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Best tires recommendations.

36K views 39 replies 14 participants last post by  jaysika  
I just ordered a set of PS4 AS's based on @Xylander 's review. I have a '22 Jailbreak modified to 900whp, so went with 315's, as I need all the grip I can get. A couple of days ago on Buttonwillow, my Pzeros were spinning and hopping all over the place and it sucked not to be able even use half of the power of the beast. Last time, I ran the track with my MT ET Street R 315/50R17's - and while I was able to smoke everyone on the straightaways, those obviously don't corner for shit. That's why I leaned towards the PS4's vs. the Nitto 555RII's. I figured I'd prefer more control and faster cornering in exchange for some grip and always have my MT's when I want to drag race.
Should have went with the Nitto 555R2 for the best overall daily driver/track tire at your HP level. The PS4 AS won't even come close to those. Behind the 555R2 would be the Toyo R888R but wet weather is a little sketchy with those.
 
I think he'll be surprised. The PS4S would have been a better overall tire than the all season Michelin. I daily the AS Michelin, but only because they're very good AND they last 30k+ miles. If money was no object, I'd go the PS4S. I really, really, REALLY dislike Nitto tires on high torque cars. I've never driven a set that held up due to their sidewall design that I personally don't like.

The great thing about the PS All Season 4 is that they're dead-on consistent from mile 100 to mile 30,000. Little to no traction fade, very predictable, and for an all season tire, they give near summer-like cornering feel and they have unmatched wet performance. They're a bit of a jack-of-all, master of none but the rain on a Redeye. They aren't as good as a PS4S on nice hot days, not as good at extreme handling as a dedicated track tire like a Cup 2, but they are consistently very good for the life of the tire and they'll outlast all the other summer tires by a factor of 3.

I've never directly compared a set of broken-in Nittos to a set of broken-in PS All Season 4s. However, I have compared the PZero summer tire to the AS 4, and the AS 4 is better in every regard. I know, that's not saying much. The AS 4 is not as good, generally speaking, to dedicated DRs or summer tires. The kicker here though is that the performance difference isn't that much less, but you get 30-40k miles out of the tires in tradeoff. For folks like me who daily these cars, it's a no-brainer. If I only put 3-4k per year on the car, I'd run PS4S year-round.
The 555R2 has a much stiffer sidewall than the previous 555R which I didn't like that much. The 555R2 is truly the best tire for all around street/track duty other than longevity and wet weather performance, it just can't match a standard summer or AS tire there.
 
See, that's my beef with Nitto. They have stiff sidewalls, which are a detriment to high torque cars (especially on the street). That's why I've said they're great on imports on up to around the Mustang GTs in terms of power output. When you start getting into 550+ torque, that extra sidewall height coupled with a bit softer of a sidewall compound greatly aids in straight line traction gain.

I had Nittos (315/35/20) on a 12" wheel on my 2015 Mustang GT when it was an NA bolt on car. They were fine. When I brought it up to 800whp, they became utterly useless. mainly because I also raised the torque on that car past 600. I ended up running M/T Street Comps on the street and they did very well.
Stiff sidewalls are typically not ideal for drag racing but better for handling. The Nitto 555R2 was designed to do both. Lots of ZL1 guys love the 555R2 and they are far more into handling than the Challenger/Charger crowd. The 555R2 has a stiffer sidewall than the original 555R but they reformulated the tire compound so that it still hooks better for drag racing. I could make the argument if you split your time evenly with road course and drag racing, the Toyo R888R might be best, however given that wet traction is absolutely awful and the tire noise is really unbearable for most people, the 555R2 comes out ahead as the best all around tire if you need something that hooks better than a standard summer or AS tire.
 
Yeah, but the ZL1 has a shorter wheelbase and less torque. The length of the wheelbase compounds the effect of torque transfer (lever principle), hence why shorter/stiffer sidewalls on this type of car are probably not the best choice. When the car squats under a launch, for example, maximum pressure is exerted on the sidewalls of the tire. If the sidewall is softer, it'll wrinkle nicely and provide additive effects to traction. Thus, with a car like the Challenger Hellcat, being already a very heavy car with a long wheelbase, it can do great things with a softer sidewalled tire. Unlike the ZL1, it isn't going to have the adaptive/magnetic suspension to assist with wheel hop and lateral skating. Thus, a firm plant on launch is crucial due to the fact the Hellcats are kinda analog when it comes to putting power down. You need a meaty, soft sidewall for that... and Nittos are not that type of tire, even in DR spec.

The Corvettes and the ZL1 can get away with a wide variety of tire choices due to the advanced suspensions and configuration of the cars. This goes back to where I've called the Challenger a big dumb stupid car. It's 15 years behind the Mustangs and Camaros in terms of on-board traction assistance provided by advanced computer controlled suspensions and chassis design. Putting tires on it that doesn't allow it to use the only real strength it has (heavy weight, long wheelbase), just ends up neutering the vehicle.
I just don't see any better options out there at the moment for dry traction and still retain some handling ability. As good as the PS4S is for a street tire, it still can't match the 555R2 for dry traction. I ran a set of 20" 305 width 555R2s on my 1000+hp Hellcat which was a daily driver, they wouldn't hook from a dig without a huge burnout but as long as they were warm, they would hook from 40mph+. No other street tire could do that. I ran Michelin PSS and Continental ExtremeContact Sport and both couldn't hook up below 80mph at that power level.
 
For me, the mileage was icing on the cake, as I'm okay replacing tires as I maybe only put 2-3k miles per year on the car. But the other point you made in another thread about the AS performing better in lower temperatures compared to the 4S, was a big consideration for me. It was under 50 degrees all day at Buttonwillow early this week and I wanted something that still performed at those types of temps.
Then you likely have chosen the best tire you can for your application. All tires need heat to perform their best but AS tires can tolerate temps a lot lower.