Mix and match tires...

[MikenOH]

If you're thinking about Hankook consider these Sumitomo's:

Sumitomo****HTR Z III

comparison of the two tires:
Tire Test Results : Testing Value-Priced Max Performance Summer Tires

Pricing between the two tires is very close in 986 sizes. If I was going to go with the most cost effective max performance tire, I think I'd choose this one.

Originally Posted by recycledsixtie

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will be putting on my snow tires this fall anyway. There is no point in compromising safety by mixing tires. Hancook V12 tires sound interesting but because they are cheaper alarms me but I will look into it anyway. Either that or Michelin Sports and get 4. Being retired I don't put many miles on the vehicle and currently has 40k miles. Nothing has gone wrong at all but I feel that the tires should be replaced as I don't like tires with little tread left. The above poster is so right in that being overconfident in your car can lead to an accident/incident due to equipment failure or driver error.
Usually I go with the tried and true and buy Michelin but the Hancook V12 are intriguing. Once again great input everybody!

[Ghostrider 310]

And if your thinking of these

Sumitomo****HTR Z III

then these should be on your list too

[MikenOH]

Cute--care to elaborate? Let me guess--they're made of wood?

Originally Posted by Ghostrider 310

And if your thinking of these

Sumitomo****HTR Z III

then these should be on your list too

[Ghostrider 310]

No but they feel like they are if they sit for a day or two for the first five miles of every trip. I'd rather pay the extra cheese and upgrade.

[recycledsixtie]

To continue this tire talk. Those with Hancook v12 tires - just how good are they?
They are less than half the price of Michelin sports. I am leary but those who have had them a while, how is the handling for street purposes, the wear rate, the warranty? Do you think they will last as long as Michelin sport tires. Any comments?

[Topless]

Originally Posted by recycledsixtie

To continue this tire talk. Those with Hancook v12 tires - just how good are they?
They are less than half the price of Michelin sports. I am leary but those who have had them a while, how is the handling for street purposes, the wear rate, the warranty? Do you think they will last as long as Michelin sport tires. Any comments?

Try a set, you will like them. I am currently running the other Hankooks (RS-3s) but I have driven many cars with V12s. Very good grip wet or dry and a good ride with slightly softer sidewall than PS2s. Best bang for the buck right now in Max performance summer tires IMO.

[tonycarreon]

Originally Posted by Ghostrider 310

And if your thinking of these

Sumitomo****HTR Z III

then these should be on your list too

i could not agree more! tried the sumitomo's (the 3, not the 2) and they are bad. the flat spots were not my main gripe, they work themselves out after 10 miles or so. it was the fact that they were spongey in the corners (the sidewalls flexed a lot, but only let go a few times) and they were near impossible to keep balanced. had to get them rebalanced every 5k miles or so. the ONLY thing they had going for them was their longevity. nearly 25k miles on the set (rears worn, fronts still had decent tread left).

[boxster7614]

Pothole is correct when he mentions the different tires sizes. To clarify this please pick up any high school physics book (or Google) and read the chapter on friction.

So lets talk about a little myth that is based on partly to keep you safe and mostly to sell you tires. lets look at a statement on the tire racks website talking about mismatched tires.
" it's best to have a set of four tires that are the exact size, brand and model. While matching the tire size and performance category is a step in the right direction, without an exact match of rubber compound, speed rating and tread design you can be risking unpredictable handling and braking performance...... In some cases, the safest option may be to replace all four tires instead of mismatching models that would not be close enough."

Whoa what about friction? If this statement were 100% correct it would read.... exact size (width), brand, model, exact match of rubber compound (manufactured on the same day and out of the same batch of rubber), speed rating, tread design, and then apply the same amount of force (weight of your car) to each tire.

So we have 2 things right off the bat that make it impossible for our cars to have "matching tires"

#1 The tires are not the same size- the surface area of the rear tires is greater than the front, this alone will change the friction between front an rear tires. Also just because the tires are of the is the "same" tread design putting it on a skinnier tire will change the characteristic of the design. Even changing the width of the tire can vary the wall height and diameter of the tire, which can drastically have an affect on the performance of the tire.

#2 They do not have the same amount of force (weight) applied to them- even though our cars have a very good 46/54 front to rear weight distribution ratio, There is still a difference. Even if you could put the same size tires on all four corners it is impossible to apply the same amount of force to each one.


So even when you think you are buying matching tires because they have the same name on the side of them.......you are not! Sorry blame science.