Slash8915

iTrader: (21)

I currently have Nitto Extreme NT555's on my car. I hear they were narrower than other brands, so i'm going to go with another brand. thing is, all i' ve ever USED is Nitto. I was looking at putting Kumho Ecsta SPT's on. i was going to do 265/35/18 on the front and 295/30/18 on the rear. are these decent tires?

5301113

iTrader: (18)

From what i have heard the nitto's have better grip. I have Kumho's and they last a decent time but the grip is not as good and the nitto's. BFG's is what I'm going with next and from what i've read on here BFG's offer decent grip and last for a while..... best of both worlds.

Slash8915

iTrader: (21)

yeah, but im going to those from a narrower size, i assumed the added traction would make up for that.

michaelg589

iTrader: (1)

those sizes you're saying are not exactly right. the 295-30 will be shorter than the front 265-35. the 295-30 will only be about 24.9". stock is 25.6". if you can, 275-35 and 295-35-18 would be best. I dont know what size wheels youre running.
IMO, BFG is a great value tire. Good grip, good wear. Kumhos, certainly wear better, but, you wont have as much grip. I've never really been attracted to Nitto. I've heard a lot about them not gripping as well in some cases, plus they are a narrower looking tire. But, I'f you can afford Michelin or Pirelli, go for it.

Slash8915

iTrader: (21)

well those are the sizes the store gave me. im running 18x9.5 in the front, and 18x10.5 in the rear.

michaelg589

iTrader: (1)

You'll want to run a 275-35-18 and 295-35-18 with those size wheels. That's the setup I'm running.
Like I said the 295-30 would be too short. It'd probably look weird. It would be nearly a 1/2" difference in height compared to a 265-35. That's about the same difference in diameter a 275-35 and 295-35 would have, which would at least look better.
Also, my 275s on my 9.5" wheels look a little stretched. granted the brand of tire will effect the fit a little, a 265 on a 9.5" wheel would probably look even more stretched.
The store you went to is probably only giving you the available sizes that Nitto offers in that range. The very new, Nitto Invo is the only model Nitto makes in a 295-35-18.

michaelg589

iTrader: (1)

well i take back what i said about kumho having better treadwear. just looked at few different ones on tire rack. they have very low treadwear ratings. the XS is only 180. the MX is 220. my BFG KDW2s are 300

chupr0kabra

iTrader: (10)

I've never had good luck with Kumhos.

I'm running Nitto Invos on my car. 275/35/18 front and 295/35/18 rear. I'm very pleased with them, and I don't think they run narrow for their advertised size (unlike the 555 line, which do appear narrower than other tires, even though they're not, when you look at the actual contact patch). They grip well, work great in the rain, and are a very comfortable tire. They're a little soft in the sidewalls for *****-out road course work, but for a street car, I love them.

I used to have 315/35/17 Goodyear GSD3's on 17x11 ZR1s. Great tires. Looked killer. Rubbed on hard turns, no matter how much fender pounding I did. I'm much happier with the current setup.

Since you're mostly worried about width, here are some comparison shots:
315/35/17 GSD3s:


295/35/18 Invos:


I have (or can take more) pics, if you want. I can't take any rearend shots at the moment, since my car is rearend-less at the moment.


-Mike

Slash8915

iTrader: (21)

Wow, that would actually be GREAT! So you like the Invos? Idk, they just didn't look like a muscle car type of tire to me. You like them though?

chupr0kabra

iTrader: (10)

Like I said, I've been very happy with them. They're definitely a different tread design, but since I have unique wheels, I figured why not go with a unique tire?

You're in League City and I'm in Pearland. Maybe we can get together and you can try them out. Like I said, my car is currently without a rearend, but if you want to come by some time, we can bolt my rear wheels and tires on your car and you can see if you like them. You'll just have to promise not to do a long burn out and wear the tread off.

Plus, my wheels and tires are for sale, so if you're interested, maybe we can work out a deal, depending on what you've got...


-Mike