My friend has a 2002 tdi Jetta. He needs to buy a new set. I hear online is best.

I suggested tirerack.com. I was trying to see if you fellows have any other suggestions.

also brand of tire that you prefer would be nice too. He just commutes to work and back

5/3/2012 12:48:08 PM

just get him cheapest all seasons with high treadwear.

5/3/2012 1:38:22 PM

Yes just wondering the best site/vendor

5/3/2012 1:39:28 PM

make a local vender price match tirerack.com. that way if one is defective or they just suck in general you can make the local guys fix the issue.

i also think it is a good idea to hold on to your old set for a month in case you hate the new set. it helps your cause if you can tell them to make you happy or put the old set back on.

5/3/2012 1:58:11 PM

Quote :

"make a local vender price match tirerack.com."

That's what I do. Get Tirerack pricing for the tire I want, go into Discount Tire, ask them for their price, if it's already a decent price ask something like "how about $XXX out the door (where XXX = better price below tirerack matching), and if they say no, ask for the pricematch (have printout with out).

For make sure you get something with a good treadwear warranty. As long as you rotate them (if you can...which they do for free) then you can drive however you want and get a reduced replacement when you need new ones.

5/3/2012 2:04:04 PM

i hear the gays work at tire kingdom.

5/3/2012 2:06:44 PM

Got mine from a friend at Just Tires, I had the TireRack.com pricing and went in asking him what their price was. They order directly from TireRack, but get a vendor discount of like 15%, which then they made up in install costs. I actually got the set delivered & installed for cheaper than just ordering myself from TireRack.

5/3/2012 2:14:48 PM

^ and i bet that's HUGE on a viper...


i'd be going through rears monthly

5/3/2012 2:26:00 PM

if your'e buying Tires + Wheels, tirerack is going to be cheaper, actually. no tax, free mounting, and usually free shipping is hard to beat. discount tire has to charge sales tax and i doubt they'd do mounting for free. but from what i hear they are pretty negotiable so why not try it.

5/3/2012 2:33:33 PM

Quote :

"discount tire has to charge sales tax and i doubt they'd do mounting for free. but from what i hear they are pretty negotiable so why not try it."

Yep, they'll bargain with ya. Last time I was getting rears on my 335i, and the installed quoted price was already lower than Tirerack, so I just asked for a little more off and they said yes.

5/3/2012 2:42:09 PM

wait, there are Tire Rack stores now?

I use discount tire direct > ship to store/make appointment

mounting and balancing is not free

5/3/2012 4:11:10 PM

Quote :

"already lower than Tirerack [price matching]"

5/3/2012 4:30:12 PM

Thank you kind sirs

5/3/2012 5:20:36 PM

n/m

[Edited on May 3, 2012 at 5:24 PM. Reason : ]

5/3/2012 5:24:43 PM

if hes going to buy online then discount tire is the best to buy from. installation and balancing is covered for the life of the tire.

5/3/2012 5:51:30 PM

Btt

8/8/2012 3:56:45 PM

I need to get a new set of tires. I'm thinking about replacing my Star Specs with another set of the same, however in a recent C&D performance tire comparison they finished 2nd to last. (however if you judged them just on dry performance they would have finished 3rd). That made me wonder about maybe looking elsewhere. Of course I am on a budget.

The Hankook Ventus RS-3 beat the Dunlop in the test, and looks almost identical while being $66 cheaper (referencing tirerack). However the tread depth is shallower than the Dunlop so I don't think they would last as long.

Another option is the Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position, which finished 2nd overall in the test. It seems to be vastly superior in wet grip while just as good, if not better, in dry grip. However it costs $60 more than the Dunlops.

I've heard amazing things about the Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G:2 but it's only available in 19s and 20s (what in the fuck?).

Anyway, I'm leaning towards sticking with the Dunlops unless I can get a good deal on one of the aforementioned tires. They've served me very well.

