(as conducted by Patrick Joyce with responses from F-body list members)
BFG Comp T/A vs. Goodyear RS-A
Goodyear GSC vs. Firestone SZ50
BFG Comp T/A vs. Firestone SZ50
Goodyear Eagle GA vs. Goodyear
Eagle GSC
Yokohama AVS Intermediate vs.
Dunlop D40M2
BFG Drag Radial vs. Goodyear
GSC
Michelin SX Pilot MXX3 vs. Bridgestone
Potenza S-02
Dunlop D40M2 vs. Sumitomo HTR
Z vs. GSC vs. others
Goodyear GSC vs. Dunlop D40M2
Firehawk SZ50 vs. Dunlop SP800
vs. others
Pirelli P7000 Supersport vs.
Goodyear Eagle RS-A
Goodyear GSC vs. Yokohama A032R
road race tire
Bridgestone (unknown model)
vs. Yokohama A540
From http: //www.scott.net/~guitrman/tirepoll.html
Old Tire brand/model/size: Goodyear RS-A, 245-50ZR-16 all around.
New tire brand/model/size: BFG Comp TA ZR, 245 in front, 255 in back.
Better dry launching tire: BFG
Better dry cornering tire: BFG
Better wet launching tire: BFG by far!
Better wet cornering tire: BFG
Old tire life (miles, please): 14.1k on them when replaced, and still had 60-70% tread left on them on the backs, even more on the fronts!
Expected new tire life: BFG's currently have 18.3k on them, the rears are at about 50% life, the fronts are still at 60-70% life. I fully expect to get 30k or more out of these tires, even with my hard driving and tons of burnouts at the strip!
Any other comments?:
I don't notice the dry launching traction going down on the BFGs even after 18k of driving, and hopefully it won't go any time soon. I've not really driven the car in any serious amount of snow with the BFGs, but did once drive it in about a half inch of snow when the tires were new, and they were certainly a lot worse than the RS-As in this respect. I absolutely hated my RS-A tires and couldn't wait to get rid of them even though they had tons of tread left. With my driving style, I could easily have gotten 50k out of the RS-As! For some reason I get long tire life out of my tires, even with my tire spinning antics. I got 50k out of a set of Gatorbacks on my 88 Dodge Shadow ES Turbo, and have had similar results with Gatorbacks on both of the 87 Mustangs I've owned. Perhaps it is the fact that 50% of my driving is usually on the highway, maybe even a bit more highway on the TA since I did so many highway trips this summer.
From: gatts@pathcom.com
Old Tire brand/model/size: Goodyear RSA's Stock, P255's I believe...
New tire brand/model/size: BFG Comp TA ZR's P275/40ZR17
Better dry launching tire: Comp TA ZR's
Better dry cornering tire: Comp TA ZR's
Better wet launching tire: Comp TA ZR's
Better wet cornering tire: COMP TA ZR's
Old tire life (miles, please): 27000
Expected new tire life: 15000 - 18000 (I hope!)
Any other comments?: Not too surprising, huh? : )
From: tchumley@airmail.net
Old Tire brand/model/size: Goodyear RSA 245/50ZR-16
New tire brand/model/size: BF Goodrich Comp TA 275/40ZR-17
Better dry launching tire: BF
Better dry cornering tire: BF
Better wet launching tire: BF
Better wet cornering tire: BF
Old tire life (miles, please): 18500
Expected new tire life: BF's currently have 25000 miles on them...expecting
5-10K more based on tread depth.
Any other comments?: Bad toe alignment caused uneven wear on one tire. They have 1/8-1/4" of tread left, and have had traction problems for the last few 1000 miles. The 3.73's don't help though. Rain causes the tires to fishtail much more than when they were new, even on a straight launch. I'd buy them again but would buy new tires after about 20K, that's about when traction started becoming a problem.
From: JMUELLER@tibent.com
Old Tire brand/model/size: Goodyear GS-C 275/40 ZR17
New tire brand/model/size: Firestones SZ50 275/40 ZR17
Better dry launching tire: SZ50
Better dry cornering tire: GS-C
Better wet launching tire: SZ50
Better wet cornering tire: SZ50
Old tire life (miles, please): 19,000
Expected new tire life: At least as long.
Any other comments?:
The GS-C's felt like they handled better, particularly at the edge.
From: djtech01@avicom.net
Old Tire brand/model/size: Goodyear GS-C 245-50 16
New tire brand/model/size: Firestone Firehawk SZ50 255-50 16
Better dry launching tire: Firestone
Better dry cornering tire: Firestone
Better wet launching tire: Firestone
Better wet cornering tire: Firestone
Old tire life (miles, please): 34,000
Expected new tire life: Hard to say, probably the same.
