I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: Soft Road Tyres - 205/55/16
So folks, having had all the horrbile jobs done on my car (new seat belt, welding, drains, spare key), I know need to start improving it.
My first job is to put on some soft road tyres. Yokahama have been recommended to me, but not sure which ones (there seems to be loads). I will not be doing track days so as soft as you like is good for me, for all weather driving, but obviously mainly summer driving.
You won’t get Pilot Sport 4 in 16".
You size should also be 205 50 16, you can fit 55 profile but since you seem to be after grip as “soft” then taller profile is less than ideal. You can get Yoko AO52 in both those sizes but I doubt you would like the price and to be honest, if you are driving in a manor to get the right amount of heat into them, it is probably not wise to be on the road. Same goes for R888. You can still get Federal RS-R from Europe in 205 50 16 but not sure when they would arrive of how much duty you are going to have to pay on top. I would go with Vredestein Sportrac 5 or Dunlop Sport Maxx.
It looks like all decent tyres are hard to find on the internet. None of the usual places seem to stock them. Demon Tweaks do the Vredestein ones at a good price.
The NS-2R is a great entry level track tyre. If you get it to temperature it will offer decent levels of grip within relatively narrow window and is a great tyre for track days. On the road you will it noticeably noisy, will squeal on roundabouts when you are mildly trying making you look like you are trying and when you are actually trying, won’t offer you any more grip than the car in front of you that is on “normal” road tyres because you are extremely unlikely to have enough heat in them. They are also somewhat compromised in the wet.
What you want want from a road tyre, or a car driven on the road is predictability. Meaning you know what it is going to do next without surprises. The NS-2 is a tyre that because of its dated carcass and bead design, allows ridiculous levels of stretch. If you want a 165 tyre on a 10" rim, it is odds on going to be a NS-2. As a competent tyre in todays market it would a hard job to justify it against pretty much anything else.
The NS-2R is not beyond doing things suddenly either, but you would enjoy it more than the NS-2.
Agreed, posted without looking at them properly having seen them recommended on another forum.
Having read just a few of the reviews becomes apparent not suitable for road use even though they can be.
I am going to refurb the current 16" I think. This is due to money and overall feel of the car for when the fixed coilovers go on. I don’t want the ride to be too harsh for road use.
Some good suggestions so far on tyres. I probably need the tyres BEFORE I refurb the wheels to ensure they dont get damaged taking off the old tyres and putting the new ones on post refurb.
I have Avon ZV7 on my 2.0 sport, they do well in the summer and winter/rain.
The ZV7’s are pretty quiet also and not expensive.
I have Nankang NS2 on my Type R, 225/40/18, they were fine in the dry but in the wet, no thanks, I would not run them on RWD car unless you’re quite happy to do opposite lock when the back end comes round at ever opportunity.
You probably need to have a think about what you are actually after. You want “coilovers” but then worry about the potential ride difference between tyres. You want sticky tyres but happy with the reduced response and extra squidge from the tyre. I very much doubt you would notice any difference in ride between 16 and 17" wheels, certainly after the first half an hour. You would notice far mor difference from light wheels than worrying about the sidewall.
From your other post on suspension advice you were looking at a budget range of Tein and Meister R. These will compromise your comfort more than a wheel size increase. If you are looking for a more responsive car then 17" will give you an increase tyre patch width which is a far better modification than narrower, higher profile tyres and increased spring and damping rates. If you want a comfortable ride, standard suspension in good condition and the best 16" tyres you can afford will be the way to go.
