Need new rear tires

[srl135]

Edit: See the bottom posts for my feedback on both wet and dry traction

Im in need of some new tires for the rears. I currently am running BFG KD TA's in 315/35/17's but they dont make them anymore. There is always a chance that my beater breaks down and I am stuck daily driving the cobra for that time period so rain is always a concern...looking for something that wont be a terror on water and would rather sacrifice traction for safety. Typically i dont race my car; it was at the track once and i rarely run anyone. Overall, i like to cruise and punch it when i feel comfortable doing so (traffic conditions, road conditions, weather, etc).

I ran 555R's before which never gave me any concern on water (but i was also VERY careful). The BFG's didnt hook, but made me feel safer on water (till they were bald).

I want something that is as wide as the BFG's and safe in the chance i get stuck in rainy conditions. I have been searching for Goodyear Eagle F1 GS D3's but they seem to be MIA just about everywhere. What are your suggestions for a good all around tire? Would the Nitto NT05R be a stable on wet conditions as the 555R? If so, then i might settle on that despite the narrow tread width.

BTW, i am running on 17x10.5's

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Matt@DTD]

Thank you for the post srl135.

Out of the limited tire options in the 315/35-17 size, the NT555 Extreme Performance is going to offer the best wet and dry traction in the UHP category. This model actually has the widest surface patch of rubber in it's class so you can certainly expect great handling and traction.

If you want to run a drag radial, the NT555R is the best option for wet traction and is great for the street. Like you mentioned, you just need to be careful when it's wet out.

 

[srl135]

Thanks for the response.

I am confused by what you said though regarding the contact patch... I compared my 315 555R to the 315 BFG KD TA side by side both off of the vehicle and mounted on the same size wheel and the BFG made the nitto look more like a 275 (at best). Even through burnouts i have noticed that the tracks left with the BFG are much wider than the nittos at the same air pressure. Dont get me wrong, im not trying to argue, just not clear on what exactly makes the BFG so much wider visibly if the nitto has the biggest contact patch.

In taking this a step further.. i will say that if i went back to nitto i would REALLY like to see the NT05R's back there but i have two questions regarding those:
1. Are they identical to 555R's in terms of width?
2. How is their wet traction compared to the 555R's?

 

[Matt@DTD]

Thanks for the response.

I am confused by what you said though regarding the contact patch... I compared my 315 555R to the 315 BFG KD TA side by side both off of the vehicle and mounted on the same size wheel and the BFG made the nitto look more like a 275 (at best). Even through burnouts i have noticed that the tracks left with the BFG are much wider than the nittos at the same air pressure. Dont get me wrong, im not trying to argue, just not clear on what exactly makes the BFG so much wider visibly if the nitto has the biggest contact patch.

In taking this a step further.. i will say that if i went back to nitto i would REALLY like to see the NT05R's back there but i have two questions regarding those:
1. Are they identical to 555R's in terms of width?
2. How is their wet traction compared to the 555R's?

I apologize for the confusion, I ment to type surface rubber. Like previously mentioned, the NT555 Extreme Performance offers the most surface rubber in the UHP street class. The BFG KD is not in the UHP street class but rather the max performance class. The NT555R and NT05R run in the DOT approved competition class. Tires are just like shoes, some brands run larger while others run smaller in the same size.

The NT05R is slightly wider than the NT555R but the NT555R will provide better wet traction.

 

[srl135]

What determines the difference between UHP and MP?

A couple other questions.. do you know the story on the goodyear eagle F1's? Why are they so hard to come by?

Do you know of any other street tires that are as wide as the BFG's available in that size?

 

[Matt@DTD]

What determines the difference between UHP and MP?

This is set by the manufacturer but it has to do with the internal construction and rubber compounding.

A couple other questions.. do you know the story on the goodyear eagle F1's? Why are they so hard to come by?

The F1 GS-D3 has been on back order in the 315/35-17 for a while now. As to why, I have no idea.

Do you know of any other street tires that are as wide as the BFG's available in that size?

The only model I am aware of that runs large like the KD is the F1 GS-D3. The next in-line would be the Kumho Ecsta XS.

 

[srl135]

What is the general opinion of the Kuhmo Ecsta XS?

Popular? Hard? Soft?

sorry for all the questions... guess i needed to be schooled on tires lol

 

[Matt@DTD]

The XS is a max performance summer tire. You can typically gauge how soft/sticky a tire is based on the tread wear rating. The lower the tread wear, the softer the compound. Most UHP tires are around 300. Most max performance tires are around 200 Most DOT competition tires are anywhere from 00 to 100.

