I just replaced a set of FK-452 (235/45/17) with 17x8 Rota Torque for MY04 STi
Here's my impression of first 500miles:

First, I've done a good amount of reserch on tires and came up with Toyo T1-R, Falken RT-615, BFGoodrich KDW-II & G-force. I went with the 452 was because according to the reviews, owners are compromised of the sidewall stiffness, treadwear 300, great wet&dry handling and of cos the look & price ($400 shipped)
When I had them mounted & balanced, I set them @40psi all around. Found out that the sidewall is actually NOT as stiff as the RE070. I then drove it normally for couple of days just to wear them evenly. Last nite I released the psi to factory setting (36F/30R) and I felt the car is closer to neutral handling. Finally, I took it out and did some really hard conering on some of the on/off ramp that I'm very familiar with. :cool:
To sum up the feelings of these tires for the first 500 miles are:
More comfortable the the RE070
Dry grip as good as RE070
Steering wheel respond not as good as RE070
I actually had alittle oversteering on a rotary doing 45mph while accerlerating. Tire limit is pretty predictable tho.
Anyways, I'm still in the process of twisting the psi around and see what's the best for street driving. Now, I wanna see what you guys have the psi set at. Any comment, imput or anything you wanna say about the FK-452 are welcome. Bring it on guys :disco:

Who said the sidewalls were stiffer on the 452s than the re-070s? Virtually no tires are stiffer than the re-070s.

I went from RE-070
to Toyo T1-R
to RE050A
to Falken 452's
(Also have some All Seasons for Winter and Hossiers for track).

Love the RE-070 but just can't afford that for a summer tire.
T1_R was a heavy downgrade in my opinion. I found them mushy and did not like them at all.
RE-050A's were/are great. Very good compromise tire and there was an unbeatable sale on them. Had to do it.
FK452's I was very impressed with. I find them a much better choice than the T1-R. Sidewall is definitely softer the RE070 and dry grip is not as good and can't handle as much hard driving as RE070. But a VERY good replacement tire and terrific tire for the price.

Between the RE050A and the Falken I would basically go by price...and Falken would take the cake on that.

I think you made the right choice.

Next set I will get the RT-615's though as I love the chunky sidewall and more stickiness....great for summer and a few show up and race auto-x's.

^^^ That's about what I'd expect.

I had the T1-S's and wasn't thrilled with them.

Who said the sidewalls were stiffer on the 452s than the re-070s? Virtually no tires are stiffer than the re-070s.

Have you made comparison from RE070 to the RT-615? from what I've heard, the sidewall suppose to be as stiff and both have very similar handling characteristic. Oh, and they both wear fast. That's the main reason why I got the 452.

Driving impressions after almost 2K mi, 36psi all around:

Excellent in absurd downpours with inches of standing water even at highway speeds. I don't feel like the sidewalls are a whole lot stiffer than the Kumho 712's I ran on the same car, same wheel, same psi. Overall grip is excellent: I feel a difference in braking and in turns with the tire breakaway being very predictable. Also, the tires are fairly quiet so far. Over bumps/road imperfections, the tires actually feel softer than the worn Kumho 712's but with the FK452 definitely having more grip in every circumstance.

EDIT: 17x7.5" with 225/45 tires

Good to hear another good review on the wet handling. We gonna get some rain up here in Boston in these couple of days. I will post up more impressions on how i feel on wet.

Driving impressions after almost 2K mi, 36psi all around:

Excellent in absurd downpours with inches of standing water even at highway speeds. I don't feel like the sidewalls are a whole lot stiffer than the Kumho 712's I ran on the same car, same wheel, same psi. Overall grip is excellent: I feel a difference in braking and in turns with the tire breakaway being very predictable. Also, the tires are fairly quiet so far. Over bumps/road imperfections, the tires actually feel softer than the worn Kumho 712's but with the FK452 definitely having more grip in every circumstance.

Just bought a set of 452's in 225/45/17 to go on my '04 STi BBS's (my car is an '02 wrx). Right now i have 36psi in all tires but am considering adjusting these values to slightly lower values, given the stock pressure in the '04 sti is 36F/30R, at a curb weight of 3263lbs. For my '02, I should probably be around 34 or 33 front and 28 to 27psi considering its curb weight of 2965lbs. I have only put ~20mi on these, but I already know they are the best tire I've ever owned. So quiet, comfortable with excellent traction. This is the perfect enthusiast's tire IMO.

Good lord 27?! I don't go lower than mid 35s with any of my tires. 27 is nearly flat!

I had the 451's and thought them very noisy but grip was excellent both wet/dry.
In searching for a more quiet tire I choose the T1-R and the over all grip is only slightly less but the sidwall reacts like a baloon-way too squishy for me. After 500+ miles I have gotten used to it enough to like them now but when I get aggressive I am rewarded with dissapointment.
If the 452s are an improvement over the 451s then it's a no brainer. There just won't be a better tire for the $ (or even for another $10-40/tire).

yea 27 might be pushing it and others have had good luck with 36 so i may just stay there :) gotta keep super close tabs on the wear though... can't wait to get these broken in so i don't have to worry about taking them on the highway!

yeah, I never had that kind of squishy feeling with the RE070. Well, I mean I have never seen any tire has that kind of stiffness on the sidewall beside RFT. Like I said, I'm very curious on those RT-615 to see if they're as stiff. Tho, I dont think the stiffer the better (452 isnt all that soft by the way) I actually feel that the 452 hugs the imperfact corner better than the 070. Not to mention about the much comfortable ride that they give me.
I will be going about 2-3psi higher all around bring them up to 38F/32R to see how they do.

i COMPLETELY agree about the FK-452 being a better handler over uneven surfaces around corners. There is a long sweeper on the way to work that goes from chip seal to concrete and then back to asphalt and i noticed a huge difference in that corner... i have a lot more confidence around the corner for sure

I have an '02 WRX with 56k miles and my first set of replacement from the originals are worn out and need to be replaced. I currently have the OEM wheels with the worn out Michellins and want to replace the tires and wheels as a package.

I have a set of '04 BBS from an STi wheels to put new rubber on and I'm considering the Falken 452 and the Michellin AS/PS2. The Michellins are big coin!!! They are the most predictable, longest wearing, wet and dry performance tire I've ever had, at $200 ea. Like I said, big coin.

I can get my hands on the Falkens for about half ea. The question is, who would go for the big coin tire and who for the Falkens and why? Also, is the price diff worth the performance and long wear compromise?

Rosco

Anyone used the 451 AND 452? Anyone used the RS2 AND 452? Comparisons?

i have the 235/40 rs2's right now and am getting some 245/40 Fk452's mounted this week. ill post up my observations as soon as i can. since im switching to a wider tire, the change may seem better than if i kept with the same size.

Keep us posted! I'm on RS2's and will likely switch to 452 next time around.

I have an '02 WRX with 56k miles and my first set of replacement from the originals are worn out and need to be replaced. I currently have the OEM wheels with the worn out Michellins and want to replace the tires and wheels as a package.

I have a set of '04 BBS from an STi wheels to put new rubber on and I'm considering the Falken 452 and the Michellin AS/PS2. The Michellins are big coin!!! They are the most predictable, longest wearing, wet and dry performance tire I've ever had, at $200 ea. Like I said, big coin.

I can get my hands on the Falkens for about half ea. The question is, who would go for the big coin tire and who for the Falkens and why? Also, is the price diff worth the performance and long wear compromise?

Rosco

...d0000d...ya live in south florida and ya do NOT need AS tires....the 452 is a much better option

Just bought a set of 452's in 225/45/17 to go on my '04 STi BBS's (my car is an '02 wrx). Right now i have 36psi in all tires but am considering adjusting these values to slightly lower values, given the stock pressure in the '04 sti is 36F/30R, at a curb weight of 3263lbs. For my '02, I should probably be around 34 or 33 front and 28 to 27psi considering its curb weight of 2965lbs. I have only put ~20mi on these, but I already know they are the best tire I've ever owned. So quiet, comfortable with excellent traction. This is the perfect enthusiast's tire IMO.

:confused: :huh: :eek: :confused: :rolleyes:

...d0000d ya may want to INCREASE pressure...but NOT decrease it...unless you are using the tires as part of the suspension

...d0000d...ya live in south florida and ya do NOT need AS tires....the 452 is a much better option

Uncle Scotty,

Dude, it's ok, the AS rock. More importantly, they last for ever and a day and they are ***Michellins***. One of the things I found with the Michellins is that they wear round. Most others don't and there's no way to keep them round. Towards the end the others are annoying as heck cause they vibrate like crazy, even if you balance them on, or off the car. BTW, I always have the tires and wheels balanced and rotated every 5K, a pain to have to find the time, but well worth it!!! I'm also sick about alignment and by that I mean 4wheel alignment.

Don't get me wrong, the FK 452s might do the trick... wearing even and smooth, I just don't know and don't know anyone with that type of experience, which is why I'm on this thread. How about wear? What should I expect to get out of the FK 452s? What are you guys getting?:cool:

BTW, thanks for the trans. cocktail, without that I would have replaced the trans for no good reason. With the cocktail, it rocks. 56K and still truckin'.

