Best tires for 1991 NSX with original OEM rims?

[alazzaro]

My Acura dealership said the original Z rated Yokohama tires aren't manufactured anymore, and that they recommend the V rated Yokohama tires. Is this the best option if I want to stick with Yokohama? Any other good options? Thanks

 

[Sumeronthechain]

Tire technology has came a long way since the early 90s. There are a bunch of better options than Yokos.

First question is how will the car be driven? DD? Weekend car? Track car?

I suggest going to tirerack.com, enter in your car info, and they will give you a list of compatible tires. Read reviews and figure out what best matches your needs.

 

[nsxtasy]

Unfortunately, none of today's "maximum performance summer tires" - tires that offer great performance and last a while (treadlife being relative for an NSX) - are available in the 205/50-15 and 225/50-16 sizes you'll want to use for the '91-93 NSX. So your best bet is to choose either one of these "extreme performance summer tires", which will give you great performance but the treadlife won't be all that great:

Bridgestone Potenza RE-11
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec
Falken Azenis RT-615K
Kumho Ecsta XS
Toyo Proxes R1R
Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08

Or one of these "ultra high performance summer tires", which will be a significant step down in performance but will last longer than the previous group:

Dunlop Direzza DZ101
Yokohama S.drive

 

[8400RPM]

RE-11 all the way. You can really feel these tires work when the tail steps out a notch they will stick and get traction.

 

[DocL]

Why are you asking a stealership about tires?

There are tow great places to find information about which tires may fit your needs. The first place is here, obviously. The second place is Tire Rack.

I have tried many different brands of tires and ultimately I am now sold on the Star Spec Z1.

 

[alazzaro]

Thanks for the list. I will check these out. The ones the dealership recommended were the Yoko S drives. Glad there are better options.

 

[alazzaro]

I've decided to go with the Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08 for the rear tires.

Right now my front tires are pretty new (9/10). They are Yokohama AVS ES100s, which TireRack classifies as "Ultra High Performance Summer".

Should I go ahead and replace the fronts with the ADVAN Neova AD08 so they match the rears? Will I notice much of a difference? Thanks.

 

[nsxtasy]

I've decided to go with the Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08 for the rear tires.

Right now my front tires are pretty new (9/10). They are Yokohama AVS ES100s, which TireRack classifies as "Ultra High Performance Summer".

Should I go ahead and replace the fronts with the ADVAN Neova AD08 so they match the rears? Will I notice much of a difference? Thanks.

Yes, you will almost certainly notice a difference. I would strongly recommend using four tires of the same model, and not mixing the ES100 with the AD08. Here's why.

On dry pavement, the AD08 will give you much greater traction than the ES100. As a result, the car will significantly "oversteer" with the AD08 in the front; this means that, when you go into turns, the front will grip better than the rear, and the rear end will tend to swing out on you, possibly causing the car to spin.

On wet pavement, the ES100 will give you much greater traction than the AD08. As a result, the car will significantly "understeer" with the AD08 in the front; this means that, when you go into turns, the car will tend to plow straight ahead rather than turning.

And if you go through turns where part of the pavement is dry and you hit a wet patch...

So one option I would recommend is to buy a set of four AD08's now. Another option is to replace your rears with another pair of the Yokohama S.drive, which you can use with your current matching fronts. The car won't grip as well as with the AD08, but at least the handling would be neutral. (And you would only have to buy two tires instead of four.) Then, when you wear out those rears and the fronts are worn down as well, you could get a set of four AD08's.

So I would strongly recommend either spending the money for a set of four AD08's now if you want their added grip, or buying two S.drive's now if you don't mind their lower performance level. I would not mix the two.

HTH

 

[alazzaro]

Just ordered 4 new AD08s.

 

[cmthomson]

I found a set of A022's a while back and I'm loving them! But I know they will be replaced by AD08's.

My question is: should the AD08's be inflated to 33/40 like the OEM A022's?

 

[nsxtasy]

My question is: should the AD08's be inflated to 33/40 like the OEM A022's?

Yes. Of course, any recommended pressure is a starting point, and you can vary from there (preferably in 2 psi increments) to adjust for ride comfort, handling, etc. But that's where I'd start.

 

[alazzaro]

Got the AD08s installed yesterday. Amazing grip and handling. Much better and quieter than my previous AVS ES100s.

 

[Beatles67]

Got the AD08s installed yesterday. Amazing grip and handling. Much better and quieter than my previous AVS ES100s.

