyre, IMO.

 

[dunc]

Hey Dunc, did you call a tyre shop re: Goodyears? Goodyear Australia haven't updated their website with the 195/55s, but they are available... surrpised that NZ can't get them...

If you're running the incorrect load rating, I'd definately be swapping all four out, matey. Direzzas are a decent enough tyre, IMO.

Thanks, I phoned a few Goodyear places, and they all said no GS-D3 in that size. All of them recommended the Direzza instead (even the place selling the Michelins).

I've booked the car in on Thurs for 4 Direzzas. Most places do them for around $200/tyre here, but I got a deal at $165/tyre.

Thanks heaps for the advice!

Dunc

 

[GTI124]

Thanks, I phoned a few Goodyear places, and they all said no GS-D3 in that size. All of them recommended the Direzza instead (even the place selling the Michelins).

I've booked the car in on Thurs for 4 Direzzas. Most places do them for around $200/tyre here, but I got a deal at $165/tyre.

Thanks heaps for the advice!

Dunc

Cool Dunc. Let us know what you think of them.

 

[trevh]

How useful are directional tread patterns?

OK all you tyre guys.

have a look at the two pirelli tread patterns in the attached photos.

If the directional tread design of the p5000 really helps prevent aquaplaning as you would expect ( although I reckon the huge centre groove is important too! ) surely the non directional but otherwise identical design on the P6000 is self defeating - one half of the tyre gets water out to the sides of the tyre well while the other pumps it into the centre of the treadwith the same efficiency????

Cheers

 

[J206GTI]

OK all you tyre guys.

have a look at the two pirelli tread patterns in the attached photos.

If the directional tread design of the p5000 really helps prevent aquaplaning as you would expect ( although I reckon the huge centre groove is important too! ) surely the non directional but otherwise identical design on the P6000 is self defeating - one half of the tyre gets water out to the sides of the tyre well while the other pumps it into the centre of the treadwith the same efficiency????

Cheers

AFAIK water won't get 'pumped in' as you would expect. Grooves function in two ways, vertical grooves drives water upwards, in this case to the back of the tyre as the car travels, the horizontal grooves drives water sideways, so it's to the left and right of the tyre.

On both tyres you posted, if you look closely you can also see there are intermediate vertical grooves on the tread where the directional grooves sit, so water get dispersed into the vertical grooves if they fail to escape sideways.

Depends on which camp do you follow, either way they work well on the road. e.g. Bridgestone and good year takes the directional tread pattern, Michelin and Contis are vertical grooves, and they all work well.

 

[GTI124]

Tread patterns are less about efficient design and more about marketing.

 

[J206GTI]

On the topic of tyres, here's something that I expereienced on the weekend.

The GS-D3 makes the car darting around the road on high speed on a straight road and makes the chasis nervous around the corners.

So I went to have a wheel alignment re-done on saturday.

Initially the tyres are fitted at Beaurepaires 5000kms ago and they did what I specified for toe out to be -0.7mm on both front wheels. The computer print out is a bit weird as it indicated LHS camber is -ve and LHS +ve after the alignment, I thought the car hit something nasty...

So I went back to Bob Jane on last saturday and have the same toe out -0.7mm setup, surprisingly now the camber read -0.1mm on both sides which is within factory settings.


How does that happen I have no clue, but there's some food for thought for those going to have wheel alginment done.

So back to the tyres issue, the toe out on the right is -2.0mm !! ~3times of what it should be !! maybe it's caused by Beaurepaires' job but there's no way I can find out now.

Now the car is back to its old self and handles perfectly !

Jason

 

[enthused!]

How does that happen I have no clue, but there's some food for thought for those going to have wheel alginment done.

yeah - wheel alignments are a very dodgy area, ive had mine re-done 3 times whithin the last year, and only now has it been done properly!!

thats why i need new tyres too!

anyhoo..

been ringing around, cos ill need to get my noble steed re-shop this weekend. (im amazed at how much cheaper tyres seem to be as opposed to 18 months ago) i can get:

goodyear f1s - $150
khumo ecsta - $130
dunlop lm702 (current tyre) - $155
gt radials - $145

at theese prices im leaning towards the khumos as i understand its a good tyre. im also interested in the gt radial, as ive heard theyre pretty good, but can anyone confirm this??

 

[J206GTI]

yeah - wheel alignments are a very dodgy area, ive had mine re-done 3 times whithin the last year, and only now has it been done properly!!

That's not too bad, once i had it done more than 3 times before take the car back from the shop !!

at theese prices im leaning towards the khumos as i understand its a good tyre. im also interested in the gt radial, as ive heard theyre pretty good, but can anyone confirm this??

I have goodyear f1s (GS-D3) now and they are very good tyres.

 

[slick]

kumho ecsta - $130
at these prices im leaning towards the khumos ...

khumo ecsta 712s or 711s or something else ?
the 711s are a pretty good cheap option. I paid $110 at the start of the year for a couple. They've been around for yonks and there's been a few advacements in technology/research since these came out. I got these cause they were cheap, I already had 2 in great condition and they are awesome in the wet. Car feels better with 4 tyres which are the same. Overall they're only average compared to my FM901s I had a couple of years ago.

712s have apparently ben discountinued but I've heard a few ppl on other forums (other sizes too) with lots of nice things to say about them - they were a little more expensive then the 711s - that's what I wanted to get originally but my local shops didnt have stock

I dont know if Australia will get the Ecsta SPT - this image is an ad from USA - looks good but it's nowhere to be seen on the Australian Kumho site

 

[enthused!]

khumo ecsta 712s or 711s or something else ?

hmmm. not too sure on this.

Overall they're only average compared to my FM901s I had a couple of years ago.

If thats the case, maybe im better off spending the little bit more on the F1s...