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Old 11-07-2003, 05:11 PM   #1
Red Rocket
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Default The lesser of two evils: Sumitomo HTR+ or Falken Zeix 512?

I've been looking for an all season tire to put on my new wheels, JDM SRR Type-C's, in a 17x8.5" size. These are the JDM version of the SSR Competition Tire rack sells. Very light, like 13 lb. They are known for being a little delicate. These will be my winter, drag and all around street wheels. I will not drive them in the snow and salt!!! I'm also going to try some of that Rejex coating on them too. Of course I still also have the 17x9/8.5" Enkei's with 255 RA-1's as my race/agressive driving wheels.

I've narrowed it down to 2 choices of cheap, light all season tires:

245/40-17 Sumitomo HTR+, 22.9 lb, $97 at tirerack
255/40-17 Falken Ziex 512, 23.1 lb, $106 at Vulcan tire

Both are sort of second rate ultra high performance all season tires. But I'm not shelling out for the micheln A/S tires, that's for sure. I like to run a light tire if possible, that's why I took the conti's off the list - they're around 26 lb in a 255. I'm not looking for all out performance, just as good as possible. I understand both these tires have a reputation for being a little soft - any feedback on that or comparisons to other tires? Is one better than the other? Anything? I've been putting this off for a while now, I'd like to get this taken care of next week.

Thanks,

Kevin
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Old 11-08-2003, 01:47 AM   #2
2003WRX
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I had the HTR+'s on my previous daily driver, a Nissan SE-R SpecV. They were actually quite good for the $. They handled decently but were admittedly a bit spongier than a dedicated performance tire which is to be expected. Overall, I'd buy them again. They worked in the snow too...

And recently I replaced the stock 225/50/17 RE92's on my 2003 Maxima SE with a set of Falken Ziex 512's. So far, I have zero complaints about them. They handle nicely, the ride is good, they work awesome on wet pavement, and better than expected in the snow.

The Falkens are directional and the HTR+s are not. I'd say either tire is worth the $. I didnt run both on the same car so its hard to compare them fairly. I do suspect the Falkens might wear better and more evenly however...
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Old 11-08-2003, 10:49 AM   #3
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2003WRX - Could you compare the sidewall stiffness of the 512 to the RE92? Much stiffer, or only a little stiffer?

Thanks,

Kevin
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Old 11-08-2003, 11:54 AM   #4
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The Pirelli P-Zero Nero M&S is supposedly an excellent UHP all-season tire. $118 each at TR. They may not come in that size though.
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Old 11-08-2003, 01:35 PM   #5
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Are your really going to try 255 tires? I'm not sure they will fit unless someone can say otherwise.

I have Falken ZE512 in 215/45R17. I think that they are quite comparable to my RE92 205/55R16 tires in terms of stiffness, so I think they may be quite a downgrade for the STI. The comfort level is such that my spouse has not complained at all about going from 16" to 17" tires.

However, keep in mind that new tires always feel softer than used tires (taller tread block will feel squirmier than the old tires with short tread block ) so that may be influencing my stiffness impressions.

Overall, I am satisfied, because I didn't want a tire too different from the stock RE92, but you have an STI, so that's a different story.
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Old 11-08-2003, 04:14 PM   #6
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I had HTR+s on my Rex and love them. In the 225 in the snow it was not the best but it got you around. I now run summer and winter tires so I replaced the HTR+ with Nokians. I got about 35,000 miles from the HTR+ and that was with alot of autoXs and some track days. Keep an eye on tire pressure and you will be fine to soft they roll over to much and they slide.
For the money you can not beat them.
Rob
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Old 11-08-2003, 04:26 PM   #7
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new wheels already! show us some pictures! es tarmac looks so nice.
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Old 11-08-2003, 07:37 PM   #8
2003WRX
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Quote:
Originally posted by Red Rocket
2003WRX - Could you compare the sidewall stiffness of the 512 to the RE92? Much stiffer, or only a little stiffer?

Thanks,

Kevin
Well, on the Maxima I'd say they are only a little stiffer. They handle better in general on the dry, and far better on wet roads. Not bad for the $, I'd buy them again.
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Old 11-08-2003, 08:38 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally posted by Orson
Are your really going to try 255 tires? I'm not sure they will fit unless someone can say otherwise.
He is already running on the 255 RA-1 tires for racing, and they are MUCH wider than any of the street tires are going to be in a similiar size.

