Really basic question on tire rotation

[crispin]

I'm sorry to ask such a basic question...

I have wear on the inside of both fronts (michelin Pilot sports) Can I rotate them left to right (obviously the tires would need to be switched, not just the wheels) ?

If I need to replace them, I still have plenty of tread on the rears (also Michelin Pilots) should I really stick with the same product?

thanks (as always)

 

[stuntman]

the Pilot Sports are directional. Like you said, you would have to have your front tires dismounted and re-mounted on the other wheel so the worn inner edge is now the outer edge. You could do this but depending on how worn your tires are, it might not be worth the time and $ to have your front tires re-mounted on the other wheel.

How much were the Pilot Sports? The PS2s are much better IMO. Their are a lot of tires that are better than the PS for the same price. You'll have plenty of Goodyear GSD3 recommendations soon

 

[nsxtasy]

If I need to replace them, I still have plenty of tread on the rears (also Michelin Pilots) should I really stick with the same product?

Well, if you flip them, you can extend their life.

If you decide to replace them, as a general rule it's best to use the same make and model of tires in the rear and in the front. You don't mention which tire you have on the rear (Michelin makes a lot of different tires with the Pilot name, including the Pilot Sport and Pilot Sport PS2, and many others) but if you have the Pilot Sport in the rear and you're replacing the front tires, it's best to get Pilot Sport tires in the front that match the ones in the rear. However, the Pilot Sport doesn't come in any sizes that fit the NSX front (205/50-15, 205/45-16, 215/45-16, 215/40-17, 215/35-18), according to the Tire Rack website (the Michelin website is down).

The PS2s are much better IMO.

The Pilot Sport PS2 doesn't come in any sizes that fit the NSX front, either.

 

[crispin]

Once again, great advice from my Prime colleagues. Thanks NSXtasy & Stuntman.

Wear. On closer inspection the fronts are worn to the indicator on the inside, and have about 2-3/16ths of an inch left on the outrside, so given the NSX set up characteristics I've read about, they have worn to about as evenly as I'd expect. Rears have 1/4 inch to the wear indicator, pretty evenly worn

Brand. They are Michelin Pilot Sports (not PS2s front and back, stock 97 NA2. As pointed out Tire Rack doesn't have much. And even if they did have Pilot Sports, I'd be tempted to try at least an upgrade to Sport 2's. So now I have a slight dilemma. Should I
A) try to find a pair of Pilot Sports (or Sport 2's)
B) given the rears will need to be changed at some time, and I don't want to be locked into an endless cycle of Pilots, do I go for what I eventually will put on the rear (Bridgestones? Goodyears?)
C) if B is truly folly, change the whole lot right now.

Obviously C is the no-compromise solution, it just pains me to change a tire which still has plenty of tread left. Mind, you not sure whether 1/4 inch tread is 'plenty' where NSXs are concerned.

Any advice on options A-C?

 

[nsxtasy]

I would go for B.

I assume that your remark "stock 97" is referring to your wheels, which means they are the stock seven-spoke 16"/17" wheels. You'll want to get 205/45-16 or 215/45-16 tires for the front, and 245/40-17 or 255/40-17 tires for the rear. Ideally, I don't recommend using the 205/45 with the 255/40, as the handling tends to degrade when the "stagger" (difference in treadwidth, front vs rear) is 50 mm or higher, but you can get by that way if it enables you to use up tires.

Neither the Pilot Sport nor the Pilot Sport PS2 is available in 16" sizes. So neither one is an option.

I recommend the Goodyear F1 GS-D3 in 205/45-16 for your front tires. Although it's (obviously) not the same make and model as the rears, I think it's okay to mix them with your Pilot Sport rears. Both these tires (the F1 GS-D3 and the Pilot Sport) have similar design objectives and offer similar performance, so the handling shouldn't be substantially affected (the way it would be with drastically different tires, such as all-season tires with summer tires, etc). Then when your rears need replacing, you can get the F1 GS-D3 in 245/40-17 to match the fronts.

Incidentally, if you're interested in seeing a side-by-side comparison test in which the Goodyear F1 GS-D3 beat the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, click here. And the F1 GS-D3 is significantly less expensive, too.

 

[stuntman]

The Pilot Sport PS2 doesn't come in any sizes that fit the NSX front, either.

235/40-17



*235/40-17 should only be used by people who:

Has 17x7.5 or preferably 17x8 wide wheels
Don't care about tire rubbing at full lock
Don't care about traction control
Won't mitch and boan that they aren't "exact OEM sizes"
Want a better handling and neutral car***
Want less understeer***



FYI - having a different tire model F & R is fine if you know the handling characteristics of each tire and how it affects the platform/balance of the car. This requires pretty in-depth knowledge that is not common for most people. In general it's easier to just keep the same tires F & R, but if you match the characteristics of the tires, it can either be better, worse, or no difference -just like any other aspect of handling (spring rates, swaybar, tire width, offset, etc...)

-some will disagree with this statement, but then again some don't have enough knowledge on the subject to believe it.

 

[crispin]

Ok, that all makes sense. The Car & Driver article NSXtasy linked me to is great, and Goodyear's are the clear winners there.

The front's are 215/45 16, a size which does not seem to be available in Goodyear F1 GS-D3. You suggested I can run with 205/45 16 (which as I'm sure you knew!) is available. So here is my new question - What is the effect on performance of this?

Will the effect be too small for an average driver like me to notice? Since you suggested it I'd guess it is a pretty modest change, but wanted to double check. For example, does the benefit of the tire technology of Goodyear's over say Hankook's outweigh any disadvantages in having a 2015 vs the 215 size?

thanks again!

 

[nsxtasy]

What is the effect on performance of this?

Insignificant.

Will the effect be too small for an average driver like me to notice?

Yes.

does the benefit of the tire technology of Goodyear's over say Hankook's outweigh any disadvantages in having a 205 vs the 215 size?

Yes, definitely.