How much different do summer tires feel?
05-30-2014, 10:17 PM
#1
How much different do summer tires feel? My weekend car doesn't see winter or rain unless I get stuck on a rare occation. My plan is sumitomo htrzIII max summer or the htr all season 275 40 17. Will it be on ice skates if I do get caught in wet weather?
05-30-2014, 11:10 PM
#2
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Not sure about the Sumitomos but my Nitto NT555 are pretty terrible in the rain. If I'm on a road that holds a decent amount of water I have to slow down to stay more in control.
05-31-2014, 06:00 AM
#3
Most "summer" tires will be half way decent in the rain, it's when the temps drop below 40* that their rubber compounds don't work well. Having said that, if you're looking at tires that are more like "slicks", then you just have to slow down, and tippy-toe home, if you get caught in the rain.
05-31-2014, 10:58 PM
#7
They tend to be hard and slippery when its cold - especially when starting out. They seem do better after being driven a few miles and warming up. It's more about temps than rain; some summer tires are excellent in the rain.
Oddly, in my experience, I've found drag radials seem do better in the cold than some summer tires. Maybe I'm way off base on that, but that's how it has seemed.
Oddly, in my experience, I've found drag radials seem do better in the cold than some summer tires. Maybe I'm way off base on that, but that's how it has seemed.
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06-01-2014, 08:14 AM
#8
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please stay far away from the sumitomo HTR Z 2 . i have them on my car and the sidewall is so soft , they are like 14xx weight rating while all the others are 16xx. I know you didn't list the 2 but make sure not to get them .
06-01-2014, 03:46 PM
#11
They tend to be hard and slippery when its cold - especially when starting out. They seem do better after being driven a few miles and warming up. It's more about temps than rain; some summer tires are excellent in the rain.
Oddly, in my experience, I've found drag radials seem do better in the cold than some summer tires. Maybe I'm way off base on that, but that's how it has seemed.
Oddly, in my experience, I've found drag radials seem do better in the cold than some summer tires. Maybe I'm way off base on that, but that's how it has seemed.
06-01-2014, 04:36 PM
#12
Not a big Sumitomo fan.
Tires are the only part of the car that touch the road... all the power, all the suspension, in the world... Doesn't matter if you don't have quality tires hooking the car to the pavement.
Do yourself a favor, pony up some extra coin and get some mid-range or top tier tires. I've always had good experiences with top-tier Pirelli, Michelin, and Continental. Nitto Invo were pretty good in the rain. My friend who owns a few cars he tracks swears by Toyo and Falken.
I'm currently on BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2. Previous owner of the car put them on in November. Only about 4 or 5k miles on them. My first time using BFGoodrich rubber, and so far they seem pretty decent for cheap tires... but the difference between these and high end rubber is noticeable.
Tires are the only part of the car that touch the road... all the power, all the suspension, in the world... Doesn't matter if you don't have quality tires hooking the car to the pavement.
Do yourself a favor, pony up some extra coin and get some mid-range or top tier tires. I've always had good experiences with top-tier Pirelli, Michelin, and Continental. Nitto Invo were pretty good in the rain. My friend who owns a few cars he tracks swears by Toyo and Falken.
I'm currently on BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2. Previous owner of the car put them on in November. Only about 4 or 5k miles on them. My first time using BFGoodrich rubber, and so far they seem pretty decent for cheap tires... but the difference between these and high end rubber is noticeable.
06-01-2014, 06:07 PM
#13
I appreciate your opinion and you do suggest good brands. I have had good luck with several sets of Sumos and they will be a huge improvement over the old 16" I have now I have never bought any Summer tires.
How much difference will you feel w/ a Summer tire over an all season? My car almost never sees rain or temps below 40.
How much difference will you feel w/ a Summer tire over an all season? My car almost never sees rain or temps below 40.
06-01-2014, 06:10 PM
#14
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nt555's are treating me well for DD'ing. 450whp 2011 5.0, hooks 1st on hot days. Chirps 3rd on cold days, as long as I'm not driving like a idiot i have no issues in the rain. 3.73 gears too
06-01-2014, 08:35 PM
#15
I appreciate your opinion and you do suggest good brands. I have had good luck with several sets of Sumos and they will be a huge improvement over the old 16" I have now I have never bought any Summer tires.
How much difference will you feel w/ a Summer tire over an all season? My car almost never sees rain or temps below 40.
How much difference will you feel w/ a Summer tire over an all season? My car almost never sees rain or temps below 40.
I do know that the difference between Pirelli P-Zero Nero (All Season) and Pirelli P-Zero Rosso (summer) is definitely noticeable. I ran a set of each on my Saleen S281. P-Zero Rosso are original equipment on the Saleen, and after trying a few other sets of tires, I see why.
06-01-2014, 08:59 PM
#17
You don't need to go top dollar. Just saying, there are better options close to your price range. You can get a full set of 4 Continental ExtremeContact DW in 275/40R17 for about $600... Maybe $160 more than a full set of HTR-Z III, total, depending how much you're getting the HTR-Z IIIs for.
Last edited by Wheelman916; 06-01-2014 at 09:19 PM.
06-02-2014, 02:44 AM
#18
I've got Continental Extreme Contact DW in the front and BFG Sport Comp 2's in the rear. Only reason was the Continentals were out of stock nationwide at the time. The Continentals definitely hooked better when they were out back. Absolutely no issues in the rain even though they're both considered summer tires. The DW stands for Dry/Wet and they don't feel much different when I'm driving in the rain. My car is my daily and the Continentals have been on there for about two years and close to 30,000 miles. I just went on a very spirited drive this weekend and they still stick very well. The rear didn't feel as sure as the front did, but they could also be due to my shock setup. I can't wait to install my Strano/Koni setup.
06-02-2014, 01:32 PM
#19
I would avoid Sumitomo. I paid $150 per tire for Nitto NT-05's. A huge step up from a Sumitomo. There are a lot of good well priced tires. I had Firehawk Wide Ovals ($140) and NT-555R (rear) ($150) for awhile. I drove my drag radials on salty roads in mid 30's temps. Was like having ball bearings, no grip. Love love love my NT-05's
Just as a side note. When I got my drag radial setup I had old Michelin XGT-Z4 all seasons on the car (excellent rain tire). Probabaly had 30,000 miles o them. A friend swapped the tires. He needed tires for his Camaro. I gave hin the All Seasons for the swap. He replaced his Sumitomos with the Michelins. Told me the old Michelins destroyed his Sumitomos for lateral grip.
Just as a side note. When I got my drag radial setup I had old Michelin XGT-Z4 all seasons on the car (excellent rain tire). Probabaly had 30,000 miles o them. A friend swapped the tires. He needed tires for his Camaro. I gave hin the All Seasons for the swap. He replaced his Sumitomos with the Michelins. Told me the old Michelins destroyed his Sumitomos for lateral grip.
06-02-2014, 01:41 PM
#20
Sumitomos are trash. If you're going to waste money on them you might as well get whatever tire is the cheapest you can find. I was in a bone stock cobra saturday night while it was spinning them like ice from a 50 roll. I wouldn't put a sumitomo on my lawn mower.
I just bought Nitto 555s for $136 a tire on ebay and they arrived the next day. I am very pleased with them.
I just bought Nitto 555s for $136 a tire on ebay and they arrived the next day. I am very pleased with them.