The 195/55R15 Tyre Thread
- Thread starter GTI124
- Start date
Fitted Michi PS3 yesterday.
I swear, it was like pulling teeth getting those tyres shod onto my rims.
First impressions compared to the Cdrives in 60 profile that they replaced, is they are more comfortable.
Good. My gamble paid off.
Droped a profile size and gained some comfort. win win
I wanted to increase performance but decrease NVH, a difficult concept to pull off.
This is one of the reasons I had my car engineered to accept 85 load tyres, from 88.
Jo
I swear, it was like pulling teeth getting those tyres shod onto my rims.
First impressions compared to the Cdrives in 60 profile that they replaced, is they are more comfortable.
Good. My gamble paid off.
Droped a profile size and gained some comfort. win win
I wanted to increase performance but decrease NVH, a difficult concept to pull off.
This is one of the reasons I had my car engineered to accept 85 load tyres, from 88.
Jo
michi ps3
I had the opportunity to really put the tyres through their paces through the national park tonight.
I was impressed.
Not as impressed as the frst time I tried semi slicks, or when Cdrives came on the market, but these are nice tyres.
They handle very well , are quiet, both in tread noise and when pushed hard, are very very comfortable over the rough stuff.
The conditions tonight were potentially deadly. The roads were clean and dry and offering enormous grip, but having had rain lately every 4th apex or braking spot had a wet spot from the stream of water running down it.
These tyres didn't budge off line one bit, so its clear they are a soft tyre and probably wont last long.
On the uphill hairpin that you can overcook and still live, I over cooked it massively just to see what would happen, and although the car chassis bucked back and forward n a wild state of understeer wheel spin, as soon as the speed was stabilised, it was back to business with no fuss whatsoever.
If I'm not mistaken, the ps3's have more grip on acceleration out of corners than the Cdrives in 60 profile.
either that or my donk is down on power.
Jo
I had the opportunity to really put the tyres through their paces through the national park tonight.
I was impressed.
Not as impressed as the frst time I tried semi slicks, or when Cdrives came on the market, but these are nice tyres.
They handle very well , are quiet, both in tread noise and when pushed hard, are very very comfortable over the rough stuff.
The conditions tonight were potentially deadly. The roads were clean and dry and offering enormous grip, but having had rain lately every 4th apex or braking spot had a wet spot from the stream of water running down it.
These tyres didn't budge off line one bit, so its clear they are a soft tyre and probably wont last long.
On the uphill hairpin that you can overcook and still live, I over cooked it massively just to see what would happen, and although the car chassis bucked back and forward n a wild state of understeer wheel spin, as soon as the speed was stabilised, it was back to business with no fuss whatsoever.
If I'm not mistaken, the ps3's have more grip on acceleration out of corners than the Cdrives in 60 profile.
either that or my donk is down on power.
Jo
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Ps3 vs Cdrives....impressions
More thoughts on these tyres.
The fuego is a completely different car with these tyres compared to the Cdrives.
I cant yet work out if i like it or not.
Its like with the Cdrives, the sidewall was so hard that you felt every thing, from the road surface and slamming of potholes, to the way the tyres were holding on in corners.
The Cdrives make it feel like a much bigger heavier car with more direct steering.
It was rugged and brutal (some would say damn uncomfortable) and inspired me to be on that limit all the time. The car felt very planted at all speeds.
The PS3's, however are nothing like that.
They soak up slamming that I'd normally tighten my ring for, like expansion joints on bridges, or when a veneer of road surface has lifted.
The car seems lighter, and the steering feels less direct, which is a very renault feeling.
It feels more like a fuego should.
Howver I've become familiar with the fuego feeling heavier and more planted on the road, and this is the bit i'm still undecided about.
I cant really feel what the tyres are doing, but its clear that at speeds that would be sending clear signals from the Cdrives, I cant feel a thing from the ps3's. Nor can i hear anything. None of the usual 'breathy sound' that would come from the Cdrives when pushed hard on a good surface.