Rosco

was wondering how long it'd take grandpa scotty to come in and start repremanding everyone...

anyhow, Rosco... I would say definately go with the falkens man... even if the 452's wear out before AS/PS2's, you'll have enough money left over to just buy a new set of falkens... and there's no way that the AS/PS2's will go twice the mileage that the falkens will (i've heard reports of up to 50K)

Dobbs,

That sounds like great advise. I just might give them a whirl.

Oh yeah, what's up with Uncle Scotty!!!:banana: :furious: :huh:

Thanks

Rosco

Uncle Scotty,

Dude, it's ok, the AS rock. More importantly, they last for ever and a day and they are ***Michellins***. One of the things I found with the Michellins is that they wear round. Most others don't and there's no way to keep them round. Towards the end the others are annoying as heck cause they vibrate like crazy, even if you balance them on, or off the car. BTW, I always have the tires and wheels balanced and rotated every 5K, a pain to have to find the time, but well worth it!!! I'm also sick about alignment and by that I mean 4wheel alignment.

Don't get me wrong, the FK 452s might do the trick... wearing even and smooth, I just don't know and don't know anyone with that type of experience, which is why I'm on this thread. How about wear? What should I expect to get out of the FK 452s? What are you guys getting?:cool:

BTW, thanks for the trans. cocktail, without that I would have replaced the trans for no good reason. With the cocktail, it rocks. 56K and still truckin'.

Rosco


..sounds like you may have(had) an alignment issue.

the ONLY time I've had tire wear issues is when the alignment was bad.

and as far as tire manufacturers are concerned----many 'BIG' ones make only one or 2 'good' tires...the rest of the garbage they make to pays the bills.

I'd rather spend 1/2 and get 9/10's

If I was in south florida---im in north florida and would, anyway........and had the $$$, I would buy the RE01R or RE50A PP and be DONE with it...

AS tires in south florida ....nah...not me

can anyone do a comparison between the BFGoodrich KDW 2's and these tires?
I am currently deciding between the two and would like to know which one is better.

I would like to know which one is better in terms of treadlife and handling.

pooster, i would suggest google-ing the KDW-2 vs. kumho ecsta ast, then cross referencing comparisons of the kumho with the falkens... i did quite a bit of searching myself and could not find a direct "head to head" comparison... although i found a few threads (mostly on beemer sites) that had owners who were thrilled to not be paying through the nose for a good tire (boy those dudes are cheap!!!)

i would say it comes down to weather you are leaning towards an all out performance tire, or a tire that will give you 8/10ths of the "max" dry performance, and be about half as loud...

was wondering how long it'd take grandpa scotty to come in and start repremanding everyone...

anyhow, Rosco... I would say definately go with the falkens man... even if the 452's wear out before AS/PS2's, you'll have enough money left over to just buy a new set of falkens... and there's no way that the AS/PS2's will go twice the mileage that the falkens will (i've heard reports of up to 50K)


:lol: PS2's lasting as long as 451/452's lol :gasp:

No way. The end. The 451 was a STELLAR tire, and I'll buy the 452 based on that and the current good feedback.

:lol: PS2's lasting as long as 451/452's lol :gasp:

No way. The end. The 451 was a STELLAR tire, and I'll buy the 452 based on that and the current good feedback.

figured as much. btw, i took a 400 mi trip this weekend... boy are the 452's NICE on the highway. sooo comfy/quiet.

i've got the same tires but 245/40/18 18x8.5 been on them for about 200-300 miles and there not bad, good in the rain a little soft around corners but my coilovers and swaybars help out....just my 50cent:)

Same tires as Who? Soft around corners compared to what?

well since this is the falken fk-452 thread that should've been a clue, but i did screw up the comparison. It was a comparison to the stock sti tires....

225/50/16 on the stock rims. 02 wrx

Had the 452's for about 4k now. Great tire.

Im running 42psi up front and 38psi in the back.

I've just ordered 452s 245/40/17 with rota torque 17x8.
I will review them a month later or so.

[QUOTE=Dobbs;17404219]pooster, i would suggest google-ing the KDW-2 vs. kumho ecsta ast, then cross referencing comparisons of the kumho with the falkens... i did quite a bit of searching myself and could not find a direct "head to head" comparison... although i found a few threads (mostly on beemer sites) that had owners who were thrilled to not be paying through the nose for a good tire (boy those dudes are cheap!!!)

Yep, reserching is the key. One thing that's gotta take it to consideration is by looking at who's doing the review (with what car??) and what tires they comparing to.

I've been on 452's for close to 10k already. (245/40/18 on 18x8.5 wheel) I was running T1-S's, switched to T1-R's and then to the 452. I haven't looked back since. The price vs. performance can't be beat. I've had zero issues with these. I was really disappointed with the Toyo's, for the price, you figure you're getting a superior tire when in fact you aren't. I done hard driving on the 452's, as they are my daily driven tires, fun in the rain, and have never been suprised by them. Very predictable, excellent grip in the wet and dry. I'll definitely buy these again. :D

I've been on 452's for close to 10k already. (245/40/18 on 18x8.5 wheel)

what is your front/rear psi set to?

what is your front/rear psi set to?

36 front 32 rear

245/40/17 on rota torque 17x8.
only 100 miles on them now, but it is great improvement in handling and suspension over stock Re92s. I got prodrive springs and whiteline 22mm sway front and 22mm set to stiffest in rear. I've got much quicker and less bodyroll in corners, lot of grips, and very comfy driving. One down side is tho that road noise seems bit louder than stock ones. I've got pressure 38/36 now but I think I should increase bit more to see how it does. 42/40 was the best pressure for stock Re92s for me. Other than that, its great tire for the money. I want to try Kumho SPTs next time.

I've been on 452's for close to 10k already. (245/40/18 on 18x8.5 wheel) I was running T1-S's, switched to T1-R's and then to the 452. I haven't looked back since. The price vs. performance can't be beat. I've had zero issues with these. I was really disappointed with the Toyo's, for the price, you figure you're getting a superior tire when in fact you aren't. I done hard driving on the 452's, as they are my daily driven tires, fun in the rain, and have never been suprised by them. Very predictable, excellent grip in the wet and dry. I'll definitely buy these again. :D


Great!

How stiff is the sidewall on the 452's? Are they stiffer than the Toyos?

The 451's were very stiff, stiffer than RS2's, and i miss the turn in stiffness, though overall grip was less.

42/40 was the best pressure for stock Re92s for me.

Yeah I run 42/38 in the 452's and they are wearing pretty good. I also run a smigen over 1* neg camber up front.

Just for the hell of it I dropped my pressures down to 38/34 and it dramaticly changed my turn in and road feel. It made it a bit nicer over bumps but I didnt like the cornering feel at all. Im on stock springs and a 25mm cobb rsb in the middle position.

With the pressures up I feel very comfident in them all the way to the breaking point.

With around 6k on these guys the only beef I could even have it possibly noise but compared to other performance tires there not even that bad.

Great!

How stiff is the sidewall on the 452's? Are they stiffer than the Toyos?

The 451's were very stiff, stiffer than RS2's, and i miss the turn in stiffness, though overall grip was less.

There very stiff. In another thread on these tires I and some others pointed out that it took like 80psi to pop the beads on the damn rims because the sidewall is stiff.

I mean its not a full out performance tire like the 615's but if you take into consideration the increase in tire wear you will get out of the 452's I think its worth it unless your just flat out autocrossing the car. Plus you can feel confident driving in the rain with these.

I mean its not a full out performance tire like the 615's but if you take into consideration the increase in tire wear you will get out of the 452's I think its worth it unless your just flat out autocrossing the car. Plus you can feel confident driving in the rain with these.

Excellent points~~
There's no doubt that the 615 has better dry handling and stiffer sidewall that made it a better track tire. But on the street, 452 is my choice. 2weeks encounting on mine, still loving it:disco:

Had mine in 225/50/16 on RS 6spokes.

Love them so far, they've been doing well in the wet and dry conditions in the Seattle area.

Sidewalls are stiff. I mount my own tires and these took quite a bit of effort to get the bead seated correctly.

-paK +4

OK, great!!! I'm gonna be buying these soon.

Best price on these?

Best price on these?

I bought mine from www.discounttire.com $404 shipped 235/45/17
You can also check out http://www.tires-easy.com/start.html or http://treadepot.com/

Thanks

I bought mine from www.discounttire.com $404 shipped 235/45/17
You can also check out http://www.tires-easy.com/start.html or http://treadepot.com/

Whoa, tires-easy has wicked pricing....is it for real? Its some german based company.

If you factor in Discount tires' free shipping however, it is not a better deal

They don't have 205/50/16.

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findTireDetail.do?cf=false&sw=false&cs=205&pc=18583&rd=16&ar=50

Discount tire does... $85 each and free shipping... can't get much better than that.

Vulcan tire and Edge Racing are good places for Falken tires and usually have them for much less then Discount.

Vulcan tire and Edge Racing are good places for Falken tires and usually have them for much less then Discount.

