2.0 / 2.5 Roadster / Roadster Sport Tire Thread

[David1267]

Sigh. It looks like I was mistaken about Tire Rack availability of the ExtremeContact Sports in 195/50ZR16.
So for the record, without trying to go "out of bounds" on the tire dimensions, as of now, it looks like the two options are:

Advan Neova AD07 Summer 175/55R16 (front), 225/45R17 (rear)
Conti ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus All Season 195/50/R16 (front), 225/45R17 (rear)

I'm not driving track, am driving on poor San Francisco roads and decent highways. I think I'm leaning to trying the Conti All Seasons for a change...just slightly concerned someone told me they might not grip in the dry as much so could be "less safe" than the stock Advan Neova's. I'd like getting more than 7k miles on rear tires, but not if I'm spinning out....or the ride is harsh.

Any thoughts beyond those shared above? Am I overly concerned? (PS thanks for the tips on brake pads and bolts etc).

 

[X.l.r.8]

Lol, I you will not break traction because of those tires. I drive them spirited on Toronto highways and down to 2-8 degrees C with traction control off unless it’s raining hard. I can only go by my experience and I’ll take the Conti’s over yokos every time. Even the lowly DWS. If I was not driving down to low temps I would certainly stick to the DW though. When I drive the 2200 km to Tampa I only use the 06’s, same as the journey from Anacortes to Toronto. I have a lot of confidence in those tires.

 

[gregd]

Probably best NOT to go with that combo. You're mixing summer and all-season tires, which is not recommended. That said, my car came from its previous owner (who lived just down the peninsula from you) with the Advan's on the front and Michelin Sport AS on the rear, and never experienced a problem. Perhaps I was just lucky. When I was looking to replace the tires, I was strongly advised to get the same type front and rear. Apparently under certain circumstances the car is known to do a snap spin with no warning. If you can't find the Extremes for both front and rear, get the DWS for both.

I got my tires through Les Schwab, who I think ordered them from Americas's Tires.

 

[X.l.r.8]

Def front and rear the same. Unless you are drag racing.

 

[gregd]

I went to a local tire shop (Les Schwab), and they ordered them from Continental. As for jacking up the car, I spoke with the shop manager and let them know that they must only use a floor jack, and only in the specific jack points. Failure to do so could total the car. That got their attention.

Also tell them to only use a hand wrench for the bolts. This is absolutely required if the wheels still have the original locks on them. The use of an air gun will eventually shatter the lock, making for a big mess.

 

[David1267]

Closing the loop here, and confirming what GregD recommended above.
- I called a local shop that was a "trusted referral". Spoke with the owner, confirmed they would only us a floor jack, and hand loosen/tighten the bolts.
- Got replacement locking lugs (4) and tool (just in case) to avoid any future issues with shattering
- Ordered these from Tire Rack delivered to the shop: Conti ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus All Season 195/50/R16 (front), 225/45R17 (rear)
- All good!

 

[dsm363]

Closing the loop here, and confirming what GregD recommended above.
- I called a local shop that was a "trusted referral". Spoke with the owner, confirmed they would only us a floor jack, and hand loosen/tighten the bolts.
- Got replacement locking lugs (4) and tool (just in case) to avoid any future issues with shattering
- Ordered these from Tire Rack delivered to the shop: Conti ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus All Season 195/50/R16 (front), 225/45R17 (rear)
- All good!

Is there any benefit to locking bolts? Anyone who wants to steal them will figure out a way and damage things in the process. And if you lose the key, the tire shop won't be able to change your tire if you had a flat for example.

 

[DJPearson]

I wasn't sure if I should start a new thread, or just keep the discussion moving forward. I recently became the owner of a 2011 Roadster Sport and it js in need of tires. It looks like the tire discussion will be constantly evolving as the tire companies add and discontinue tires and change what sizes are available. It looks like the original 175/55R16 size front tire is simply not available is any sort of sporting tire, but there are several choices of tire in the 195/50R16 alternative size. The rear tires seem to be less of a problem, but I am considering the Yokohama Advan Fleva V701 which is not available in the 225/45R17 profile. If I go that route, I am thinking of using a 215/45R17 to keep the diameter close and to have a good fit for the sidewalls, this seems like a better choice than the 235/45R17 that would be pinched on the 7.5" wide rim. Any opinions or experience would be welcome. FYI, the Fleva V701 is a TW300 performance tire, so I am expecticting a little less traction than some of the other tire choices, but I am hoping it might help range and still be adequate for spirited but not crazy driving.

 

[X.l.r.8]

How many miles are you doing. The 701’s are meh performance wise. Not great in the wet but good at high speed and hwy. if your after performance you probably will never achieve on the street then there are better options. If you are on stock suspension then the 701 for a daily or higher milage will work fine. If it’s a weekend warrior then the date codes will wear out before the tread. I only have 701’s for my oddball wheel sizes.

 

[DJPearson]

Thanks for the response re the Fleva V701s. The Roadster will be my fair weather car. I'll probably do less than 5,000km per year, so tire wear won't be a concern even with stickier tires, but I am interested in middle distance day-trips, so range is important. I haven't seen anything in 100 to 200TW tires that brags about low rolling resistance as it is way down the list of priorities for tires in this category. The V701 was the first one I found that made any sort of claim, albeit subjective.

 

[X.l.r.8]

if I could get DW extreme's or MPS4's in my sizes I would skip the 701's, that being said I probably have 40-50,000 km on the fronts, the rears get me about 30k. I'm 1/2 way through my 2nd set on the rear and probably will replace them with the same again.