Hey everyone, i'm going to be getting myself some new tyres soon, i have only just managed about 6k from my continental sc 5's so was looking at some semi slicks most probably the ns2r road compound. I was just wandering if anyone has any experience of semi's on a daily driven car? I was tossing up the idea between federal 595R's or the nankang ns2r's - i'm leaning more towards the nankangs as they come with over 7mm of tread and have a wet grip rating of b compared to the f of the federals. So if anyone has any input on what they are like on a daily i'd be very interested to hear, especially how many miles you got out of a set/ what they are like in the cold / wet etc. Thanks in advance!
Nooooooooooo, get a second set of wheels and tyres Obviously, yes you can use them on the road but... - they don't work great cold - standing water = not much fun - you get very little mileage out of them before they're not road legal (but still good for a number of track days!) - they tram line like a biatch. The Meg has a fairly wide track at the front, which doesn't help much In short, buy some Michelin PS4s and you'll get 20k out of them on the road
If you've got plenty of dosh like Neil said, get a second set of wheels with some dedicated tyres and stick with road tyres on the other set as this would be by far the best bet.. If you don't have plenty of dosh floating about then get either of those two you mentioned. Ive done about 6-7k miles on Federal 595's and one track day and they've been spot on. I paid 87 quid per tyre for mine. They grip surprisingly well in the wet (enough for public roads) and are epic in the dry. They do tram line a bit and are noisy-ish They wear out quickly, I need new fronts now and I think i've done well making them last this long. The Megane is pretty grippy regardless of tyres I think, its just a good car and putting sticky tyres on it makes it even better !
Hi Neil, Thanks for the reply, is that from personal experience? A second set of wheels is a no go for me at the moment - just dont have space to store them! I understand that standing water is definately not fun and not what they were designed for! Mileage, i have seen a number of reviews of people getting between 8-12k out of them (some more) and that includes road mileage and track mileage, some of the reviews i have seen have done 1200+ track miles and still had them survive for another 6k on the road! and tbh that doesnt seem to bad when my continentals have only done 6k! The semi slicks are 50% cheaper than the ps4's which is what had me thinking originally, as i can get the ns2r's (in 225 which from what i have seen equals a 235 tyre anyway) for 80ish while the ps4's are 120ish in 235 fitment (plus fitting on both). I find the normal road tyres tram line quite a lot, are they much worse than normal tyres? One of the sales blurbs i found states "A road going track day super fun tyre from Nankang. The NS2R has a semi slick tread designed to give immense dry grip, even from cold. Wet grip is ok, and noise levels low. The downside is you don’t get lots of miles from it, but that the compromise for this type of tyre." I know sales blurbs are just that and are meant to sell something but from the description it sounded like they would be ok from cold and ok in the wet (obviously not a monsoon with loads of puddles etc!)
Yeah thats the thing, its space rather than anything else, i would love to have a second set of wheels but just cant store them without the wife killing me! 595's is what i was originally looking at but then the wet grip rating put me off when compared to the ns2r's (F vs B). Don't suppose you know how much tread they come with new? is it 7+mm like the nankangs or around 4mm like 888r's? No butt clenching moments of sliding round a corner unexpectedly with the 595's then? Noise doesnt really bother me, doubt i'll be able to hear it over the exhaust and induction anyway! If they last at least 6-7k i will be happy i think, as i previously said my continentals only lasted that anyway and they were almost double the price! WAs the 6-7k you got with rotating hte wheels or just leaving them?
I am experimenting with NS2Rs 180 on my Megane since new, only 1500 road miles ago. As my mileage is only 7k / year I am trying to see if I can run them as my daily+TDs and then switch to a set of winter wheels when it becomes too hairy. I just can't be bothered swapping wheels at every event. Early days but so far: - they are road legal and work surprisingly well when cold if you're sensible. - rain is fine - they're pretty good but I knew that from experience at work on other cars. - standing water : so far so good but I doubt my experience has been extreme enough for it to warrant any conclusion. You do look out for puddles and rivers, keeps you on your toes. - tramlining : very little so far. - noise : they are noisy but you get used to it and don't think about it anymore. - wear : too early too say. But they are so cheap - I get them through work but even at retail they're buttons. My fear is that they're not designed for many heat cycles so they could end up losing a lot of their grip way before they're physically worn. Time will tell.
