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Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:49 am
by Mako Koiwai
Jeff, we need a couple of those Toyo :heyes: decals for the Miata ...
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 10:52 am
by Jonathan Lee
I called some local tire places, and the best price I got was $460 out the door for the R1R's in 195/50/15 size. Is that a good price?
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 10:56 am
by Jeff Wong
Jonathan Lee wrote:I called some local tire places, and the best price I got was $460 out the door for the R1R's in 195/50/15 size. Is that a good price?
mounted and balanced with tax? if so, yes. Where did you find the deal at?
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:27 pm
by Jonathan Lee
Jeff Wong wrote:Jonathan Lee wrote:I called some local tire places, and the best price I got was $460 out the door for the R1R's in 195/50/15 size. Is that a good price?
mounted and balanced with tax? if so, yes. Where did you find the deal at?
Jeff,
The place is in San Gabriel, $460 mounted and balanced - cash price. I will PM you the phone # and address.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 2:45 pm
by Sebastian Rios
Durometer testing on 225, 205, and 195 showed the same for all. The compound thing was a rumor. It's possible that Andy's tires froze during shipping or something.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 5:16 pm
by Steve Ekstrand
What are the Toyo's like full tread???
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:23 pm
by Ken Motonishi
They are faster than shaved.
Changing the subject as I often do, anyone have a source for an 89-91 differential?
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:31 pm
by Will Kalman
Ken Motonishi wrote:anyone have a source for an 89-91 differential?
I know someone. What ratio were you interested in? }:)
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 2:36 pm
by Leslie Cohen
It seems that for a typical autocross course the 195 is a little better. But when you have some nice sweepers, the larger tire is works very well. ie. Last weekend in San Diego ;) Oh yeah, full tread actually works in San Diego.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 4:57 pm
by Dan Shaw
Do you guys have thoughts on the BFG T/A KDs? I was pretty confident with them when I was using them, but I've also not been on the scene in a few years. *never was a fan of Azenis...in any flavor/year*. So the consensus seems to be Toyo has a good tire, what of the Bridgestone RE-11? any good?
if you civic guys are doing ok on 195s I might drop down a step...used to running 205s on a 6" rim...thinkin that might be good. ::shrug:: have to try em.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 7:56 pm
by Steve Ekstrand
195 toyo or 205 RE-11
I wouldn't be thinking anything else.
KD's.... That was funny. Sooooo 2002.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 10:22 pm
by Kurt Rahn
Dan Shaw wrote:Do you guys have thoughts on the BFG T/A KDs? I was pretty confident with them when I was using them, but I've also not been on the scene in a few years. *never was a fan of Azenis...in any flavor/year*. So the consensus seems to be Toyo has a good tire, what of the Bridgestone RE-11? any good?
if you civic guys are doing ok on 195s I might drop down a step...used to running 205s on a 6" rim...thinkin that might be good. ::shrug:: have to try em.
I've never run in ST, but I ran on KDW2s (which were supposedly two generations improved over the KDs) in SK2 (admittedly on a car that weighed almost twice what a Civic weighs). They were okay, but when I switched to Star Specs, I dropped two seconds off my times almost immediately. And apparently the Toyo and the 'Stones are better on the lighter cars.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 11:24 pm
by Craig Naylor
I ran the Star Specs on the STS Miata last year for National events (thanks Mike), At the two ProSolos I gave up 3/4 - 1 sec on the 100 ft times on each side. I then held my own, or caught up slightly over the remainder of the course.
The problem with the Star Specs on the 15" rims was the aspect ratio (taller tire). I honestly don't think I gave up anything in the Grip dept.... it was all at the start line. I have relatively no tire wear... they were ripping through the Toyo's
Plus I was on 195's vs. 225's....
it's all about if's... if the Star Spec was shorter, if it came wider.... if we could talk them into 225/50/15's
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 6:37 am
by Mako Koiwai
See the ST tire test in SCCA Sports Car magazine. I believe the Sept or Oct issue
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 11:27 pm
by Mako Koiwai
Another ST Tire test in the Dec. issue of EuroTuner ... you can download it here:
http://gifts.barnesandnoble.com/search/ ... P=Z&FMT=32
Thanks for finding this Andy H!
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:23 am
by Steve Ekstrand
You can make it as complicated as you want.
But bottom line, for a small car with 6" rims, you want either the
195 Toyo R1R
or the longer lasting 205 Bridgestone RE-11
Are there other tires? Yes. But not better tires for that car on narrow rims.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 6:51 am
by Mako Koiwai
My Posts/Links were meant to be Off-Topic yet informative

Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 3:47 am
by Jesus Saucedo
WOW
I'm glad I'm not able to sleep and took the time to go through some of these threads. I didn't think you guys would be so willing to share info such as tire choice! Cool deal.
Thanks for the good read. I'm looking forward to more events in 2010 (I did two in 2009) with my CRX.
Hope to meet some of you out there!
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:12 pm
by Craig Naylor
Steve Ekstrand wrote:You can make it as complicated as you want.
But bottom line, for a small car with 6" rims, you want either the
195 Toyo R1R
or the longer lasting 205 Bridgestone RE-11
Are there other tires? Yes. But not better tires for that car on narrow rims.
Based upon recent evidence... this may not be true... the Hancook is looking like a contender too.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:29 pm
by Jonathan Lugod
Craig Naylor wrote:Steve Ekstrand wrote:You can make it as complicated as you want.
But bottom line, for a small car with 6" rims, you want either the
195 Toyo R1R
or the longer lasting 205 Bridgestone RE-11
Are there other tires? Yes. But not better tires for that car on narrow rims.
Based upon recent evidence... this may not be true... the Hancook is looking like a contender too.
not for a 6" rim. ;)
But yes, on a
medium-high grip lot the Hankook is an awesome tire.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 12:50 am
by Steve Ekstrand
I focused on the rec's I did specifically for a light car on 6" rims.
I probably will try the Hankook's on my 7.5"rs... Assuming I have an ST future.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:08 am
by Mako Koiwai
Assuming I have an ST future.
Think fast ratio Power Steering, Evo ... RevLab steering rack in a STI
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 8:52 am
by Craig Naylor
[quote ="Jonathan Lugod"]not for a 6" rim. ;) [/quote]
Steve Ekstrand wrote:I focused on the rec's I did specifically for a light car on 6" rims.
I probably will try the Hankook's on my 7.5"rs... Assuming I have an ST future.
1st gen CRX's, and similarly year Civic's in stock class have stuffed Hoosier 225/50/14 on 14 X 5.5 rims for at least the 14 years I've been playing at this game, most likely much longer!
Whats so special about a 15 x 6" vs. 14 x 5.5" rim that the same width (225) in a lower aspect ratio (45), with an extra .5" width of rim space, suddenly can't work?
Seams non-nonsensical to me.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 9:18 am
by Steve Ekstrand
You're missing the point. I know you can cram the tire on there. It just isn't faster than the properly fit 195s and 205s.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 10:10 am
by Craig Naylor
Steve Ekstrand wrote:You're missing the point. I know you can cram the tire on there. It just isn't faster than the properly fit 195s and 205s.
So the extra grip acquired on the DOT stock legal 225's (vs DOT 195/205) doesn't translate across to the "street" compounds? Even though the "streets" of today are probably way ahead of the "DOT" tires of 10+ years ago?
Why less contact patch would be better?