Any other comments?: The Goodyears really sucked the last 10k miles, or so, probably because they were old (car is a 93 and they were originals). The Firestones are fantastic rain tires, and better in the dry than the Goodyears ever were.
ohno@mail.mia.bellsouth.net
Old Tire brand/model/size: GY Eagle GSC 275/40R17
New tire brand/model/size: FS Firehawk SZ50 275/40R17
Better dry launching tire: new
Better dry cornering tire: toss-up
Better wet launching tire: new
Better wet cornering tire: new
Old tire life (miles, please): ~35k
Expected new tire life: 40k+
Any other comments?: The new tires are a hell of an improvement in wet
traction conditions. The GSC lost most in not all launching traction after
15k miles. However, the new tires really are warm weather natured - in
the cold (today is 24F) they really get rock hard and launching is a bitch
or a sit-n-spin. On a lighter note: after getting the new tires I did change
my alignment to the suggested mail-list specs - this has got to be a 10
fold
improvement on turn-in and roll-out for high speed turns (ex. Summit
turn 1) Other handling differences, braking with new tires in wet or dry
is totally different - the GSCs would "give-up" suddenly (activating ABS),
while the SZ50s give a gradual (read noise) indication of impending lockup.
The same for cornering - after alignment and tire change my power-on-push
is nearly gone even wet. Hope these are the kind of detailed comments you
are looking for.
scotts@shelly.doa.net
Old Tire brand/model/size: Goodyear/Eagle GS-C/245ZR50 16
New tire brand/model/size: Firestone/Firehawk SZ50/245ZR50 16
Better dry launching tire: yes
Better dry cornering tire: about equal
Better wet launching tire: MUCH better
Better wet cornering tire: yes
Old tire life (miles, please): 30k Miles
Expected new tire life: 20k Miles
Any other comments?: Not only were the SZ50's an improvement across the board in the perf. aspects, but they were also much quieter and rode better. The decrease in tire life is due to the fact that I autocrossed on them for a season. After about 20k, my GS-C's were dried out and hard as stones: totally worthless. My SZ50's have hardened somewhat after a seasons worth of autocross heat cycling. Both tires loose all traction below around 40 deg. F.
bigwood@stimpy.phs.uiuc.edu
Old Tire brand/model/size: Goodyear GSC - 275/40ZR17
New tire brand/model/size: Firestone SZ50 - 275/40ZR17
Better dry launching tire: SZ50's by far.
Better dry cornering tire: After the initial wear in (~200 miles),
the SZ50's are like glue.
Better wet launching tire: Without a doubt SZ50's. It's like driving
in dry conditions.
Better wet cornering tire: Again, the SZ50's
Old tire life (miles, please): 12,000 miles
Expected new tire life: I'm about 1/3 of the way to the minimum tread
depth with 8,000 miles on them, so about 25k
Any other comments?: The GSC's had pretty poor traction, even in the dry. The wet weather traction was non-existant. The GCS's wore down so fast, I couldn't believe it. The SZ50's, while costing ~$65 cheaper per tire, are far superior, especially in the rain, and they wear very well. The bead protector is also invaluable!
nclark@gcsinc.com
Old Tire brand/model/size: Goodyear/GSC/275-40 ZR17
New tire brand/model/size: Firestone/SZ50/275-40 ZR17
Better dry launching tire: toss-up
Better dry cornering tire: SZ50
Better wet launching tire: SZ50
Better wet cornering tire: SZ50
Old tire life (miles, please): 18k miles
Expected new tire life: ~20k miles
Any other comments?: The GSC's absolutely sucked in the rain. The SZ50's are much more predictable, especially at the wet or dry limit, much more secure during high speed maneuvers. SZ50 shares many design characteristics with it's mega-pricey sibling, the Bridgestone S-02 (see below), so it's gotta be the bang-for-the-buck champ.
wicker@mindspring.com
Old Tire brand/model/size: BFG/Comp TA ZR/275-40 ZR17
New tire brand/model/size: Firestone/SZ50/275-40 ZR17 (on order)
Better dry launching tire: Given prior experience (above), I expect
SZ50 to be superior.
Better dry cornering tire: Given prior experience (above), I expect
SZ50 to be superior
Better wet launching tire: Given prior experience (above), I KNOW the
SZ50 will be superior.