Back to the subject, I haven't had experience with the Sumitomo, but I have driven the 512s before and I thought they were an excellent all season performance tire. The sidewalls were a little soft, but that is one of the prices you will pay for an all season.

If you truly want a maximum performance tire that is still all season, I would try the Pilot Sport A/S. It is absolutely the best on the market. Unfortunately, it is priced as such.
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Old 11-09-2003, 03:26 PM   #10
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Thanks guys!

I'm interested in what kind of tire pressures you ran in these tires. On my RE92's, I used to run around 40 psi. This helped alot on their rollover problems. I've run anywhere between 34 and 44 psi in the RA-1's, they seem to do better at the auto-x in the mid 30's. Perhaps this is because they are a wider size? The Ra-1's are not particularly stiff for r-compounds, interestingly.

thanks,

Kevin
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Old 11-10-2003, 12:35 AM   #11
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how noisy are the 512's? are they quiet? been considering that
or the ST115's for my other car.
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Old 11-10-2003, 09:27 AM   #12
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The ZE512 are very quiet. I have driven on them for about two weeks now. I think that on smooth asphalt or concrete, the ZE512 are actually quieter than the RE92. However, on bumps, I think it is louder than the RE92, but not a lot louder.
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Old 11-10-2003, 12:29 PM   #13
kenchan
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thanks orson. humm....i like the 512's tread design better
than the ST115's.... so i might consider the 512's over the
ST115's.
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Old 11-10-2003, 12:32 PM   #14
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Thumbs up Falken ZIEX 512

I just got a set of 512's (225/45/17) with my new 17" wheels Saturday. I haven't really pushed them yet, but they seem much stiffer to me than the RE92's. Granted, most of the difference is in the shorter sidewall. Turn in is much improved, and the car feels much more responsive. I can actually feel the road now!

It's way too early to give an accurate review of the tires, but my first impressions of the tire are very positive. It hasn't rained here yet, so I can't comment on the 512's wet performance.

p.s. Ziex 512's can be bought from discounttiredirect.com for $102 each, shipped. They should be even cheaper if you are looking at the 16" size or wagon size (215/45/17's).
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Old 11-10-2003, 12:37 PM   #15
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Kevin,

I have the Sumitomo HTR+'s on my winter wheels. Let me know if you want me to stop by so you can give them a try. I've been pretty happy with them so far.

Jim
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Old 11-10-2003, 05:16 PM   #16
Red Rocket
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Interestingly, I was checking out the tires on my beater BMW, and I realized that they are Falken Zeix 502's. Sized 205/60-14. They kinda suck, but I'm sure alot of that has do do with the car itself sucking. They are certainly not a soft rubber compound, and the sidewalls are far from stiff. But it's impossible to make a valid comparison.

Kevin
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Old 11-11-2003, 09:16 AM   #17
Orson
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Falken does make a distinction between their ZE512 low-profile tires and high profile tires. I have no idea what the differences are, but construction frequently changes significantly as you go to lower profile. What this means is that a 60 profile tire may feel completely different from a 45 profile tire for any given manufacturer.

BTW, I have now driven my ZE512 215/45R17 for a little more than two weeks and had a chance to push them a little. For whatever reason, the tires feel much stiffer now (I checked the tire pressure - it's still the same). The grip on wet and dry asphalt is definitely a lot better than WRX's stock RE92. Again, you have an STI, so that won't mean much to you.
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Old 11-11-2003, 01:29 PM   #18
kenchan
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orson- you probably wore out the injection release oil that was
still on the outer rubber. should be a lot more responsive now.


dang, im excited to buy those 512's in the spring. saving up
my cash. hehehe. if its that responsive on your wrx's,
it'll be definetly good on my cooper-s due to the lighter weight
and sus setup.
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Old 11-11-2003, 10:05 PM   #19
Red Rocket
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Thanks guys! I may put in an order for the 512's in a couple days, on your advice.

The other option I thought of just recently is the Kumho MX in a 245/40-17. $127, 23 lb, 9.9" section on a 8.5" rim, 24.8" diameter. Yeah, it's not an A/S tire, but they're cheap and light and I really won't be driving in the snow and salt - I don't want to wreck my JIC coilovers. I drove my RA-1's in 28-30 degree temps last night, they weren't that bad, but I didn't push them that hard. While it might be fun to drift and slide the A/S tires in the summer, I may get pissed off with having a poor level of grip. I also will only put 5-8K miles a year on these, so whatever I get I will be stuck with for a while. Hummmmm......

Thanks,

Kevin
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