Tires Tires Tires - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Big Lar · 09-12-2010, 07:24 PM

Have a 2003 Boxster with Mich Sport PS2's
What would you recommend for just rears; they are worn to the bars
with little tread.Front still in good shape with treading.
I have 54,000 miles. This is the 2nd Pair of tires
1st was orignal stock Mich.
Would a different brand and tread design effect
handling?Should I change all four only if I go with a different brand?
I really want to change out just the rears.

VGM911 · 09-12-2010, 07:46 PM

Most everything I've read advises not mixing brands/tread design. I'd suggest replacing the rears with Michelin Pilot Sport PS2s to match your front tires.

Lobo1186 · 09-12-2010, 08:11 PM

Here is my humble but experienced opinion in the matter. If you are just driving around you do not race competitively then go ahead and just get the rears. (personally I love my Dunlop star-spec Z1s)

However, you will probably have really bad under-steer as a result. In my case I changed out the fronts and not the rears so I had massive over-steer. I did 5 or so AXs with them and had lots of fun but, lots of spin-outs and felt like I was skating around. Driving around town was fine as long as I was driving like everyone should that is legally and safely.

Moral of the story go for it! Just try to know the new balance of the car as it will (WILL WILL WILL WILL) change.

mikefocke · 09-13-2010, 05:04 AM

And what kind of driver are you? How sensitive is your 'butt-o-meter"?

Assuming your front treads are safe (and I define safe as well above the wear bars if you ever drive in the wet) and you just putter around town, then changing both rear tires to another brand of ultra high performance summer tire won't affect you much. You are already experiencing differing handling given the wear differences between the tires on the two axles.

Don't mix all seasons or winter tires with the UHP summers you have...that would be too much of a difference.

VGM911 · 09-13-2010, 07:31 AM

.
No matter how one normally drives on an everyday basis, our tires can be called upon in certain situations to perform with a high degree of performance (e.g., emergency braking or swerving to avoid a pedestrian or animal, etc.). In those cases, I want matching tires on all four wheels. And if they're ultra high performance, N-spec tires, so much the better.

If all I did was putter around town, I'd still want first class brakes and, just as importantly, first class, matching tires. The tires have as much to do with brake performance as do the brakes themselves.

And now I'm thinking....do any of us just putter around town in our Porsches? If we do, the dynamics and pleasure of the car will never be tapped. That would be sad.

stateofidleness · 09-13-2010, 07:34 PM

best money i ever spent ==> Dunlop Star Specs! wider in the rear, wider in front. BEAUTIFUL handling.

fatmike · 09-14-2010, 01:41 PM

PS2's are the "Benchmark" tire for the Boxster, the only issue with them is that they are the most expensive. You only need rears -- so it's like your getting the best tire made at half price.

Go buy new PS2's for the rear. Period. I wouldn't even consider anything else.

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