Just installed the AD08 as well. Simply amazing tires.

 

[Joa]

Figured I would give a post a shot. A long time has passed. Entering 2022 - what tires are 1991 nsx owners with originals rims using these days (15in front and 16in back)? Tirerack has a very small selection..... Any and all help appreciated.

 

[Honcho]

Figured I would give a post a shot. A long time has passed. Entering 2022 - what tires are 1991 nsx owners with originals rims using these days (15in front and 16in back)? Tirerack has a very small selection..... Any and all help appreciated.

"Best" is subjective and depends on your usage case. Best all-around in the 15/16 sizes is the Continental ECS. It's very highly rated in both wet and dry conditions, including by one of our long-time members [MENTION=16531]stuntman[/MENTION].

If you are a warm weather only driver on dry roads, then it's probably a tie between the Dunlop DZ III and the Falken RT660. Both are top-level extreme performance tires, but not really for wet weather.

 

[Joa]

"Best" is subjective and depends on your usage case. Best all-around in the 15/16 sizes is the Continental ECS. It's very highly rated in both wet and dry conditions, including by one of our long-time members @stuntman.

If you are a warm weather only driver on dry roads, then it's probably a tie between the Dunlop DZ III and the Falken RT660. Both are top-level extreme performance tires, but not really for wet weather.

Thanks [MENTION=18194]Honcho[/MENTION]! Will try the Continental ECS. NSX will be in south florida and mostly looking for an all around tire. Sounds like the Continental ECS fits the bill. I just saw all the ones you listed above are readily available on Tirerack. Great!

Thanks again!

 

[stuntman]

I just introduced Gunther Werk's to the Conti ExtremeContact SPORT tire. They are now using it on their ~$750K Speedster. I'm sure it's good enough for the NSX

 

[Joa]

I just introduced Gunther Werk's to the Conti ExtremeContact SPORT tire. They are now using it on their ~$750K Speedster. I'm sure it's good enough for the NSX

Thanks [MENTION=16531]stuntman[/MENTION]! Purchased on Tirerack and am waiting on delivery. Looking forward to trying them out. Does everyone here always get a precision alignment after a tire change? Happy Holidays to all.

 

[Superhatch]

Thought I would piggyback on this thread instead of starting a new one.

A friend suggested the Yokahama ADVAN Fleva V701 after installing a set on his car (not-nsx) and they seem a bit sportier than the Continentals but they aren't listed as options for our cars because the front tire is only V speed rated (149mph) whereas we should have W rated (168mph).

They are available in OEM sizing (205/50/15 and 225/50/16).

If we aren't planning on going over 150, which I'm not sure my 92 could even do without a runway or stretch of open/flat/empty highway, is it ok to run this tire?

The load rating, wheel width, pressure, etc. are all the same as the Continental. Tire Rack gave me a thumbs up on them as long as I didn't plan on cresting 149mph but wanted to see what the forum thought.

https://www.yokohamatire.com/tires/...UAyGDaRMRS1uVSF83_CkkrsrG1DyQRaxoCBGMQAvD_BwE

 

[docjohn]

I think Honcho liked the fleva.....give em a whirl

 

[Honcho]

Thought I would piggyback on this thread instead of starting a new one.

A friend suggested the Yokahama ADVAN Fleva V701 after installing a set on his car (not-nsx) and they seem a bit sportier than the Continentals but they aren't listed as options for our cars because the front tire is only V speed rated (149mph) whereas we should have W rated (168mph).

They are available in OEM sizing (205/50/15 and 225/50/16).

If we aren't planning on going over 150, which I'm not sure my 92 could even do without a runway or stretch of open/flat/empty highway, is it ok to run this tire?

The load rating, wheel width, pressure, etc. are all the same as the Continental. Tire Rack gave me a thumbs up on them as long as I didn't plan on cresting 149mph but wanted to see what the forum thought.

https://www.yokohamatire.com/tires/...UAyGDaRMRS1uVSF83_CkkrsrG1DyQRaxoCBGMQAvD_BwE

I think Honcho liked the fleva.....give em a whirl

Yep- ran those for years and their predecessor- the s.drive. Great tire and even works on the track. If you can coax your NA1 NSX to 149 mph on a winding road, you are a much better driver than I am. Best I could do was about 125 on the back straight at HPR.

 

[Superhatch]

Awesome to hear. Thanks for all the replies!

 

[nis350]

please post a review after you try out those tires..... :smile:

Awesome to hear. Thanks for all the replies!