Maybe I'm not going fast enough and the limits of the Ps3 is much higher than I suspected.
Without feeling where this limit is through the steering wheel or with my other senses, I'm not too keen in finding out where it is if it means pushing that far above speeds i'm familiar with.
I'm cautious at the moment as I've tweeked the rear sway bar and there is the chance of oversteer.
I'm just happy that the tyre goes faster than I want it to go.
One test the PS3 did perform flawlessly in was a dry mid corner slide where there is a river of fine sand running across the road at the apex.
I always take the corner too fast so that when i hit the sand, the car slides, and with the Cdrives there was a quick slide with a hard bite-in when all the sand was used up.
Predictably I hardly felt a thing with the PS3, and I'd suspect they could take that corner at a much higher speed than the Cdrives.
Again, I wont be in a hurry to find that limit . Too many poles and tree's for that.
If I have criticism of these tyres, and indeed there is only one, its that they saved a lot of money on the artwork of the sidewall.
Its the plainest, cheapest looking premo tyre I've ever had, certainly a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Jo
More thoughts on these tyres.
The fuego is a completely different car with these tyres compared to the Cdrives.
I cant yet work out if i like it or not.
Its like with the Cdrives, the sidewall was so hard that you felt every thing, from the road surface and slamming of potholes, to the way the tyres were holding on in corners.
The Cdrives make it feel like a much bigger heavier car with more direct steering.
It was rugged and brutal (some would say damn uncomfortable) and inspired me to be on that limit all the time. The car felt very planted at all speeds.
The PS3's, however are nothing like that.
They soak up slamming that I'd normally tighten my ring for, like expansion joints on bridges, or when a veneer of road surface has lifted.
The car seems lighter, and the steering feels less direct, which is a very renault feeling.
It feels more like a fuego should.
Howver I've become familiar with the fuego feeling heavier and more planted on the road, and this is the bit i'm still undecided about.
I cant really feel what the tyres are doing, but its clear that at speeds that would be sending clear signals from the Cdrives, I cant feel a thing from the ps3's. Nor can i hear anything. None of the usual 'breathy sound' that would come from the Cdrives when pushed hard on a good surface.
Maybe I'm not going fast enough and the limits of the Ps3 is much higher than I suspected.
Without feeling where this limit is through the steering wheel or with my other senses, I'm not too keen in finding out where it is if it means pushing that far above speeds i'm familiar with.
I'm cautious at the moment as I've tweeked the rear sway bar and there is the chance of oversteer.
I'm just happy that the tyre goes faster than I want it to go.
One test the PS3 did perform flawlessly in was a dry mid corner slide where there is a river of fine sand running across the road at the apex.
I always take the corner too fast so that when i hit the sand, the car slides, and with the Cdrives there was a quick slide with a hard bite-in when all the sand was used up.
Predictably I hardly felt a thing with the PS3, and I'd suspect they could take that corner at a much higher speed than the Cdrives.
Again, I wont be in a hurry to find that limit . Too many poles and tree's for that.
If I have criticism of these tyres, and indeed there is only one, its that they saved a lot of money on the artwork of the sidewall.
Its the plainest, cheapest looking premo tyre I've ever had, certainly a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Jo
Nice work on the ps3s. They sound interesting...I certainly found the cdrives to be too harsh and noisy...although communicative as you say. How well priced are they? Are they made in Thailand like the Precedas?
Ay you're still around Linc!
I've since sold off my Gti6 too and now have a bubs who'll be turning a year old this April. Time flies eh. How's your little one going and are you back in Oz now?
Still loving my PS3's as well....it's a shame this thread was mostly wiped....
It occurs to me that my 11YO has ONLY ever known my '6'....
I still see your old '6' around Linc...
Cheers
Justin
It occurs to me that my 11YO has ONLY ever known my '6'....
I still see your old '6' around Linc...