8/8/2012 4:09:11 PM

dear lord let's hope this isnt for the integra

8/8/2012 4:11:14 PM

^^ I've heard the RS3's are a nightmare in the wet. And yes, they're cheaper, but last significantly less time than the Dunlops. I'd just go with the Dunlops...although it does suck that they bumped their prices up by like $30 per tire or whatever

A new generation of Dunlops are supposed to be out sometime soon too I think.

8/8/2012 5:10:27 PM

^^^ arent RS3's all the rage right now with the S2000 kids running in STR class?

and what size are you looking at where the RS3's are cheaper than the Star Specs? I've always found the Star Specs to be one of the cheapest <200 treadwear tire out there.

8/8/2012 7:03:42 PM

Well he bought new tires, then the car spun a rod

8/8/2012 11:59:54 PM

Quote :

"dear lord let's hope this isnt for the integra "

Hahaha, not for the Integra. The Teg is currently on Falken Azenis for the summer (old autox tires I figured I might as well use up) and Continental ExtremeContact all seasons during the colder part of the year. Haven't bought tires for that car since 2008 (and the Falkens date back to 2004)

Quote :

"And yes, they're cheaper, but last significantly less time than the Dunlops."

Thanks Jek, that's what I was afraid of.

The sizes I'm currently using (and plan to get again) are 225/45R17 front, 255/40R17 rear (stock is 215/245). On Tirerack's website the prices were:

Hankooks - $594
Dunlops - $660
Bridgestones - $720

Quote :

"although it does suck that they bumped their prices up by like $30 per tire or whatever"

I paid under $800 total for the Dunlops, installed at Discount Tire, back in 2010 so while I know the cost of rubber has gone up, I don't think it has gone up that much!

8/9/2012 8:22:56 AM

I have rs3's on mine. They are bricks in colder weather if you want an unexpected drift with the torque less vert on a cool morning. They are better than azenis and worse than re050's if I had to rate what I've used. Ugh azenis :-(.

8/9/2012 9:15:34 AM

The Star Specs have caught me off guard on chilly mornings before

Then again my S2000 had VSA

8/9/2012 9:19:57 AM

^^^ I have Conti ExtremeContacts on the Z06 for daily driving. I like them...pretty good performance, but the treadwear is amazing (for me). I think I'll prob get 25-30k out of them!

For a street/track performance tire, have you guys tried Nitto NT-05s instead of Star Specs? I ran a couple sets on the Corvette; I liked them.

8/9/2012 11:31:03 AM

^ not seeing them in my size. i have been thinking about trying the Toyo R1R's. they might be too aggressive for a daily driver, though.

8/9/2012 12:41:32 PM

The Nitto NT-05s are not available for the S2000. The narrowest 17" size they have is 235 and I'm not slapping 235s on my front wheels (even if the fenders have room for 255's).

(And it's really too bad they don't. The price of (2) 235s and (2) 255s is $524, AKA dirt cheap)

[Edited on August 9, 2012 at 1:11 PM. Reason : k]

8/9/2012 1:09:37 PM

buying tires is like buying fruit. they need to be fresh. also, the only thing that determines the tire's performance and life is how hard the rubber is.

buy the softest tires you can get. they make your car much safer and they ride much softer and quieter.

TLDR: buy your tires online and have them fedexed to you and choose the "performance" tires

8/9/2012 5:53:10 PM

Fuck. I started a tire war

8/9/2012 6:40:39 PM

^^do you know much about the Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec? While I appreciate the words it makes me think that you...don't

8/10/2012 8:07:15 AM

u know about coefficient of rolling friction? it's the only factor that matters in a tire and it's only affected by the rubber compound and gravity. width is only about controlling tire temperature/pressure for assholes that turn off the traction control.

8/12/2012 12:30:10 PM

I have had good experience with Discount Tire (one in Cary). They have pretty competitive prices, and you can work them down on the price with absolutely no effort.

