Tire Suggestions Please

[Racinfan83]

I know I've been over this some in the past - long story short I got the car with brand new Nitto 555 Extreme tires on it. Have a serious vibration - after a couple places tried to balance them and failed - I had em Road Force balanced and they failed. Called Nitto, sent the tech guy all my invoices and info - they called the dealer who Road Forced them and also my local Nitto dealer and told him to get the tires and work out installation. Get here today and when the Shop Mgr calls Nitto for a warranty # he tells him they aren't going to warranty them because I wasn't the original purchaser. Didn't matter that they have less then
1/32 worn off of them and they obviously were new and defective. So now this shop is screwed and so am I - because this Nitto Tech :censored: lied all along. The Mgr. here at NTB is being really cool about it and not charging me special order charges or for the time they have spent. Nitto can :censored: as far as I'm concerned as they have led me and the shop to believe they were covering them only to wait til last minute and deny it...

SO - I am looking for suggestions on what to put on my car - (NOT Nitto). I don't race it, so I need something that will work for normal driving and on the highway. While I don't intend to ever drive it in rain - I might get caught in it someday so the tires gotta be somewhat "rain ready". And no I cannot afford the Goodyears. Gotta spend less the a grand on whatever set I get. Any help, links, etc would be much appreciated!

[GOLDCYLON]

I like the Goodyear F1 GS DS series however they are next to impossible to find these days. Since you have ruled out Nitto's.... My advise is Michelin Pilot Sports.

Dont even consider Sumitomo's GC

[efnfast]

I run the Pilot Sports and like them, although I have nothing to compare them to.

[WARP TEN]

I know not everyone likes them but I have had Sumitomos on both the ZR-1s and they have been fine. Don 't seem to flat spot as much as the early Sumis did, they are inexpensive and drive fine. They are not real great for drag racing traction. I have them now and they are fine, although they are getting older and I may change in the spring. Haven't decided what. I was thinking of the Nittos....:-) --Bob

[Kevin]

my plan is go nitto next time, I was considering gsd3 or the early viper tyers but I don't have that kind of cash

[batchman]

I know you're past this, but -

Did all 4 fail road force balance???

Did anyone try re-indexing the tires on the wheels, and/or check for bent wheels? You'd be surprised how many bent aluminum wheels there are on the roads, and it doesn't take much of a bend to be felt.

Hard to believe you could really have 4 bad tires. And don't be so sure about blaming Nitto, do you really know what your prior owner did with the car? I hit a highway bridge seam with my 97 Lincoln 18 months ago, you know the kind where they post "BUMP" and it's usually nothing. Well this one wasn't nothing, and I did slow to 55-60 or so but still one tire failed that day and the other front failed three months ago (12k miles later).

And FWIW I've had good luck with Sumis on several cars, including the "going to the inspection station" tires on the ZR-1 (only street driven for transport).

And also FWIW I've found 2 places that will warranty without proof of original purchase - cars and hand tools. On anything else I can think of if I didn't give them the money I can't picture them happily giving back to me.

Best,
- Jeff

[ZZZZZR1]

I like the Goodyear F1 GS DS series however they are next to impossible to find these days. Since you have ruled out Nitto's.... My advise is Michelin Pilot Sports.

Dont even consider Sumitomo's GC

I run the Pilot Sports and like them, although I have nothing to compare them to.

I agree 100% with Michelin Pilot Sports.

275 / 40 / 17

335 / 35 / 17

Fit our cars 100% and unreal road quality.

Sumi's are great for a budget and if you don't drive your car much.

Goodyear F1's are another great tire and one of the best in the rain.

:cheers:

David

[Racinfan83]

I will look at the Michelins. Update: I did - and no way can I afford those.. The Goodyears are $300 less and I can't do them...:cry:
And all the dealer who did the Road Force said was that "Tires Failed" due to bad sidewalls and that they were ordering 4 new ones (which didn't happen either) And it feels like all 4 are bad...
While I understand somewhat the position about "original invoice" these tires are OBVIOUSLY like BRAND NEW (MAYBE 3k miles on em). And I would think that Nitto would at the least be interested in why they failed? I mean come on - by what they told me today if I had bought the car from a dealer who had bought the tires new - and they were friggin SQUARE - they still wouldn't warranty them? I supplied the guy with all the info he wanted - even TOLD him both in the first e-mail I sent and on the first phone conversation that I was NOT the original purchaser. He could have told me straight up what their policy was and that they wouldn't do anything. I woulda been ticked - but not as bad as I am NOW after working with this guy AND the local NTB Mgr working with him and all he has done to get this worked out - only to get shot down after both of us being led to believe that Nitto was gonna cover it.

