tire advise for street 17 / 18 combo. Tire experts please help.

[97CTSC]

I am upgrading the wheels on my nsx from the stock 16 / 17 to 17 / 18.

After doing the search and based on what i have read I believe that probably the best combo for me will be a 215 /40 /17 and a 265 /35 /18. (i would like to have a wider tire in the front.. but i will not put up with any rubbing. So this goal has dictated the front size, and based on the desire to keep the car neutral has led me to the 265 in the rear-- avoiding just putting a 285 back their because it could fit)

first question... what do you guys that actually have experience with 17/18's on the nsx think about my choice based on my goal of no rubbing and neutral handling? do you have a better idea for the 17 / 18 combo

Second question. What tire do you recommend? The front and rear tires have to match. Based on this and the above size's i think i am limited to the Potensa s0s's, Pilot sports, and Goodyear eagle F1's. (another bit of info is i love the s02's on my s2000 (they stick like glue) the desire to get s02's was leading me to go with 225/35/17 and 275/35/18 but i now cannot seem to located the s02's in the front size)

What i'm looking for.
(1)the most grip possible and predictble loss of grip at max. (i'm not concerned about treadlife)
(2)rain performanace is not important.. this car will never be drivin in the rain... and in southern Ca.. getting caught is not a concern.
(3) Quiet. i don't want to hear the tires.

so which tire and what size do you recommend for me.

Thanks so much for the help

 

[NSX/MR2]

I have heard great things about SO2 on every cars, not just the NSX. Go with 215/40-17 in the front and 275/35-18 in the back. They will fit and will be an improvement over stocks in the handling department.

 

[LeftLane]

I went with the tire sizes listed above by nsx/mr2, and I have no rubbing or TCS issues. I also went from 16/17 to 17/18 and I really like the way they fill up the wheel well.

I went with Yoko AVS ES100 because I was willing to give up some in max performance for better tread life and better pricing. From my own research and inquiries about which tires to select, most suggested either S03s or Yoko AVS Sport if you aren't going to use OEM tires.

Good Luck!

Todd

 

[Hugh]

I have heard great things about SO2 on every cars, not just the NSX. Go with 215/40-17 in the front and 275/35-18 in the back. They will fit and will be an improvement over stocks in the handling department.

Could this combination be used on a 1993 NSX and not encounter rubbing or TCS issues?

Is there any particular offset that I need to know about if I buy aftermarket wheels?

 

[whiteNSXs]

Also, the choice of wheels is just as important. The Volk TE37s are awesome wheels to have for their extreme light weights and strength.
Steve

 

[NSX/MR2]

Could this combination be used on a 1993 NSX and not encounter rubbing or TCS issues?

Is there any particular offset that I need to know about if I buy aftermarket wheels?

Yes, it can be used on a 93, as my buddy who has it has a '91 NSX. It looks freaking awesome with the set.

Go with 7.5 in the fronts and 9.5 or 10 in the rears.

 

[FuryNSX]

I went with Yoko AVS ES100 because I was willing to give up some in max performance for better tread life and better pricing. From my own research and inquiries about which tires to select, most suggested either S03s or Yoko AVS Sport if you aren't going to use OEM tires.

97CTSC,

I have tires in the size you list. 265s or 275s rears should be fine with no TCS issues. With the 215/40/17 front, you start to limit your choices with tires that match those front and rear sizes.

I initially tried Dunlop SP9000s and was extremely dissapointed with their performance. Also, with the wheels I had at the time (5Zigen Copse), I was experiencing some rubbing on the inside of the wheel well at extreme tire lock. I was not rubbing on the fender along the wheel arch. (My car has a mild 3/4 inch drop in the front.)

In my search for a replacement set, I looked at Yokohama AVS Sports. Unfortunately they don't make an appropriate size for a 17 inch front wheel. Instead, I settled on the S-03s. I have been extremely happy with them.

Based on your three requirements, you'll probably be able to fulfill the first two. Now, the third one........hmmm, get a nice sounding exhaust and you won't be hearing the tires.

-Randy

 

[FuryNSX]

Could this combination be used on a 1993 NSX and not encounter rubbing or TCS issues?

You should have no problems with rubbing or TCS with these sizes assuming your wheels are sized (width and offset) appropriately.

Is there any particular offset that I need to know about if I buy aftermarket wheels?

