Outstanding! I went with the 255/45s on all 4 corners. I got my sway bars greased at the same time -- could be a factor below. Note: these tires start out with 7/32" of tread (normal tires usually start with 10/32"). I don't think that's factored into the tread wear rating. I think they do tread wear rating by how much it takes to wear off a certain amount of tread and not how many miles the whole tire should last. Visual: See Hal's pics. (Car has sucked a bunch of dust onto the back and I'm not taking any pics till it's washed.) They look slightly skinnier (maybe the same) than the RS-A 245/45s that came off it. I think it's because of a more rounded shoulder and the tread design at the shoulder. The tread at the shoulder doesn't really stand out. You can see it but the impression is more of a slick with two huge center grooves/rings. The smooth center patch is wide enough that it definitely doesn't look like a "double" groove but 2 separate ones. There is some overall visual effect that gives the illusion that the tire/tread is slightly doughnut shaped. Rubber is not as "shiney" as you'd expect. It looks and feels more like a serious drag slick (tire dressing fixed that on the sidewall). Don't get me wrong. I've never seen anything as radically aggressive looking on a street car before. The fancy tread designs make you think "designer high tech", these make you think "highly specialized to kick ass -- no cosmetics". Ride and noise: I was expecting something bordering on rock hard stiff and sound levels approaching my cat back on the freeway. Just the opposite (with exceptions). Noise: I'm comparing to my almost 3yr old RS-As which have lived outside for their entire life and probably hardened up a lot due to age and the elements. You can hear the tread on the NT05s a little bit around 25 to 30 mph and then again at freeway speeds. It's more noticeable at 25 to 30 since everythings a bit quieter and you're not expecting it. It's not like driving over a very fine rumble strip but it's that sort of sound. Kind of like driving off of smooth blacktop onto textured concrete? It's very subtle but noticeable since it "wasn't there just a second ago". I think I notice it when I'm going about 35 and lift to coast towards a light or with my foot just barely resting on the brake. At freeway speed you can hear the tires. You almost have to listen for it but it's there. The RS-A's weren't silent but they were very quiet. If you have the radio on none of the above applies. The amazing part was the rest of the time. They're extremely quiet. Like when you're driving over that mild wash board of a side street that's been poorly resurfaced a few times. The RS-As would "slap" and feel hard at the same time. These are like you're driving on nerf tires. It's like when you get a new set of shocks. This is what I'd expect it to feel and sound like if I got KW's compared to the stockers. I'm thinking that maybe greasing my bone dry sway bars may have something to do with it but the tires are probably the main factor. It's like it was/expected to be when the car was brand new. I haven't been able to get the tires to squeal in a corner yet so I don't know about that. Accelerating through a right angle corner onto a major street at about 35 mph didn't do it. Did some clover leafing but the ramps were curbed/walled. These are supposed to be very well behaved as they break away but I didn't push it to where I was doing any primal screaming or anything. No squealing on the ramps either. Ride: They feel soft. I started out with about 40 lbs. They felt softer than my RS-A's that I was running at 35 (maybe because the RS-A rubber had fossilized?). I was thinking that maybe they felt soft because I was running mainly on the center contact patch (see above about the illusion of them looking kind of rounded). Next morning I dropped them to 35 lbs. No difference in feel at all. Handling: As above, no real test yet but the initial impression is "mind boggling". You know how you got a perma grin when you got your car? It just gets that much bigger. I had no idea how bad the turn-in was on the RS-A's and how sloppy they were (I thought they were pretty good/ok before). Hard to describe. Maybe the feeling is amplified because of that sensation that you're riding on a soft sidewall tire/doughnut. When you turn into a corner it's like you did it earlier and the tires have already set up. There's no "transition" and it doesn't feel like they're heeling over and scrubbing either. If you thought sways and KW's made your car feel lighter, these are going to do it again. Straight line. I haven't been able to break them loose yet. Didn't try to just break them loose but I've done 4 or 5 1/4 mile and 0-60 runs. I'm thinking maybe it's just muscle memory of 3 years of learning how to not break the RS-A's loose... I'll give it a concerted effort next time. Then again, it might be psychological. I have this sinking suspicion I might not have enough power to break them loose. Since I wanted to re-torque the lugs I took all the wheels off yesterday to clean and polish them inside and out. I noticed that the right sway bar had a quarter sized patch of paint rubbed off right where it makes the right angle to the link...?? I'm thinking that must have happened with the RS-A's?? Couldn't find any marks on the Nitto. Discount Tire Direct: $788 Free replacement warranty (3yr down to 3/32): $107 Performance Art: $195 - install and Hunter GSP9700 road force balance Performance Art: $60 - Alignment checked Alignment specs (in case anyone is wondering) Primary Angles: Front Caster L: 11.0* Front Caster R: 12.2* Front Camber L: -0.5* Front Camber R: -0.8* Front Toe L: 1/32" Front Toe R: 1/16" Front Toe Total: 3/32" Rear Camber L: -1.2* Rear Camber R: -1.7* Rear Toe L: 1/16" Rear Toe R: 1/32" Rear Toe Total: 1/16" Secondary Angles: SAI L: 6.0* SAI R: 6.7* Included Angle L: 5.5* Included Angle R: 5.9* Setback Front: -0.4" Setback Rear: -0.5" Track Width Diff: -0.2" Wheel base Diff: 0.1"
I'm glad you're liking them so far Dave. I'm working on burning up the Invo's so I can buy these and do a good comparison to the V's. I do like the fact that you bought them at Discount Tires which I'm sure gives you a sense of security that if anything happens they will be taken care of. That's important to me as well (since you enlightened me) since I'm gone a lot and the wife drives the car. I'll look forward to some more insight as the miles tick away!