Based on what you are looking for out of your next pair, I suggest going with the NT555 Extreme Performance.

 

[srl135]

Thanks for all the education on the tire situation and for the advice for moving forward. I slept overnight on the decision and decided that ive already been through the 555, already used the 555R's and so im gonna take a gamble on NT05R's. I wont have to drive the car much so im not too worried about water, but they dont quite look as dangerous as say Hoosiers in the water.

Again, thanks for the help!

 

[cobra2003toy]

Nt05's

I just bought a set of 315 35 17's for my 03 cobra. I will try to get them on in the next week os so and let you know how they do. I went with the radial to try to get a few more miles out of them.

 

[srl135]

hopefully i will get my NT05R's on this weekend as well... i am interested in feedback though from the street version vs the drag version.

Lookin forward to hearing your results

 

[Discount Tire]

Thanks for the support guys. We look forward to reading your reviews.

 

[srl135]

The NT05R's went on last night. The overall visual width of the tires look considerably smaller... the tail end of my car looks so small now. However, on the plus side, they still are wide (just not compared to those BFG monsters), fill up the wheel well nicely and hook very well. I did not heat cycle them because unfortunately i was stuck in all sorts of traffic through houston all the way to my apartment, but im not too worried about longevity as the car will be driven perhaps once a week to work and back (20 miles round trip)

I only tested them once. 1st gear punch from 10-15mph and they hooked! I didnt slam the pedal, just leaned on it decently hard, but that used to blow the tires off. Never got a chance to play anymore yesterday... traffic ftl

Overall im a satisfied customer with these tires, only wish they were slightly wider.

 

[Discount Tire]

Thanks for the feedback SrL135. We look forward to hearing more.

 

[cobrasvtcoupe25]

Are the NT05R's drivable in the rain?

Like if its raining out can you drive easy and not slide all over?

Any input would be great! Thanks

 

[srl135]

Are the NT05R's drivable in the rain?

Like if its raining out can you drive easy and not slide all over?

Any input would be great! Thanks

I dont ever intend on finding out, but my first impression is that they wont be toooo bad. The tread is pretty deep and it would appear to channel water better than most drag radials

 

[srl135]

Alright finally got some good experience on these tires...

Took it out for a cruise.. i ran another whippled cobra from down low (not a dig) and later that night got caught on wet roads (rained while inside the restaurant).

Traction: Hooked like a mofo, didnt spin and made the difference in pulling ahead at the bottom end.

Wet Traction: I tried to let the roads dry as much as possible before i drove, so they werent soaked and it wasnt raining, but i didnt have any problems with the puddles/wet spots scattered all over the roads. Drove just as if i had street tires.

Im lovin these tires! (Not to mention they are quite the conversation piece.."Holy crap those the new nittos?" LOL)

 

[Discount Tire]

Awesome! Thanks for the update.

 

[srl135]

Update!!

Ok here is the last piece of info that i consider to be a make or break deal with these tires.... Wet traction.

I got caught on the hwy in a HEAVY rainstorm. i immediately slowed down but it was raining so hard the flow of traffic was down to ~45mph and i was running 40-45 to avoid getting hit from the decreased visibility.

These tires were scary as F*ck! At even 40mph, i could feel the back end sliding as if it were just skiiing on the road. Luckily it held its own until i could get over to exit, park and wait out the storm.

I will pay much more attention to the forecast next time i drive it rather than glance outside and assume the weather wont change that quickly.

 

[cobrasvtcoupe25]

Update!!

Ok here is the last piece of info that i consider to be a make or break deal with these tires.... Wet traction.

I got caught on the hwy in a HEAVY rainstorm. i immediately slowed down but it was raining so hard the flow of traffic was down to ~45mph and i was running 40-45 to avoid getting hit from the decreased visibility.

These tires were scary as F*ck! At even 40mph, i could feel the back end sliding as if it were just skiiing on the road. Luckily it held its own until i could get over to exit, park and wait out the storm.

I will pay much more attention to the forecast next time i drive it rather than glance outside and assume the weather wont change that quickly.

Yeah that's why I went with the toyo proxes torque drag radials instead of the NT05R's. Thanks for the confirmation post. My 99 is a DD. So far i've been pretty happy with the toyo's, but I know they are not as good at the track as the NT05's : /