8/12/2012 11:41:55 PM

^^ Mu is extremely important, but what you're saying is only accurate given some simplifying assumptions that are not really the case in the real world when discussing tires (primarily, deformation of the tire under loads, as well as small-scale deformation of the tire as it mates to whatever road surface).

Furthermore, the shape of the contact patch matters.

...so does tread design, tire stiffness, etc.



Wider is generally better up to a point (given that you have wider wheels to match and properly fit the tires); however, you increase unsprung weight with wider wheels and tires (which can then adversely affect grip over bumps), they are more prone to tramlining (and hydroplaning), and they are more adversely affected by improper camber (which could be a result of improper alignment, or due to limitations of suspension design/geometry that you can't reasonably overcome).

However, I would agree that there is generally much more grip advantage to be gained in most cases with rubber compound than there is with width.

It should be obvious that there are more factors at work than simple Newtonian physics of [frictional force]=[coefficient of friction, i.e., Mu][normal force, i.e., mass x g]

...or more simply, [grip]=[tire stickiness], once you say that (1) gravity is constant and (2) the mass that generates the normal force is the same mass that needs "x" amount of lateral cornering force to keep it on the road.

In fact, what do we measure cornering grip in? That's right, "g". If tire compound was the whole story, then non-downforce producing, high-performance sports and exotic cars would not be able to corner at >1.0g.

Furthermore, weight would only adversely affect acceleration, not cornering (and as long as the brakes could dissipate enough heat, not braking either). Colin Chapman would be made a liar.

[Edited on August 13, 2012 at 12:01 AM. Reason : and i have no idea what you're talking about with respect to disabling TC]

[Edited on August 13, 2012 at 12:19 AM. Reason : ]

8/12/2012 11:54:04 PM

Oh, you mean in terms of heat dissipation? Well, a wide tire has a wide (L/R), narrow (F/R) contact patch, which actually allows it to cope BETTER with heat, as any given spot on the tire, at a given tire pressure and corner weight, will be in contact with the road for a shorter period of time. You know, because tires, like, roll...

...and additionally, that's the case with or without traction control, which is neither here nor there. You don't have to be smokin' 'em to generate a shitload of heat.

8/13/2012 12:25:38 AM

there aren't any poorly engineered tires on the market. (In your market at least, they sell fucking ANYTHING over here. They sell live geese with rubber eggs rammed up their ass/vagina in this motherfucker.) just like there aren't any poorly engineered surgical devices. therefore, it's safe to assume that sidewall deformation, tread design, contact patch shape, all that other esoteric bullshit accounts for single digits in the final calculus.

It's important to know when to take your propeller-hat off. we're talking to a filthy casual with a jetta

8/13/2012 5:06:23 AM

Quote :

"u know about coefficient of rolling friction? it's the only factor that matters in a tire and it's only affected by the rubber compound and gravity. width is only about controlling tire temperature/pressure for assholes that turn off the traction control. "

wut?

8/13/2012 7:16:08 AM

if the tire isn't going to see track time - all seasons with the lowest noise and greatest tread life.
if the tire IS going to see track time and you don't have a second set of wheels - buy a second set of wheels as it's cheaper than trashing high performance street tires.
if you're doing track events and not trashing the street tires, you're slow and all seasons are 100% fine for your skill level.

8/13/2012 8:26:07 AM

Quote :

"u know about coefficient of rolling friction? it's the only factor that matters in a tire and it's only affected by the rubber compound and gravity. width is only about controlling tire temperature/pressure for assholes that turn off the traction control."

??? I asked if you knew about Direzza Star Specs b/c if you did you would know they're one of the stickiest tires you can buy.

Quote :

"if the tire IS going to see track time and you don't have a second set of wheels - buy a second set of wheels as it's cheaper than trashing high performance street tires. "

Why get a 2nd set of wheels/tires when you can just have a second car IMO Direzzas (or a similar tire) are perfect for me since I can only do (read: afford) 1-2 track events a year. Though I do have an inquiry on S2ki.com right now for someone selling a set of AP1 wheels and tires for $200 total.