...not after ya pay shipping, they don't

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findTireDetail.do?cf=false&sw=false&cs=205&pc=18583&rd=16&ar=50

Discount tire does... $85 each and free shipping... can't get much better than that.

Wow, bangin!! Thanks.

Why is it a 'luxury sport' tire. I hate that, it really turns me off. :confused:

Wow, bangin!! Thanks.

Why is it a 'luxury sport' tire. I hate that, it really turns me off. :confused:

...they gotta appeal to the 'bling' crowd :rolleyes:

...they gotta appeal to the 'bling' crowd :rolleyes:

Yup Falken's not stupid. ;)

...they gotta appeal to the 'bling' crowd :rolleyes:

right to the point!:cool:

So far so good with the FK452s. Going to get an alignment today, mine is shot, so I will get a good impression when its alls aid and done. So far feels much more grippy than my old Pilot Sport A/S. The Pilots were a 205/50 but were cut like a 225. I got the Falkens in a 235 so that may be helping with the grip.

Overall road noise is reduced and the tire makes for a nice ride on the streets.

Picked up a set 225/45/17 so far so good, only about two weeks of commuting to work so far. Firm but not harsh ride, noise is not an issue, grip has been good, little sketchy in 35 degree wet weather but nothing you have to worry about too much.

About a week ago I had 4 new pilot sports installed in BBS +1s. So now I've got 225-45/17s on the old Rosco and it feels great. Grip is unbelieavable... I have yet to reach the limit of grip and with the lighter wheels turning is more like only thinking of turning than to move the wheel.

The $ was high and I'm hoping they last worth the cash. I hope they compare very favorably with the Falkens cause if not, given the cost of the Falkens, I'm screwed.

Rosco

Thought this was an FK452 thread?

anyone track these? Not AutoX... I occasionally do track days during hot TX summers and don't want tires that will get slippery like the 451s are supposed to.

About a week ago I had 4 new pilot sports installed in BBS +1s. So now I've got 225-45/17s on the old Rosco and it feels great. Grip is unbelieavable... I have yet to reach the limit of grip and with the lighter wheels turning is more like only thinking of turning than to move the wheel.
Rosco

I think he has 2 sets of rims+tires 1)BBS+pilot sports 2)Rosco+452

Well, after days of research, I just ordered 245/45 17s from edgeracing.com. There was a better price at discountedwheelwarehouse.com but the website looked shady and the last thing I want to do is argue with some shady salesman about why my tires haven't shown up yet.

Since nobody answered my question above, I'll ask again - do these have a problem with heat like the 451s? I track (not autox) my pig-heavy STI in the summer months, will this be a problem? I probably won't get too many days in this year so I decided to go with a long wearing tire that is decent in the wet instead of worrying too much about it but I'd like to know if I made the right decision.

Thanks!

245/45/17s? That might be a touch too tall, depending on what suspension you're running.

hmm.... I think you are right. That size is backordered anyway so I'll call tomorrow and see about going up to 255s or down to 225s. Decisions, decisions.

Well, after days of research, I just ordered 245/45 17s from edgeracing.com. There was a better price at discountedwheelwarehouse.com but the website looked shady and the last thing I want to do is argue with some shady salesman about why my tires haven't shown up yet.

Since nobody answered my question above, I'll ask again - do these have a problem with heat like the 451s? I track (not autox) my pig-heavy STI in the summer months, will this be a problem? I probably won't get too many days in this year so I decided to go with a long wearing tire that is decent in the wet instead of worrying too much about it but I'd like to know if I made the right decision.

Thanks!

discount tier direct has them at $112 and free shipping

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p37c206f92d950ac12039d5b702175ac9/e9ecc49e.jpg

235/45/17 w/JDM pink here. I got 4.5 inch clearance from the front lip.
But if you're runing 245, 45 section width would be a little too tall in my taste.

hmm.... I think you are right. That size is backordered anyway so I'll call tomorrow and see about going up to 255s or down to 225s. Decisions, decisions.

245/40/17s(fine if you're not worried about 0-60, as it shortens your gearing a little bit) or 255/40/17s(ideal, but may be a bit pinched if you're still running stock or 8-inch rims).

255/40 is pretty popular but I'm only to track my car a few times this year so the trade-offs aren't worth it to me : price, rolling resistance. Plus, I'm just not that good a driver yet. Getting to the limit on my old BFG gsports at 225/45 was hard enough. I went ahead and ordered some Falken 452s in 235/45 for the stock 8" rim. So, anyone track these yet?

I thought about tracking them, (due to it raining on track day) but decided against it. I think they would probably be alright on the track, but I will tell you that they are no where near as sticky as the stock Potenza's, which held up great for 5+ track days for me. I would be worried about the rear end stepping out on the 452's during a track day, only because I can get the rear to step out during a spirited drive off track. But really, it all depends on how hard you're driving on the track as to how well they would do. If you're extremely aggressive, I wouldn't do it, expecially if they got hot.

All that being said, they are very comparable to the Toyo T1-S's and T1-R's... and people track those. If you do decide to track the 452, please report back and tell us how well they held up.

yeah, I'm very curious to know how well they hold up on tracks too.

Got the tires on. They were good in the downpour we had today. Better than BFGs on their wearbars, anyways.

im running 235/40/17.

i think i was spoiled by my azenis 215s, cuz they seemed to grip alot more, not to say the fk452's arent good. they are, they're really good for daily driving

Bought a set of 225/40-18 for my P1s. I have less than 1,000 miles on them so far, and haven't driven in rain. However, I've been pleased with the stickiness of them so far, and even with a fairly stiff (and short) sidewall, the comfort is not much different than riding on my stock 16s. I expected to be A LOT rougher.

J

I might be taking them to MSR Cresson this wkend. If so, I'll report back on how they felt on the track...

Anyone have the Bridgestone RE01R / Advan Neova and step down to these tires? Not to say the 452's are bad but how big of a difference have you guys seen between the Falkens and RE01R/Neova?

I love my RE01R's to death and I think they're pretty much the prefect street summer tire but damn they're expensive.

Have you made comparison from RE070 to the RT-615? from what I've heard, the sidewall suppose to be as stiff and both have very similar handling characteristic. Oh, and they both wear fast. That's the main reason why I got the 452.

I've had both the RE070 and 2 sets of RT 615's. RE070's are MUCH stiffer and almost as stick but they get greasy quick and have a HORRIBLE ride. They are basicly a run flat, you can let all the air out and drive on it and you wouldn't even know ( I had a flat and drive 200 miles on it before tech at an autocross noticed it was flat, filled with air, autocrossed on it and drove 80 miles home before it fell apart.)

RT 615's are stiff side wall but nothing like a 070. If it goes flat, you can tell immediately. Requires slightly more neg camber, has better bite and though it gets greasy too, it takes longer than the 070.

Got a full autocross season and 8000 mile out of both. RT 615 is much cheaper.

I've had both the RE070 and 2 sets of RT 615's. RE070's are MUCH stiffer and almost as stick but they get greasy quick and have a HORRIBLE ride. They are basicly a run flat, you can let all the air out and drive on it and you wouldn't even know ( I had a flat and drive 200 miles on it before tech at an autocross noticed it was flat, filled with air, autocrossed on it and drove 80 miles home before it fell apart.)

RT 615's are stiff side wall but nothing like a 070. If it goes flat, you can tell immediately. Requires slightly more neg camber, has better bite and though it gets greasy too, it takes longer than the 070.

Got a full autocross season and 8000 mile out of both. RT 615 is much cheaper.

What alignment setting you were on?

Thought I would throw in my 5 cents here

215/45/17 on 17 x 7

Love em so far. Great upgrade from my previous tire, definitely a good tire in the bang/buck department. Extremely predictable when you push it and a very linear traction loss. If you slide a little bit you can just adjust and the car re-aligns itself no problem. Its not like once you start sliding you lose control.

Very satisfied with em, used em for about.... 3,000 miles so far I believe (give or take a couple hundred miles)

ordered 4 x 215/40-r17 yesterday from discount. total was $375. will post more when they're in and on. replacing old azenis sports (rt215).

im looking at these tires locally so far the best deal ive gotten is 780 with tax levy balance everything included. i think i might just drive across the border and get them down there!!!!!

Good idea.

I got mine for 440 for all 4, mounted, balanced, and put on the car. 780 is a bit much....

im looking at these tires locally so far the best deal ive gotten is 780 with tax levy balance everything included. i think i might just drive across the border and get them down there!!!!!

$780 CAD = $703.3046 USD as of today~
That's way too much even including mounting & balancing.
I'd order from discount tires and pay a little extra shipping, then find a tire shop locally and have them mount & balance the tires.

They are basicly a run flat, you can let all the air out and drive on it and you wouldn't even know ( I had a flat and drive 200 miles on it before tech at an autocross noticed it was flat, filled with air, autocrossed on it and drove 80 miles home before it fell apart.):eek:

Ok heres my question, this may be a no brainer to some, but not to me.

So, went from stock BBS's with dunlop all seasons to Rota p1 18x8 with 452's 235/40/18.

