The Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS Pole Position finished at the top of our most recent test of Ultra High Performance All-Season tires. This test evaluated the leading tires in the category on the road and on wet and dry test track conditions.
Potenza RE907AS Pole Position tires mold a new all-season rubber compound into a directional tread design that combines responsiveness on dry roads, with traction in wet and wintry driving conditions. A series of circumferential and lateral grooves help pump water and slush through the tire's footprint to enhance hydroplaning resistance, wet road and light snow traction.
A good all-season tire must offer the following qualities:
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Well-rounded
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Balance wet, dry and snow capabilities
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Good ride comfort
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Sporty handling
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Longevity
This broad set of parameters can make it difficult for a tire to excel in any one area. The RE970AS Pole Position does an excellent job of balancing all of the competing demands that a tire of this category needs to meet. To see how the tire performed in our tests last summer, read "Testing Bridgestone's Potenza RE970AS Pole Position Ultra High Performance All-Season Tire."
The one thing that our test did not measure was snow traction. We did take customer survey results that included evaluations for snow traction from the past winter and the results have again been favorable. With data from over 417,000 miles, the RE970AS is currently at the top of our Tire Survey Results.
We are excited to be carrying Toyo competition tires this spring. The Proxes R888 is Toyo's most advanced DOT-legal track tire. The tire is developed for driving enthusiasts participating in road racing, track days and high-performance driving schools. R888 tires are produced in a wide variety of sizes ranging from 13" to 20" wheel diameters.
While Proxes R888 radials meet DOT requirements, they're not appropriate for highway use. The R888 is molded at 6/32" tread depth and at this depth it offers the ability to handle intermediate wet conditions. Advancements in the Proxes R888's casing and tread design improve dry performance while maintaining wet traction and control. However, drivers should avoid wet conditions if the tire is shaved or worn down closer to 4/32" or less.
The Proxes R888 is the successor to the venerable Proxes RA1, which is still in production to serve a number of spec racing series events. Compared to the RA1, the R888 is noticeably faster around the track, although it requires a little more fine tuning of the car's set-up to extract the very best performance. Toyo recommends the following general set-up guidelines for the Proxes R888:
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Operating Temperature: 160ºF to 220ºF
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Hot Inflation Pressures: 32 to 38 (psi)
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Camber: -2.5º to -5.0º
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Caster: As much positive as possible
When racing on DOT-approved tires air pressure is a major consideration in tuning the handling of a car, especially in cases where suspension adjustments are limited. To see how you can change the balance of your car, read "Air Pressure for Competition Tires."
Many sizes of Michelin's popular X-Ice Xi2 tire are currently available at closeout prices. Buying these winter / snow tires out of season can result in significant savings. Not all sizes are on closeout, but many of them are marked down substantially; which means the savings now will really come in handy when winter returns.
This Studless Ice and Snow winter / snow tire is for the drivers of coupes, sedans and family vans that want to combine enhanced ice and snow traction with predictable wet and dry road handling. Most X-Ice Xi2 tires meet Michelin's Green X standard for low rolling resistance that confirms the tire's contribution to lowering vehicle fuel consumption and emissions of CO2 gases. The tire is designed to tackle the coldest winter driving conditions around the world. Michelin X-Ice Xi2 tires meet the industry's severe snow service requirements and are branded with the mountain/snowflake symbol. For more information on the symbol's meaning read "How to Confirm a Winter Performer."
Snow platform indicators (the equivalent of "snow wear bars") are molded into the tire's tread grooves to inform the driver when ice and snow traction will be reduced as the X-Ice Xi2's tread reaches the point where the remaining tread depth becomes less effective in deep snow. Due to the traction capabilities of the X-Ice Xi2, Michelin recommends using this tire in sets of four to provide the best handling characteristics and tire performance.
As with all purpose-built winter / snow tires, the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 should only be used during the winter season to maximize its life span. Take advantage of this opportunity by planning ahead for next winter and saving on an excellent set of winter / snow tires.
Having already c
hosen the Eibach Pro-Kit Spring Set for my 1997 740i, it's time to turn my attention to the the shocks and struts, known collectively as dampers. The available options include the Bilstein Touring Class, Bilstein Sport and KYB GR-2.
