STi_Bob

This thread more aimed at Mike Wood really. Basically, I have a 05MY STi and am looking to change wheels to PFF7s. I know from another thread you recommend 235/40 18 tyres with a slightly higher load rating from the Michelin Pilot Sport 2s.

I have had these tyres on a car before but don't really like them, would you recommend an alternative. I am looking at the Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3's. I hate the RE070's on the car, I never have the confidence to accelerate hard around corners which defeats the whole purpose of these cars.

Also, after having bought the wheels, I will buy the Prodrive springs once they have been developed. If when the car is lowered, will the wider tyres rub on the arches?

The car is really doing my head in at the moment as it doesn't handle like any of my Impreza's from the past. My first UK turbo with 17" wheels and S02's with standard springs and dampers has been the best by far.

Need your help as I would rather sort chassis out first and the PPP later as of course, power is nothing without control!

MikeWood

Bob

Tyres are very strange things and what applies to one tyre in one size on a particular car doesn't necessarily apply to another. We arrived at that specific size and load rating of Pilot Sport 2 after months of testing many different specs and sizes of tyre. We found that they worked best on the car in that size but not necessarily in the older 225 size. As an example we found that the 235/40ZR18 95Y PZero Nero (we tried 3 specs of pre production tyre and the final production spec, they all felt different even though they look the same and have the same load rating) worked better than the 225 version we use on the WR1 but it doesn't fit an 04MY car. The PS2 was even better in 235 but strangely the 225 is very similar to the Nero...

The RE070's are quite 'entertaining' in low temperatures when the roads are wet but some people would call this challenging or scary depending on your confidence levels. The PS2's are very consistant in these conditions with good traction when it's needed most.

Regards

Mike

STi_Bob

Thanks Mike, so what your basically saying is that the Michelin Pilot Sport 2's are the tyres you'd recommend but the Pirelli P-Zero Nero's in the 235/40 18 are also very good.

Would this size tyre be compatible with the finally developed Prodrive Springs for the MY05 car too?

MikeWood

Bob

In a nutshell, yes.

The springs have been developed to work with both the std 17" wheels and our 18" wheels and tyres.

Mike

STi_Bob

Thanks Mike, been a great help! Looking forward to those springs - just wish I could have them now!!!

MikeWood

Bob

So do I......

Mike

STi_Bob

Lets get them developed and into the dealers then!!! I feel like I'm sitting so high up compared to my 22B and Uk turbo!!

For the moment, I think I'm going to change the RE070 tyres to the equivalent sized Goodyear Eagle F1's. I'll sell the RE070's on e-bay, wait for the springs, put them on and then the money I save on the PFF7's, I'll put towards a PPP in June!!!

What do you think?? Is that a plan!

MikeWood

Very cunning, Lord Blackadder

Mike

STi_Bob

Why thank you!!! Just had a good quote on some Michelin Pilot Sport 2's in the original 17" wheel - have you done any testing with these tyres?

Jerry B

Hello Bob

I have an '03 wagon which has standard 17"s, PPP and Prodrive springs.
Prior to that I had a '98 wagon, with initially 16"s, then 17"s, and switched from RE010s to S02s and then to F1s.
I found the S02's superior to 010s, and then the F1s suited even better with 17"s. The classic was always a little on the harsh side, overall I'd say still fairly softly sprung but with harder shocks, meaning you felt pot-holes and so on. The F1s were immensely grippy and confidence inspiring, quieter, smoother, didn't tramline, and didn't really worsen in any respect from 50 to 40 profile.
Change to the '03. Stored the 010s straight away, F1 GSD3 on stock rims.
Car bounces and leaps over every large undulation or bump, but smoother over potholes and ripples. Rolls, pitches.......combine a bump and a corner and it would leap off-line like a speed boat in a heavy swell. I didn't like it at all. Felt like Tigger.
Prodrive springs helped flatten off cornering and reduce the leaping to a short-travel bounce. Feels a lot more confidence inspiring and I definitely think it's an improvement, but also feels like it could do with slightly harder damping. I run these at 35/33psi as I've found F1s just don't like standard pressures, the sidewalls are very soft I reckon.

The other day I hit a pot-hole and damaged a tyre and rim, so I put 2 of the old RE011s back on the front while I sourced a replacement rim/tyre.
Surprisingly it felt much more lively at the front.
This made me think again about the whole tyre thing. F1s suited the classic perfectly, but on the '03, though they are superbly grippy in wet, dry and damp conditions and are very very predictable, the softness does nothing to improve feedback, and just general feel. F1s always had this slightly vague feeling on the straight. Stuff I knew but hadn't really made all the connections and had got used to the differences I guess.
Now I think I understand why Prodrive recommended 18" rims. The drop in profile must take the bounce out of the tyres a little more and tighten up the front.
Though I'm still awed by the grip and confidence of the F1, am on probably my 5th set and am not about to change (but if they still made the S02 I might!) I thought you might like to know before you decide. If you go F1 make sure you experiment with tyre pressures, it makes a big difference, and it should be better still when you get the springs. And give them a good few hundred miles to bed in!

MikeWood

Not in that size, so we can't be sure how they will work.

Mike

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

I think people put the RE070 down too easily, though it takes some time for them to bed in, and yes they are scary whilst doing this, i have the upmost confidence in them when driving the Spec C, its only on greasy roads i find that the car can become "entertaining" but wet and dry driving they really do excell above many other so called wet weather tyres (considering that they are semi slicks )

Tony