So yes, i know the sidewall is not as tall, and probably not as stiff. When i drive it feels like the car is more likely to move on its own... For instance, i hit some uneven pavement, small pothole, bumps etc. It feels like i need to grip the wheel much more securely then before to stop it from scooting out one way. Or, today for instance i was in the middle lane getting off in about 1/4 a mile. people in the right lane being jerks not making any room, i punch it to get ahead of them and then cross both lanes to the exit. During that whole operation it felt like the car was unsure of where it wanted to go. I wasn't moving the wheel jerking it around, but it still felt like an unclean line to the exit ramp.

I had rt 615s on last week, were too loud and i took them off, but i noticed the same thing with them, not sure if it was more or less evident. At first I was thinking the wheels, they are bigger 17x8 to 18x8 and heavier, but the rota P1's are relatively light compared to other rotas and cast wheels. ~19ish lbs. Maybe is the shorter or softer sidewall? I checked the pressure, running 39.5 front, 38 rear. Shouldn't be compressing too much, maybe its too high?

Any comments would be much appreciated. I don't know why its behaving like this, but it makes it a bit nerveracking too drive sometimes, and didn't do this as much if at all, 2 weeks ago with my bbs/allseason combo.

and i can't imagine that with so many people running larger tires and wheels and such wouldn't have run into or know about my problem from past experience.

thanks

ice... basically, short, stiff sidewalls plus grippy rubber plus wide width = tramlining.

increased camber and caster can help... camber by reducing the width of the effective contact patch while traveling straight, and caster by increasing the self-centering action of the steering wheel.

I ran both the FK451 (205/55/16) and FK452 (225/45/16). I am currently still using the 452s and I must say the feel a pretty good amount better than the 451s wet and dry. They are a bit quieter too. I cant really comment on sidewall stiffness between the two, because the 452s are a shorter overall diameter but I never had a complaint about either tire being too soft. As stated before in this thread its an amazing tire for the price.

Hmm, well thats not the best news. Why is it I hadn't heard about this type of problem when i was reading about wheels and tires exactly. 18x8 with 235/40/18 isn't really a rare combination, is it just something people deal with or don't notice? I would say i am a tad on the more concious side of things, but I can't imagine people not noticing it.

Bottom line is, I have gone through so much hassle, first with the wheels, and then my first set of tires, and now a second set... its becoming very tiresome (get it! ;) ) and i just want the damn things to ride okay. Are there any options I have overlooked... or is adjust for camber easy to do? Granted I have only used my local tire shop to mount my wheels... but they don't do anything besides OEM settings for camber and such. What are my options to fix this without being pulled off the road.. =(

ice... basically, short, stiff sidewalls plus grippy rubber plus wide width = tramlining.

increased camber and caster can help... camber by reducing the width of the effective contact patch while traveling straight, and caster by increasing the self-centering action of the steering wheel.

Willy, try lower pressure, maybe 36/34 and an alignment.

yea i was debating lowering the pressure... pretty sure they are aligned fine. I had it done about a month ago with the stock wheels. and before that I had it done when i put on my winter tires. so all seasons (alignment), swapped springs, then swapped back (alignment), then put on 18's and rt 615's... then swapped to 452's. None of that (changing wheels and tires) should have changed the alignment right?

Willy, try lower pressure, maybe 36/34 and an alignment.

also, theoretically if ride5000 was right, wouldn't lower pressure put more tire on the ground and thus increase the problem?

well i did drop the pressure, and just so i am clear here... pressure is always measured hot right?

so yea, dropped the pressure all the way down to 35/33. seemed a little better. Didn't overcorrect itself, but the problem wasn't gone either. Doesn't look like the simple answer will be pressure. also, is 35 enough pressure for the fronts with 235/40's?

Ok heres my question, this may be a no brainer to some, but not to me.

So, went from stock BBS's with dunlop all seasons to Rota p1 18x8 with 452's 235/40/18.

So yes, i know the sidewall is not as tall, and probably not as stiff. When i drive it feels like the car is more likely to move on its own... For instance, i hit some uneven pavement, small pothole, bumps etc. It feels like i need to grip the wheel much more securely then before to stop it from scooting out one way. Or, today for instance i was in the middle lane getting off in about 1/4 a mile. people in the right lane being jerks not making any room, i punch it to get ahead of them and then cross both lanes to the exit. During that whole operation it felt like the car was unsure of where it wanted to go. I wasn't moving the wheel jerking it around, but it still felt like an unclean line to the exit ramp.

I had rt 615s on last week, were too loud and i took them off, but i noticed the same thing with them, not sure if it was more or less evident. At first I was thinking the wheels, they are bigger 17x8 to 18x8 and heavier, but the rota P1's are relatively light compared to other rotas and cast wheels. ~19ish lbs. Maybe is the shorter or softer sidewall? I checked the pressure, running 39.5 front, 38 rear. Shouldn't be compressing too much, maybe its too high?

Any comments would be much appreciated. I don't know why its behaving like this, but it makes it a bit nerveracking too drive sometimes, and didn't do this as much if at all, 2 weeks ago with my bbs/allseason combo.

and i can't imagine that with so many people running larger tires and wheels and such wouldn't have run into or know about my problem from past experience.

thanks

Wider rim & stickier tire gives you more contact pitch and overall traction. With more traction, the car would have more tendency to track itself to the imperfect road. Also, if you have the money or/and time, you should do an alignment after you make any type of suspension changes such as wheels & tires. You change the overall dia. of the BBS & Dunlop you used to have to a 18" rim & 452 setup, that changes the alignment as well. Assuming you took the car for an alignment, that doesnt meant they done it right. Alignment is the key to maximize the potential of all the upgrades you putting on your car. So, tell the alignment shop what spec you wanna dial in and ask for a b4 & after alignment spec.

considering the place i currently use is pretty good, but will only align it to oem camber settings... should i look into another performance place to do a proper alignment?

Also, again, may be a no brainer but.. this would mean that whenever i swap winter wheels/tires to summer wheels/tires it also would require a realignment correct?

considering the place i currently use is pretty good, but will only align it to oem camber settings... should i look into another performance place to do a proper alignment?

Also, again, may be a no brainer but.. this would mean that whenever i swap winter wheels/tires to summer wheels/tires it also would require a realignment correct?

A lot of auto manufactures recommand get an alignment doen every 10k miles just because the pavement on the roads arent always perfect. Everytime to hit a pothole or driving through construstion road surface, you take a chance knocking off your alignment little by little.
I put right around 20k miles a year to my car. About half of the miles will go to the summer set, and half of them go to the winter set. The time I change the tires will be the time I get an alignment as well as tire rotation.

I ran both the FK451 (205/55/16) and FK452 (225/45/16).

how much wheel gap did you have from the 452's? im running an 05 RS and thinking of ordering the 452's in 225/50/16 but not sure about rubbing/wheel gap

i thinking of gettng 255/40-17 on my 8" wide wheels. i know it might be a bit pinched, but is it that bad? the thing is i currently have 235/40 rt-615 on and i was hoping the increased width would help out with the decreased stickiness of the FKs

in my search to solve this, i dropped my pressure to 35/33. of course the moment i do this i strike a massive hole in the road and viola.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/IceWilly/argh/P1010199.jpg

great. def a bit too low on the pressure, even though it helped the problem.

Bummer!! :(

I ran both the FK451 (205/55/16) and FK452 (225/45/16). I am currently still using the 452s and I must say the feel a pretty good amount better than the 451s wet and dry. They are a bit quieter too. I cant really comment on sidewall stiffness between the two, because the 452s are a shorter overall diameter but I never had a complaint about either tire being too soft. As stated before in this thread its an amazing tire for the price.

SCORE! I've been looking for a 451 user to chime in on the 452's. Thanks!

SCORE! I've been looking for a 451 user to chime in on the 452's. Thanks!

Same here. I'm gonna replace my 451s with the 452s.

I was going back and forth between the 615's and the 452's. I have now decided on the 452's, due to wet handling and tread wear.
I have an 06 WRX, stock rims, soon to be riding on prodrive springs.
Can I step up to a 225 tire without problems, or should I stick to the stock 215 size?

Anyone used the 451 AND 452? Anyone used the RS2 AND 452? Comparisons?
I ran a 235/40R17 R-S2 last summer. This summer I'm running a 225/45R17 FK-451. The change was mainly for mileage. The hankook is a 200 tread wear and I only got 20k miles out of them. The 451 is a 280 (or is it 300?) and I'm hoping to get two summers out of them instead of one.

As far as ride and handling is concerned...each one has its benefits. The R-S2 is still the best wet weather tire I've ever used. Even autocrossing in a monsoon at 2/32" tread depth they still didn't have problems. Of course that's sub 60 mph. At highway speeds and that depth you can definitely feel the hydroplaning. That said, the 451 is still good in the rain. I haven't had that monsoon experience with these tires yet, but I still drive with 100% confidence in the wet.

