Am i choosing the right tire and size (Falken RT615k+ vs Hankook Ventus v12)

[re-animator]

My pilot super sports are about done and its time to upgrade to a slightly more track-focused tire with DD-ability. I had it down to the Hankook Ventus v12 evo 2 and Falken Azensis RT615K+. Have done a good amount of research and narrowed it down to these two based on economy, grip, and a handful of other factors. placed an order with a local tire shop to install the falkens.

Setup is with enkei raijin 18x8 wheels +45mm offset and lowered on eibach springs (eventually will be a coilover set). There is some slight camber in the setup, but the drop is only about an inch so nothing too aggressive. The pilot super sports were 225 40 18. I liked them a lot but there were times when i wanted more aggressive dry grip and perhaps more tire. I live in southern california so this will be a year round set. Rain and cold weather are very rare.

tire shop over the phone says 235 40 18 will not fit for rub issues and to stick with 225 40 18. I get that 235/40 is going to be both wider and taller which is an issue with the slightly cambered setup, but every time i had the tires off i felt like there was more room. That said i'm not an expert and i'm not going to necessarily question the math. I know that both setups sit larger than stock and slightly alter the gearing and speedo, but it is not so bad as to be a concern for me.

I also know that 245/35/18 might be the best of all worlds for me, but only the Hankooks come in that size and not the Falkens. While the hankook would probably let me fit more tire, my feeling is that it would still result in less grip than the more aggressive Falkens. I know the v12s will also probably be a little more comfy on the street but i am first and foremost looking for grip and braking as I'm trying to improve my skills as a driver. comfy and quiet is nice but at the end of the day lap times > gf's complaints. for my purposes, 225/40/18 Falkens vs 245/35/18 Hankooks which set are you taking?

[BigTuna]

The two tires you're deciding between are in 2 different performance categories. Yes they are both summer tires, but one is going to give you a lot more performance.

The Hankook Ventus V12 (I've had a set) are good for daily driving, and are grippy for what they are, but they will not give you the kind of grip the Falkens will. These tires are in the same category as the Michelin PSS, and the newer Pilot Sport 4S, among others.

The Falkens, are a really good autocross tire that is good for lots of grip. It has a 200 treadwear rating, which puts it in the Bridgestone RE71R, Hankook RS-4, Maxxis VR-1 territory. Still good for daily driving as well, but will wear out faster.

They both have their pros and cons, it just depends on what you need from the tire.

Also, FWIW, my VR-1's are a lot quieter than my old V12's and PSS.

[re-animator]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

The two tires you're deciding between are in 2 different performance categories. Yes they are both summer tires, but one is going to give you a lot more performance.

The Hankook Ventus V12 (I've had a set) are good for daily driving, and are grippy for what they are, but they will not give you the kind of grip the Falkens will. These tires are in the same category as the Michelin PSS, and the newer Pilot Sport 4S, among others.

The Falkens, are a really good autocross tire that is good for lots of grip. It has a 200 treadwear rating, which puts it in the Bridgestone RE71R, Hankook RS-4, Maxxis VR-1 territory. Still good for daily driving as well, but will wear out faster.

They both have their pros and cons, it just depends on what you need from the tire.

Also, FWIW, my VR-1's are a lot quieter than my old V12's and PSS.

nice. i was on the fence about whether or not i wanted something in the MPSS category like the v12 or to go all in on a daily-able track tire instead of a trackable daily tire. I was wondering if a skinnier track tire will still outgrip a wider max perf tire like the v12 or mpss. my feeling is that it will and the only things you are losing out on is tire life, wet handling, and potentially comfort/noise (though some track tires can be quiet i guess)

[Spec C Wannabe]

I am using Hankook Ventus V12 EVO2. Let me say that it is more of day-to-day sport tire than an all-out performance tire. Grip is good but not stellar. It is relatively quiet. The ride is quite smooth for sport tire it is. What i really like about it is the progressiveness when it let go off the grip. It releases itself in a smooth and progressive fashion you can feel it and easily counter steer accordingly. Very good for learning the drift and controlling slides. What i don't like about it is that it has quite a soft sidewall and that translates to less steering feel during the initial turn-in and less feedback under corner loading. If I am a frequent track runner, I won't consider it unless i have another track dedicated set of wheels & tires. But for daily driving and occasional back road stints, it is a happy medium. It is very very cheap too.

[wparsons]

If you want tires that are more track capable, forget the V12's. They won't like the heat and could end up chunking. I'd have a look at the RS4's if you want something more comparable to the Falkens from Hankook.

[15limited]

I've done some short drift runs with the falkens and they never seemed to deteriorate from the heat, and also daily 265/35/18 now. They will wear out way quicker, I got about 15k miles on a set, than the mpss but that's the trade off.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[re-animator]

installed the Falkens yesterday and so far my initial impressions are very good. They are definitely grippy and planted compared to the PSS, even when new. I expect the grip to improve as they are still greasy and new. I can feel the grip getting better as the tires warm up, even in normal driving which is new. I am so far very impressed by how daily-able these actually are as they are pretty similar to the PSS in terms of comfort (i would say a touch stiffer) and road noise. The only real tradeoff seems to be that they will wear quicker and have worse wet performance, which isn't a big deal in my climate.

[venturaII]

I have both tires. You made the right choice by going with the 615Ks, by far. The V12 Evos are mediocre tires in their performance category, and will absolutely chunk when pushed hard. The 615s are solid in the middle of their category as well, but far better optimized for track use.