Falken / BridgeStone help.

[Slappy]

Modified by Slappy at 12:19 AM 9/14/2007

[SmithSR]

Falken Ziex, but there are too many factors under the radar to affect this decision.

How old is each tire? How many times have the tires been dismounted and mounted? Is there bead damage? Is the bead wire wrap sprung? Any repairs to tread crown? Any sidewall damage? Any tread damage or cracking?

If at all possible, avoid buying used tires.

[seyath]

I have the Bridgestones mounted on the S13 and the Falken's on my Maxima. While they are both great tires, the Falken have an edge when it comes to dry performance. In the rain, I have found that the dual thread design of the Bridgestone has an advantage as the S13 wasn't as tail happy.

[NoStickDrift]

I sell tires for a living and hands down the bridgestones are way better, more grip and traction less sidewall flex than the 512's. The 512's are made for commuter cars where the potenza's where originally designed for sport.

[NoOneBetter]

512 is more like a all season tire

[NoStickDrift]

Its not really a softer tire enless its a H rated tire, and the Potenza is a S or T, which might be, Softer tires ussaly have higher speed ratings. Roll the potenza's

[574-240sx]

I had some potenza RE92s that were horrible in the rain and dry. RE950s seem to be a little better.

[SmithSR]

Bridgestone's lineup is so diluted with low end oem fitments that a blanket statement about Bridgestone's quality becomes nonsense.

Falken(owned by Ohtsu(owned by Sumitomo)owned by Treadway) has a lot better tire for the money, across it's line.

I use both and sell both and see low quality in cheap tires, period. Better quality among low quality goes to Ohtsu line, hands down! Especially considering the dollar factor.

Which would I use? neither.(not true, my latest tire purchase was a set of RT615 Falken) Only competition, R compound or race use only tires. Why? I sell tires for a living and my car is not for commuting.

[skydragoness]

I miss my Bridgestone RE950's already. I'm running BF Goodrich Traction T/A's for the winter, and I can already tell in tight turns that they squirm a lot. The 'Stones were 205/60/15 and the BF's are identical in size, but the sidewall flex is much more apparent and in the Bridgestones there was no squirm at all. I bumped up the psi to see if it would help but the squirm is still there. But I didn't buy the BF's for fun, just for their better snow capability. I love the Bridgestones so much I plan to get a set for my 16" SSRs next year.

[NoStickDrift]

Falken is garbage compared to a bridgestone. Just because Michelin owns BFGoodrich tires doesn't mean they are better. If you compare the 512 to the Potenza, hands down the Potenza is better. Better sidewall stiffness, better wet and dry traction and they last alot longer ussaly. Bridgestone's lineup isnt really diluted with "Low Quality" tires, they just make alot of the OEM tires for dealerships, like Michelin, Goodyear and Continental. Ive used both the 512's and the potenza's and I would go Potenza's. If your talking Sumitomo now, they have some good tires and are alot better than the 512's.

[SmithSR]

You're missing the point.Which potenza? You can't make a blanket statemtent about the potenza. There are good and then there are cheap.

Same with Falken. But don't compare apples to oranges.

My Toyo RA1's and Falken RT615's have better dry grip than OEM potenzas from a base wrx or an older 2.5RS with Goodyear. (same size 205/55-16)

Does that mean that Toyo and Falken are best and both BS and Goodyear are garbage? No.

There are different levels. To the public the lines are drawn by price point, not necessarily dry grip levels or sidewall stiffness, although some of the tire's dynamic characteristics follow suit with price.

If you must compare, do so with a mind to fairness.