j03chu

hi i bought my car a while back used with around 20k miles on the clock. it is sitting on 205/55/16 and 225/50/16 rears and the tires are continental sportcontact

1)since i nub... how are these tires? i did some research on tirerack.com but didn't find out much. around corners they seem to loose grip pretty easily haha and it has about 60 something % tread left

another question.
2)im interested in new tires.. whats the best tires for a stock s2000 that you would recommend me to buy? i wanted s02's cus i know they grip really well in the dry but is scary in the wet and tread runs out fast... watever brand the tire may be.. i want to get 225's in the front and 245's in the rear.

thanks for your help guys!

dolebludger

The OEM tires on your car were Bridgestone SO2s of the size you state. However, the SO2's in the rear size of 225/50/16 is actually oversized for that stated size. It is generally established that, in other makes and models of tires, the 245/45/16s are actually just about exactly the same size as the 225/50/16 OEMs. So if you don't go back to the OEM SO2s, you will need to buy 245/45/16s for the rear.

As you are now set up, your rear tires are undersized, so that could be the reason for "loose handling."

In contrast, the OEM SO2 tires on the front were 205/55/16, and were just about the same size as other makes and models of tires bearing this size rating. You will be better off NOT going to a wider size on the front, as they will tend to "follow" all the "groves, hills, and valleys" in the road, and will tend to "pull more" with road crown, and not give a good "on center" feel.

Don't know much about the make and model of aftermarket tires you have now. I just know they would appear to be either W or Z speed rated, so they are OK in that department.

You'll get about as many suggestions for replacement tires as there are s2k owners. Many say the OEM Bridgestone SO2s are the best for dry handling --- and they may be right. But most seem to agree with me that when they get a bit worn, they are pretty scarey on wet roads. Also, they wear pretty fast, with most of us getting 10K to 12K miles out of a set, and no more. For a tire that loses little in dry handling, and gains much in wet traction and tire wear, I like the Falken FK 451 --- of course in the correct 205/55/16 front and 245/45/16 rear.

Hope this helps,
Richard

j03chu

thank you!! any more inputs ? <3

Kschmied

Falken FK-451's here... no complaints

Jim@tirerack

Take a look at the Bridgestone S03. They will have a lot better wet traction and the same level of grip in the wet. They will also retain the same level of wet traction for the life of the tire. The 225/50R16 and 245/45R16 will work fine on the car.
If I can help let me know.

j03chu

jim how come your PM box doesn't work? whats the average mile for a set of tires for the s03's