[ZZZZZR1]

I'll forward this thread to Robert. He has the tire connection!

:cheers:

David

[SteelBlueZR1]

Sorry for your troubles; I can empathize with your pain. I cannot recommend enough Vredstein Ultrac Sessentra tires in OEM sizes for your Z. Have had them for two years and have won several autocrosses against Vettes running tires costing 3 times as much! They are ultra quiet, smooth riding like on air, and show no wear with a 300 tread wear rating. They have a cool rain dispersing tread that plowed thru 2" of standing water and wet grip that is confidence inspiring. Can't say enough good things regardless of price - about $800 shipped for 4! Available here and 4.8/5 ratings from users: www.performanceplustire.com/productReview/?productID=3678#pr-header-back-to-top-link

[WVZR-1]

I realize the "bad taste" after the experience but since you appear to have few alternatives and now have had what seems like to have been a good experience with the NTB guy maybe give him the option of maybe helping you.

In your original thread I and others suggested "possibilities". Perhaps since the tires have so little wear investigate the options. Did you actually get the "road-force" report from the 2nd dealer the 2nd time around?

I suggested in your other thread marking the weight locations, valve stem locations and if you had situations on your 2nd visit to the 2nd dealer ask about repositioning the tires on the wheels. I'm guessing there was no attempt at that, the 2nd dealer said "failed" and then the bad experience. -Jeff has pretty much suggested the same again here and I see no reason to start spending on tires quite yet. I also mentioned in your other thread that maybe "wheels" might be in your future.

I'd think it foolish to rush to a tire buy right now.

If the NTB guy has "road-force" let him attempt a correction of the ones that appear to have "failed" by repositioning the tire. Bring the wheels into the conversation with the NTB guy - consider the next buy if there needs to be one from the NTB guy. It would be good if you had a similar experience with "whatever" the brand you could deal with it locally. With your recent experiences I can't imagine you're interested in a buy that isn't done "locally"!

Perhaps if there were a quantity of less than 4 involved Nitto may "rethink" their position. I realize they've aggravated you BUT -----

Revisit maybe your original thread:

http://www.zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?t=21242&highlight=road+force

[Racinfan83]

I did mark the weight locations and all that. There was no change after the Road Force. The dealer that did that gave me the "report" which said "tires failed". That was all I got from them. NTB does not have the Road Force balancer. And yes, since the guy was very cool I will buy my next set of "normal" tires for one of my DD's from him. He straight up told me that I would be better off with this car to buy the tires online and then have them mount them. Will probably do that if it comes to that....
As far as the wheels - I would think the RF machine would have found a bent or out of spec wheel? (I don't know, I'm asking..) And it sure feels like the vibration is coming from all 4 - not just one. I have enough driving experience I can usually figure out which ONE is off - and this deal doesn't feel like just one...

[cvette98pacecar]

The Wholesale account should be available in the next couple of weeks. I have been reading threw the string and was caught up in the same problem with PS2. I told direct tire that I was not going to use one of my tire insurance warranty to replace a tire that was defective since day one.

Number of tires found: 25 Availability Wholesale Price


Nitto NT 555 Extreme Performance
Make no mistake, this tire is built for performance.
P275/40ZR-17 98W
UTQG: 300AA

$119.00

Qty:

Cooper Zeon RS3-A
Inspires confidence and control in all seasons.
275/40R17 98W BLK
UTQG: 500AA
$128.00

Qty:

Kumho Ecsta 4X KU22
Ultra-high performance all season.
275/40R17 98W BSW
UTQG: 420AA

$129.00

Qty:

BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2
Accelerate faster, corner harder, & brake shorter for next-level control and next-level fun on the street.
275/40ZR17 98W BSW
UTQG: 340AA

$135.00

Qty:

Nitto Motivo
Ultra high performance and all-weather traction.
275/40ZR17 98W BLK
UTQG: 560AA

$141.00

Qty:

Nitto NT05
Maximum performance summer tire.
275/40ZR17 98W B
UTQG: 200AA

$150.00

Qty:

Falken Azenis FK453
The ultimate in high performance technology.
275/40ZR17 98Y BLT
UTQG: 300AA

$151.00

Qty:

Continental ExtremeContact DW
Ultra-high performance. Z-speed rated.
275/40R17 98W BSW
UTQG: 340AA

$151.00

Qty:

Cooper Zeon RS3-S
Ultra-high performance summer tire.
275/40R17 98W BLK
UTQG: 300AA

$153.00

Qty:

BFGoodrich g-Force Super Sport A/S
No-compromise year-round handling and performance. Z-speed rated.
275/40ZR-17 98W BSW
UTQG: 400AA

