[91TB78]

The RT615s are just as grippy as the 070s (IMO), but they have a tad softer sidewall. In terms of hydroplaning resistance, both the 070s and RT615s are not that great.

If you want an excellent performer (rain and dry), try the Advan Neova AD07, but be prepared to spend twice what you would for the RT615s.

PS..Stee, thank you for using the correct phrase "all intents and purposes" as I see a ton of people (myself including not too long ago) say all intensive purposes.

[Gami004pilot]

What are other alternatives from the stock and Falken tire if you wanted to get the same or better performance, longer life and quiter ride with a little rain traction?
(I know thats asking alot from a tire)!!!!

O! whats the width we should put on the stock wheels if we wanted to go a little wider?

[91TB78]

Originally Posted by Gami004pilot

What are other alternatives from the stock and Falken tire if you wanted to get the same or better performance, longer life and quiter ride with a little rain traction?
(I know thats asking alot from a tire)!!!!

O! whats the width we should put on the stock wheels if we wanted to go a little wider?

The Hankook Ventus Rs2 Z212 without question.

Great tire in dry and rain, inexpensive and tad softer sidewall (plus option to go with a 245/45 size for added sidewall thickness). They are the tires I will replace on my stock Evo MR BBS wheels and use in the summer.

www.edgeracing.com

[Gami004pilot]

Originally Posted by 91TB78

The Hankook Ventus Rs2 Z212 without question.

Great tire in dry and rain, inexpensive and tad softer sidewall (plus option to go with a 245/45 size for added sidewall thickness). They are the tires I will replace on my stock Evo MR BBS wheels and use in the summer.

www.edgeracing.com

My fiance has an Evo MR 9 too!!!
Im trying to make my car handle like hers.
Hankooks? Are they good tires and how long they last compared to the stockers? Thanks for the info and I'll do some web searching around as well. Is this what other EVO MR guys putting on for replacements? How are they compared to the Falkens?

[91TB78]

Not sure how they are compared to stockers in performance or longevity, but they are a VERY good replacement, for the price.

I would rate the Falkens just ahead of the Hankooks, but not in the wet.

Hankook is the official sponsor of Spec Miata racing...among others. They are a good tire.

[Gami004pilot]

PLEASE HELP
where can I find the the best price for the Falkens and other tires?
Also, whats the best tire size that will fit the 05 wheels, that will protect the rim were the rims are not sticking out of the tire, is not to wide for the wheel that I will get flexing on hard turns and is lighter then stock RE-070?

THANKS IN ADVANCE.......

[91TB78]

Originally Posted by Gami004pilot

where can I find the the best price for the Falkens and other tires?

THANKS IN ADVANCE.......

I got mine locally for $456 (included tax), but I would suggest
www.edgeracing.com
www.vulcantire.com
www.discounttiredirect.com

Originally Posted by Gami004pilot

Also, whats the best tire size that will fit the 05 wheels, that will protect the rim were the rims are not sticking out of the tire, is not to wide for the wheel that I will get flexing on hard turns and is lighter then stock RE-070?

THANKS IN ADVANCE.......

Are you competing in any SCCA class where you are restricted by size? If not, I'd suggest a 255/40/17 or a 245/45/17. Both sizes are plenty wide and give you a nice fat contact patch, protect the rim, and shouldn't flex much.

[Gami004pilot]

Originally Posted by 91TB78

I got mine locally for $456 (included tax), but I would suggest
www.edgeracing.com
www.vulcantire.com
www.discounttiredirect.com



Are you competing in any SCCA class where you are restricted by size? If not, I'd suggest a 255/40/17 or a 245/45/17. Both sizes are plenty wide and give you a nice fat contact patch, protect the rim, and shouldn't flex much.

No Im not in the scca but I would like to get something lighter then stock because of the benifits of being lighter.
I think I might get the 245's over the 235 or 225's just because of the wider patch. Is it heavier then the stock tire.

[VSGTS14]

edge racing and vulcan tire have the best rt615 prices.

the 245 fits perfect on an 8" rim, but the tire is 27 lbs which is the same weight as the stock tire.

[91TB78]

Originally Posted by Gami004pilot

No Im not in the scca but I would like to get something lighter then stock because of the benifits of being lighter.
I think I might get the 245's over the 235 or 225's just because of the wider patch. Is it heavier then the stock tire.

Lighter doesn't always mean better with tires. While you're reducing rotating mass, you may be giving up sidewall stiffness or overall contact patch. Remember, not all 245s are the same width. For example, the stock 070s 225 is actually a VERY wide 225, so compare contact patches. That being said the widest contact patch I've seen (per edgeracing's specs) is the Yoko Advan Neova AD07.

If you want a pretty wide tire, good price, good overall characteristics (wet and dry) and lighter, then I suggest the Hankook RS2. Check them out on www.edgeracing.com They are slightly cheaper then the RT615s and you can get them in a 245/40/17 if you want even less flex in the sidewall.

