Best PSS substitute? What size?

[SpencerMH]

Hello I'm looking to replace my rears but still have a fair amount left on the front. I do a little track driving so don't want to significantly hurt performance and dynamic until I go bigger on the fronts, but I'd like to go wider on the rears now.

I want to go as wide in the back as reasonable with stock fronts and will go wider on the fronts in a few months, what's the biggest you guys would recommend? also pss's are looking like 366 plus shipping each from tire rack for a 275/35/19, ouch. Other than an rs3 with low tread wear, what are the next best options? Thank you for any help.

[bklounge]

Originally Posted by SpencerMH

Hello I'm looking to replace my rears but still have a fair amount left on the front. I do a little track driving so don't want to significantly hurt performance and dynamic until I go bigger on the fronts, but I'd like to go wider on the rears now.

I want to go as wide in the back as reasonable with stock fronts and will go wider on the fronts in a few months, what's the biggest you guys would recommend? also pss's are looking like 366 plus shipping each from tire rack for a 275/35/19, ouch. Other than an rs3 with low tread wear, what are the next best options? Thank you for any help.

Continental extremecontact DW's are excellent tires for the price. 285/30/19 would do the trick for rears. Read up on em'.

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by bklounge

Continental extremecontact DW's are excellent tires for the price. 285/30/19 would do the trick for rears. Read up on em'.

I drove both the PSS and the DW's back to back at a tire test at O'Fest last year and I can absolutely say that the PSS's are in a much higher grip and response category. You would not want to mix these tires on the car if even for a short while.

I did not like the DW feel at all.

[tjm129]

+1 on the continentals, had them on my 135 and they were really nice. BMW performance center runs them on all their cars, and I have a buddy with a boxer S that loves the extreme contact DW on his car too, you also can't beat the price of them.

TJ

[Pete_vB]

I would definitely not mix the Continental DW rear with the PS2 up front. The Continental is a very good tire, especially in the wet, but it's a totally different construction than the PS2. The PS2 is very responsive/ stiff sidewall, while the DW is the opposite.

I'd tell you to get the PSS. Yes you'll understeer until you get new fronts, especially in the wet (no different there than the DW). Frankly tires are the last place you should skimp if it's a money issue.

As for going wider, I'm not a fan unless you're competing. Wider tires on the same width rim reduces turn-in, and more important increases oversteer in transitions, which is what makes oversteer hard to catch... Why are you going wider? A 265 rear in PSS is going to be stickier and way more responsive than a 285 DW, so what's the point?

265 PSS rear and replace the fronts to match asap would be my advice.

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by Pete_vB

Frankly tires are the last place you should skimp if it's a money issue.

As for going wider, I'm not a fan unless you're competing.

265 PSS rear and replace the fronts to match asap would be my advice.

+1. Never a good idea to mix tires, even worse with 1M.

[BrokenVert]

I once mixed tires when I was first trying out my 245 square setup. I bought one axle only and fit them in the front to see if it would fit properly in daily driving.

I had 245 Dunlops in the front and 225 PS2s in the rear because I felt like killing the PS2s and not wasting them...
It was a terrible decision. The tail kicked out without any hesitation on just about every corner the car took.


I would really not recommend mixing at all.

[SpencerMH]

The pricing on the DW's is great, I just guided a friend with an m3(its convertible so he obviously needed help in tire selection, as in he has a convertible so doesn't know the difference between H and Y rated tires).

I know the PSS is better, and I'm listening to the comments about sidewall construction because you can guess its true by simply looking at the tire. I'm looking at $900 after install for just the rears though!

I want to go wider because with the JB4 I light up the rears no problem(I know all about wider isn't more grip if the contact patch doesn't increase etc) and some width will help, especially on track where I have lost traction in a 3-4 shift and nearly every hard 2-3 shift, I believe the wider tire will keep it a more optimal temperature than the narrower tire on track; but some of the more knowledgeable guys can correct me if I'm wrong. A second reason? I've brushed a curb with the wheels more in one year than the rest of my life between the wide track and the current tires that are stretched over the too large for 265 wheels.

So PSS or go all the way to DW's? Nothing in between?

Thank you for everyones replies.

[Artemis]

Stay with 19" 245 front if you don't want rubbing issues.

19" 255 PSS front = borderline
19" 265 PSS front = trouble.

See for example: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showp...4&postcount=16

[Pete_vB]

Originally Posted by SpencerMH

So PSS or go all the way to DW's? Nothing in between?

Still a dumb place to save money, but..

The only other tire I'd consider would be the S0-4- stiffer sidewall, you could probably get away with mixing it with the PS2, certainly better than the DW.

Prices from Tire Rack:
275 PSS- $724
265 PSS- $638
275 Bridgestone S-04 PP $592
265 Bridgestone S-04 PP $558
275 Continental DW $532- (softer sidewall, wouldn't mix with PS2)

Test results show you what you'll be losing vs the PSS, but then again at least you'll understear less:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=148

Other tires I wouldn't consider mixing with PS2s:
265 Bridgestone RE-11 $678 (will wear quickly, will cause serious understeer with PS2)
275 Yoko Advan AD08 $666 (too temperature dependent- don't mix with PS2)
275 Hankook RS3 $710 (too temperature dependent- don't mix with PS2)

You have a fundamental problem: you want more grip, but you want to keep your stock fronts. If you succeed in adding significantly more grip you'll just understeer, and that a) slow you down, b) be less fun, and c) be more dangerous. So you're limiting your choices to relatively poor tires.

If you were a friend of mine I'd tell you you're a moron. Ideally either replace with stock and be happy until you burn through both the front and rears or man up and get all 4 in PSS. If you can't swing 4 PSS now then consider 2 and replace the fronts asap. Tires are the single biggest performance factor on your car. From my point of view running on crap tires is like putting fueling up with 87 octane. Or worse. Again, not the place to save money.

[SpencerMH]

Pete, thank you for your post, this is sort of what I was looking for. There are always a short list of tires that are good in a generation of tires, and it looks like you made that short list for me. I will most likely go to a 275 PSS(maybe S04 but its still pricey so why not go all the way) despite the advice to fill out the wheel but I hear what you're saying and will swap the fronts asap, 265 pss is also an option and a decent savings. Also want to comment that I'm not looking to decide between PSS and Crap, the other tires you have listed are excellent, excellent; just not when compared to the very highly acclaimed PSS which seems.

Thank you.

[rad doc]

On a related note, what if someone is changing all 4 to PSS.

Fronts: would you guys go PSS 255/30 since we know 255/35 will rub? Or stay stock.

Rears: 275/30 or jump to 295/35 since there is no suitable 285 in the pss? Not sure about 295 in back with 245 in front!

[fourtailpipes]

Originally Posted by rad doc

On a related note, what if someone is changing all 4 to PSS.

Fronts: would you guys go PSS 255/30 since we know 255/35 will rub? Or stay stock.

Rears: 275/30 or jump to 295/35 since there is no suitable 285 in the pss? Not sure about 295 in back with 245 in front!

these tires have vastly different diameters. aspect ratio typo?

[rad doc]

Yes, typo. 275/35 vs 295/30 would be closer.

[SpencerMH]

I am going to buy tires today, I can get a significantly better deal on 285/35/19 than 285/30/19. What is the proper size to keep everything in order?