Better wet cornering tire: Given prior experience (above), I KNOW the
SZ50 will be superior
Old tire life (miles, please): 19k miles
Expected new tire life: ~20k miles
Any other comments?: Comp TA ZR's have fairly good dry grip when new, but their wet performance was never anything to shout about, especially after 15k miles. Same SZ50 comments (above) apply.
wicker@mindspring.com
Old Tire brand/model/size: BFG Comp T/A ZR 275/40ZR/17
New tire brand/model/size: Firestone SZ50 285/40ZR/17
Better dry launching tire: SZ50
Better dry cornering tire: Comp T/A
Better wet launching tire: SZ50
Better wet cornering tire: SZ50
Old tire life (miles, please): 32,000
Expected new tire life: 28,000
Any other comments?: The SZ50 decline in performance in colder weather is more pronounced that the Comp T/A in my opinion.
scott@cadd5-12.salem.ge.com
Old Tire brand/model/size: Goodyear Eagle GA 235/55R16
New tire brand/model/size: Goodyear Eagle GSC 245/50ZR16
Better dry launching tire: GSC (IMHO)
Better dry cornering tire: GSC (IMHO
Better wet launching tire: GA (IMHO)
Better wet cornering tire: GA (IMHO)
Old tire life (miles, please): ~30k miles and still have a LITTLE life
Expected new tire life: ~25k miles
Any other comments?: Eagle GA is a very STIFF feeling tire. Eagle GA is a DECENT winter tire. Eagle GSC is a good DRY performance tire.
rwillis@rcinet.com
Old Tire brand/model/size: Yokohama AVS Intermediate 275x40x17
New tire brand/model/size: Dunlop D40M2 275x40x17
Better dry launching tire: Yoko
Better dry cornering tire: Yoko
Better wet launching tire: Yoko
Better wet cornering tire: Yoko
Old tire life (miles, please): 25,000 -30,000 miles
Expected new tire life: 20,000 - 25,000 possibly less wear because
I beat them harder because they are cheaper.
Any other comments?: I expected worse performance out of the Dunlops but bought them for budget reasons.....I will be going back to the Yokohamas....they are a great tire. The Dunlops never had great bite in the corners and went downhill when the tread got "low".
serinop@Analytic.Com
Old Tire brand/model/size: GS-C 245/50ZR16
New tire brand/model/size: BFG 255/50ZR16
Better dry launching tire: BFG
Better dry cornering tire: GS-C
Better wet launching tire: GS-C
Better wet cornering tire: GS-C
Old tire life (miles, please): 33k miles
Expected new tire life: ?
Any other comments?: I also use 255/50 BFG drag radials at the track
and I love them. I think the GS-C is a great all around tire, but it's
dry launching leaves a lot to be desired. With my 4.10 gears, I could chirp
my 30k mile GS-Cs on the 3-4 shift. Now, even my 255/50 BFGs grip on the
street... only barking third gear and silent on the 3-4 shift.
Hope this info helps : )
wayne@clark.net
Old Tire brand/model/size: Michelin/SX Pilot MXX3/235-45 ZR17
New tire brand/model/size: Bridgestone/Potenza S-02/235-45 ZR17
Better dry launching tire: toss-up
Better dry cornering tire: toss-up
Better wet launching tire: Potenza S-02
Better wet cornering tire: Potenza S-02
Old tire life (miles, please): 17k miles
Expected new tire life: ~20k miles
Any other comments?: Both tires have great dry grip, but the S-02 absolutely blows the SX Pilot MXX3 away on wet roads. The S-02 is the best all-around ultra high performance tire I've used, but it's pricey (even more than the Michelin). After 12k miles wear is noticeable, but it's nowhere close to the treadwear indicators. When it comes time for replacement, I may consider using SZ50's since they incorporate much of the same design at a "much" lower price.
wicker@mindspring.com
Old Tire brand/model/size:
I have had the following tires on my 93 Z28: Eagle RS-A, Eagle GS-C, Sumitomo HTR Z, Dunlop D40M2 (current)
Better dry launching tire: Of these tires... um... dare I say it, but
probably the RS-A's.
Better dry cornering tire: Sumitomo, next the GS-C
Better wet launching tire: Probably the GS-C... the only tire that
I had long enough to use when wet.
Better wet cornering tire: GS-C
Old tire life (miles, please): RS-A's lasted 16K miles, GS-C's lasted a little over 20K, Sumitomos, unkown, got them used (est. 17-22K), D40M2 (same), estimate 16-18K
Any other comments?: I'm looking forwad to trying the SZ50's. How's that? : )
rob@f-body.org
Old Tire: Original GSC's
New: Dunlop D40M2's - stock size
Better dry launch: GSC
Dry Cornering: Couldn't tell you for sure, but it feels like the GSC's
stuck better
Wet Traction: D40M2's
Old Tire: 37K - The GSC's still had 1/8" tread left all around on the rear, and 1/8" on the front except for the outside shoulders. Very impressed with the tire life considering how I drive. I'd have gone with GSC's, but they were just too expensive. I got the D40M2's mounted and balanced for $130 each.