As far as ride quality is concerned, its a wash. I haven't noticed a discernable difference between the two tires. Being directional and a higher performance tire you have to expect some amount of road noise. With a louder than stock exhaust and a radio...its of no concern to me. Both tires have a softer sidewall. Hence they have a wonderful ability to soak up more bumps. This helps a lot while cornering because they tend to absorb imperfections. Of course some people like more feedback and a soft sidewall does reduce the transition steering response.

As for grip, the R-S2 wins. The tread blocks are larger, the rubber is softer. Ultimate lateral grip is no competition. But I don't intend that to mean the FK451 has no grip. The highway interchange loop I used to take at 65 with the 'kooks has dropped to 58 with the 451. Of course no one needs to take a 45 mph ramp that fast, but we all do anyway.

I have limited feedback for the FK 452. Being impressed with the 451 I recommended them to 3 friends. So there is now a Cooper S, a CTS-V, and an STi running around here on 452's. I've ridden in the CTS and the tires are quiet and handling is decent. The owner is very happy with them and impressed in the handling improvement over whatever was stock. The Mini was just down running the Dragon last weekend in the rain. Yet another owner impressed with their wet weather grip. She's also quite happy with their dry performance. She made the change from Toyo Proxes. I'll have to get some seat time in the STI and see how they compare to the 451 on a Subaru.


So for performance at a discount, the FK 451/452 is a great buy. I'm very happy with my purchase as are many others. Its hard to find a better "total package" tire for less money. My next choice would be the R-S2, though unless you plan on autocrossing the the improvement in performance is not justified by the higher cost.

I was going back and forth between the 615's and the 452's. I have now decided on the 452's, due to wet handling and tread wear.
I have an 06 WRX, stock rims, soon to be riding on prodrive springs.
Can I step up to a 225 tire without problems, or should I stick to the stock 215 size?

Go for the 225, no worries about rubbing or fitment

Anyone have pictures from the rear on a 04 STI....235/45/17 and lowered? I know....its a long shot

So I have a slight update on my post above (#103).

I decided to get a maximum limit of the FK451's on that highway interchange I mentioned. I pushed the car until I could feel it begin to understeer and push toward the outside of the curve.

FK451 on damp (wet, but not raining) pavement = 62mph
FK451 on dry pavement = 65mph

Anyone have pictures from the rear on a 04 STI....235/45/17 and lowered? I know....its a long shot
I have a straight-on picture from the front of 235's on my WRX and a number of random angle shots where you can see the rear tires. PM me your email addy and I can send you a few if you're interested.

just bought my 452 and they look great. still waiting for a wheel alignment and corner balance before i drive. i hope that the side walls are softer then the pilot sport as i was thinking of getting the pilot sports.

i got a really good deal on these locally.
675.00 out the door. not mounted.
(4) falken 452k 255 35 18

Anyone have pictures from the rear on a 04 STI....235/45/17 and lowered? I know....its a long shot

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1242419
scoll down to see the pics~

04 STi 235/45/17 FK-452 on jdm pinks :cool:

put 'em on the car saturday, got just about all the mold release off by now.

i went from 225/45-17 azenis to 215/40-17 452s.

sidewalls softer than azenis
tread noise much quieter
grip a little bit less tenaciously but smoother "knee" to the breakaway
give more audio feedback
although i haven't had to deal with it yet, i suspect they'll be a little bit better in the wet :lol: (actually the azenis was remarkably good in the wet--just hairy with the standing water, especially when completely bald like mine were at the end of their life :eek:)

running 38lbs f/r so far. initial impressions are nice tire and great price.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1242419
scoll down to see the pics~

04 STi 235/45/17 FK-452 on jdm pinks :cool:


:cool: How do you like them? Any rubbing anywhere on turns and such. Would you have gone with the 225 instead?

Thanks

:cool: How do you like them? Any rubbing anywhere on turns and such. Would you have gone with the 225 instead?

Thanks

I love the ride quelity and great handling of them. No rubbing whatsoever with some negative camber. If i were to order tires again, I'd go for 235/40/17 to gain more steering feel but I'd never go back to 225 because there's more traction on wider tire.

^cant forget.. it only cost like a dollar to go from 225-235... great price..

i put these on my 04 STi a couple weeks ago. at first they didn't inspire much confidence in me, but once i broke them in, they feel much better. previously i had the BFG KDW-2, which were also a good tire.

something that everyone needs to keep in mind about the sidewall is that only certain sizes have a reinforced sidewall. that was one reason i wanted to stay with the 225/45/17. since mine are reinforced, the harshness is a bit more than the BFG's i had previously. since i bought the car used, i never had the opportunity to drive with the RE070's.

i have yet to drive them in the rain, though like many of you, i am confident in their potential in the rain.

i have driven a bit spirited, and just like others have said, the tires give a lot of feedback as to their limits, and it is easy to stay in control of the car. once broken in, these tires have become very predictable.

i guess i should clarify that i am entirely stock with a stock alignment as well. i was able to get 31k out of the KDW-2's, and hope to get at least that much out of these tires as well. i don't track, auto-x or drag, this is my daily driver.

99rs with some suspension mods.

toyo proxes 4: unimpressed on all fronts. not what I was expecting, underperformed in all conditions. Did not make this realization until I got my fk 542's though (i had re92's before the toyos).

Fk 452: What my car should have come with? It is amazing that when you head into a corner with some speed and gun it it, there isn't the slightest bit of slip or sketchiness. I know I only have an na 2.5 but it it is the perfect tire for me and my car. Wet traction is awesome, dry traction is amazing, so hard to break loose. Very predictable once you do reach the threshold though.

The first day that I got them on I turned out of the tire place and gave it the slightest bit of gas and almost did a 180, LoL. I forgot how slick brand new tires were, hahaha.

I used to have the 451's. Good tire, a little soft but good for everyday spirited driving..

something that everyone needs to keep in mind about the sidewall is that only certain sizes have a reinforced sidewall. that was one reason i wanted to stay with the 225/45/17. since mine are reinforced, the harshness is a bit more than the BFG's i had previously. since i bought the car used, i never had the opportunity to drive with the RE070's.

That's right, if you want the stiffer sidewall check out this link (http://www.fk452.com/sizes.html) to decide which size to get. I have no exp. on them but I've been told that the ones' that are reinforced have stiffer sidewall.

well i did drop the pressure, and just so i am clear here... pressure is always measured hot right?

No one spotted this? Your rim might have been saved if someone told you PRESSURES ARE MEASURED COLD.

Just mounted my 452s today. The tread looks almost the same as the 451s. One noticeable difference is the part of the tire that protects the lip of the rim is a lot smaller than the 451s. The tires are definitely smoother and quieter, but that could just be because they are new.

i pushed the tires a bit the last few (VERY rainy) days.

very good resistance to hydroplaning at faster than legal highway speeds. :)

very good wet grip in general.

call me satisfied! :)

btw i have the XL version and the sidewalls are still nothing like the azenis. in general, it's a good thing because of how much better the ride quality becomes and the reduction in noise. they just have every so slightly more cush on turn in.

Just mounted my 452s today. The tread looks almost the same as the 451s. One noticeable difference is the part of the tire that protects the lip of the rim is a lot smaller than the 451s. The tires are definitely smoother and quieter, but that could just be because they are new.
+ 1 on that, curbed my rim the other day, don't know if the larger rimguard would have helped, my own fault none the less, but I'm still pissed. :furious: Luckily it wasn't as bad as it sounded.

I got 225/45/17 with about 2000 miles on them. I like them a lot, good, predicable grip, with slight sliding when taking corners.

Everything was ok until 2 weeks ago when I started hearing a fan noise as if my balancing was off, and it was. A bit of history; I went over one of those metal sheets that INDOT put on the street and put asphalt around it so cars can go over it, I saw it too late, so maybe the edge of it hit the inside of the tire. I started hearing the noise then.

When I started moving a low speed I could hear this humming/fan sound coming from the front right wheel, as if it was the blades of a fan, as I go past 30 that goes away, but came back when I slowed down, no vibrations when braking. It's also there when I am cruising on neutral at low speed (trying to hear it, and I am not crazy, like my brother says). I know the road noise is going to be there, but not as much as the RE92s, but the noise should be even all around.


I took the car to Discount Tire to check the balancing of the wheels and check the tires, 225/45 R17. They found 2 weights fell off the front/right wheel MB Blast wheels. They rebalanced the wheels/tires and the noise went away for a few days but then came back. I took the car again and they lifted it and ran in on 1st gear to listen for the sound. It came from the rear/right wheel, as if the wheel bearings were shot or the brakes were warped.

I am still on stock alignment, so I took the car to the stealership and they checked the bearings, rear differential, etc and everything is ok.

Sorry about the book, but I am on the writing mood.

If it's in the wrong section, let me know. I am now just about to take the car to Discount tire and get two new tires for the back and I hope the noise goes away. Do you think they would replace the tire? Is there a chance one of the tire belts is busted?

So here is the question, have you noticed any type of uneven wear on these tires? I am almost at the point of taking the car to a different shop and remount and rebalance the tires and see if they found something DT missed. I am at my wits end.