Cheers
Justin
Hey guys! Well guess what? I'm about to get my old 6 back! Swapping my Volvo with my ex as she's about to have a bub. We're still good mates
Boy the driving position is terrible! Lol
Anyway, I called Cornell tyres and the PS3s are around $35 more exxy per corner than gsd3s and bridgestones adrenaline are another $10-20 cheaper again. Theyre so cheap compared to the Volvo's! I'll get the Michelins.
Not sure how long I'll keep Peppe for, but it's nice to have him back. Makes me wish I brought back the one I had in the UK, which was in pristine condition.
Kids love the car...
Boy the driving position is terrible! Lol
Anyway, I called Cornell tyres and the PS3s are around $35 more exxy per corner than gsd3s and bridgestones adrenaline are another $10-20 cheaper again. Theyre so cheap compared to the Volvo's! I'll get the Michelins.
Not sure how long I'll keep Peppe for, but it's nice to have him back. Makes me wish I brought back the one I had in the UK, which was in pristine condition.
Kids love the car...
Sorry, missed this one.
Not sure where they are made. Cost me $220.
When I priced, everything was around the same price give or take $10 except the adrenaline which was $160? at bob jane.
Jo
I had the opportunity to really put the tyres through their paces through the national park tonight.
I was impressed.
Not as impressed as the frst time I tried semi slicks, or when Cdrives came on the market, but these are nice tyres.
They handle very well , are quiet, both in tread noise and when pushed hard, are very very comfortable over the rough stuff.
The conditions tonight were potentially deadly. The roads were clean and dry and offering enormous grip, but having had rain lately every 4th apex or braking spot had a wet spot from the stream of water running down it.
These tyres didn't budge off line one bit, so its clear they are a soft tyre and probably wont last long.
On the uphill hairpin that you can overcook and still live, I over cooked it massively just to see what would happen, and although the car chassis bucked back and forward n a wild state of understeer wheel spin, as soon as the speed was stabilised, it was back to business with no fuss whatsoever.
If I'm not mistaken, the ps3's have more grip on acceleration out of corners than the Cdrives in 60 profile.
either that or my donk is down on power.
Jo
So, 4 month on...what has changed..
MY donk feels like its up on power.
If i was to be the type of person to rotate my tyres from front to back, i've sooooo missed that boat, as the rears are like new with little spiky bits, and the front are starting to look about half gone.
The outer edges have taken a flogging and look tired.
That is not an unusual thing with my tyres, and I should know better to be concerned, but I still worry.
This is the 'before shot', the rears
And the 'after shot',
The fronts
Attachments
Have some Goodyear Assurance tyres on and theyre really quite good! Plenty of grip, ride really nice and quiet too! How far touring tyres have come, ey?
Not impressed
NOt impressed with the PS3 today.
I found the limit of the ps3 and it is not good.
I pushed it beyond the limit of adhesion and it fell flat on its ass and scared the crap out of me.
I deliberatly overcooked a corner in the dry, thinking I'd just do what I do in the wet, dial in too much steering, understeer off some of some of my speed and when slowed down a bit, fix up the steering angle and hoon off.
Well that was the theory, and the reality was anything but that.
Hit the intersection, dialed in fast the left turn, the car heaved down on the right side, the tyre bit in and then there was this most awful feeling as the grip of the tread was making commitments the sidewall could not honour, and the tyre just collapsed, or at least thats how it felt from my perspective.
No steering, no braking effect and this floppy feeling accompanied by a shreading sound.
Reminded me of the old HR holden with retreads.
This is the much reported fuego understeer, but seldom felt by experience fuego drivers.
I dont think for performance street driving in a fuego the ps3 tyre cuts it.
Maybe if you make a commitment to stay within the limits of adhesion, it might be Ok, but once you step over it in the dry, not a good thing.
None of these issues raise their head in the wet as the traction is just not high enough to stress the sidewall.