The Touring Class and GR-2 are similar to one another in that they're both premium quality replacements for the stock dampers. They are valved about 10% firmer than the originals to account for the wear that accumulates in other suspension components over time and their goal is to provide ride and handling that equals or exceeds the Original Equipment.
The Bilstein Sport is a high-performance shock absorber designed for use with lowering springs. The mono-tube design, while more expensive to produce, has advantages for heat dissipation, longevity and consistent performance.
Do I spend the money on the Bilstein shocks or save some cash and go back with a factory-equivalent part? The Bilstein Sports are the only replacement shock absorbers that are officially recommended to use with the Pro-Kit springs. Using the Touring Class or GR-2 with lowering springs would void their warranties. While this wouldn't be the first warranty I've ever voided when modifying a vehicle, I think that if I'm going to go through the trouble and expense of replacing them, it's worth doing it right. The Bilstein Sport was the winner and will make a great addition to my BMW 740i.
My 1997 BMW 740 is likely overdue for a suspension overhaul. The potholed and broken pavement that is typical of this time of year has highlighted that fact. With over 180,000 miles on the vehicle (only about 20,000 are from my driving), I have not replaced the BMW shocks or springs and do not know whether the original owner did either. The existing components could very well be the ones that came from the factory!
The decline in handling from sloppy, worn-out suspension components is taking a toll on my enjoyment of the car. Therefore, it's time to start plotting my replacements. Springs are easy to replace and relatively affordable. I have narrowed my choices between the Eibach Pro-Kit Spring Set and H&R Sport Spring Set. Both brands are excellent and well priced. For a car like mine that may see some fast driving but is generally a daily driver, the Pro-Kit offers an excellent combination of comfort and handling.
Shocks are a little tougher choice and more expensive. Check back next week to see what option I've chosen.
Many BMW owners have a love-hate relationship with their factory brake pads. The factory pads provide excellent modulation and stopping power, but they produce a lot of dust. The black, metallic dust quickly coats your wheels, and if you don't clean them regularly it can damage the finish of your nice alloy wheels. When brake pads wear down, we often recommend switching to the Hawk HPS Street brake pads.
As a high performance pad they offer stopping power and modulation that's better than most Original Equipment and comparable with the BMW brake pads (which are above average in performance). Hawk HPS Street brake pads are designed to work across a wide variety of temperatures and keep noise and dust to a reasonable level. Many of us at Tire Rack use the HPS (High Performance Street) pads with excellent results. I was very pleased with the set that I had on my BMW 325i.
The HPS is available for a variety of applications. To see available brake products for your car, shop by vehicle.
When I took my summer tires off this past fall, I discovered a nail in one of the tires. It was stuck in so deeply that it was below the level of the tread and was straight in the middle of the tire. Since I wasn't using that tire for the winter, there was no rush to take care of it. However, now that the weather is warming up, I am installing my summer performance tires again.
This week, I had the tire taken off and inspected. Luckily, there was no further damage and the tire was able to be plugged and patched. The internal patch is important for a long-term repair. A simple plug can be forced out over time, but a patch and plug should last the life of the tire. For more information on repairing a punctured tire, read "Flat Tire Repairs."
Spring is one of the best times to be a driving enthusiast. Winter / snow tires are great at what they do, but aren't nearly as fun to drive on dry pavement as performance tires.
Are you ready to have some fun this spring? Check out our Tire & Wheel Packages.
Thanks to the success of its custom color's program for the Alleggerita, O.Z. Racing is offering the same program for the Ultraleggera HLT. The HLT manufacturing is used to make larger wheel sizes lighter than they would otherwise be. For the Ultraleggera, nearly all 20" and most 19" sizes are produced using the HLT manufacturing process.
O.Z. Racing's color program is designed for tuners and enthusiasts seeking a distinctive wheel finish that stands apart from the usual silver, black or grey options that are by far the most common in the wheel industry. A few of the available colors include: red, orange (pictured), white and gold.