[Gami004pilot]

Whats up RT-615 owners.
I just brought some Falkens for my STi and wanted to say thank you for the help.
I really like the tread design but hate the side wall compared to the stockers.
I have the 245/45/17 and they look like truck tires compared to the stockers.
They have nice grip, the same as the stockers and are a little louder in road noise in my opinion.

Does anyone know if the tires are lighter then the stockers?

I'm really having some issues with getting the car to drive straight as possible and wanted to ask if anyone has noticed how these tires wonder off to any direction. I feel like the car is off alignment.
I brought the car four times to an alignment shop to check if something was wrong witht the alignment and 3 out of 4 times it was off. The car feels like it drifts off to the right but its not much and I'm wondering if its the road or the tires sensitivity to the road because if I try going into the far left lane on the highway the car drifts to the left, the middle lane/ then it stays straight a little and then wonders off toany direction, and the right lane to the right.
The stockers in the past never drifted off course. What do you guys think?

The second time out of the four times going to the alignment shop, the technician said that the tierod to adjust the Toe of the car was a little loose and could've knocked off the algnment very easliy, so he tighten her up I hope).
What do I need to check under the car as far as rods and bolts to see if anything is loose thats making the car go off?
Is there a way to do self alignments?

please give comments

[dailydriversti]

Well, first off, they may look like truck tires because you have the wrong size.

Secondly no, they will weigh more than stock, because they are wider, and taller.

As for your alignment goes, they should not have any effect. Only difference, is that they are wider, and may affect tram lining (following lines) more.

[Gami004pilot]

Originally Posted by dailydriversti

Well, first off, they may look like truck tires because you have the wrong size.

Secondly no, they will weigh more than stock, because they are wider, and taller.

As for your alignment goes, they should not have any effect. Only difference, is that they are wider, and may affect tram lining (following lines) more.

What size I should've gotten?

[TurbeauxREX]

Tire manufacturers make recommendations for a given tire size mated to a range of wheel widths, typically with one width being the ideal size to use. Depending on the year of STi you have your wheel is either 7.5 or 8" wide. And as a few folks have already stated, tires vary in width despite whats stamped on the side of it. The Potenza S03 is known to be a wide tire in a given size. The RE070 is a wide 225 and when looked at straight on it is damn near square, placing all of the tread on the ground. Don't get too caught up in the 245/255 Vs 225 thing. Lay a ruler on the graound of the tire mounted on the wheel, on the car at normal wieght and then measure how much rubber is actually laying flat on the ground. That is your contact patch.

When shopping for a tire, go to tirerack.com and you can view the SPECS for a given tire to see the wheel/tire sizing recommendations. A 245 or 255 tire on a 7.5 - 8" is not the preferred set up. Can it be done? Sure. You can also put 20" spinners on your STi, if you want. Someone will sell them to you if you got the money and inclination.

My point is this thread is giving advice to people, many obviously with little experience and/or knowledge (no offense) that just isn't accurate. The "Wider is Better" comment is fun to say, but, unless that wider tire is applied to the correct size wheel, under the right (wrong) circumstances, you're asking for trouble. Ever seen a photo of how a wheel moves in and out of a tire under heavy cornering loads? Pretty impressive. Now, apply that movement to a tire that's balooned out around a too-narrow wheel and easy to see that the potential is there for the wheel to dismount itself. You should be able to figure out the potential for disaster from that point.

As for this yearning to have wider rubber on your STi to be competetive in auto-x or track days, you would really be suprised just what your car is capable of if driven to its potential, not yours. So many people make the mistake of spending gobs of cash modifying a car that they haven't even mastered in its stock form. I've done it. Spend some of that mod-money on driving lessons, on a road course, from a true instructor. It will open your eyes. Once you've reached the limits of your STi, then spend money to make it faster (in-line, cornering, whatever). I'm willing to bet a lot of the folks giving advice never learned the limits of the stock STi to begin with.

Lastly, for all of you going through multiple sets of tires per summer doing track days, do you know that you can buy take-off race tires in just about every compound avaliable for a fraction of what you spend on new street/track tires? Many manufacturers and sizes are available. The guy advertises in Autoweek and has for decades. Look him up and buy real race rubber for the track. They are built to withstand the heat and loading.

Peace,

Curtis

[mx_9]

Originally Posted by Gami004pilot

I'm really having some issues with getting the car to drive straight as possible and wanted to ask if anyone has noticed how these tires wonder off to any direction. I feel like the car is off alignment.
I brought the car four times to an alignment shop to check if something was wrong witht the alignment and 3 out of 4 times it was off. The car feels like it drifts off to the right but its not much and I'm wondering if its the road or the tires sensitivity to the road because if I try going into the far left lane on the highway the car drifts to the left, the middle lane/ then it stays straight a little and then wonders off toany direction, and the right lane to the right.
The stockers in the past never drifted off course. What do you guys think?

I bought a set of RT215's a couple of years ago and the car pulled hard to one side. I move the tire to the rear and the pull was gone. Brought the tire to the front again and the pull was back. Ended up being a bad belt within the tire and I had it replaced for free. I recommend that you try this experiment too before you get too many miles on the tires.