Tire Help...Please
 

I am really frustrated because I can't seem to make up my mind, after yes, searching on here, but no, not real well probably. I searched all over google and have been reading tire after tire report for hours and hours and hours!

So, even if you're able to search yourself and find the thread I missed that happens to answer my situation. Just please be nice and help with the information. I just...couldn't...find it.

How I drive and info to help:
I've had my FR-S for a month and I do spirited DD, and am excited to start tracking and doing some, but less, autocross. I live in Oregon in the valley, and it rains a lot in the fall (well, winter and spring too).

What I really want are the Michelin Pilot Super Sport's. An ultra summer tire. It would be great fun AND allow me to track and autocross! But, obviously, it's less effective (although not as bad as I imagined), in the wet. And cold wet is probably even worse. So I'd be buying a tire in August to last maybe 3 months until I get to see what rain does to it. Then if I had the money, I could buy and remount different "rain tires" for the winter. Sigh.

The responsible, mature adult says to get a high performance all season tire. That way I can have some fun, but still drive in the wet. Sounds smart, except doesn't that basically kill my chances of tracking and autocrossing?

I'm just stumped. For some reason I cannot make a decision on what to give up. Be wilder in the rain, or lose the opportunity to track and autox.

I don't expect anyone KNOWS the answer, and I fully admit the all season thing is the grown up thing to do. But damn, sometimes I don't want to have to act like a grownup, and just have fun.

So, I'm basically ranting because I have no one to tell, I'm frustrated, and I needed to let off steam (although I don't think it's helped yet).

If anyone has any thoughts, another pair of eyes on the situation would be great, but I understand this is simply a personal choice that I have to make, so maybe no one wants to pipe in. Either way, I got it out, so that's good I guess, according to my Psych classes.

Thanks!

If you're planning on doing serious tracking and autocrossing, especially if it's something you'll be doing for years, ultimately you'll end up needing two sets of tires at some point anyway. Wanting one set that does it all sounds great but never really works out in the real world.

I'd get the PSS's and use them for awhile, they'll allow you to do plenty DDing and even some tracking for a little bit, then get a track-specific set and swap out.

Also don't believe what some people say about PSS's being bad in rain. They get this idea in their minds that since they're using the "best performing street tire in the world" they can do all sorts of crazy stuff on wet roads when they really can't.

Excellent! Thank you so much!

All we know is.... He's called The Stig

Np. I'm actually planning on getting PSS's once I have enough to get new wheels. Pretty much every review and mention I've seen or heard about this tire has been excellent.

If you want to save some money you could get Continental DW's. Not as great as PSS's but are still good all-around tires, and they're $50 cheaper per tire. That saved money could go toward a track set.

I've read enough agreeing accounts here that I feel safe repeating second hand opinions about the way PS Sports wear. I understand that they have superior traction early in their life but that it drops off abruptly in mid-life.

Anyone with first hand experience care to weigh in?

You're going to want two sets of wheels so that you have dedicated summers (Super Sports) and a winter set for when it drops below 40 degrees F. There's nothing track/autocross worthy that can handle freezing/wet weather safely.

I'm on my third summer with a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports. First summer was on my previous car, a Subaru Legacy, and then with the FRS onwards. I didn't notice any abrupt drop in grip levels; they still take a considerable amount of effort to break loose. Very happy with their performance, although I am tempted to try the new Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin RE003 outside of North America) when the Super Sports are done.

My PSS definitely dropped off in traction towards the end of their life, unsure if that was due to being a few years old, heat cycled too much or if they're a different compound near the inside.

With that said, they're still my tire of choice for the street and do insanely well in the rain(Which was a concern of the OP). They behave just fine in the cold as long as there's no ice or snow on the road.

Continental ExtremeContact DW

Marginally better in the rain, cheaper than PSS to boot.

Read TireRack tests to get a feel for direct tire comparisons.

Pilot Super Sports are known to be decent/good rain tires, but in cold rain no summer tire will be great.

If you can't get a second set of dedicated track tires, just get UHP all-seasons and use them at the track. You won't set competitive lap times, but it'll be good fun nonetheless.

FNCrazy and I keep crossing paths.


I am in the same position. I want stickier tires to replace the OEM, but I want them to be my DD-ers and last at least a couple of years with one or two track days per year. If the PSSs will not do this...what's the next option? I see UHP all seasons recommended. What about the Michelin AS-3s?

No one knows how much a "couple years" are, how you drive, or how many miles.
What is best for life is usually worst for tracking.
Compromise.
MPSS is the closest thing.
Or get two sets.
Or get a slightly lesser tire like hankook v12, continental dw, bfg sport comp 2.
Most people who say they will track, rarely or never do, so buy for the 99% of driving you do.
You can track on any tire.

As someone who tracked a set of PSS for two years. They have excellent traction for the first 2-3 days on the track. After that its downhill with the traction. The second year they dont even get stickier as they get hot, they go from cold hard blocks to greasy hard blocks. So in all, as a casual track tire (3-4 events a year) they are great, assuming you plan on changing them every year.

To put in perspective how bad they degrade, a set of 245 PSS on its second year and 8th track day was as fast (or as slow should I say) as a set of stockers 2 years old with 3 track days on them.

Anyone else feel free to chime in their experience, if you think your PSS are still awesome after many track days, no offense but you probably arent pushing nearly as hard as you think.

I feel your pain. I have spent countless hours trying to find the exact same thing, the best all around street/track/autox tire to no avail. One thing that also makes the decision harder is the weight of the tire itself. They vary by up to 5 lbs per tire! I would hope that a seasoned vet / instructor would chime in on the subject.

There is no such thing. If you are in Oregon you probably should have a second set of tires for the winter anyways.