Just bought a DC2 - what tyres?
Discussion
I've just bought an Integra DC2 which needs 4 new tyres. Does anyone have any advice on what I could go for?
The car will be used on the Ring in a couple of weeks time, but mostly road use thereafter. OEM tyre size is 195/55/15.
I've heard with a high tyre wall I should avoid Toyo T1R's to preserve the DC2's sharp turn in.
Is it worth me going for XL tyres for extra stiffness? Or maybe going to 195/50/15? Is there any downside to not going for the OEM recommended size?
And with the tyre itself, does anyone have experince with the Hankook K125? Reviews seem good.
The car will be used on the Ring in a couple of weeks time, but mostly road use thereafter. OEM tyre size is 195/55/15.
I've heard with a high tyre wall I should avoid Toyo T1R's to preserve the DC2's sharp turn in.
Is it worth me going for XL tyres for extra stiffness? Or maybe going to 195/50/15? Is there any downside to not going for the OEM recommended size?
And with the tyre itself, does anyone have experince with the Hankook K125? Reviews seem good.
topless360 said:
I've heard with a high tyre wall I should avoid Toyo T1R's to preserve the DC2's sharp turn in.
No, to keep it simple just avoid them, they are terrible tyres.It really depends on how single purpose you want the tyres to be.
If you are just using them for a 'Ring trip & then normal driving just use normal road tyres, go to www.tyrereviews.co.uk & find the best you can.
Typically this will probably be CSC5/6s, F1 Assy 2/3, or RT Sport Maxx.
All 3 score VERY highly when you look at the "all tests" tab on the individual tyre data pages.
FYI the 'Ring is not very heavy on tyres, so dedicated track tyres are not really a massive advantage, especially on a regular (ish) road car.
E-bmw said:
If you are just using them for a 'Ring trip & then normal driving just use normal road tyres, go to www.tyrereviews.co.uk & find the best you can.
Typically this will probably be CSC5/6s, F1 Assy 2/3, or RT Sport Maxx.
All 3 score VERY highly when you look at the "all tests" tab on the individual tyre data pages.
FYI the 'Ring is not very heavy on tyres, so dedicated track tyres are not really a massive advantage, especially on a regular (ish) road car.
After the Ring trip I'll only use it on weekends for fun, so a good turn in and grip is important. I don't mind compromising on other areas as it won't be a daily.Typically this will probably be CSC5/6s, F1 Assy 2/3, or RT Sport Maxx.
All 3 score VERY highly when you look at the "all tests" tab on the individual tyre data pages.
FYI the 'Ring is not very heavy on tyres, so dedicated track tyres are not really a massive advantage, especially on a regular (ish) road car.
Sounds like 195/50/15 opens up a lot of options. Any downsides to using this size compared to OEM size?
T1R's should be avoided simply because their sidewalls share the same properties of a marshmallow.
195/50/15's will be fine on the teg having had 3 DC2's in the family both used for track and road, You'll get marginally lower gearing and a minute speedo deviation with the 195/50/15 to be pedantic.
From a personal point of view I would use AD08-R, Federal RSR or Nankang NS2-R. Stiff sidewalls, Excellent grip and relatively good wear rates whilst capable of dealing with wet roads, I would say the AD08-R is the better of the 3 for wet stuff.
Hard to ignore these choices with the prices compared to some premium road tyres too, Although Potenza RE002 are another great choice whilst being more road biased and reminiscent of the old RE10's which the DC2 wore from factory.
195/50/15's will be fine on the teg having had 3 DC2's in the family both used for track and road, You'll get marginally lower gearing and a minute speedo deviation with the 195/50/15 to be pedantic.
From a personal point of view I would use AD08-R, Federal RSR or Nankang NS2-R. Stiff sidewalls, Excellent grip and relatively good wear rates whilst capable of dealing with wet roads, I would say the AD08-R is the better of the 3 for wet stuff.
Hard to ignore these choices with the prices compared to some premium road tyres too, Although Potenza RE002 are another great choice whilst being more road biased and reminiscent of the old RE10's which the DC2 wore from factory.
If you're looking at dedicated track tyres, (which if you have space to store makes much more sense). For track I use 195 50 15s , and the standard 195/205 45 16s the Clio comes with are saved for looks/road use. It opens up loads more choice, and saves lots.
But even if you don't want to change size between road/track, its still makes sense having two sets, as british weather doesnt really lend itself to having track based tyres on tintops, a good brand of road tyre will serve as a better happy medium, if the car is used in all seasons/weathers.
Having 2 sets also means you can spend a bit more money (or find some cheap part worn), as you are not wearing soft compounds on normal road use. Also means you can safely get home from trackdays without having to worry thropughout the day that you are gonna wear them beyond legal limits.
If you keep an eye on used market there are plenty of brands to try. Buying cheap used (does carry a risk) but also carries benefits of being able to try out various brands fora few track days, then replacing in quick succession, you can then decide on a favourite and by new or keep playing around.
I have tried the budget brands (nankang/federal) and prefer to spend a little extra on tyres like R888s - they will feel and last better than the NS2Rs and 585Rs, which are still budget brands, they have just bridged in to the track arena.
If the opportunity arises try some of the more expensive versions like Avon ZZRs, or DZ03G, these will open your eyes as to what proper tyres can do!