Cheers,

J

i have not had a very good experience with discount tire. i now wish i had just price matched at NTB to discount prices.

when they mounted my tires, they also stripped a lug stud.

i took my car in to a local brake shop that does the repairs for discount tire, and they found that discount tire had destroyed another two studs.

i complained online, and then received money back for my troubles, but i would rather have the job done right the first time.

it may be time for you to go elsewhere to check your wheels.

this may have well been an isolated incident, but i know i won't be going back to discount tire for anything.

that said, my tires are doing well, and i am glad i bought these tires.

I tracked my full tread depth 452s over the weekend and have some comments on them. A couple of caveats - Previous tires were BFGoodrich gforce sports. I'm no track stud by any stretch of the imagination, I don't even mess with tire pressures more than twice in a trackday since that is usually the least of my problems. I'm sure there is still lots of time to be gained out there. The car is an 05 STI with mild suspension and engine mods. Seven sessions at 20 minutes each on a taxing 1.3mi track. The day started off wet but dried out just fine by the afternoon and temps topped off at maybe high 80s.

The Falkens really shined compared to the BFGs, even at full tread. Dry, they were completely predictable at the limit. In fact, I was used to using throttle to get some rotation in slow turns but the Falkens would drift all four wheels. I think I overcooked turns on purpose because the car was very easy to control at the limit. This may have been due to confidence but the bottom line is they clearly outperformed the BFGs. Rollover wasn't an issue even when I dropped the pressures to 35lbs when things dried out.

Tires got a little greasy after 10 or 15 minutes on the tight track but never gummed up or chunked. Still similar breakaway characteristics as far as I could tell, nothing too dramatic.

Wet, they did fine but I wasn't pushing very hard early in the day. On the street in the rain they are just fine. No complaints there.

So, these were a great buy and for the price, I love em. Any marginal increase in performance from more expensive tires would be wasted on me. Plus, it's a great street tire! Recommended.

Been riding on these tires for about a month now, no complaints whatsoever.
Very controllable at the limit, great traction, and no noticable increase in road noise over the stock potenzas(wrx).
Fit the 225's on the stock WRX rims with no issues.
I recomend em!

any more updates on these regarding TRACK USE?

I think I may be leaning towards a set since their treadwear rating is double the RE01-Rs..

I just ordered these (255/35-18) You guys have given me some high hopes. I really liked the re-070's for cornering, but I really wanted to go with a comparable imposter. Since the 070's dont come in 18's I hope for the money $168@ that they will be good for around town cornering and maybe an Auto-X or 2.

615's would've been closer to the 070's, no? regardless, keep us posted.

I dont think 615's are offered that size, at least by discounttiredirect.com

Ah, could be.

Just did my first rotation on my 452's after about 10k miles.

Im running -1.2* front camber and the ushuall -1.5* in the rear. They look to be wearing pretty evenly. Still lots "O" tread left. If I had to guess I would say 30k isnt out of the question. No track time just spirited driving every now and then.

Been running 40psi front and 38psi rear.

Where is everyone purchasing there Falken FK-452s? These will be my next set of tires. I was thinking my local Discount Tire or order them from www.edgeracing.com?

Discount tire had a good deal for me.

I just picked up a set of 255/35/18 for my Advan 18x8.5s. So far I love them. Probably not as grippy as the RE-070s, but I've railed some corners, and they feel really good.

Where is everyone purchasing there Falken FK-452s? These will be my next set of tires. I was thinking my local Discount Tire or order them from www.edgeracing.com? (http://www.edgeracing.com?)

I think there similar in price but I went with discount tire direct because they were having free shipping at the time.

just ordered a set of these for myself today. I think discounttiredirect has the best pricing. or it was better than edgeracing by about $10 and would take less time to arrive.

Find the cheapest price online, print a screen-shot and go to a Discount Tire store. They will price match and they mount and balance...simple...thats what I did.

I got my 452's from discount tire. By far best street tire I have ever driven, unbelievable grip!

After 250 miles on these tires, I am strongly wishing for more... but I am optomistic that they are just breaking in still. We'll see if they get better around 500 miles, I sure hope so!

I am a little less than excited about mine. Mine dont seem to hold well. I know I push my car hard, but this is deffinitely the weakest part on my car. the rear end of my car gets loose easy. I'm a little scared of taking them to the subaru challenge.

I am a little less than excited about mine. Mine dont seem to hold well. I know I push my car hard, but this is deffinitely the weakest part on my car. the rear end of my car gets loose easy. I'm a little scared of taking them to the subaru challenge.

...lewie...ya need a better alignment, most likely

I have 3-4000 on mine, wearing even, with unbelievable grip.Discount tire was good to deal with;I will buy these tires again.

It's time for new tires, and I'm thinking about the 452's. I do have a couple questions.

- What are the major differences between the 451 and 452?

- How good are the sidewalls for launching?

- Road noise?

- What's the widest 452 I can fit on a stock 05 wheel? My car has Skunk2 springs, so it sets a tad lower than stock. 245/40/17? 245/45/17?

Thanks!

...lewie...ya need a better alignment, most likely
help me scotty... I have the factory alignment. Its been checked, and its within OEM standards... if you have better settings they said they'll prepare the car however I want it.

help me scotty... I have the factory alignment. Its been checked, and its within OEM standards... if you have better settings they said they'll prepare the car however I want it.

...get the front camber set as far negative as possible, even---side to side.

...and I'd get some camber/caster tops or use aftermarket camber bolts in the front, lower holes for at least -2.5° camber

...get the front camber set as far negative as possible, even---side to side.

...and I'd get some camber/caster tops or use aftermarket camber bolts in the front, lower holes for at least -2.5° camber

I thought maxing out my negatice camber will ruin (cup) the tire?

only if you never turn, and/or have other than zero toe.

I thought maxing out my negatice camber will ruin (cup) the tire?

...stop thinkin, lewie.....bad juju

all da thinkin has been done for ya here, already

I'm runing -1.7 fronts and -1 camber rears. So far I had 7k miles on them w/o obvious uneven wear yet. Tread depths still have 7/32th all around. I'd say -2.5 camber is alittle too much if you do mostly highways. But it's gonna help you corner alot better tho.

Just bought a set of 452's in 225/45/17 to go on my '04 STi BBS's (my car is an '02 wrx). Right now i have 36psi in all tires but am considering adjusting these values to slightly lower values, given the stock pressure in the '04 sti is 36F/30R, at a curb weight of 3263lbs. For my '02, I should probably be around 34 or 33 front and 28 to 27psi considering its curb weight of 2965lbs. I have only put ~20mi on these, but I already know they are the best tire I've ever owned. So quiet, comfortable with excellent traction. This is the perfect enthusiast's tire IMO.

Curb weight of my 02 is 3111lb, of course I have a few mods, but not 250 lb worth.
Mark

i was all set to buy 452s, but the 451s were thirty bucks cheaper per corner, so i will have to keep wondering about 452s. Its ok, i love the 451s.

205/50-16 in comparison with Toyo T1S and Pzero Nero summer, same sizes; Prodrive Bilstein/Eibach GT suspension.

I have about 3,500 miles on them. I was disappointed at first because of some unpredictable oversteer so I held off on a review for a couple months. The Nero didn't seem to need a break in period. Now, I'm pretty happy with the 452. These tires have been really quiet, as if someone added soundproofing to the car. The ride seems very comfortable; more so than the Nero, but I liked the ride of the T1S best. Now that the 452 are worn in, I don't have predictability issues. They have more grip than the T1S, not as much as the Nero. Turn in is better than the T1S, not quite up to the Nero. Judging by current wear, they will last a lot longer than the Nero and somewhat longer than the T1S. I've kind of settled on 34F 32R pressure, which is a few pounds less than I was running on the other two.

So after the initial disappointment, where I was wishing I had picked up the more hardcore Hankook R-S2, I'm pretty happy. All around, they work better for me than the other two. They feel about as comfortable as the T1S, but they perform better. The Nero could be an absolute blast to drive, but I hated them on freeways. Because the 452 are quiet and comfortable, I really don't think about them now unless I'm taking a curve at speed and the thought that usually comes to mind is "SWEET!"

^^^^

Falkens seem to need at least 500 and more like 1k miles on them before they get all 'happy' :lol:
I think this throws some new owners off a bit, on them.

I read some reviews they get obnoxiously loud after 10k miles?

Anyone with high miles on them?

I've got ~12K miles on mine. They've been rotated every 3K miles and they're still nice and quiet.

Definitely will buy them again.

Mine also got 12k miles on them. I wouldnt say they are the quietest summer tires but they're not loud at all. Wear seems to be pretty good too (still have 7/32nd all around) no unever wear either with -1.8 front cambers and -1.2 rears. Still loving them!!

I'm very happy with mine other than I have a strong pull from the tires (alignment is fine and the car doesn't pull if I put my winter tires on). The problem is that since the 452s are directional, I can't swap them left to right to try to neutralize the pull :(

Interesting. Seems like postive reviews outnumer negative ones.