O.Z. Racing builds and finishes each set of these wheels to order in Italy. Special orders in this program will take approximately 60 days to deliver. If you're willing to wait, the reward is a distinctive set of wheels that combine unique color with the high finish quality characteristics of all O.Z. Racing wheels. The Ultraleggera HLT can be ordered by itself, or you can select a tire to create a Tire & Wheel Package. To see if the Ultraleggera HLT is available for your vehicle, shop by vehicle.
Spring is a great time for new windshield wipers. Freezing winter temperatures and an icy windshield can damage wiper blades, making them less smooth and effective. With spring's rainy weather coming for much of the country, a fresh set of wiper blades can make a noticeable improvement in wet-weather visibility.
I use PIAA Super Silicone Wiper Blades on my car. The silicone component of the blade lays down a water-beading film on the windshield every time it wipes. This helps clear the windshield more completely. On occasion, with the right combination of moderate rain and higher speeds, the water just beads up and rolls off without using the wipers at all. For some reason I get way more fun out of this fact than is purely logical. Search by vehicle to see if these wipers are available for your vehicle.
The Hurst name has been synonymous with American muscle cars and performance for years. Tire Rack is pleased to offer a modern take on classic performance with the Hurst Stunner wheel.
This modern classic has a machined aluminum finish with anthracite (dark gray) accents in the recessed pocket of each spoke.
These wheels are currently produced in 20x9 for the front or all four corners, with an option to go 20x10 on the rear. View these wheels in detail and check current pricing and availability by searching by vehicle.
The Hurst Stunner is also available for the Mustang's archrival, the Chevy Camaro.
Many new cars are equipped with run-flat tires. These tires give the ability to keep driving on a tire that has lost air. Typically, self-supporting tires maintain vehicle mobility for 50 miles at speeds up to 55 mph. The exact ratings will vary by tire and vehicle.
Car dealers often fail to mention to customers that their tires are run-flats or may mistakenly indicate that a car has run-flat tires when it does not. To find out whether your car has run-flat tires, check the sidewall.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed a universal symbol for self-supporting run-flat tires, represented by a flat tire continuing down the road:
In addition, tire manufacturers have special branding to indicate run-flat capability. The following is a list of the branding used by manufacturers we carry:
See an example of a tire with run-flat branding here (Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST CTT - Original Equipment the Nissan GT-R). The DSST CTT branding is near the 12 o'clock position on these Dunlop car tires. The ISO pictogram is immediately to the right.
The Rockstar has been one of the most popular wheels in the
KMC XD Series lineup. Its classic five-spoke design combines with a deeply concave face and unique 'floating' center cap for a look that is both distinctive and aggressive. Having seen these wheels on trucks in our parking lot, I can definitely say they stand out.
Available to fit a wide variety of trucks and SUVs, the wheel's wide widths and negative offsets are available to accommodate many lifted applications with oversized tires. It is available in diameters up to 24" and widths as wide as 12". Not all widths and diameters will be available for every vehicle application, but there are a broad range of fitments from which to choose.
The wheel also comes in a version for dually pickups. Read a prior
blog post of mine for details on custom wheels for dually trucks, as well as a photo of the Rockstar in the dually version. That version has a somewhat different appearance due to unique fitment requirements.
Besides the black painted version shown above, the Rockstar is also available in a
chrome and
machined with black accent finish. As with any of our wheels, you can
shop by vehicle to see which truck rims are available to fit your application.
Many customers are interested in knowing which are the quietest tires available. While some of the perception of tread noise is subjective and may vary from one driver to another, there are definitely some tires that are known for being quiet.
The
Grand Touring All-Season performance category is home to some of the quietest car tires and are definitely good choices for drivers who require low road noise. Perennial favorites from this category include:
The
Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season performance category offers options for trucks, whereas the Grand Touring All-Season category is designed for cars. Tires in the Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season category that focus on a smooth and quiet ride include:
- Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology - A new offering in this category that has garnered excellent reviews for its ride and noise characteristics. While it has relatively few survey miles accumulated, the early numbers are excellent.
- Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza - The tire is a long-time favorite that continues to deliver excellent results. With over 19 million miles reported, it has proven its staying power in the class. Receiving strong marks in wet traction, cornering stability, dry traction and steering response, this tire is an excellent option for premium crossover and sport utility vehicle drivers.