If you've blown a set of Conti 5's in 6k miles you won't get similar miles out of a set of semis with the same driving style. If money is an issue, have a think about a decent sports road tyre in the £90 bracket such as a P Zero or Hankook. You can never escape the limitations of a semi slick on the road.
Yep, and to be fair, you probably need to see for yourself and try them Give it a few thousand miles and you'll probably have scrubbed them anyway
6.5mm as per spec for federal 595 rs-R Ps i would say you are right with 225 width tire as they are quite wide as per specs.. The 225 on the 8.5" rim for the 595 rsr Im planing my self the 595 rsr and as of peoples report they are more durable than the nankangs despite lower wear rating for the rsr. Also they seem to hoold better on the track without owerheating
I have PSS on mine now, but will be going for AD08R semi slicks next I think. Nothing wrong with them on the road, I never thrash it around in the wet anyway but even if you do there's nothing dangerous, its all predictable and easy to handle, nothing unexpected happens. I've also tried Nankang NS2R, they're good grip/price wise but I found they gave a really harsh ride and definitely recommend the AD08 for the extra money. PS - Regarding mileage I got 12k out of a set of AD08's including 1 trackday. Thats was on a Clio 197 which is a bit lighter on its tyres, but wear wise they're not bad at all
Thanks for the honest feedback Nick, my mileage is also only approx 7K a year, so thought I may try them, but now not 100% sure as the Mrs occasionally takes my car out and wouldn't want her potentially crashing it! Sent from my HTC Desire EYE using Tapatalk
Apologies if the question seemed patronising, but you always get people who just wore things they have read without personal experience! It's a tough one as some people say there fine, no dramas etc and others say don't do it it will make the car horrible to drive daily etc! Argh more confused now! Sent from my HTC Desire EYE using Tapatalk
Fair dos. My choice is only borne out of the fact that I track my car. If you don't then I would stick to road tyres. Look at the Yoki 105.
Did you run the semis all year round on the Clio if you racked up 12K on them or just as a summer tyre? On the road when not optimal would you say worse than a ling ling ditch finder, or acceptable medium/ budget tyre? Sent from my HTC Desire EYE using Tapatalk
NS2Rs are not that great last on the road, I got 2k out a set of softs just with road miles and 1.5k out a set of mediums that included a day at Snetterton. Ad08r's on the other hand have worn much better, I'm on 6k on my current set including 25 ring laps and they are only just on the wear bars
I have very little wear on mine after 1,500 miles BUT I am on medium / 180, which will take longer to heat up but will (eventually) provide no less grip and are more suited to hybrid road/track use I think.
acordin to these: the nankang has 7.1mm hread depth, not that much of a difrence. http://www.camskill.co.uk/m118b0s669p109282/Nankang_Tyres_Trackday_Track_Day_Nankang_NS2R_Sportnex_Racing_Nankang_NS_2R_-_225_40_R18_92Y_XL_(180)_TL_Fuel_Eff_:_F_Wet_Grip:_B_NoiseClass:_2_Noise:_71dB and the federal 6.5 as per the tyre specs above. http://www.camskill.co.uk/m118b0s669p137465/Federal_Tyres_Trackday_Track_Day_Federal_595RSR_Federal_595_RSR_-_225_40_R18_88W_(140)_TL_Fuel_Eff_:_F_Wet_Grip:_E_NoiseClass:_2_Noise:_70dB great price also IMO for both of them. ps does anyone know what is the Tread Depth (mm) 7.1 Tread Depth (1/32") 8.9 What is the second one ? this 8.9 for the nankang or 8 for federal or is it just 8.9/32" and 8/32" ?
