tire selection and opinions

[zen]

looking for tires for my 17x7 and 17x8.5's now. anyone have any expereince with Sumitomo HTR Z II's (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Sumitomo&tireModel=HTR+Z+II)? not bad pricing, specs, and look, but i know nothing of them.

i would love a set of Yokohama Parada Spec-2's, but they don't have them big enough for the back. also looking at Yokohama EVS ES100's. Any opinions there?

lastly, what is the size of the original bug tire (circa 1973)? i want to try to keep my diameter the same to keep the running gear from over working.

[NYBugman1972]

I hear very good things about the Nitto 555 and the Toyo Proxes T1-S. I got the Nitto's because the price was VERY right ;)

The Nitto's I hear hook up hard in the dry and are great in the wet, and handle great, and have a good lifespan. You should try www.vwvortex.com and search for the tires you're interested in with their search function in the forums.

My tires are 205-40-17 up front (7" wheel) and 245-45-17 out back (8.5" wheel). The 245's are about the same size as a 205-65-15, which is just about the same as a 165-15. Also, the 245's are about all I could fit in the rear. A safer width would be 235-45-17.

http://www.rx7turboturbo.com/robrobinette/tire_diameter.htm

That's the tire calculator I used to figure everything out. Good luck!

[zen]

yea, i have Toyo T-1 S's on my Passat. they are sweet. expensive ($280/ea installed for 235/35/19) but sweet. i have never been able to find much feedback on the Nitto. Great TireRack feedback on the Sumitomo's though. i need to pull the trigger soon though.

[Sandeep]

Hiya,

I've got Pirelli P Zero Yellows on my beetle....I'll let you know how they wear when I get them on in about a little under a month. They have a treadwear rating of 140 but the car is light (about 1875 lbs with me in it) so I'm hoping that the wear will be acceptable.

Sandeep

[zen]

i ended up ordering a set of toyo avs es100 (205/40 and 245/40). should have them next week. will take some pics if i ever get my spacers back from the machine shop.

i think i am going to need a larger set of spacers on the front. i have two inchs from the rim to the inner lip of the fender. i have one inch spacers now for the front. i am waiting to see the tires on the rims just to be sure. i am not sure how close i can safely get the rim to the lip of the fender without having rubbing issues. i want to push them out as far as possible though.

i realize that lowering is a big factor, but how close are some of you guys on out edge of rim/tire to the inner lip of the fender?

[Superman]

The 1973 original tire was a 165SR15 (165/78R15). I have used most major tire brands and found Nitto the best. Mine are NT450's.

[Chris Percival]

I run Toyo Proxes T-1 S's on the rear of my bug. They stick like s**t to a blanket in the dry. Havent tried them in the wet yet, but expect them to be good.. Compound is very soft.