- Michelin Latitude Tour - Besides being one of the quietest tires on the list, most Latitude tires meet Michelin's Green X standards for long tread life, good wet traction and low rolling resistance.
For your convenience, Tire Rack keeps a database of Recommended Installers that are searchable by ZIP Code. As part of our network of installers, these shops have agreed to accept your shipment while being ready to handle your installation needs.
This is often convenient if you do not want to receive the shipment yourself and load the tires into your car. This is especially helpful if you have a vehicle with limited trunk space and/or only two seats.
The cost to deliver tires depends only on the ZIP Code of the delivery, so there is no extra cost to have tires sent directly to the shop. Since the installers are independent businesses, one would pay the labor charges for the installation directly to the shop that does the work.
We collect price quotes and review data from all of the installers in our national network. Those that provide specific pricing based on tire sizes are highlighted as Price Pledge installers. Price Pledge installers that consistently receive excellent customer survey ratings are further highlighted as Price Pledge Plus installers. In fact, all Recommended Installers must meet Tire Rack's uncompromising criteria and must posses the following equipment and experience to become one of our Recommended Installers:
- Use proper mounting and balancing equipment including touchless or rim clamp, European-style tire changers and high-speed computer spin balancers.
- Employ properly trained technicians capable of safely performing damage-free installations.
- Be an automotive business that can offer additional services to customers (alignments, complete repairs, auto detailing, etc.)
- Possess a positive attitude and the ability to treat Tire Rack's customers with the highest level of professional courtesy.
Find a
Recommended Installer near your home or office and get your Tire Rack purchase installed with confidence!
Sometimes known by Hankook's product code Z222, the
Ventus R-S3 is gaining popularity in the
Extreme Performance Summer segment. I have noticed a definite increase in inquiries for this tire, especially from drivers who are involved with autocross or other track events requiring street rubber.
The Ventus R-S3 is an excellent tire for dry weather, earning praise from drivers for its exceptionally high grip on the track and its consistency over a number of laps. The tire seems to handle the high temperatures generated by competitive driving especially well, which gives it staying power for longer sessions or repeated high-speed runs. Interested in Hankook tire reviews on the Ventus R-S3? Take a look at our
Consumer Reviews.
Tires in the Extreme Performance Summer performance category have more focus on dry rather than wet as they trade some hydroplaning resistance for extreme dry street performance. If you're using these Hankook Ventus tires as street tires, make sure to slow down and use caution in heavy rain.
It's important to make sure to order well in advance as some sizes seem to have long lead times for Hankook. It's not too early to start planning for your spring track season.
The following are three of the top choices in the
Off-Road Maximum Traction performance category, often known informally as mud tires.
Currently rated at the top of our survey results is the
BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2. BFGoodrich is one of the biggest names in off-road traction and for good reason. They have years of experience building tires for off-road racing as well as the consumer market. The KM2 incorporates some of the best attributes of the old T/A KM, along with some of the technology and design of the more specialized Krawler T/A. The result is a tire that excels in a wide variety of off-road conditions.
A perennial favorite and currently rated second in our
Tire Survey Results, is the
Firestone Destination M/T. An aggressive tread pattern comprised of deep lugs and aggressive side biters combines with surprisingly good road manners to make a set of Firestone SUV tires (also designed for pickup trucks) that have been extremely popular and successful. For additional traction on ice and packed snow, the Destination M/T can be studded.
My personal favorite in the category is the
Dick Cepek Crusher. The skull and bones tread pattern is certainly not for the introverts of the world, but it's both fun and effective. Available exclusively in extra large sizes aimed primarily at off-roaders and lifted vehicles, there has not been enough miles reported on this tire for it to show up on our survey averages. So far, the customer feedback that we have received is almost universally positive. A set of these Dick Cepek tires combines exceptional traction and off-road prowess with noise and road manners that are by no means subdued, but more civilized than their wild appearance might imply.
The E90 M3 is the latest generation of the legendary BMW M3. As a true performance vehicle, it comes equipped with Max Performance Summer tires. These are excellent for the warmer months, but not so good when it comes to cold and snowy weather.