$153.00

Qty:

[cvette98pacecar]

Continental ExtremeContact DWS
All-season performance and improved fuel economy.
275/40ZR17 98W BSW
UTQG: 540AA

$155.00

Qty:

Nitto NT 555R Drag Radial
Get the competitive advantage at the track and on the street
275/40R-17 93V B
UTQG: 100AA

$157.00

Qty:

Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric All Season
Ultra high performance in all seasons.
275/40ZR17 98W B
UTQG: 500AA

$163.00

Qty:

Nitto NT05R Drag Radial
Road-legal competition drag radial.
P275/40R17 93 BLK
UTQG: 0BBB

$165.00

Qty:

BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW NT
Killer dry and wet.
275/40R-17 98Y BSW
UTQG: 300AA

$188.77

Qty:

Falken Azenis RT-615K
Street legal motorsports and DOT approved track competition tire.
275/40R17 98W BLK
UTQG: 200AA

$189.00

Qty:

BFGoodrich g-Force T/A Drag Radial Original Tread
Drag radial delivers maximum traction under extreme acceleration.
P275/40R17 93 TT RB
UTQG: 0BCC

$193.00

Qty:

Nitto NT-01
D.O.T. approved competition radial.
275/40ZR-17 98W BLK
UTQG: 100AA
More info...
AZ 6
OH 6
TX 6
$200.00

Qty:

Hankook Z214 Road Racing C51
Road-legal competition tires.
275/40ZR-17 98Z BLK
UTQG: 40CA
More info...
AZ 0
OH 0
TX 0
$211.00

Qty:

Hankook Ventus Z214 C71
Road-legal competition tire.
275/40ZR-17 98Z BLK
UTQG: 40CA

$231.00

Qty:

[cvette98pacecar]

Kumho V700 Victoracer
DOT approved competition tire.
275/40ZR-17 98
UTQG: 50AA
More info...
AZ 0
OH 0
TX 0
$235.00

Qty:

Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
Ultra-high performance luxury.
275/40ZR-17 98Y RRBL
UTQG: 220AA
More info...
AZ 7
OH 7
TX 11
$270.00

Qty:

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3
European-Designed Ultra Performance Radial. Z-speed rated.
275/40ZR-17 98Y VSB
UTQG: 280AA
More info...
AZ 0
OH 0
TX 0
$284.05

Qty:

Kumho Ecsta V710
Please call for information on this product.
275/40R-17 98W BSW
UTQG: 30CA
More info...
AZ 0
OH 0
TX 0
$286.00

Qty:

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS
High-Performance Tire
P275/40ZR-17 98W FRD
UTQG: 300AA
More info...
AZ 0
OH 0
TX 0
$322.00

Qty:

[cvette98pacecar]

Nitto NT 555R Drag Radial
Get the competitive advantage at the track and on the street
315/35R-17 102V B
UTQG: 100AA
More info...
AZ 4
OH 24
TX 16
$173.97
Qty:

Nitto NT05R Drag Radial
Road-legal competition drag radial.
P315/35R17 102 BLK
UTQG: 0BBB
More info...
AZ 5
OH 5
TX 11
$178.00

Qty:

Nitto NT 555 Extreme Performance
Make no mistake, this tire is built for performance.
315/35ZR-17 102W BLK
UTQG: 300AA
More info...
AZ 2
OH 9
TX 4
$181.00

Qty:

BFGoodrich g-Force T/A Drag Radial Original Tread
Drag radial delivers maximum traction under extreme acceleration.
P315/35R17 93 TT RB
UTQG: 0BCC
More info...
AZ 5
OH 4
TX 0
$201.00

Qty:

Nitto NT05
Maximum performance summer tire.
315/35ZR17 102W B
UTQG: 200AA
More info...
AZ 5
OH 0
TX 10
$212.00

Qty:

Nitto NT-01
D.O.T. approved competition radial.
P315/35ZR-17 102Z B
UTQG: 100AA
More info...
AZ 0
OH 5
TX 9
$230.00

Qty:

Kumho V700 Victoracer
DOT approved competition tire.
315/35ZR-17 102Z BSW
UTQG: 50AA
More info...
AZ 0
OH 0
TX 0
$239.00

Qty:

Kumho Ecsta XS
Ultra high performance and handling.
315/35R-17 102W BSW
UTQG: 180AA
More info...
AZ 0
OH 0
TX 0
$257.00

Qty:

Kumho Ecsta V710
Please call for information on this product.
315/35R-17 102W BSW
UTQG: 30CA
More info...

[bradley]

something you might want to ck is your brake rotors. I had the same problem and found that my rotors were slightly warped /.

