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Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:17 am
by Jonathan Lee
I've been out of the autocross scene for almost 3 years now, and I'm slowly trying to get back in. What's the most competitive tire for STS class right now? I will be using them on 15" Volk TE-37's (15x6.5, +39) wheels. Car is a 1990 Civic Si.
Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks!
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:24 am
by Jonathan Lugod
There is no more STS/STS2. It is now ST/STS.
There is no bad choice when deciding what tire to choose from. Out here in the west the hot shots are running the Toyo R1R and the Bridgestone RE-11. The Advan AD08 and Hankook RS-3's are good choices as well from a spectator point of view. <----I still haven't decided which one i want to try out for next year.
Bang for buck. I would say go with the Kumho XS as it is very cheap and lasts a long time. Don't go Falken Azenis as it has been a tire of the WAY past... However they will be coming out with an updated version later (Azenis 615-K)
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:07 pm
by Jeff Wong
Whats a 1990 Civic Si look like? Do you have the 89 doors with the 91 rear trailing arms and fuel tank?
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:14 pm
by Nicole Wong
Jeff Wong wrote:Whats a 1990 Civic Si look like?
Go look in the garage..

Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:36 pm
by Sebastian Rios
Jeff Wong wrote:Whats a 1990 Civic Si look like? Do you have the 89 doors with the 91 rear trailing arms and fuel tank?
Wouldn't that be awesome? The best of both worlds!
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:18 pm
by Jeff Wong
Sebastian Rios wrote:Jeff Wong wrote:Whats a 1990 Civic Si look like? Do you have the 89 doors with the 91 rear trailing arms and fuel tank?
Wouldn't that be awesome? The best of both worlds!
hehe, that would be awesome for you! Just claim that your rear trailing arms cracked and your gas tank is clogged!
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:47 pm
by Jonathan Lee
Jeff Wong wrote:Whats a 1990 Civic Si look like? Do you have the 89 doors with the 91 rear trailing arms and fuel tank?
The 90 and 91 should have the same fuel tanks, because I can run my car with 1/4 tank of fuel.
Are the Falken 615's that bad now? I know they've been around for years, but this $80 rebate makes it hard to pass up.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:51 pm
by Jonathan Lugod
its because they are getting ready to release their new 615K. I would not pull the trigger on the azenis and go with the Kumhos. That will be your bang for buck tire.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:14 pm
by Sebastian Rios
Jeff Wong wrote:
hehe, that would be awesome for you! Just claim that your rear trailing arms cracked and your gas tank is clogged!
Gas tank has some of the undercoating scraped off from dragging cones, and a few unfortunate trailer load/unloads }:)
Are the trailing arms superceded too?
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:22 pm
by Jason Isley BS RX8
Just something in a 225.

Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:23 pm
by Jason Flores
Sebastian Rios wrote:Jeff Wong wrote:Whats a 1990 Civic Si look like? Do you have the 89 doors with the 91 rear trailing arms and fuel tank?
Wouldn't that be awesome? The best of both worlds!
So the car Andy Hollis has would be ideal then..icici
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:25 pm
by Jason Flores
Jonathan Lugod wrote:its because they are getting ready to release their new 615K. I would not pull the trigger on the azenis and go with the Kumhos. That will be your bang for buck tire.
+1 on NO Falkens.....youll thank us...i promise...
if you can wait for 2010 there may be a change in pricing of the RE-11...just call it a hunch...winkwink
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:29 pm
by Jonathan Lee
Jason Flores wrote:Jonathan Lugod wrote:its because they are getting ready to release their new 615K. I would not pull the trigger on the azenis and go with the Kumhos. That will be your bang for buck tire.
+1 on NO Falkens.....youll thank us...i promise...
if you can wait for 2010 there may be a change in pricing of the RE-11...just call it a hunch...winkwink
Thanks for the tip, I will wait for 2010.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:32 pm
by Jason Isley BS RX8
2010 ST natls tech inspection

Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:51 pm
by Jeff Wong
Jonathan Lee wrote:Jason Flores wrote:Jonathan Lugod wrote:its because they are getting ready to release their new 615K. I would not pull the trigger on the azenis and go with the Kumhos. That will be your bang for buck tire.
+1 on NO Falkens.....youll thank us...i promise...
if you can wait for 2010 there may be a change in pricing of the RE-11...just call it a hunch...winkwink
Thanks for the tip, I will wait for 2010.
Jonathan,
I didn't mean to hijack your thread!
http://www.onlinetires.com/products/veh ... r+82v.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Toyo R1R 195/50/15 tire would be a great choice. The Kuhmo's are horrible on the first run and the braking is very touchy.
FWIW, 6 out of 9 drivers equipped with Toyo Tires trophied in ST this year at nationals and that was out of 38 drivers. The three that didn't trophy, 1 finished DFL in an RSX and the other two were DSQ'd.
5 out of 5 drivers equipped with Toyo Tires trophied in STS and the final count was 46 total entries.
Both first place winners in ST and STS were on Toyo 195/50/15 R1R.
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:24 pm
by Steve Ekstrand
So, 22% of Toyo drivers cheat?
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:41 pm
by Jonathan Lugod
Jonathan,
I didn't mean to hijack your thread!
Of course you did! lmao... Toyo needs to come out with a rebate soon. SO many decisions and im running out of rubber already! Damn El Toro
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:20 pm
by Ken Motonishi
Jason Flores wrote:Jonathan Lugod wrote:its because they are getting ready to release their new 615K. I would not pull the trigger on the azenis and go with the Kumhos. That will be your bang for buck tire.
+1 on NO Falkens.....youll thank us...i promise...
if you can wait for 2010 there may be a change in pricing of the RE-11...just call it a hunch...winkwink
Is this due to the law of demand and supply? }:)
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:39 pm
by Jonathan Lee
So I'm guessing both Steve and Ken run R1R's

Why the 195 size and not 205?
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:40 pm
by Mako Koiwai
If I recall correctly for some reason, the 205 compound isn't as sticky as the 195's ?!
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:01 pm
by Jonathan Lugod
nothing about compound. They are all reportedly the same. The 195 just "works" on a civic.

Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 7:06 am
by Mako Koiwai
If you read the "original" SCCA Forum thread, wasn't it originally thought that there must be a compound difference, per Andy H ?
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 7:52 am
by Steve Ekstrand
I thought all the fast 195's were from the same batch made like 2 yrs ago????
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:48 am
by Jeff Wong
Jonathan Lee wrote:So I'm guessing both Steve and Ken run R1R's

Why the 195 size and not 205?
Majority of us used to run the 225/45/15 Toyo R1R's but like everything else in ST, some of us are lemmings and wanted to run what the national champion had or.... We go by what the interweb bible says. Forget testing, interweb surpasses that. ;)
Re: Best tire for STS (90 Civic Si)
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:52 am
by Jason Flores
Mako Koiwai wrote:If you read the "original" SCCA Forum thread, wasn't it originally thought that there must be a compound difference, per Andy H ?
initial thoughts were compound difference but as more and more people drove them the 195 proved to give better feel and response for our car size and weight, given that the larger 225 gave more peaked grip, it usually took the driver a bit more work to make them work...
WOngs got both...let here what he has 2 say...