Maybe the fuego actualy does need an 88 load rating because i never experienced anything like this with the 89 weighted Cdrives, which is what will be going on the front when these tyres are shortly worn out.
In the mean time i'll try upping the pressures heaps.
Jo
NOt impressed with the PS3 today.
I found the limit of the ps3 and it is not good.
I pushed it beyond the limit of adhesion and it fell flat on its ass and scared the crap out of me.
I deliberatly overcooked a corner in the dry, thinking I'd just do what I do in the wet, dial in too much steering, understeer off some of some of my speed and when slowed down a bit, fix up the steering angle and hoon off.
Well that was the theory, and the reality was anything but that.
Hit the intersection, dialed in fast the left turn, the car heaved down on the right side, the tyre bit in and then there was this most awful feeling as the grip of the tread was making commitments the sidewall could not honour, and the tyre just collapsed, or at least thats how it felt from my perspective.
No steering, no braking effect and this floppy feeling accompanied by a shreading sound.
Reminded me of the old HR holden with retreads.
This is the much reported fuego understeer, but seldom felt by experience fuego drivers.
I dont think for performance street driving in a fuego the ps3 tyre cuts it.
Maybe if you make a commitment to stay within the limits of adhesion, it might be Ok, but once you step over it in the dry, not a good thing.
None of these issues raise their head in the wet as the traction is just not high enough to stress the sidewall.
Maybe the fuego actualy does need an 88 load rating because i never experienced anything like this with the 89 weighted Cdrives, which is what will be going on the front when these tyres are shortly worn out.
In the mean time i'll try upping the pressures heaps.
Jo
When you use terms like " I pushed it beyond the limit of adhesion"and "deliberately overcooking it in to a corner" I am confused as to why it is the tyres fault for letting go ?
Good point, worth explaining more.
If the tyre is touted as an ultra high performance tyre, then it goes to reason that when you subject it to ultra high performance conditions, it meets the challenge and doesn't surrender like a french soldier once the going gets tough.
The tyre did not exactly let go.
I would have expected it to let go and is what I planned, but it sort of held on and then it all turned to shit.
Thats what I'd expect if I had 25 psi in a bob jane special, not 38 psi in a ultra hi-performance tyre.
Maybe I'm just more familiar with a hard sidewall and less outright grip and have adapted a driving style to suit.
Whatever the reasons, Michi PS3 gets the thumbs down from me for ultra hard street driving.
Jo
Fair enough now I understand ....
havent posted on here for ages either but times have changed in tires... for starters I just picked up a set of tires from USA delivered for just under $500 (205/45R16 for my Renault Clio Sport)... it's crazy that I'm saving money even through the cost of shipping something big and heavy like 4 car tires was pretty big. For anyone interested have a look at tirerack.com
pro tip > get 2 sets and share costs with a friend but keep it under $1000 or else you're up for customs taxes
$345 for postage for 8 tires that way but depends on weight
I got these btw http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Yokohama&tireModel=Parada+Spec-2 yet to fit them on the car
pro tip > get 2 sets and share costs with a friend but keep it under $1000 or else you're up for customs taxes
$345 for postage for 8 tires that way but depends on weight
I got these btw http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Yokohama&tireModel=Parada+Spec-2 yet to fit them on the car
The reports on the PS3's surprise me I have to say. I had pp2 tyres all round on the 205, side 195/50/R15 and they were awesome. Predictable, slow wearing, fantastic in the wet. The PS3 is suppost to be one of the best wet weather tyres out there! (even better than the PS3). In the end I went with S-drives because there were no PS3 tyres in the country at the time and I needed tyres quick. The S-drives are really good too. They wear quickly though and once hot loose a fair amount of grip.
Slick, let us know how the paradas go!
damn that site has cheap tires!!!!!
Slick, let us know how the paradas go!
damn that site has cheap tires!!!!!
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Yes, I believe the ps3 is probably one of the best wet weather tyre on the market.
Unfortunately they robbed some dry weather performance to achieve this.
Jo