So you need new tires eh? Read on...

[albert_ey]

Hello!

After 20,000 Miles on the stock Bridgestone Potenza RE050A I decided to get new tires. After a week of searching and searching and more searching... I decided to go and get the Toyo Proxes 4.

My original plans were to get the Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 or Toyo Proxes T1R. I then realized how expensive those things were, I decided they were too much tire for me right now. I got all 4 Toyo's for $700 installed.I had no idea how many options and what things had to be considered when purchasing new tires for a sports car.

For those of you looking to buy new tires, you must take these following things into consideration. (Please feel free to correct any misinformation I post)

1. What will you be using these tires for? This should be the primary factor in choosing new rubber. The tires needed if you are going to be using the car for AutoX or any other track event will differ greatly if you just use it as a daily driver. Treadwear of track tires tends to be a lot less than that of All seasons for everyday use.

2. What kind of weather are you going to be using your new tires for? This wasn't a huge issue for me as I live in Los Angeles, it's almost always sunny except for those few months where it rains for short periods of time. I wanted to get a good summer tire that performed great in dry conditions as well as in rain(I don't want to hydroplane the one day it does rain).

3. How aggressive of a driver are you, if you're like me(and almost any other Z driver I've met), you like to occasionally drive down the mountain and have some cornering fun around the town, then you need some tires that will give you pretty good traction.

4. Price- Don't go cheap!! You will regret it, if you can't afford new tires, buy some good used ones that are at least the same tread on the axel(Richie).

[albert_ey]

Now for some technical mumbo jumbo that will be helpful

When buying new tires for the 350Z, make sure you get at least Z rated tires, no this doesn't mean that the tires were engineered for the Z.

Speed Ratings and info taken from http://www.tirerack.comL   75 mph   120 km/h Off-Road & Light Truck TiresM   81 mph   130 km/h N   87 mph   140km/h Temporary Spare TiresP   93 mph   150 km/h Q   99 mph   160 km/h Studless & Studdable Winter TiresR   106 mph   170 km/h H.D. Light Truck TiresS   112 mph   180 km/h Family Sedans & VansT   118 mph   190 km/h Family Sedans & VansU   124 mph   200 km/h H   130 mph   210 km/h Sport Sedans & CoupesV   149 mph   240 km/h Sport Sedans, Coupes & Sports CarsZ   149+mph   240+km/h Sport Sedans, Coupes & Sports CarsW   168 mph   270 km/h Exotic Sports CarsY   186 mph   300 km/h Exotic Sports Cars

Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) Standards A.K.A. Treadwear Grade, Traction Grade, Temperature Grade

i.e. 300AA A

The number 300 represents treadwear rating as defined by U.S. Department of Transportation(DOT)

Toyo Proxes 4 Treadwear Rating is 300

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Rating is 140

The higher the Number, the more they will last!

The Following letters AA represent the Traction grade as defined by U.S. (DOT)

Traction  Asphalt  ConcreteGrades  g force  g force

AA   Above 0.54   0.41A   Above 0.47   0.35B   Above 0.38   0.26C   Less Than 0.38   0.26

AA is the highest rating right now

And lastly, Temperature Grade, The UTQG Temperature Grade indicates the extent to which heat is generated/ or dissipated by a tire. If the tire is unable to dissipate the heat effectively or if the tire is unable to resist the destructive effects of heat buildup, its ability to run at high speeds is reduced. The grade is established by measuring a loaded tire's ability to operate at high speeds without failure by running an inflated test tire against a large diameter high-speed laboratory test wheel.

Temperature   Speeds in MPHGrades A   Over 115B   Between 100 to 115C   Between 85 to 100

Numbers and charts were taken from http://www.tirerack.com

look here and here

I'm tired of typing now, I hope this is helpful for someone.

Have a good one!
Modified by albert_ey at 12:05 PM 7/27/2009

[marlin29311]

Just to add a little bit...

On Treadwear - the higher the number, the harder the rubber compound is - yes, this usually equates to better wear, but this also sometimes comes at compromised grip/traction on the road during cornering and braking...

On Traction grading - Note that these letters are derived from the tire's ability to make a stop under wet conditions, nothing else.

All in all, good perspective!

[albert_ey]

You are right! I forgot to add that on there.

Thanks!

[Gumby Gone Wild]

Wow, great info man! Thanks! This should help us tire tards.

[bmike818]

I have squeezed 40K on my rear stockies, the fronts are still ok. Now I need to find new tires for my rears as they are almost bald. After shopping around a bit I found an amazing deal......I got Goodyear Eagle F1s for $102 each at Tire Rack...245/45/18. They were OE for Saturn vehicles, but hey the size fits and so does the speed and load ratings. I can't believe I almost bought some "Rikens" for $112 each....LOL

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...F1GS2

I don't buy cheap brands, I just like cheap prices

[albert_ey]

hahaha! Sup Mike!

I havn't seen you in any meets lately, what's new, how's everything?

I off to Grand Rapids Michigan in the morning!

[orangeNblue]

What type of tire would you recommend for 19". The wheel I've had my eye on is the Volk TE37 19" x 9.5 in front and 19x10.5 in the back....

[bmike818]

WADDUP!!!! A!!!! nothin much over hear. The Z needs a lot of maintenance done to her.....nothing too exciting. Let me know if you are going to be back in time for next week's meet, I will roll if you go. Does Ida still go there? (Nismo Z)

anyhoo, those cats at the meets are always fun. Don't forget to breakin your tires....I am getting my tires installed on Friday.

[rickster21]

Based on the following info and your knowledge of and recent driving experiences with the Toyo Proxes 4, which replacement tire would you recommend.....Bridgestone Potenza RE 960 AS Pole Position or the Toyo Proxes 4:07 350Z roadster, drivin DAILY in NJ in all weather EXCEPT snow if on ground or forecast.Appreciate your feedback!

[albert_ey]

Yeah, I'll be going to this weeks meet for sure. Ida has been going, I'll give her a call to see if she's going this Wednesday. I'll let you know, I lost your # somehow, so I will let you know via NICO if she's going.

rickster21, I've never driven on the Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position before so I can't say how they perform. So far, I am really satisfied with my purchase. The Toyo Proxes 4 perform very well after they have warmed up a bit. They are a huge improvement(and I mean huge) over the stock bridgestones.

On paper it looks as if the Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position have better treadwear rating (UTQG), with a rating of 400 AA A. So they should last you longer. Like I said before, I can't say which will out perform which, but like most other things, I always refer to reviews and ratings given by consumers.

[bmike818]

I will be there on Wednesday.

For people thinking about just replacing the rear pair of tires.

...I am having VDC problems since my tires are old in the front and new in the back. I will have to drive with my VDC turned off until I get new fronts my VDC is kicking in when it shouldn't...no fun

and I know when my VDC slip light goes on....one of my tires is getting a flat spot

[dasoupdude]

Whoever came up with the speed rating codes probably needed great help in english.

Good info, tires weren't exactly my forte'.