street tires for PNW "summers"?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,426
Total Cats: 266
street tires for PNW "summers"?
Looking for advice on a set of dedicated summer wheel/tires that can handle cool/wet/dirty conditions.
My current 195/50 all seasons can't even handle N/A power if the road is damp, so I'm ready to buy dedicated summer wheels and tires to support my turbo build. This is a MK turbo build with a target of 200-225WHP.
I live north of Seattle, so even the summers are relatively cold and damp. Average low temperatures should be above 50f from late April until early October, so I plan to use the summer setup during these months. I DD the car when it isn't raining hard, but I commute early in the morning and only drive 16 miles. I'm looking for max grip in a tire that can handle cool wet conditions, but not necessarily a ton of standing water. The fun part of my drive is in the first 5 miles, so I'd prefer something that doesn't take a long time to warm up. I also live on a 700 ft gravel road, so I prefer a tread that can shed gravel quickly.
I've got a fender roller, so I'm open to any 15x8 or 15x9 options.
My current 195/50 all seasons can't even handle N/A power if the road is damp, so I'm ready to buy dedicated summer wheels and tires to support my turbo build. This is a MK turbo build with a target of 200-225WHP.
I live north of Seattle, so even the summers are relatively cold and damp. Average low temperatures should be above 50f from late April until early October, so I plan to use the summer setup during these months. I DD the car when it isn't raining hard, but I commute early in the morning and only drive 16 miles. I'm looking for max grip in a tire that can handle cool wet conditions, but not necessarily a ton of standing water. The fun part of my drive is in the first 5 miles, so I'd prefer something that doesn't take a long time to warm up. I also live on a 700 ft gravel road, so I prefer a tread that can shed gravel quickly.
I've got a fender roller, so I'm open to any 15x8 or 15x9 options.
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,426
Total Cats: 266
Dunlop DZ102's & ZII star specs are listed as 2lbs lighter than all the other 205/50 tires on tire rack. DZ102's look comparable to s drives on paper, and they are cheaper & lighter. Anyone have real world experience with any of these three tires?
#11
I had S-Drives, now on ZII*. S-Drives did fine in the rain for me, and people seem to like them more than the DZ102s. The ZII* has WAY more grip though. On a whole different planet. Definitely louder, harsher, and will wear faster, but for me totally worth it.
Based on my relative positioning between last year's auto-x season finale (dry, S-Drives), and this year's opener (wet, ZII*) I'm estimating that the tire change was worth at least 2 seconds on a 40 second course.
S-Drives had plenty of life left in them when I took them off.
Based on my relative positioning between last year's auto-x season finale (dry, S-Drives), and this year's opener (wet, ZII*) I'm estimating that the tire change was worth at least 2 seconds on a 40 second course.
S-Drives had plenty of life left in them when I took them off.
#14
Traction is laughable with my 300ish whp and allofthe EFR torque, but that's what the 245 VR1s are for.
#15
I have Star Specs, in 255/35/18 on my BRZ and they are almost down to the wear bars and I've hydroplaned exactly 1 time. Doing 55mph on a divided 4 lane and ran across maybe a 5" deep puddle.
Other than that, don't drive like an *** in the rain. I've done track days on R888s and toasted R1Rs in the rain as well. You have to adjust to the conditions.
#16
Don't drive 95mph in a pouring rain?
I have Star Specs, in 255/35/18 on my BRZ and they are almost down to the wear bars and I've hydroplaned exactly 1 time. Doing 55mph on a divided 4 lane and ran across maybe a 5" deep puddle.
Other than that, don't drive like an *** in the rain. I've done track days on R888s and toasted R1Rs in the rain as well. You have to adjust to the conditions.
I have Star Specs, in 255/35/18 on my BRZ and they are almost down to the wear bars and I've hydroplaned exactly 1 time. Doing 55mph on a divided 4 lane and ran across maybe a 5" deep puddle.
Other than that, don't drive like an *** in the rain. I've done track days on R888s and toasted R1Rs in the rain as well. You have to adjust to the conditions.