Will I miss my RE070's if I change to 18's?
 

Been getting mixed reports with regards to this dilema:wonder:

Some say that the bridgestones can't be matched for turn in and dry grip,
others that they are an overkill for road work.
I don't really want to lose the 'pointyness' of the spec C but
finding 235 RE070's is proving challenging
(and they are the only thing keeping me on 17's)

opinions from those who have run 070's and something else would be much appreciated
:thumb:monkey.

Mods; I know this is the wrong section but can it run for a bit as I've had 3 replies in a week in wheel/tyre. Thanks.

When I changed to 18" wheels on MY05 STI. I went with Michelin Pilot Sport 2's, as I'd had these on my previous car and loved them.

Personally, I couldn't stand the RE070's and found them dangerous in the wet. Lost it a few times on half throttle, compared to ful throttle with the PS2's with no slipage.

I thought the re070 was available in 18 inch as well as 17 inch now.

I went from the RE070s to Toyo T1Rs on 18s.

The RE070s had fantastic grip in the dry, and were not too bad in the wet. What I hated about them was the tramlining, and I thought it was dangerous on some surfaces, definately slowing me down.

I am not particularly impressed with the Toyos, except that the tramlining has gone. Grip is nowhere near as good as the 070s, but they do have a more compliant ride - a good thing when you're as old as me :)

I'll probably go for the Michelins if I still have the car when the tyres need changing again.

You might also like to know that Prodrive reccomend either Pirelli P Zero's or Michelin Pilot sport 2's for 18" wheels.

Thanks for the replies people:)
Seems that it's love/hate with the bridgestones. Personally I love 'em and would like something that will give the same kind of characteristics.

This is true bmac but they're only available in japan :brickwall:

XRS,
I have only noticed bad tramlining as mine reached the end of their life:wonder:

went from 235 re070 to f1 gsd3 . and yes i lost amzing dry weathet grip and really good strong side walls on the re070 u point and thats were u turn as u know mate and thats it no woble no distante feeling .
gds3 have a little more progression from transfer from grip to no grip are good in dry very good in wet but the hole car wobles around like its on a blanket of air. really thinking back i should off stuck with re070 because i am not really ever going to use the wet weather grip of gsd3 and ultimatly i miss what the re070 offered.

I loved my RE070's - no tramlining, unlike others (suspension setup, maybe?) - for their directness and outright grip, but hated the wet weather (lack of) grip and the noise and harsh ride. Went to T1R's - an excellent compromise in wet and dry, and nice and quiet with it. Much more appropriate for 95% of my driving.

Put my spare wheels with their nearly-knackered RE070's back on for a trackday last week and realised again just how good they are in the dry. Damn they're good!

I have found that stiffening up the ASTs helps the T1R's a little - I guess stiffer shocks compensates a little for the sidewall compliance. And I've been playing with tyre pressures too (currently 35F, 32R).

On balance, I won't fit RE070's for the road again, but I will definitely use them, or something similar, on the track as long as I have the money to do so.

Personally I see no value in 18's for anything other than looks or bigger brakes but YMMV.

RE070's can be had in a 235/40 18 (as on the spec c R-AR), although you'll pay a premium for them >£150 each. PM me for details if you like..?:D

Wasn't sure when I first got my car with the 070s on as I had no confidence in them in the wet... but they really aren't that bad once you get the mental image out of your mind that they have hardly any tread :)

Let's face it, in the dry they are simply amazing and in the wet they are good. I don't drive near my, or the tyres limit, in the wet so IMHO they are simply amazing. I'm sticking with them if you'll pardon the pun.

They look good though too don't they. Most of my mates thought that I had track tyres on my car when they first saw it ;) 235's are v hard to find as I've got same issue with my 17's at the mo :(

TX.

Apart from the tyre choice, how did you guys find the ride and handling on 18s ? Is the ride tolerable ? (Prodrive springs on a 2001 WRX at the mo).

I love 18's, much prefer the handling, and now wearing Vredesteins I don't miss the RE070's.

I did my first ever track day on RE070's in the wet at Castle Combe (nothing like jumping in at the deep end :lol1: ) at first i was very nervous about them but found that they were actually quite a good tyre in the wet (only had 1 little moment :eek: )

Agree about the tramlining though which was a real pain but otherwise a great tyre

I have 17" 40 profile RE70's currently fitted. Great in the dry weather (no tram lining) but found them very scary in anything but dry roads.