I am on GY F1 GS-D3 now, and for next tires I am looking for something with better turn in (stiffer sidewall, but not RE070 stiff), and good grip in both dry & wet. Other contenders are RE050 PP (like everything about it, except weight) and perhaps ContiSportContact3 (light tire).

I'm very happy with mine other than I have a strong pull from the tires (alignment is fine and the car doesn't pull if I put my winter tires on). The problem is that since the 452s are directional, I can't swap them left to right to try to neutralize the pull :(

Strong pull? That sucks, you should get that replaced under warranty. It happened to me in the past with some all-season Goodyears.

you can unmount and remount if it really matters to you, it will cost you to do that though.

I'm very happy with mine other than I have a strong pull from the tires (alignment is fine and the car doesn't pull if I put my winter tires on). The problem is that since the 452s are directional, I can't swap them left to right to try to neutralize the pull :(

Have you tried rotating them front to rear?

The 451's and the 452's were the best daily driver tires for the money, period. I've had them since 2003 and handle Cali weather great. But I would not track them, and don't know about winter driving.

Strong pull? That sucks, you should get that replaced under warranty. It happened to me in the past with some all-season Goodyears.

Problem with that is that I mailordered them. So I'd have to unmount, send it back to Edge Racing, wait for them to decide if I'm covered under warranty or not, send either a new one or my old one back to me, then get it remounted. Blah.

you can unmount and remount if it really matters to you, it will cost you to do that though.

Yeah, it would be about 50 bucks and I've no idea which pair to switch, also don't know how to figure out which end is causing it.

Have you tried rotating them front to rear?

Yes.5

Yes.5

what's your alignment setting?

what's your alignment setting?

Front:
Camber: -0.3/-0.5 (stupid sedan struts on a wagon are worse that people claim!)
Toe: 0

Rear:
Camber: -0.7/-0.7
Toe: 0

Front:
Camber: -0.3/-0.5 (stupid sedan struts on a wagon are worse that people claim!)
Toe: 0

Rear:
Camber: -0.7/-0.7
Toe: 0

easily fixable

easily fixable

Yeah, the struts are getting slotted when I have the money to do it. Sucks for now though

So for you guys that have been running the 452s for a while, how's the treadwear with these bad boys? The supposedly out of production ST-115s still seem to be available, and I'm trying to get a real world idea of the treadwear differences between the two. For only a few bucks more, I'm inclined to get the 452s, but the 115s are a proven long-lasting, good-performing tire.

The HTR Z IIIs seem really good too, but TR shipping is too much and DTD doesn't seem to carry Sumitomo tires. I would ask my local tire dealer but last time I asked for ST-115s and they sent me 512s instead saying that the 115s were no longer available. :lol:

I've been surprised how evenly they've been wearing across the face of the tire. That's a good sign for long-term longevity.

Unfortunatly, one of them has a strong radial pull that I blamed on alignment for a few thousand miles. Now I bet it's too late to get Falken to replace the tire that's bad. :(

i can tell you that the treadwear is far better than the azenis sports they replaced. ;)

I beat the snot out of mine all last summer and figured they'd need replacing this year, but there's a ton of tread left and they're wearing VERY evenly.

i got my wrx with these tyres on and im really happy with them, great ride comfort with stock suspension. i run 38 front and 36 rear and it rides great, minimal road noise. my mates got some cheap uni directionals on her 04 liberty/legacy and they have horible road noise for the same size and profile tyre

Cool, thanks guys. Even wear sounds really good, since my 512s are the opposite with their "soft" internal construction.

Just had a set installed today @ NTB. The 3+ year old Kumho Supra's that the car came with had a couple nails.

i just picked up 4 FK452's from edge racing. i was looking to replace my stock RE92's after 35k miles.

i'll have a detailed report once they are mounted and have some miles on them.

I am retiring the RE070 Potenzas off my 04 STi and was considering the RE050A but after reading this thread, I may consider the 452.

The stock RE070's handled phenomenal but were too noisy and harsh for my taste..Im looking for good dry grip and not too much NVH...what would suit me best? Hopefully Uncle Scotty will read this and chime in ;)

Oh, the FK452. In short, crappy tires. Had some Federal SS595 two years ago, went to the tracks atleast 4 times that year, drove like a idiot, and put 15000km`s on them, and they weren`t worn more than a couple of mm. They had good grip too.

Last year I bought new rims and thought the FK452 seemed nice. About 15000km`s on them too, and only one track day and it were raining like hell, and they are almost worn completely. Just on the 1.6mm limit. And they don`t have any more grip than the SS595`s.

Won`t buy them again, that`s for sure.

Oh, the FK452. In short, crappy tires. Had some Federal SS595 two years ago, went to the tracks atleast 4 times that year, drove like a idiot, and put 15000km`s on them, and they weren`t worn more than a couple of mm. They had good grip too.

Last year I bought new rims and thought the FK452 seemed nice. About 15000km`s on them too, and only one track day and it were raining like hell, and they are almost worn completely. Just on the 1.6mm limit. And they don`t have any more grip than the SS595`s.

Won`t buy them again, that`s for sure.
You tracked tires that were worn nearly to slicks in the rain and you're pissed that they didn't do well? Gee, yah think that might be physics trying to tell you something?

The FK452s are very good tires for the money. The wear very well, grip adequately, have an stiff enough sidewall, and do great in the rain.

well they broke in towards the end of last summer/fall. The tires are 235 on only 7.5" wide wheel, so initial turn-in is somewhat squishy, but maximum cornering grip is amazing! They grip very well with no noise and no fuss. Im going to be putting them onto new 8" wide wheels this summer so I bet they'll be even better

I love mine.. :D

Handle VARY well.. I want to see how they compare to the 615s in the AZ heat... :devil:

I've been very happy with mine as well. I've got springs/sways/endlinks on my wrx and the suspension still feels like what is holding me back from going around a turn faster. The tires grip surprisingly well and they don't wear all that fast either. I will likely buy another set when these are toast.

i had mine put on last week. after letting them scrub in i can report the same good stuff as other people -- alot of grip in all directions, excellent in the rain, and turn in is a bit soft (i've tried a couple different pressures but its pretty much the same) but the maximum grip is great. they're also less noisy then my old RE92's and even on 30 degree mornings they grip the pavement well.

i daily drive my car 40 miles a day and autocross on weekend. i can't afford 2 sets of wheels/tires so these do it all, and so far i'm very pleased...might just have to buy these again.

Anyone had theirs in the snow? How do they feel, I know they are not a snow tire, but I know many people dont have winter tires. I want to get my stock rims repainted but I didnt want to drive on the falkens if it snowed.

they're also less noisy then my old RE92's and even on 30 degree mornings they grip the pavement well.


really? not sure if your re92 is same as mine...but..
my stock re92 is way quieter than my 452s...

really? not sure if your re92 is same as mine...but..
my stock re92 is way quieter than my 452s...

my RE's had 35k/maybe 2/32's tread on them when they were replaced, maybe that's what did it? either way the falken's sound less harsh to my ear.

Anyone had theirs in the snow? How do they feel, I know they are not a snow tire, but I know many people dont have winter tires. I want to get my stock rims repainted but I didnt want to drive on the falkens if it snowed.

They suck monkey balls. Anyone who drives on summer tires when there's snow on the ground is an idiot. I don't care wither or not they think they can pull it off by driving carefully, they're an idiot.

That being said, I did have them on at about 38F in the rain one morning. It was insanely slippery. I was driving like a Buick on sheet ice.

I can tell you first hand that they are horrible in snow... not so bad in slush, but very dangerous in light snow with super cold conditions (like around 0 or below)... don't risk it, even if you are a safe driver.

I autocross a lot and have a set of Falken RT615.
To not wasting the rubber for daily driving, I tried Goodyear Eagle F1
and Falken FK452 on my wrx. And I have to tell you, Falken FK452 is the absolute winner. It handles both dry and wet road fairly well. And far more responsive compare to Goodyear Eagle F1 (they have been kept in garage for ~2 years).
Compare the total grip on dry condition, I would say, it has about ~85% grip that RT615 gets. And 452 hardly squeak even during hard cornering. I simply think this is an amazing tire for the price, seriously. I am using it for my daily commute and NEVER complain about anything.

P.S. yes, the only thing I want to complain is that this tire does not like temperature lower than 32oF or 0 oC

Sammy

I run RT-615 in summer, can't imagine running anything but winter tires this time of year. Even with them it's a tough go when the snow piles up. Love the 615's for the rest of the year though, won't change and I've gotten almost 20k so far. Rotate every 3k miles.

Right now I have 13,000 miles on the 452. Two of them are scalloped and slightly worn on the inside edge.
Measured 6/32nd inner, 8/32nd middle, 7/32nd outer.
All 4 tires are perfectly balanced with no vibration. Inside edge wear is due to the -2 camber.
They started to become a bit noisy due to the scallops. To a point that almost as bad as my winter tires. I dont know what caused the scallops to develop. Maybe it just rubber material.
Anyone have the same problem running with 235/45/17??

just ordered a set of these wheels. hope im somewhat impressed.