[USAZR1]

What are you guys running for 335 rears? Doesn't seem like much of a selection in either 17's or 18's and what's available is really expensive.

[FU]

What are you guys running for 335 rears? Doesn't seem like much of a selection in either 17's or 18's and what's available is really expensive.

PS2's really expensive. But worth it.

[USAZR1]

PS2's really expensive. But worth it.


Almost $1,000 for a pair,though. Ouch!

[Racinfan83]

Hey cvette98pacecar - what is up with all those tires/prices you posted? Are those something we can order from YOU or what???

[cvette98pacecar]

Hey cvette98pacecar - what is up with all those tires/prices you posted? Are those something we can order from YOU or what???

Those are the prices once the Registry has an wholesale account.


Kumho Ecsta V710
Please call for information on this product.
335/35R-17 106W BSW
UTQG: 30CA
More info...
AZ 0
OH 0
TX 0
$315.00

Qty:

Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
Ultra-high performance luxury.
335/35ZR-17 106Y BSW
UTQG: 220AA
More info...
AZ 2
OH 6
TX 0
$405.00

Qty:

Pirelli P Zero System
Pirelli's most advanced ultra high performance tire.
335/35ZR-17 106Y B
UTQG: 140AA
More info...
AZ 0
OH 0
TX 0
$558.00

Qty:

[USAZR1]

Those are the prices once the Registry has an wholesale account.


How & when will the registry have an account?

[dredgeguy]

After looking at the options and prices, I purchased 4 new Michelin PS 2's from Costco. Including balance, lifetime road hazard warranty, mounting, MD state tax was about $1650 out the door. I had a little vibration so I took the car with the new tires to my Chevy dealer for a road force balance which Costco does not have. They spun all 4 tires but one would still not balance correctly. I drove back to Costco with the report and they changed the problem tire immediately at no cost. Another thing that impressed me, they reordered the tires 4 times (took about 2 days each time for the special order). The first 3 times the date codes were 2.5-3 years old and Costco told me their policy to accept a tire is maximum 2 years old while Michelin's policy to sell is 3 years old. They kept after it until it was right. So far, been very happy with them.

[cvette98pacecar]

How & when will the registry have an account?

I know a guy that knows a guy that can get things like this done.

The truth is we have a lot of buying power that was not utilized in the past. If you think about it our group while small has roughly 2000 cars where the tires need to be replaced every three to four years. It is smart business for any company to deal with us directly.

[Racinfan83]

I know a guy that knows a guy that can get things like this done.

The truth is we have a lot of buying power that was not utilized in the past. If you think about it our group while small has roughly 2000 cars where the tires need to be replaced every three to four years. It is smart business for any company to deal with us directly.

How will we know when this is active? Will it be posted here or will it be a "members only" thing?

[cvette98pacecar]

How will we know when this is active? Will it be posted here or will it be a "members only" thing?

Yes, This will be a members benefit. As soon as we get an account I will do a group buy for the first order.

[Mystic ZR-1]

Tentative prices are great compared to Tire Rack, which aren't too bad to start with!

[cvette98pacecar]

Tentative prices are great compared to Tire Rack, which aren't too bad to start with!

Doug, These are the prices. I have access to the wholesale web page.

[dredgeguy]

Great prices Robert. Checked what I paid for the PS2's and they were $478 including mounting/regular balance on the rear vs your $405. Good job!

[WVZR-1]

Great prices Robert. Checked what I paid for the PS2's and they were $478 including mounting/regular balance on the rear vs your $405. Good job!

Consider though the service you received and the "road hazard" - I thought your experience was a very good experience with "no aggravation". You receive 36 month date coded product from an Internet purchase your options are? The exchange if a situation arises is resolved how easily?

What did the dealer charge you for the road-force? The one that "failed" was relocated on the wheel to attempt or just the "failed" and you did the exchange.

There's no doubt the direct comparison seems advantageous but add mount, balance and incidentals?

[dredgeguy]

Consider though the service you received and the "road hazard" - I thought your experience was a very good experience with "no aggravation". You receive 36 month date coded product from an Internet purchase your options are? The exchange if a situation arises is resolved how easily?

What did the dealer charge you for the road-force? The one that "failed" was relocated on the wheel to attempt or just the "failed" and you did the exchange.

There's no doubt the direct comparison seems advantageous but add mount, balance and incidentals?

The Chevy dealer charged $69.99 for road force balance on all 4 tires. After the one could not be corrected, I returned it to Costco and they replaced it with no questions asked. Then I went back to the Chevy dealer and while they could have charged me to road force the new tire, they gave me a break and did it at no charge.