Went out earlier to an industrial area to test out some of the car's handling and over cooked the car at little throttle, felt the rear of the car give way which wasn't fun but thankfully I had acres of space around me.

I am thinking of changing them soon rather than later, what is a good all round tyre to cope with the next few months of crap weather?

I'm due a set of tyres very shortly and have been loking at my options.

While looking I noticed that the Toyo T1R is available in an "Extra Load" version....stiffer sidewalls a la RE070......I guess that will help achieve some of the "directness" of the Bridgestones.

I personally like the RE070's, but as mine are nearing the end of their life, they do tramlin quite alarmingly at times.

The Vredesteins are getting good reviews, so may have a set of them next.

Interesting. My T1Rs are 91 rated. I thought all the T1Rs were like that ?

Can you guys get the RE01R's or the Neova 070's over there? They are both FAR superior to the RE070's but they are a bit more expensive.

I'm running the Neova's in a 235/40/18 right now and they are amazing. The RE01R's are a bit better in the rain though (but not by much).

I havnt been able to beat the yoko prada spec 2 for wet and dry comprimise so far, dnt know if they come in 18s Id assume so.

Hmm - mine are "235/45R17 97Y RF/XL". This might explain why I find them better than others who've gone to them after RE070's? And they were only £300 for the set from Camskill :D

Did the stiffer tyre wall version cost much more ?

The stiffer version of the Goodyear F1 is the 91 ! (as opposed to 83 or 87).

Mine have lasted pretty well over the last year, although I do a fair bit of town driving.

97's also. I thought the 91's were old stock.

I think i'll be trying the Parada2's next. Been so close to getting them both times for my 18's. Cannot fault the Toyos though.

Cannot have something that does not work in wet, being north of the border.

I changed from the RE070's a couple of months ago to Vredenstein Ultrac Sessanta.

I had the same dilemma about changing from the bridgestones as I found the grip in the dry amazing and the wet was pretty good as well.

However, I'm really glad I went for the Vredenstein, I can't praise them enough. Everyday on the journey home from work I drive a really twisty B-road and have to say I have just as much confidence in these if not more than the bridgestones. Really grippy, direct and the ride seems to be greatly improved as well.

Thanks for all the replies:thumb:

Seems like most of you agree that the RE070's can't be beaten for ultimate performance if you're happy to live with the noise etc.
My car isn't a daily driver so it looks like I might be selling a kidney so I can get my hands on a set of 18" Bridgestones on Turini's :D

monkey.

Took a long time typing that last reply and only just saw this :Whatever_

GSWHITE, would you say the turn in is as sharp with your new tyres? I'm worried about things feeling a bit sloppy

monkey

Hello Monkey,

In terms of the turn in I cant say i've noticed any significant differnce, it still feels really sharp. There is possible a tiny bit of extra roll when really pushing the car through fast long sweeping bends, but honestly the difference is negligable.

I've got an 05 STI prodrive and the biggest difference that I find is that with the Bridgestones the back would feel like it would want to break away with little notice (i've had a few sideways moments on damp road), however these seem to be really nicely balanced with plenty of grip.

I've had these about 2 months and i'm not going to threaten Lewis Hamilton with my driving skills but I cant fault them.

I loved the RE070's as well, and funnily enough the 19's I bought came with part worn T1R's as well, IMO, they give about 95% of the grip in dry conditions as the Bridgestones and better wet/greasy day grip. Yet to try them in the snow/ice but I've a feeling they'll be better then as well :D

I would use RE070's again in the summer time but found that last winter on new RE070's that I was driving like a granny 'cos I just couldn't trust them when it was icy/greasy, slid the back out too many times. They did tram line a bit IMO, but not as bad as some people made out (IMO). The Toyo's don't tramline at all though, even with being a bit wider at 235 instead of 225.

I've had both yoko prada spec 2's and Toyo T1R's and they didn't put up a fight compared to the RE070's, agreed the RE's aren't superb in the wet but their out and out performance in the dry and sl;ightly greasy surfaces makes up for anything that they don't fair well in.

I have heard good reports from the Vredenstein Ultrac Sessanta, sounds like they are the ones to go for if thinking about going 18"

G