8/13/2012 10:11:22 AM

Discount Tire has the best prices around town, they guarantee to have the lowest price in town, I have bought 2 sets from them for my Honda, and my parents get their tires for their Corvette, Acura, and Suburban from them as well. I used to work there. Go to the one at 2002 Saint Charles Place, Cary, NC and ask for Rich or Josh. Let them know that you wanted to get some tires and Trig sent you.

8/22/2012 5:34:22 PM

I've had good results with Discount Tire as well. They'll match prices and the service/quality of work is good. Based on using the one on Millbrook near the Glenwood intersection twice, and the one on 15/501 in Durham once.

8/23/2012 1:12:58 AM

Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Specs are a Tire Rack exclusive tire.

Discount Tire can get them...if they buy them from TireRack.

8/23/2012 12:49:02 PM

^ wat? no, they dont carry them in-store but they do stock them in their distribution centers.

8/24/2012 12:57:21 AM

DZ Star Spec are terrible, if you wanna get a sticky tire something for Auto X I would recommend the Continental DW. Its asymmetrical tread design allows you to sill rotate it to all 4 corners of the car and its just as good or even better of a tire then the Star Spec. The Star Specs are directional so they can only go front to back.

8/24/2012 11:56:57 AM

^^maybe things changed since 2 years ago, but no last time I got them that was the deal.

^The Dunlop is superior in dry grip, and with it's breakaway characteristics. I don't do autoxes anymore but I do track events and the Dunlops shine there. My S2000 runs a staggered tire set up (as stated above) so I cannot swap front to back. In last month's C&D performance tire test the Conti performed the worst in dry tests

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/monsters-of-grip-nine-summer-performance-tires-tested-comparison-test

[Edited on August 24, 2012 at 12:43 PM. Reason : link]

8/24/2012 12:38:11 PM

The DW just came out last year, I use them at VIR, slicks are too expensive

8/24/2012 1:06:46 PM

I run Conti DW on my Z06 as a practical, longer-lasting streetable tire. It really isn't in the same class as the other tires in this test--it's a much harder tire, and more biased towards daily driver use in all conditions.

I have gone through a few sets of Star Specs on an S2000. They are definitely more performance oriented, though. They wore out EXTREMELY fast, though, were really bad on wet pavement, and, I thought, somewhat abrupt in breakaway.

I've said before, in this class, I prefer Nitto's NT-05.


I would not run the Conti DW on the track...I mean, sure, you could...but if that was a consideration, I'd get a more performance-oriented tire.

8/24/2012 9:50:47 PM

Quote :

"They wore out EXTREMELY fast"

You're the exception! My current set has 23,000+ miles on them

Quote :

"and, I thought, somewhat abrupt in breakaway."

lol, that's just b/c you had them on an AP1

[Edited on August 25, 2012 at 12:51 PM. Reason : k]

8/25/2012 12:50:36 PM

Yea, when those extra six horsepower kick in you can really get into trouble.

8/25/2012 2:45:46 PM

^^ Yeah, I know it was an AP1. It also had a cracked suspension bushing that potentially didn't help...but remember, that was my 2nd AP1, and also not the only tire that I ran on that one.

Also, my Conti DWs will probably make it to 25-30k+ miles on my Z06, so it can't be all me. Granted, they're nearly double the treadwear of Star Specs.

For reference, I got about 10k/set with Advans and Azenis on my Evo, NT05s on my Z06 (with a couple of track events and auto-x, too), and maybe 12k (at least on the rears) with KDWs on my supercharged S2k.

I was burning through Star Specs in 7-10k miles on my stock AP1.

[Edited on August 25, 2012 at 4:42 PM. Reason : ^ he means that an AP1 is a pretty snappy car that can swap ends rather quickly]

8/25/2012 4:42:18 PM

^ don't forget those track events were on the most abrasive track I've seen on the east coast. maybe car rubber is up to the job but bike rubber is trash in a day

8/26/2012 8:05:04 AM