If you don't know the proper offset, a QUALIFIED salesperson should be able to get that information for you.

 

[Hugh]

You should have no problems with rubbing or TCS with these sizes assuming your wheels are sized (width and offset) appropriately.


If you don't know the proper offset, a QUALIFIED salesperson should be able to get that information for you.

Current tires on my car:

Front - 205/50/15 = 23.07" diameter
Rear - 225/50/16 = 24.85" diameter


Proposed new tires:

Front - 215/40/17 = 23.77" diameter
Rear - 275/35/18/= 25.57" diameter

This is approximately a 3% increase in both front and rear tire diameter over stock. At what point does the TCS freak out?
I'll also need a speedo re-calibration too won't I? I wonder if The Yellow Box would work in an NSX. I use one on my Hayabusa to correct for speedo error and re-gearing.

Check the very cool Tire Diameter Calculator here.

 

[FuryNSX]

Current tires on my car:

Front - 205/50/15 = 23.07" diameter
Rear - 225/50/16 = 24.85" diameter


Proposed new tires:

Front - 215/40/17 = 23.77" diameter
Rear - 275/35/18/= 25.57" diameter

This is approximately a 3% increase in both front and rear tire diameter over stock. At what point does the TCS freak out?

The increase in size of the newer set over the OEM set isn't relevent. It's the difference between your new rear and new front sizes. Your proposed new set F-R ratio is very close to the OEM F-R ratio.

According to the FAQ,

"TCS is not affected when you upgrade wheel/tire sizes as long as you keep the same size ratio. This is because it looks at the ratio of the speeds of the front and rear (and left/right) wheels.

The TCS systems tolerance for the ratio is reported to be 5%. As long as you keep the ratio within 5% of stock TCS should work with any size wheels you can mount on the car. See section 4.4 for a list of wheel sizes that NSX owners have tried and the appropriate tire sizes to use with them."

The 5% rule is discussed at length in this thread.

 

[nsxtasy]

Lots of different topics here. A few responses:

1. Regarding which model tire to get, the Bridgestone S-03 (not S-02) is generally regarded to be as good (for overall performance) as any general-application street tire on the road.

2. Regarding sizes, even though the 275 rear tire maintains the outer diameter ratio better than the 265, it also increases the "stagger" (difference in treadwidth front vs rear) to 60 mm vs the stock 20 mm (for your '91-93; even the '02+ has only 40 mm stagger). I personally think you're better off with the 265 for handling purposes. Your choice.

3. Neither of these sizes will cause TCS problems. The 215/40-17 front is 3.0 percent larger than stock. The 265 and 275 rear is 1.8 and 2.9 percent larger.

4. Your speedometer will be off by that same 1.8 or 2.9 percent. (It will read low by that percentage.) You won't need a speedometer recalibration, but the indicated reading will be off by that amount (plus whatever error existed beforehand).

 

[Hugh]

nsxtasy,

Then to keep stagger to a max of 40mm as on the new cars, how about:

215/40/17 Front
255/35/18 Rear

I get an increase of 2.2% from the OEM ratio with those sizes.
Do you concur and what is your opinion of this combination of sizes please. (There doesn't seem to be any front tire with a 225 width so I can use a 265 rear to keep stagger at a 40mm max)

Thanks,
Hugh

 

[nsxtasy]

You can use the 255/35-18 or the 265/35-18 in the rear. Either size will work well. While the stagger is closer to stock with the 255, the front-to-rear ratio is closer to stock with the 265. (The 255/35-18 is 0.7 percent larger outer diameter than stock.) So I think the 265 is probably a better bet on a '91-93 NSX.

On a '94-01 NSX, I think the 255 is probably a better bet, because the front-to-rear ratio is closer to the stock sizes for those years.

 

[Hugh]

Thanks for the input nsxtasy.

I was looking at wheels on Tire Rack's site and the SSR Competition wheels seem like the only NSX compatible wheels that I can get in 17X7.5 Front and 18X9.5 Rear.
I think they look great, does anyone have any experience with them?

Is there another good source for wheels besides Tire Rack and what brands should I looking at and more importantly NOT be looking at?


As far as tires, I'm considering Bridgestone S-03 or Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3. There is no way in hell Michelins are ever going to get near any car that I own. Ever drive those French recycled condoms in the rain? You know what I mean then.