Expected new tire life: Longer than I'll own this car! 3D) ('98 Z28 M6 on order. Even though the GSC's had 1/8" tread left all around - I found that their traction fell off as the tire wore down. When the car had < 5K on it, I was unable to break the tires loose at this particular intersection near my apartment. Around 25 - 27K I noticed one day that I could get a fair amount of wheel spin launching at the same intersection. I also noticed that as I passed 30K, I would have to launch at 3/4 throttle to avoid wheel spin. My father used to own an '89 5.0 conv 'stang (I forgave him . . ). After eerrrr "helping" him burn through the stock Goodyear's in 15K, he put a set of Dunlop A20's on. The traction on the A20's was nowhere as good as the GY's, but they lasted 60K. Ever since that set, I've put the same A20's on my Beretta, and was very happy with them. My father has since picked up a '96 300Z twin turbo. It came with Michelins all around (I don't recall the model, sorry). The car drives like its on rails, its scary. After running through the Michelin's at around 20K, he put a set of D40M2's. I found no noticeable difference between the stock Michelin's and the Dunlops. Both the Michelin's and Dunlops hold on a 4k RPM launch, and I have not noticed any cornering difference between Michelins and Dunlops.
snicko@primenet.com
Old Tire brand/model/size: Eagle GA's, Comp TA ZR4's, Dunlop SP800's
New tire brand/model/size: Firehawk SZ50's
Better dry launching tire: SZ50's
Better dry cornering tire: SZ50's
Better wet launching tire: None : )
Better wet cornering tire: None- best of the bunch SZ50's
Old tire life (miles, please): 12k
Expected new tire life: 12-15k ??
Any other comments?: SZ50's by far the best tire I've run so far- great when dry, very responsive in the wet, minimal hydroplaning and alway slides forward instead of side-ways 3D: O Hope this helps....
k.o.@ix.netcom.com
Old Tire brand/model/size: Goodyear Eagle RS-A 245/50ZR16
New tire brand/model/size: Pirelli P7000 Supersport 245/50ZR16
Better dry launching tire: P7000 (barely)
Better dry cornering tire: P7000 (significantly)
Better wet launching tire: RS-A (barely; I drive an M6)
Better wet cornering tire: P7000 (significantly)
Old tire life (miles, please): 36,500 with plenty left
Expected new tire life: 60,000-70,000
Any other comments?: The RS-A sucks, as anybody can tell you. The P7000 Supersport is still an all-season tire, but a much better one. It's quieter, more responsive, grippier (wet & dry), cheaper, and has nearly double the rated tread life. It's not in the league of non-all-season tires like the Dunlop Super Sport 8000, GS-C, or SZ50, but for $102 a tire I was tempted to buy 8 instead of 4!! My RS-As would begin to hydroplane at 55mph when new; 45mph with barely-legal tread depth. By contrast, the P7000s don't even think about it in comparable rain at 80mph. The only downsides are that the stiffer sidewall makes the tires look thinner and also transmits more road imperfections, which causes interior rattles. The Pirellis are a good improvement from the RS-As but I wouldn't recommend them to anybody with GS-Cs. My previous experience with Dunlop Super Sport 8000s was truly awesome, and I would recommend those to anybody.
snicko@primenet.com
Old Tire brand/model/size: Stock GSC's
New tire brand/model/size: Yokohama A032R road race tire
Better dry launching tire: Yoko
Better dry cornering tire: Yoko -- BIG TIME
Better wet launching tire: No comment
Better wet cornering tire: No comment
Old tire life (miles, please): completely bald at 50k (street driven
only)
Expected new tire life: about 10k
Any other comments?: Glass transition at around 40deg F. Tons of road noise.
raven@mail.foxvalley.net
Old tire: Some type of non-speed rated Bridgestone P245/50R16
New tire: Yokohama A540
Tire life: Old tires-don't know as they were on the car when I bought
it.
New tires: hopefully 20,000-30,000 miles.
Comments: OLD TIRES: Harsh ride, tended to spin and not hook, and had so-so traction in the wet. NEW TIRES: Good ride, hook well with little or no spin, and do a fine job in the wet stuff.
fsmallwo@hfm.com