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I'm going to run a 2500ish pounds FWD car with 2 drivers on 15 X 6 1/2 wheels (i got them cheap and they are very light). The car will only run locally and i would prefer to avoid shaving the tires. I'm hesitating between the following 3 tires:

Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec 195/55R15

Bridgestone RE01R 195/50 R15

Falken RT-615 205/50R15

 What would you recommend?

i'm liking the z1...that's what i ultimately bought when the R1R 225/45-15 failed to materialize...

running unshaven - but they arrived the day after the season opener, so i've not used them in anger yet

they are the most polite 140 grade tires i've run (including the 205/50-15 azeni and the 225/45-15 RS2) as they are quiet, tramline very little and eat bumps pretty well

i scuffed them in the day they went on at an observed 1g, and i hope and expect to get 1.1 or better on a good day, but we shall see

the re-01rs of course are last years best tire, and a safe choice - i've not run them because last year i went for width instead of compound (note to self: do not do that again)...

the falkens are the best tire from 2006 as i recall, and i certainly liked them - whether the Z1 will outperform them remains to be seen

tough call huh...

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Charlie Thompson
'04 JCW Cooper [STX]
NER Cannon Fodder

I used to drive a heavier AWD car in STS and I went through the Kooks and Falkens - Kooks were good tires, but required a lot of camber to offset the soft sidewalls - and braking suffered.  Falkens were much better in stiffness and grip.  But you have to keep them cool by spraying during the summer. 

But now I'm in a STS Civic and went from the BFG KD (came on the car) to the Bridgestones - night and day really, no comparison.  The Stones are the grippiest tire I've driven.  But I still bought the Kooks as my rain and local events tires.

 

If price is no object, I'd consider the Toyos, the Dunlops, or the Stones.  If you're on a tighter budget and can get some good camber on your front, try out the Kooks.

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Soon to be in a kart.

I'm running 225/50/15 Hankooks on my Scion XA.

at 40psi, I don't roll over on my sidewalls.

I wanted something with the same diameter as stock.  Only Toyo & Hankook offered a 15" tire with 24" OD.

Although I'm far from an experienced driver, they seem to be doing the trick.

My car is competitive locally.  I just need to make the driver a bit more competitive...

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"Most amateur drivers go too fast in slow corners and too slow in fast
corners"
Emerson Fittipaldi

Lexx:

I'm going to run a 2500ish pounds FWD car with 2 drivers on 15 X 6 1/2 wheels (i got them cheap and they are very light). The car will only run locally and i would prefer to avoid shaving the tires. I'm hesitating between the following 3 tires:

Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec 195/55R15

Bridgestone RE01R 195/50 R15

Falken RT-615 205/50R15

 What would you recommend?

 

I don't think the Stones will work quite as well on heavier cars as they do on lighter cars--they are a little on the soft side sidewall-wise; they are most expensive of the mix (but I understand have a SCCA rebate???).  The Falkens have a very stiff sidewall.  They are not too expensive.  They transition very well, but give up a little steady-state grip to the others.  The Z1s are also priced well, and have shown their meddle by winning some National classes lately.  They also are stiff-ish in the sidewall, but are the tallest of the three tires by a good 1/2"...that may hurt your gearing (or not help it as much as the others).

I am on Z1s.  That said, if you are looking for a good local-only, no-shave tire...I'd say get the Falkens and prepare to spray them...I think the heavier-duty sidewall will serve you well on the heavier car.

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Erik B.
Wisconsin Autocrossers, Inc
www.waiautox.org ___/\___/\___/\___/\___/\___
2007 Mazda6
2000 "Fozda" ZX2 S/R--STS Anti-Civic

ebnrt:

Lexx:

I'm going to run a 2500ish pounds FWD car with 2 drivers on 15 X 6 1/2 wheels (i got them cheap and they are very light). The car will only run locally and i would prefer to avoid shaving the tires. I'm hesitating between the following 3 tires:

Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec 195/55R15

Bridgestone RE01R 195/50 R15

Falken RT-615 205/50R15

 What would you recommend?

 

I don't think the Stones will work quite as well on heavier cars as they do on lighter cars--they are a little on the soft side sidewall-wise; they are most expensive of the mix (but I understand have a SCCA rebate???).  The Falkens have a very stiff sidewall.  They are not too expensive.  They transition very well, but give up a little steady-state grip to the others.  The Z1s are also priced well, and have shown their meddle by winning some National classes lately.  They also are stiff-ish in the sidewall, but are the tallest of the three tires by a good 1/2"...that may hurt your gearing (or not help it as much as the others).

I am on Z1s.  That said, if you are looking for a good local-only, no-shave tire...I'd say get the Falkens and prepare to spray them...I think the heavier-duty sidewall will serve you well on the heavier car.

I know a lot of the Pro class drivers in Milwaukee will say they love the falkens because they can put down faster times with the stiffer sidewalls.  These are also the drivers that can keep the car on razors edge 100% of the time.  My experience with the stones is that the softer sidewall gives more of a gray area before they loose grip.  I suppose this could be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it.  I feel that it might give a false sense of ultimate grip because when they do loose it, it's not as sharp of a drop off.  For the price and depending on what your planning to do with the car you can not beat the FALKENS.  A 205/50/15 will run $72 a piece. 

 This is based on my experience with a 1991 Civic Si.  I felt the same way when I switched from falkens to stones on my 240sx, 2650#.  I didn't have a problem with roll over and I kept close to the same  tire pressures.  I wasn't taking tire temps so I'm sure I wasn't running the optimum set up so most of my advice on how they performed is subjective.  But typically I have been about 1-1.5 sec faster on the stones on a 60 sec course.  Pro class drivers could beat me on falkens any day...

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Ryan K

just a followup, what exactly will be the downside of running RE-01R's unshaven?  will they chunk, wear faster or just be a little bit slower and then catch up?

I have a set of 195/50/15's on order, for daily driving / local competition, and wondering if I should have them shaved or not.

00 MR2

A controversial tire test done by Sportscar magazine (the one for SCCA members) on an RX-8 with unshaved and shaved re01r's demonstrated that the unshaved were actually slightly faster by some miracle.  They did mention that the unshaved tires heated up a bit more over the course of testing than the unshaved.  Take that for what it's worth.  If you're going to daily drive them a fair amount, you may as well keep the extra tread depth for hydroplaning resistance in my opinion.

root, i run the Stones on my miata...light DD duty (i walk to work most of the time) and autoX, and couldn't be happier w/ them.  they're also great in the rain.  i think if you need a great all-around tire, the full-tread Stones are a great choice.

Lexx, it really depends on your gearing and your OE tire size.  the Stones and the Z1s are both excellent tires; a step above the Hankooks and Falkens.   if your gearing won't take a hit w/ the Dunlops, run 'em.  if you need a shorter tire, go w/ the Stones.
 

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Mike - #44 STS2
'91 Miata - racer
'07 CX-7 - dog taxi
www.phillyscca.com
www.GreyhoundAngelsAdoption.com

Dunlop is offering a $50 rebate this month (until 7/26) on the Z1 Star Specs.

dmitrik4:

root, i run the Stones on my miata...light DD duty (i walk to work most of the time) and autoX, and couldn't be happier w/ them.  they're also great in the rain.  i think if you need a great all-around tire, the full-tread Stones are a great choice.

thanks guys, my stones are coming unshaved, hopefully they will last more than 5 events I am getting out of falkens (rear tires on MR2, can't rotate :( )