F1-GS versus GS-D3 on a stock LS1 WS6?
04-08-2009, 04:21 PM
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F1-GS versus GS-D3 on a stock LS1 WS6? Has anyone upgraded their LS1 WS6 (or Camaro SS) from the stock F1 GS tires to the equivalent GS-D3? If so, what were your impressions?
Most importantly, was there any impact in stability? I'm hoping to avoid any tramlining... the car was fine on the original F1-GS tires.
It's a purely street car with stock suspension with the exception of Koni DAs.
Thanks (and apologies if this has been discussed previously, the search function has fits on "F1-GS" and "GS-D3").
Most importantly, was there any impact in stability? I'm hoping to avoid any tramlining... the car was fine on the original F1-GS tires.
It's a purely street car with stock suspension with the exception of Koni DAs.
Thanks (and apologies if this has been discussed previously, the search function has fits on "F1-GS" and "GS-D3").
04-10-2009, 08:52 PM
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They are better than the stock GS but, IMO, there are better tires out there. I had BFG KDW before these and they were noticeably better. I can easily chirp 4th with these things! I won't be buying them again but I am going to a more road racing type tire next. They are great in the rain though.
04-11-2009, 11:17 AM
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Well, the car isn't going to be tracked anytime soon. Nowadays I don't have any time for motorsports so the car is strictly a people mover, a very fun people mover 
.
Rain is definitely a concern, especially given that I want to maximize the safety of my kids. As much as people have complained about the F1-GS in the rain, I can't say I ever had any problems with them. I acknowledge the weight bias and power delivery of this car and work around them in the rain, so if the GS-D3 is an improvement then it's icing on the cake for me.
My concerns came from the fact the tread pattern is very similar to that on my current Yokohama AVS-Sports and I never really liked that tire much, other than the wide-than-stock footprint even at the stock tire size (275mm) that I thought looked cool. They seem to be a bit harsher ride-wise than my original F1s and I don't think I like the way they wear. Given the greater amount of rubber that a GS-D3 and AVS-Sport seem to put down on their contact patch as compared to the F1-GS (due to the "V" patterns), I was concerned that the GS-D3 might be wanting to tramline too soon.
I tend to vary my driving style in a quite wide range, from tire-spinning launches to easy commuting, and so I tend to get well over 40000 miles from my performance tires (I even sold my original F1s for $100 back when I put the AVS-Sports on). Therefore I'll have to live with my next choice of tires for quite a long time. Which is why I rely on your collective experience in making my decision.
Thanks again!
.Rain is definitely a concern, especially given that I want to maximize the safety of my kids. As much as people have complained about the F1-GS in the rain, I can't say I ever had any problems with them. I acknowledge the weight bias and power delivery of this car and work around them in the rain, so if the GS-D3 is an improvement then it's icing on the cake for me.
My concerns came from the fact the tread pattern is very similar to that on my current Yokohama AVS-Sports and I never really liked that tire much, other than the wide-than-stock footprint even at the stock tire size (275mm) that I thought looked cool. They seem to be a bit harsher ride-wise than my original F1s and I don't think I like the way they wear. Given the greater amount of rubber that a GS-D3 and AVS-Sport seem to put down on their contact patch as compared to the F1-GS (due to the "V" patterns), I was concerned that the GS-D3 might be wanting to tramline too soon.
I tend to vary my driving style in a quite wide range, from tire-spinning launches to easy commuting, and so I tend to get well over 40000 miles from my performance tires (I even sold my original F1s for $100 back when I put the AVS-Sports on). Therefore I'll have to live with my next choice of tires for quite a long time. Which is why I rely on your collective experience in making my decision.
Thanks again!
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04-11-2009, 03:06 PM
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Can't go wrong with the GS-D3's as everyone has said. Great performance in the rain...just not in the cold. Not a great tire for even dry winter driving. Having previsouly owned BFGoodrich KDWs, I can tell you that the D3's are definitely superior in both dry and wet traction. The D3 is meant to compete with BFGoodrich's KD, which is a step above the KDW. The KD is also more expensive.
04-12-2009, 05:20 PM
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Can't go wrong with the GS-D3's as everyone has said. Great performance in the rain...just not in the cold. Not a great tire for even dry winter driving. Having previsouly owned BFGoodrich KDWs, I can tell you that the D3's are definitely superior in both dry and wet traction. The D3 is meant to compete with BFGoodrich's KD, which is a step above the KDW. The KD is also more expensive.
04-12-2009, 05:29 PM
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Also, the D3s offer far better lateral (side-side) traction. My car will hold turns with the D3s that I wouldn't have dared to take hard in the KDWs. It's a world of difference.
The KDWs aren't pitted against the D3s. These are different classes of tire. The KDW is a high performance dry/wet tire. The D3 is a summer only max performance tire that just happens to handle rain pretty well. The prices are in different classes too. BFGoodrich makes the G-Force KD to compete with the GS-D3...and the KD may be a tad better in that matchup.
04-12-2009, 06:23 PM
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I have thoroughly enjoyed my GS-D3s over the past 4 years and 20k miles. They are a great all-around tire - outstanding in the rain, very good dry grip, handling, etc. I will note that they got louder over time, but not to an unacceptable level (plus not many will have them as long as I did 
). They would definitely get my recommendation for a daily driver.
Mine need to be replaced, and if I decide to stay with my 17" wheels, I'll be getting another set of GS-D3s pretty soon.
). They would definitely get my recommendation for a daily driver.Mine need to be replaced, and if I decide to stay with my 17" wheels, I'll be getting another set of GS-D3s pretty soon.
Last edited by ZaneO; 04-13-2009 at 10:20 AM.
04-26-2009, 03:52 PM
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Ok, so far it's D3s all the way. I'll probably get a set within the next couple of weeks when I get around to plating the car. Thanks all for the feedback.
