Okay, so I was finally able to acquire a brand new set of Alcoa's from a generous member (who wishes to remain nameless), at a great price. You know who you are, Thank You!!!.
I have been researching what tires to get for about six weeks, I wasn't happy with the stock rubber. I felt they were to loud on the highway and the ride was harsh. Traction was good if you "pre-heated" them. I didn't want to go with DR's as I will very rarely, if ever track the car. I just wanted the best street tires I could find. After doing the research and reading review after review and test after test I decided to go with Michelin Pilot Super Sports. 285/35 20 Rear and 265/35 20 Fronts.
Luckily I live about an hour from the Tire Rack in South Bend Indiana. So I went there yesterday with my Alcoa's in hand and had them mount and balance the new tires. I can not say enough about the great service of Tire Rack!! Very professional and very thorough!! They tested the Alcoa's for runout and balance and found they had less than .002 inch runout! Nearly perfect! After less than 45 minutes I was on my way.
First thing I noticed when I got on the highway was the road/tire noise was reduced by at least 30%! Now I didn't do any measured test, but that is what I would guess. Also the ride was much better, definitely a very noticeable, improved ride!!! So I just set the cruise at 80mph until I reached my exit. I can not stress the difference in ride quality and noise reduction, it was simply amazing!!
Now it was time to test traction. I exited the highway and made a turn onto the main road going in to my town. As soon as I straightened the wheel I punched it in first gear. Now I still had some spin (as expected) but it seemed to be a lot less and a lot more controlled. The acceleration was much improved. When I hit second there was another 1 second long CHIRRRRPPP! but again the car was still much more composed, in a way that I have a hard time describing. When I hit third, just a little chirp, nothing like the wheel spin I had with the Goodyears going into 3rd!! These tires are the bomb!! I have found no negatives (other than cost) about them yet. I have not had a chance to drive in the rain yet. All I can say is if you want a great set of street tires get the Michelin Pilot Super Sports! Also note that the width of these tires runs larger than normal. I was going to get 295's but I am glad I didn't. The 285's are flush with the fender in the rear whereas the good years were at least 3/8 inside the fender. When I measured the with of the tread, the Goodyears measure about 285mm, The M PSS measures 290mm. Just an FYI. There is a reason Lambo, Ferrari, and Porsche use these tires as standard equipment, I just don't know why Ford doesn't.
I have been researching what tires to get for about six weeks, I wasn't happy with the stock rubber. I felt they were to loud on the highway and the ride was harsh. Traction was good if you "pre-heated" them. I didn't want to go with DR's as I will very rarely, if ever track the car. I just wanted the best street tires I could find. After doing the research and reading review after review and test after test I decided to go with Michelin Pilot Super Sports. 285/35 20 Rear and 265/35 20 Fronts.
Luckily I live about an hour from the Tire Rack in South Bend Indiana. So I went there yesterday with my Alcoa's in hand and had them mount and balance the new tires. I can not say enough about the great service of Tire Rack!! Very professional and very thorough!! They tested the Alcoa's for runout and balance and found they had less than .002 inch runout! Nearly perfect! After less than 45 minutes I was on my way.
First thing I noticed when I got on the highway was the road/tire noise was reduced by at least 30%! Now I didn't do any measured test, but that is what I would guess. Also the ride was much better, definitely a very noticeable, improved ride!!! So I just set the cruise at 80mph until I reached my exit. I can not stress the difference in ride quality and noise reduction, it was simply amazing!!
Now it was time to test traction. I exited the highway and made a turn onto the main road going in to my town. As soon as I straightened the wheel I punched it in first gear. Now I still had some spin (as expected) but it seemed to be a lot less and a lot more controlled. The acceleration was much improved. When I hit second there was another 1 second long CHIRRRRPPP! but again the car was still much more composed, in a way that I have a hard time describing. When I hit third, just a little chirp, nothing like the wheel spin I had with the Goodyears going into 3rd!! These tires are the bomb!! I have found no negatives (other than cost) about them yet. I have not had a chance to drive in the rain yet. All I can say is if you want a great set of street tires get the Michelin Pilot Super Sports! Also note that the width of these tires runs larger than normal. I was going to get 295's but I am glad I didn't. The 285's are flush with the fender in the rear whereas the good years were at least 3/8 inside the fender. When I measured the with of the tread, the Goodyears measure about 285mm, The M PSS measures 290mm. Just an FYI. There is a reason Lambo, Ferrari, and Porsche use these tires as standard equipment, I just don't know why Ford doesn't.
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