There are some basic fundamental rules with semi slicks compared to a decent sports road tyre. Better dry grip, higher wear rates (compound dependant), worse wet and cold weather performance. Nothing changes those fundamental basics and seeking a variety of opinions, which are randomly based on many unknown and difficult to quantify usage patterns, doesn't alter that. Of course someone may give the opinion you are seeking. Trust it? Use a few tyre review and more scientific test data results. More quantifiable.
All year round, my cars my daily drive and I cover 10-12k a year. I had semi slicks fitted even in slush and snow and had no issues when driving to suit the conditions. I've never driven a car with shit tyres fitted to be honest, but even in the worst conditions I didn't feel the tyres had an obvious lack of grip. They're still B rated in the wet. The groves on them are still pretty massive, so they clear water Ok. Maybe I just drive like a pussy but i'm glad i'm not going through a set of tyres every 3-6k miles like some people are suggesting - Jesus i'd be getting the bus instead if I was spending that much on tyres!
Not at all Depends on the car, how you drive, and what roads you use You won't suddenly veer off into a ditch, but it exaggerates everything you can feel So if the car pulls a bit on the motorway - it'll do it more If if tramlines under acceleration - it'll do it more From what you're saying, semi slicks are a mistake and I don't understand why you're even considering them I've had DZ03s and 888s on the R26R. Neither were too bad The mk3 seems more skittish to me when driving - probably wider track and I think the rubber is a bit wider as standard I've had Michelin Cup 2s and PS4s thus far on the mk3. I wouldn't choose a semi slick for the road simply because the ride, control, and grip in all weather is better on the PS4 I'd be surprised if anyone gets any benefit from a semi slick traction on the road unless it's a baking hot day. I also ask myself how anyone is finding the limit of a capable road tyre on the road and thinks they need a semi slick I only run mine to and from track days and the 'ring, but when I bought the car it took a while for my second set of wheels to turn up so I did a lot of miles on the cups and it was not relaxing or enjoyable when it's raining, visibility isn't good and there's standing water on motorways. I was doing 50 on the inside lane on a trip to Manchester and that sucked
That's the thing not many tests appear to be have been done, or at least not any I can find on the ns2r's. I know the basic fundamentals but haven't ever driven on any so not really sure how much of a trade off you get Sent from my HTC Desire EYE using Tapatalk
Mines a mk 2 also. It's not just for road use, have a few track days planned this summer and a potential trip to the ring too. However I was wandering what they would be like day to day, if they would last me longer than my crappy continentals etc. As if they did last all through summer I would potentially have then on all winter (until they wore out or actually seemed dangerous). The 50mph in the rain etc doesn't sound good though! Sent from my HTC Desire EYE using Tapatalk
This is what I was hoping to hear, but again big difference of opinions here and on the review sites! The wet b rating is what caught my eye about them, got me thinking they can't be that bad! I was very surprised my continentals only lasted just over 6K my old vredsteins did about double that and didn't handle twice as bad either! Cheers for the input though, much appreciated Sent from my HTC Desire EYE using Tapatalk
Summer is nearly over Get some PS4s - I'll be using those at the ring and they should be good for 8min laps Unless you abuse your tyres on track and like a bit of drifty action - which it doesn't sound like it does - then itll be pointless And the PS4s will last through winter
I run AD08R tyres on my 330bhp R26 which I use daily in all weather conditions. I've had no issues at all in the wet and they give great grip in dry. My second set of wheels has R888R tyres.
What you can tolerate regarding tires is very personal as well. I had to drive my second car on AD08R's in the rain on a cold winters night, and it was better than I expected, even managed to beat a Merc CLS at the traffic lights. On the other hand: I bought a car fitted with ditchfinders (Barium Effiplus) and it was terrible. Dry roads were manageable, but they were frightening in the wet... would spin both front wheels on a mini roundabout as soon as the turbo started spooling at 1500rpm. I have no problems being a little cautious with semi's in crap weather, but have to admit that we don't have a lot of standing water on our roads over here (the Netherlands).