i dunno what the hell i was thinking. then again neither myself nor the people around me normally do. you gonna check more into that rubbing or just write it off?
I saved the two best RS-As. I'm pretty sure they came off the front. I'll have to dig them out of the shed and inspect them. And I'll pull the fronts (Nittos) to check them next time I do a bit of aggressive driving.
...dammit. Now I'm going to have to go out there and pull the fronts off and take pics. and I don't have the time, and it's going to leave hand prints on that fresh tire dressing. I'm blaming you Marcus, it's your fault.
Are those alignment spec factory stock or your performance setting ? I get to break-in my NT 05's next week end
Those specs are within the factory specs. I had it aligned more for twisties rather than highway driving. It was NOT in spec when I bought it new (and then the dealer made it worse). Actually they might have whacked it when they straightened the steering wheel when I took it in 2 weeks after I got it to take care of the little stuff. Later I took it in for sway bars and got an alignment, get it back with the print out. Me: "Ummm, this isn't in spec..." Service Advisor: "You're right. I won't charge you for that." Me: "Well, can we have a different tech do it?" Service Advisor: "I'd probably take it somewhere else if I were you. Our alignment machine is really old and crappy" lol Here's the factory specs for an '06 Magnum SRT-8 (I think - I'll have to check in the manual). Front Caster L: 9.0* to 12.1* Front Caster R: 9.5* to 12.1* Front Camber L: -0.6* to 0.4* Front Camber R: -0.9* to 0.2* Front Toe L: 0" to 3/32" Front Toe R: 0" to 3/32" Front Toe Total: 0" to 3/16" Rear Camber L: -1.3* to -0.3* Rear Camber R: -1.3* to -0.3* Rear Toe L: -1/32" to 1/8" Rear Toe R: -1/32" to 1/8" Rear Toe Total: -1/16" to 1/4"
I went and sat on the can for a bit before going out to look at the sway bar rub. It came to me that there's no way the tire could be coming close to it except maybe at full steering lock. Took some pics and there's no way (I think) it could get there even at full lock. total mystery... Here's two pics of the rub. Passenger side from rear of tire with steering full left. Here's the driver's side... no rub. Here's the passenger side again taken from the front with the steering at full right lock. Actually it would probably go an inch or so more but I couldn't hold the steering wheel and take the pic at the same time. Maybe if you're backing up or something it might pull it a bit further? Doesn't look like it could get there... but if it did, that's where I think it'd hit.
Holy crap! I didn't see that. How the hell does it get all the way over there? I'll have to pull it off and see if maybe that's just where it was laying on the driveway when I was cleaning them
Nice post Dave. I was wondering what tires you ended up getting. Hey skip hwy 9 for a while, I tried heading up there last Friday and they're doing some road work (repainting the center strip I think) out of Saratoga all the way up to Skyline I believe. Not only is it totally clogged up with traffic but the road's messy as hell (dirt, dust, debris), at least it was when I was there. If you wanna head up there I wouldn't recommend starting from Saratoga. Oh and now that you have some REAL tires we'll have to head to Infineon again ... hey what about tomorrow??? Ohhhhhhhhhh, that's right, you're busy ... chicken, hahaha!!:thongue2: (and why's this in the Lounge? should be in the tech area)