If you want to drive your M3 year-round, you will need a set of winter / snow tires for the colder months. While many drivers opt for a
Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package, some will choose to install winter / snow tires on their original wheels, which are often 19" diameter.
In general, narrower tires are better for navigating through winter conditions, so 235/35R19 front and 255/35R19 rear are often suggested as winter sizes when used with the factory wheels. These tires have a recommended range of wheel widths between 8 and 9.5 inches on the front and between 8.5 and 10 on the rear. The stock 19" wheels are 8.5" and 9.5" wide front and rear, which would seem like a perfect fit.
Winter / snow tires tend to run narrow in the interest of better traction on ice and in snow and the most popular tire choice, the
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60, actually looks stretched a little bit on the original wheels. For more wheel protection at the expense of deep snow traction, 255/35R19 front and 275/35R19 rear have been popular choices.
A common question that we receive this time of year is:
"Are there steel wheels available for my Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package?" While alloy wheels are generally nicer and can enhance the look of your vehicle, steel wheels can be a very cost-effective solution when assembling a winter package on a budget. To learn the different benefits each wheel provides, read "
Alloy vs. Steel Wheels Winter Tire & Wheel Packages."
If you do select a steel wheel for your Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package, you can add
wheel covers (hubcaps) to dress them up and give the set a nicer appearance.
We buy steel wheels seasonally to coincide with winter / snow tire season, therefore most of our stock arrives in the fall. Also, it's important to note that we don't always have them available for every application. Typically, we'll stock steel wheels if we can find them available in good quantity and quality at a price that is significantly below the price of the other wheel options for a particular car. In general, we carry wheels in 16" diameter and smaller.
There are two ways to check the availability of steel wheels for your car. They are viewable in a separate tab on the
wheel search page and they also appear in the
winter search when building a Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package. To check what's available for your car, you would first need to enter your vehicle's make, model and year. Then you can build your own
Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package and choose among all of the available wheels. After the tire selection, it will offer the choice of alloy wheels or steel if applicable.
Do you live in an area that sees lots of ice and snow? Are you confronted by steep hills and icy streets? Personally, I believe the
Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 is the best tire for ice and snow out of the tires we offer. When you're looking for a state-of-the-art snow tire to tackle winter's truly challenging conditions, look no further than the WS70.
Other winter / snow tires may offer better handling on clear roads, but when it comes to the worst conditions, a set of these Blizzak snow tires is your best friend. When sorting through our
Tire Survey Results by winter performance, the Blizzak WS70 sits at the top of the Studless Ice and Snow category with higher winter traction ratings than the other five options.
While powdery snow can be challenging, packed snow and ice are generally the most treacherous. The WS70 really shines in these conditions. The traction that they provide in the slippery conditions is second to none. When comparing these tires to an all-season option on the ice, it's impressive to see how much better they perform in all areas. To see how much difference the Blizzak WS70 can make in driving this winter, take a look at "
Are Front-Wheel Drive and All-Season Tires Enough for Winter Driving?"
Every all-season tire is a compromise. The design attributes that make a tire good for wet traction, dry traction and snow traction are different, so a tire attempting to balance all three tends not to be the best in any one category.
There are, however, some tires that strike a better balance of these attributes than others. The
Continental ExtremeContact DWS is one that delivers enough summer handling to keep all but the most demanding of enthusiasts satisfied, while giving some legitimate snow traction.
These Continental car tires have held their own in summer tire tests that we have performed, and during a winter test of Ultra High Performance All-Season tires they proved to have a clear advantage over their competitors. While these tires are not equal to dedicated winter / snow tires when it comes to ice and snow traction, they offer some of the best winter traction within the all-season tire category. View "
Winter Testing at the Arctic Circle: Ultra High Performance All-Season" to see how the DWS performed against other all-season options.
The "DWS" in the name refers to Dry, Wet, and Snow traction. There are wear indicators molded into the tread of the tire showing the recommended tread depth for optimal traction in each set of conditions. Snow requires the most tread depth for effective traction, followed by wet and then dry conditions.
If you are looking for an all-season option or even a set of Continental truck tires (as the tire is an option for sport trucks) that will give some solid snow traction but deliver reasonably sporty handling all year, check the available sizes and pricing for the
ExtremeContact DWS.
