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[drufe]

I'm getting new tires and want to go a bit bigger than I've been running and I'm wondering which of these 2 tires is less wide than the other. I know some tires run a littler bigger than others even in the same size and I'm going to be cutting it close in the front and would prefer the narrower of these two.

My current setup:
Arc-8 18x8.5 +45 with Hankook V12 235/40/18
Arc-8 18x9.5 +62 with Hankook V12 265/35/18

Suspension is completely stock (M performance), fenders are not rolled and I've had absolutely no issues with rubbing on this setup.

My future setup:
Same wheels with 245/35/18f and 275/35/18r

Suspension changes will be Dinan camber plates, BMW Performance Springs, Koni Sports yellows, M3 front control arms

From what my current setup looks like and from what I've read, I don't think I'll have any issues with the bigger rears. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

In the front, with the added negative camber I'll be getting with the camber plates and M3 arms, I'm pretty sure the 245s will be ok but I'd prefer to get the narrower tire just in case. I've been very happy with my Hankooks and they're a little cheaper than the Kumho's so if they run the same width, I'm apt to stick with them. But if the Kumho's are narrower and/or you guys think they're a much better tire than the Hankook's, I'll go with them. According to the spec sheet on Tirerack, they appear to have the same section width, but I'm no tire expert and not sure if that's all there is to it or is that the final say on the matter - that they're the same width? Anyone have first-hand experience with these two tires?

Thanks in advance for your help and advice!

P.S. I've read a ton of forum posts and searched a lot prior to posting, so please resist the urge to flame me about using the search tool.

[1speedbike]

i know it's been a couple of days, but I'll try to answer as best I can and give you a free bump as well

i haven't had kumhos but I'm thinking of getting them next. I had V12's on stock size wheels and they were pretty good, and then yokohama s.drives slightly stretched on bigger wheels. They were on different wheels, but the yokos seemed to be a little narrower than the V12's and they were available in a few more sizes that made them easier to fit perfectly than the V12's.

Next I'm thinking of getting the kumho ecsta SPT's (not the XS) over the s.drives because I hear good things about them. They seem to run either dead-on or a little narrow (definitely not wide), and have pretty rounded shoulders (based on what I've read) so that helps with the rubbing worry. They also seem to get very good all-around reviews from people on these forums and for other cars. I know my searches recently took me to a corvette board and most of the guys in those threads loved them!

The thing is, the XS is a max performance tire, and the SPT and the V12 are ultra-high performance. They're in different categories, so they're a little hard to compare unless you compare the SPT to the V12. The XS is pretty TERRIBLE in the rain (and you can kinda guess based on the tread design on them versus the SPT or the V12, way fewer grooves for the water to run into) and they have a shorter tread life than either the V12 or SPT. They also grip better than either, so I would actually rank them among the likes of the Hankook RS3 more than the V12's.

Among V12, SPT, and s.Drive, I'd say it's really up to preference. All three have decently rounded shoulders and don't run too wide, though the V12's have very soft sidewalls so I don't know how that would affect the steering feel with big meaty tires. My s.drives definitely had a better steering feel, and the kumhos seem to give good steering feedback as well. If you're still thinking about the XS, then I would get them for the superior dry grip alone if you can live with the shorter comparative tire life and drive carefully in the rain

That's my 2 cents. As is, I've tried two out of three, so I might as well give the Kumho SPT's a go and see how they fare versus the other two bargain brands. It's probably easier to get PSS or RE-11 or Star Specs since everyone loves them, but they all have squarer shoulders than the asian brands and I'm dropped on 19x9.5 so I hate cutting it close with fit.

Good luck! PS - sorry for the long-ass essay but I've actually been spending this weekend thinking about my next summer tires (I can't seem to get a set of summer tires to last more than a single summer, strange ) so this has been on my mind lol.

[drufe]

Thanks 1speedbike, I appreciate the feedback! I went ahead and bought the Hankook's since I've had them for the last year+ and they're a known quantity for me. I really liked them and as you mentioned, the Kumho's are definitely better in dry but are awful in wet (but fun). I decided to go with a tire that's a bit cheaper and seems to be better in all conditions, although here in San Diego, I guess I shouldn't be worrying about wet conditions.

The tires will be here on Monday but I'll be waiting to put them on the car until I install my suspension as I'm sure I'll be needing the extra camber to fit the 245s up front. I'll follow-up with this post (or start another one with pics) once I'm done and let folks know if they fit.

Thanks again!

[1speedbike]

Originally Posted by drufe

Thanks 1speedbike, I appreciate the feedback! I went ahead and bought the Hankook's since I've had them for the last year+ and they're a known quantity for me. I really liked them and as you mentioned, the Kumho's are definitely better in dry but are awful in wet (but fun). I decided to go with a tire that's a bit cheaper and seems to be better in all conditions, although here in San Diego, I guess I shouldn't be worrying about wet conditions.

The tires will be here on Monday but I'll be waiting to put them on the car until I install my suspension as I'm sure I'll be needing the extra camber to fit the 245s up front. I'll follow-up with this post (or start another one with pics) once I'm done and let folks know if they fit.

Thanks again!

No problem! Let me know how they turn out. I really liked my V12's. I know there are some skeptics on the forums, and no shit they won't be quite as amazing as the double-price Michelin PSS, but they were a great tire for the price. The only thing I didn't like was the mush steering feel. Hope they fit nicely, and definitely take some pictures of the setup when it's done!