But even if you don't want to change size between road/track, its still makes sense having two sets, as british weather doesnt really lend itself to having track based tyres on tintops, a good brand of road tyre will serve as a better happy medium, if the car is used in all seasons/weathers.
Having 2 sets also means you can spend a bit more money (or find some cheap part worn), as you are not wearing soft compounds on normal road use. Also means you can safely get home from trackdays without having to worry thropughout the day that you are gonna wear them beyond legal limits.
If you keep an eye on used market there are plenty of brands to try. Buying cheap used (does carry a risk) but also carries benefits of being able to try out various brands fora few track days, then replacing in quick succession, you can then decide on a favourite and by new or keep playing around.
I have tried the budget brands (nankang/federal) and prefer to spend a little extra on tyres like R888s - they will feel and last better than the NS2Rs and 585Rs, which are still budget brands, they have just bridged in to the track arena.
If the opportunity arises try some of the more expensive versions like Avon ZZRs, or DZ03G, these will open your eyes as to what proper tyres can do!
agree on the RE002's - I have them on my NSX - they are very good - as I understand they are a modern performance tyre for Japanese classics and therefore available in 'retro' sizes - 15" and 16". Good turn in, and they withstand temperature well. Wear is pretty good, I should get nearly 5000 miles from the set of rears including a couple of trackdays.
On my DC2 I've run all sorts, in a 55 series profile I'd agree you want a stiff sidewall, for 50 series, I'd be less concerned. I usually run 50 as there is a wider variety of tyres. you can run a 205/50 on the standard uk 15" rims as another option. Japanese tyres (bridgestone, Yokohama) tend to favor a stiffer sidewall. For semi-slicks, they are very noisy in a DC2 as the car itself has very little sound insulation - I like A048s and the old Kuhmo V70A best. they do make the car sound like it needs new wheel bearing which can get tedious on the road!
For budget tyres, Hankook V12's were pretty good for the money.
On my DC2 I've run all sorts, in a 55 series profile I'd agree you want a stiff sidewall, for 50 series, I'd be less concerned. I usually run 50 as there is a wider variety of tyres. you can run a 205/50 on the standard uk 15" rims as another option. Japanese tyres (bridgestone, Yokohama) tend to favor a stiffer sidewall. For semi-slicks, they are very noisy in a DC2 as the car itself has very little sound insulation - I like A048s and the old Kuhmo V70A best. they do make the car sound like it needs new wheel bearing which can get tedious on the road!
For budget tyres, Hankook V12's were pretty good for the money.
Thanks for all the advice chaps. I think on balance I'm leaning towards a good performance road tyre as I don't think I'll be pushing the car to it's extreme. Especially not on the Ring.
I can't seem to find the RE002 in 195/50/15, I've checked on the likes of Camskill, Black Circles and My Tyres, seems to be out of stock.
I've seen some good deals on the Yokohama Prada Spec 2 in 195/55/15. Anyone have experience of this tyre?
I can't seem to find the RE002 in 195/50/15, I've checked on the likes of Camskill, Black Circles and My Tyres, seems to be out of stock.
I've seen some good deals on the Yokohama Prada Spec 2 in 195/55/15. Anyone have experience of this tyre?
topless360 said:
Thanks for all the advice chaps. I think on balance I'm leaning towards a good performance road tyre as I don't think I'll be pushing the car to it's extreme. Especially not on the Ring.
I can't seem to find the RE002 in 195/50/15, I've checked on the likes of Camskill, Black Circles and My Tyres, seems to be out of stock.
I've seen some good deals on the Yokohama Prada Spec 2 in 195/55/15. Anyone have experience of this tyre?
You should be able to get the RE002 in 195/55/15, although may still have the same stocking issues.I can't seem to find the RE002 in 195/50/15, I've checked on the likes of Camskill, Black Circles and My Tyres, seems to be out of stock.
I've seen some good deals on the Yokohama Prada Spec 2 in 195/55/15. Anyone have experience of this tyre?
Regarding the yokohama, I've run the PS2 in a 195/50/15 on my DC2. it was ok, wears quickly, esp on the edges as the sidewall isn't as stiff as you'd maybe expect. it's quite an old design now. The RE002 is a lot better. If they are particularly cheap, then go for it, but they aren't as aggressive a tyre as their funky design would suggest. one advantage of them is that they are asymmetric so you can rotate them without issues to get more even wear across a set
if you can't get the RE002, I'd go with the yokohama AD08.
These cars need stiff sidewalls as per the original set up.
I've owned several DC2's and I once had the misfortune to buy a Dc2 with a set of new Toyo Proxy's, it didn't drive anything like it should and the tyres were binned for a set of Bridgestones within a week.
The Bridgestone RE002 are good on an Integra and will cope with occasional track days. I would go for Yoko Ad08's if you are wanting to use more track than road. 195/50/15's also work fine and opens up more options than sticking to 195/55's.
https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/bridgestone...
I've owned several DC2's and I once had the misfortune to buy a Dc2 with a set of new Toyo Proxy's, it didn't drive anything like it should and the tyres were binned for a set of Bridgestones within a week.
The Bridgestone RE002 are good on an Integra and will cope with occasional track days. I would go for Yoko Ad08's if you are wanting to use more track than road. 195/50/15's also work fine and opens up more options than sticking to 195/55's.
https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/bridgestone...
Thanks PH!
Gassing Station | Track Days | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff