Tires alone as upgrade, how big is the difference?

[Veloist]

Originally Posted by finch1750

Buy the car. Drive it. See if you want to change something about how it feels/performs. Come back and ask a direct question at that point

THIS. Right here.

I personally love how the car feels right now. It's also how the engineers wanted it to feel. I wouldn't change a thing about it.

I can't tell you why I like the stock tires though. It just feels like it makes the car more loose and more engaging to drive as a result. I guess that's why you might not hear too many comments on why people like the stock tires.

Because they don't know why?

[themadscientist]

I was shocked they do as well as they do. On paper it looks like a bad idea, but in actual use they are so well suited to the car and keep it balanced. Now, it feels like I have too much tire and I have created an imbalance.

This is a problem IMO as it means I will have to upgrade the suspension to support the sticky wider tires. Even if I do that perfectly, which I don't know that I can do, suspension tuning is very complex with so many variables, next it will make the engine seem restrictively underpowered. Now I have to put a blower on it to make use of the sticky tires and better suspension. Now the car is faster, great, but now the brakes are starting to run out of grab and so it goes until I have completely re engineered a car that was great right off the showroom floor.

[OUGrad05]

Originally Posted by themadscientist

I was shocked they do as well as they do. On paper it looks like a bad idea, but in actual use they are so well suited to the car and keep it balanced. Now, it feels like I have too much tire and I have created an imbalance.

This is a problem IMO as it means I will have to upgrade the suspension to support the sticky wider tires. Even if I do that perfectly, which I don't know that I can do, suspension tuning is very complex with so many variables, next it will make the engine seem restrictively underpowered. Now I have to put a blower on it to make use of the sticky tires and better suspension. Now the car is faster, great, but now the brakes are starting to run out of grab and so it goes until I have completely re engineered a car that was great right off the showroom floor.

A good pad upgrade with good fluid will go a long way toward fixing any brake issues on a car like this. A big brake kit is mostly for show unless you're hardcore tracking the vehicle.

[themadscientist]

Very true, really all it would need, but I tend to put nails in with a sledgehammer and Subaru, those bastards, are selling the tS brake set.

http://www.sti.jp/parts/catalogue/br...6100AS000.html




Nope. We will not even start that snowball rolling. I'm already going crazy with the GT-R, lil blue will be left alone.

[OUGrad05]

Originally Posted by themadscientist

Very true, really all it would need, but I tend to put nails in with a sledgehammer and Subaru, those bastards, are selling the tS brake set.

http://www.sti.jp/parts/catalogue/br...6100AS000.html




Nope. We will not even start that snowball rolling. I'm already going crazy with the GT-R, lil blue will be left alone.

How much are those US? or can we even get them here?

The car doesn't really make enough power to justify spending 4-5k on brakes. Better quality factory replacement rotors might make sense. When I had my Maxima with 6MT years ago, I put some brembo replacements and hawk HPS+ pads on it and it was fantastic. Really fade resistant for a street package and would take a few hard laps at the track before fade set in.

[nikitopo]

This car needs tires! You want to have hard cornering handling. Try something on the extreme performance rate or semi-slicks. If you keep the stock size tires (205 or 215) you won't have an issue with the stock suspension. Otherwise you need coilovers.

[nikitopo]

Originally Posted by themadscientist

I was shocked they do as well as they do. On paper it looks like a bad idea, but in actual use they are so well suited to the car and keep it balanced. Now, it feels like I have too much tire and I have created an imbalance.

This is a problem IMO as it means I will have to upgrade the suspension to support the sticky wider tires. Even if I do that perfectly, which I don't know that I can do, suspension tuning is very complex with so many variables, next it will make the engine seem restrictively underpowered. Now I have to put a blower on it to make use of the sticky tires and better suspension. Now the car is faster, great, but now the brakes are starting to run out of grab and so it goes until I have completely re engineered a car that was great right off the showroom floor.

You don't create any imbalance by changing to stickier tires. This was how the car was designed from the beginning. It was not designed to be a "well balanced" package. The idea was to have an amazing cornering car and not a fast one on the straights. In fact the car is much more balance than other cars, but that is a big discussion. Also suspension can hold whatever tire in the extreme performance area up to a 225 size. If you see some body roll, then try to upgrade first the bushings. The factory ones are too soft for safety.

[OUGrad05]

Originally Posted by nikitopo

You don't create any imbalance by changing to stickier tires. This was how the car was designed from the beginning. It was not designed to be a "well balanced" package. The idea was to have an amazing cornering car and not a fast one on the straights. In fact the car is much more balance than other cars, but that is a big discussion. Also suspension can hold whatever tire in the extreme performance area up to a 225 size. If you see some body roll, then try to upgrade first the bushings. The factory ones are too soft for safety.

The car wasn't designed to be well balanced? What do you mean? The car seems pretty well balanced the drives I've done so far and the reviews indicate that it is very well balanced, just down on power...

[strat61caster]

OE Michelin's are underrated, only change them after you're bored with them or if you start chasing laptimes and know the tires are holding you back. Have an experienced driver take your car for a lap or an autox run, if they blow your doors off on the same equipment upgrading will just bandaid the areas where you need improvement delaying your progress.

It's a rabbit hole, make decisions based off personal experience and carefully considered advice, I.e. for above pads and fluid will cover all but the most extreme track junkies, the brakes in this thing are more than up for the task, when you're trying to save money because you chew through three sets of pads in a year is when a bbk makes sense.

[themadscientist]

I strongly disagree. This car is very much about balance. The weight distribution and center of gravity are awesome and lead to wonderful cornering, but its ability to turn is equally matched by its ability to stop and go. You have "just enough" of everything and they work very well together. Change one thing and that upsets that balance and you start a sequence of events if you desire to arrive at a new balance.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, just be ready to do that knowing that one part is not the end of the story. If you are ready to take the subsequent steps the car will be better than it already is. Otherwise, you limit its full potential.

I already have a car that only does one thing well. I don't want to screw up this spunky little fun machine any more than I have. I just couldn't stand those stock wheels, Good lord, they're ugly.

[Quentin]

I ordered my FR-S with all seasons to drive from November until March. I run 17x8 Enkei PF01s on 225/45-17 Conti DWs for the summer. I didn't notice much difference in how they handle other than when the back end lets loose. It seems to have a 10% higher threshold but goes more abruptly.


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[carbonBLUE]

Originally Posted by OUGrad05

It's no secret the BRZ and FRS have blah tires from Toyota/Subie.

By doing a tire upgrade and nothing more (Think of any of half a dozen great summer tires) how does this change the character of the car? I would assume the chassis is stiff enough to handle a significant rubber upgrade that would only prove highly beneficial for total grip when driving the car.

I've only seen one review where they felt the "tires complemented the chassis" right out of the gate. Most said additional stick would be highly beneficial.

I was hoping to get some folks with real world experience to comment.

sping/summer is coming so stick with the stock tires until winter. you'll learn more about the car on those tires than anything. burn through them at the track, go drifting. what ever suits you. They come with the car and you plan on trading them out anyways, so get some use out of them.

[RickyRacer]

I upgraded my setup to wrx wheels and the newest goodyear eagle f1 (found a good deal on them with low km) and the difference is actually a lot bigger than i expected. note that now i'm running 225/45/17s on the same 7 wide wheel.. so there's definitely more traction on the road and the eagles are even known to be wider than tires in the same class. but the turning is now crazy.. i'm actually a bit scared to take it to new limits, it's like the capabilities of the car became greater. also when shifting fast from 1st to 2nd there's no more squeal like you'd get with the primacys. overall im very happy i made the switch, these tires are noticeably more capable than the primacys, i'm not sure how much of that is attributed to the 225 width but the difference is clearly there. that being said. i should mention. I spent 3 seasons on the stock primacys, and learned most of what I know about the car on them. i think they were better than most people give them credit for and make for some fun driving. if i were you i'd enjoy them as much as you can and then upgrade!

[nikitopo]

Originally Posted by OUGrad05

The car wasn't designed to be well balanced? What do you mean? The car seems pretty well balanced the drives I've done so far and the reviews indicate that it is very well balanced, just down on power...

Yes that's what I wanted to say. That it is a bit down on power...