Right now I have 13,000 miles on the 452. Two of them are scalloped and slightly worn on the inside edge.
Measured 6/32nd inner, 8/32nd middle, 7/32nd outer.
All 4 tires are perfectly balanced with no vibration. Inside edge wear is due to the -2 camber.
They started to become a bit noisy due to the scallops. To a point that almost as bad as my winter tires. I dont know what caused the scallops to develop. Maybe it just rubber material.
Anyone have the same problem running with 235/45/17??

bad alignment

it is not due to camber

NOT as in no way in hell it is due to camber

toe is 'out' for sure
100% sure

You tracked tires that were worn nearly to slicks in the rain and you're pissed that they didn't do well? Gee, yah think that might be physics trying to tell you something?

The FK452s are very good tires for the money. The wear very well, grip adequately, have an stiff enough sidewall, and do great in the rain.

Did you actually read what I wrote?

I wrote that I drove 15000km`s on them that season, had only ONE trackday where it were very wet, and at the time of changing to winter tires, they were almost completely worn out.

The Federal tires I had, I drove 15000km`s on, had 4-5 trackdays with mostly sun and hot weather, and they were just worn a couple of mm`s in thread depth. And they were just as good when it came to grip.

put 'em on the car saturday, got just about all the mold release off by now.

i went from 225/45-17 azenis to 215/40-17 452s.

sidewalls softer than azenis
tread noise much quieter
grip a little bit less tenaciously but smoother "knee" to the breakaway
give more audio feedback
although i haven't had to deal with it yet, i suspect they'll be a little bit better in the wet :lol: (actually the azenis was remarkably good in the wet--just hairy with the standing water, especially when completely bald like mine were at the end of their life :eek:)

running 38lbs f/r so far. initial impressions are nice tire and great price.


update: i'm still quite pleased with them. because i was on winter shoes for many months, it's only been around 5k miles but they're wearing very well. i run a lot of camber but no toe, and i rotate them every oil change, usually around 4k miles.

they've also kissed a couple of curbs here and there and despite the skinny size (215) the rim protector did its job.

Can anyone that rode on the 451 comment on the road noise with the 452?

I've read that the 452 is supposed to the be both the replacement of the 451s and the "quiet" ST115s. My 451s are nearly done and I've since gotten tired of the road noise they transmit.

Should I try finding the 115s or have the 452's improve significantly in this respect?

Based on feedback from this thread, I just purchased a set of 235 45 17" Falken FK 452. I am going to mount them on 17" x 8 Hyper Black G-Force.

Discount Tire is having a Grand Opening sale here in Taylors, SC (Greenville). They are offering $100 off each set of new tires today and tomorrow only. They sell the 452 online for $133 each. They matched www.Edgeracing.com's (http://www.Edgeracing.com's) shipped price of $101 each, plus an additional $100 new store discount.

So at $76 per tire I don't think I could lose out. Thanks for all the good info and websites for competive pricing. You guys ROCK. I'll share my thoughts once I get them on the car.

I've had mine on for about 4 months of daily driving and 2 HPDEs. The first HPDE was only about a month after I got them installed. They got chewed up pretty good. I think that they were too new, with the deep tread for a HPDE. They are still very good on the street, though.

pics of the tire wear

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1489975

Would you rate FK-452 as Max Performance Summer or Ultra High Performance Summer?:huh:

Ultra, which is less than max, which is less than extreme.

Here's some information on the FK-452's vs. Dunlop DZ101's when using them for drifting (not that anyone here is likely to do with their Suby, but just FYI): The FK-452 is noticeably stickier on the street, has a stiffer sidewall and is better under braking. However, they grease up when they get hot and chunk like crazy.

The DZ101 run skinnier than the FK's. On the street, it is a noticeably softer [sidewall] tire that has less grip, but on the track once they warm up, they get a bit stickier. A plus is that they have longer life and they wear incredibly evenly.

My .02 is for an autocross tire, get the FK's, for a HPDE tire, get the DZ101's.

Based on feedback from this thread, I just purchased a set of 235 45 17" Falken FK 452. I am going to mount them on 17" x 8 Hyper Black G-Force.


Be sure to post pics once you get'em on! :banana:

I'll be posting in here as well, I'm looking at some 452's for my 16" WRX rims 205/55/16's.

I'll be back when I get them on :D

Just have to say that my FK's are getting noticeably louder as the mileage increases, I must be around 10-15k now.

are they still have these on sale? I like them, just enough that I might consider purchasing another set when these are gone.

I've probably put 20k on mine and other than one inside wheel that is wearing fast b/c of my alignment they look like they'd easily go another 10k miles.
I'm been pretty happy with them as well and I have the 235/45/17 on a 17x8

I'd agree that they get louder as they start to wear. I don't know if it's my recent suspension changes or what but I feel like they have lost a little of grip compared to how they were brand new.

I'd very likely buy another set and you really can't beat the price.

Just have to say that my FK's are getting noticeably louder as the mileage increases, I must be around 10-15k now.

I've probably put 20k on mine and other than one inside wheel that is wearing fast b/c of my alignment they look like they'd easily go another 10k miles.
I'm been pretty happy with them as well and I have the 235/45/17 on a 17x8

I'd agree that they get louder as they start to wear. I don't know if it's my recent suspension changes or what but I feel like they have lost a little of grip compared to how they were brand new.

I'd very likely buy another set and you really can't beat the price.

Same thing happens to mine. I do find some scallop developed on the inner tread that causes the noise.
Try to feel the inner tread for smoothness with your hand, if you feel some bumps there you have scallops!!

Same thing happens to mine. I do find some scallop developed on the inner tread that causes the noise.
Try to feel the inner tread for smoothness with your hand, if you feel some bumps there you have scallops!!

yup, that is what has happened with mine.

So flip them around?

So flip them around?

Yep, that's what I did to mine. Noise is reduced, but still there.

fwiw, scallops are a good indication of a loss of alignment. have you checked your specs lately?

^I think that was part of my problem....My car had been aligned and an adjustment to my front strut bar through it way off and I had some major toe in. They started to show some wear a little uneven even when my alignment was right on.

Even with that said I've still been really happy with them. I drive 20K+ miles a year and for tires to last me longer than that is a win in my book.

Now that I've gotten coilovers on my car though I can tell they are what holds me back....before the coilovers they offered more grip than my suspension.

^I think that was part of my problem....My car had been aligned and an adjustment to my front strut bar through it way off and I had some major toe in. They started to show some wear a little uneven even when my alignment was right on.

Even with that said I've still been really happy with them. I drive 20K+ miles a year and for tires to last me longer than that is a win in my book.

Now that I've gotten coilovers on my car though I can tell they are what holds me back....before the coilovers they offered more grip than my suspension.

since they often change ride height, coilovers can change camber quite a bit too, so before you write off the tires as not being up to the task you really should make sure you've got at least a couple of negative degrees on all 4 corners.

that said, the tires are not R compounds and never will be, but i do like they way they start to break away, they last a LOT longer, and they're cheap.

Mine 452s are only a few thousand miles old. They make a loud rhythmic hum when turn the steering wheel to the left. Anyone else experience this humming/whirring noise when you move your steering wheel to turn or straighten out the car?

^^^^sounds like a wheel bearing going bad

Hmmm...really? How do check to make sure it's the wheel bearings?

I dont know if it still holds true, buy you used to be able to jack up the wheel. Leave the wheel on. Give the top a few good tugs. You will feel some slop in the lateral motion of the wheel. Do the same to the bottom. If the wheel jiggles on its own. Your bearings are lost. If the whole car kind of moves with the wheel, the bearing is fine.

Thanks. I'll check it tonight. I read up on it last night and it sounds like I may have a bad bearing. The sound was there with my previous set of Toyos. The whirring sound only came when I would make right turns. Hope I can afford this fix :(

Yeah I did have a bit of camber dialed in....-2.6f&r I think my problem with the way the car handles is I don't have enough camber in the front or way too much in the rear. I plan to realign and run about a degree less in the rear than front and see how the car handles.

since they often change ride height, coilovers can change camber quite a bit too, so before you write off the tires as not being up to the task you really should make sure you've got at least a couple of negative degrees on all 4 corners.

that said, the tires are not R compounds and never will be, but i do like they way they start to break away, they last a LOT longer, and they're cheap.

Yeah I did have a bit of camber dialed in....-2.6f&r I think my problem with the way the car handles is I don't have enough camber in the front or way too much in the rear. I plan to realign and run about a degree less in the rear than front and see how the car handles.

anything more than -2 camber is too much for the street IMO.

anything more than -2 camber is too much for the street IMO.

I've noticed that too and I agree....well for the most part. The fronts have been dialed back to -2.2 and I intend to leave them that way but the rear hasn't been realigned. I intend to drop it back to -1.5

Well I got these installed on my legacy on Tuesday and so far they are simply excellent!

I can't really compare coming from RE-92's that were pretty bald but these have great road manners and don't seem to tramline at all.

I'm still playing with the pressures, the max PSI is 51 and right now they're at 49f/47r, I'm going to drop that to 47f/45r to allow them to hit 51psi in the fronts when they're really warmed