tires?

[newbie101]

going to get new tires soon for the stock wheels on my 05...just seeing what everyone likes...they are of course going to be for dirt use/ daily driving...so what does everyone like?

[I_Rally]

I usually recommend the BFG g-Force Sport for performance + price for street cars, but you may actually want something even cheaper.

If they're seeing dirt, get a decent but inexpensive all-season. No reason to chew up high-performance tires in the dirt.

[MConte05]

I use Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S for my tires. When I got them several months ago they were $93 each, now it seems people have noticed how good of a tire it is and the price has skyrocketed to $115 the last time I checked.

Go to tirerack.com and search for the top for Ultra High Performance and High Performance All-Season tires. The Pilots I know are #1 for High Performance A/S. I love them as well, they are great for daily driving, more grip on the pavement then I know what to do with, excellent handling on the dirt/gravel as well, and even better in the wet. I also have had one RallyX with them, but it was on a very bumpy, fast, dry, and dusty course so didn't get a real good comparision to my first RallyX which was run on RE92's in a muddy field.

[newbie101]

so what no one else know what kind of tires they like...as for u guys thanks for the feedback

[Azewaldo]

I just get a good all-season for under $100/tire.

O/T a little, but is it OK to run 2 new tires in the front, and 2 1+ year old tires in the rear? Can the center diff handle it?

[Rally OBXT]

Unless they are WAY different, I think you will be ok.

[I Like It Sideways]

I just get a good all-season for under $100/tire.

O/T a little, but is it OK to run 2 new tires in the front, and 2 1+ year old tires in the rear? Can the center diff handle it?

It won't destroy the center diff to do so but I'd advise against it. I'd wait to get 4 new tires.

Although having the balder tires in the rear would provide for some fun oversteer :guitarist:

[T-Heineken]

Alright.....so...I could pick up some of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSis, but only 3 of them in 205/55/16, and one in 205/60/16.... would this be bad for the car (which part/s)?

[I Like It Sideways]

You could do that, then have the larger tire shaved down to size, but IMO that is a waste of money. That would be bad on which ever differential (front or rear) that you put it on. Could also affect the center diff.
Don't do it, if you have to, get a different set of tires that are all the same size.

[strat]

i'm running nokian wr's. they are a pretty good all around tire...

[newbie101]

anyone have a problem with rubbing on 205 60 16's?

[newbie101]

alright no one answered that question...got another one...would it be better to go with 205 60 16 or 215 55 16? stock=205 55 16

[ten80]

I have fit 205/60/16 Hankook winter tires and 215/55/16 Michelin X-ice on my 03 wagon with no rubbing. The former are a tad taller than the latter, but both have a tad more sidewall than stock, which actually makes the speedo more accurate (it runs fast with stock size tires).

Here's a nifty tool for messing with tire sizes: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

I'm now a fan of running slightly oversized tires because of the smooth ride, lower highway RPM's, and generally lower cost than the same width, but lower profile versions. My next set will be either 225/55/16 or 215/55/16. Unfortunately, 215/60/16 is just too huge for my liking, and my lack of turbo would make 5th gear useless on hills. However, there are two local guys running this size on their WRX's with no rubbing.

Here are some good sites to see what is available and find the best possible prices:
http://www.tirerack.com (http://www.tirerack.com/)
http://tires-easy.com (http://tires-easy.com/)
http://www.discounttiredirect.com (http://www.discounttiredirect.com/)

[ten80]

Oh yea, I'd suggest 215/55/16 over 205/60/16 because the extra width significantly increases grip on pavement, but isn't too wide for dirt or snow. 205/60/16 are quite tall and skinny, but it largely comes down to personal preference and depends on the conditions you drive in.

[newbie101]

thanks for the input...well lets put it this way...going to go with the winterforce tires because of the cheap price and the fact that i can beat on them for the fact that they are cheap...dont care about pavement driving....mostly getting the tires for the dirt...still think i should go with the 215?

[ten80]

If you want the best possible dirt performance, then I am not certain if wider is better. Perhaps someone else can chime in.

[bhiku]

I'm not sure about the width, either; but running winter tires on your DD above 40-50 degrees F is gonna give you hella hardcore wear. They will probably be really greasy on the pavement, too. For just the dirt you should be fine. If the WinterForces break this summertime rule, please someone else chime in.

[newbie101]

how many miles u think i will be able to get out of them?...if i can get 15000 out of them then that is fine if not then what would be a good tire for the dirt that is cheap and will be able to get decent mileage out of (if there is a such thing)?

[bhiku]

Sorry, I don't actually have the experience to answer those questions yet. I am sure there are those here that can. Hopefully they'll chime in soon.

If you were looking for just the dirt I know Team Illuminata sells used rally tires, but the size may not work for you. They'd be cheap and good for playing though. Dunno how much DD use they'd stand up to. It seems I have seen a few other vendors offering used rally tires, too.