[Red-key]

Thinking about trying these tires next after I’m done with my Nitto 555R2 tires. I’m looking for better traction and the handling capabilities of these tires seem to be a plus and something to look forward too. I’m a little hesitant because I’ve heard folks mentioned how noisy and loud they can be and have this particular “ hum” sound. Some folks mentioned it’s not that bad and it’s fine.

I figure I just have the R888R in the rear instead of all around to cut down on the noise that people speak of. Is the noise bearable or is it annoying like a mosquito in your ear? I’ve never rode in a car that had them so I’m going based of your feedback for those that have them on your car.

I'm looking to try something different and was curious if the R888R is better traction wise than the Nittos? For those that have these tires in the rear only, how is the traction from a standstill and slow rolling speeds? I know the R888R's are a road course tire and the Nitto's are a drag radial tire but heard good things about the Toyos as far as traction goes. Have you had Nittos before the Toyo's and how do they compare? If the Toyo's are no better in grip than the Nitto's then I might as well stay with the Nitto's. If the Toyos grip much better and impress me then I'll put up with it's downsides.

Do these tires make a dramatic improvement in handling even with just having them in the rear? Back end feels glued to the road without sliding out on a hard corner?

How are they in the wet? I have driven the nittos in the rain just fine even at highway speeds of 60-70 mph no issue, are the R888R’s the same way or your forced to stop on the side of the road till the rain stops or the very least drive at 30 mph with them?

How long do these tires last you on average?

With the noise…when does it come on? Just at highway speeds or anytime?
I know regular car guys probably deal with the sound because they understand the nature of the tire, but regular passengers that ride with you, do they wonder and ask why your car is making a certain noise and seem bothered by it?

Thank you for your time in reading my post and answering my curious questions.

 

[DGatzby]

To my ear they make too much noise for the street. They make more noise than the dreaded rear differential whine.

 

[akras]

I have 275/40 PS4S on 10" wheels in front (32 psi cold) and 305/35 R888R on 11" in the back (29 psi cold). 18 mm offset for both; the rears would stick out a bit, so I put Lil Devits in the back only, looks great. Minimal mods for the plastic fender lining in the back to prevent rubbing issues. R888R in 305 is about as wide as PS4S in 315.

Noise is not bad, and it goes down as the tread wears out (which happens pretty fast). It's not annoying to me: kind of like a propeller sound. The exhaust drone at ~2,000 RPM is more annoying to my taste. The sound is there at any speed.

Traction is excellent. You can spin the tires in the first gear (6MT), but it hooks up in the second just fine. That's on a regular surface with cold tires (summer temperatures). I never had Nittos, so can't compare. I'm very happy with traction.

The handling is excellent: it feels like it's on rails (when it's dry). What's also important is that this tire combination is much more comfortable and smooth, so on a half-decent road the Track suspension setting works just fine, and with that comes much-much better handling compared to the Street suspension setting, all without excessive harshness.

Rain performance was OK initially: I could drive in the rain just fine (carefully, but at the regular traffic speeds). After a couple of thousands of miles, as the tread went, it got bad. Really bad. Like 25-30 mph tops in heavy rain. I wouldn't even think about driving at regular highway speeds when it's wet now.

I have a bit over 4,000 miles on that combo now (spirited driving, but no burnouts). The fronts are almost like new, the rears are bold. And by bold I mean no thread left whatsoever, just a bit on the edges. The dry traction is just as good as when new; the noise is much lower, but I can't drive with them when it's wet. I think I can still get a couple of thousand miles from them. So if you never see a rain, you can count on 6,000+ miles.

Will I get a new set for the next season? Probably not. The main reason is the wet performance in the second part of the tire life. I try not to drive when it rains, but unexpected precipitation happens occasionally, and it's bad when it does. Other than that, I'm really happy with the performance.

 

[Deano 379]

As for the noise, apparently it depends on your hearing. I am aware, but it does not bother me. As for traction and handling, I can only compare to the OE tires and rate the Toyo's as superb.

 

[akras]

As for the noise, apparently it depends on you hearing.

My hearing is just fine lol. The sounds of malfunction bother me, the normal sounds don't. That sound is normal, so it doesn't bother me.

 

[Red-key]

I have 275/40 PS4S on 10" wheels in front (32 psi cold) and 305/35 R888R on 11" in the back (29 psi cold). 18 mm offset for both; the rears would stick out a bit, so I put Lil Devits in the back only, looks great. Minimal mods for the plastic fender lining in the back to prevent rubbing issues. R888R in 305 is about as wide as PS4S in 315.

Noise is not bad, and it goes down as the tread wears out (which happens pretty fast). It's not annoying to me: kind of like a propeller sound. The exhaust drone at ~2,000 RPM is more annoying to my taste. The sound is there at any speed.

Traction is excellent. You can spin the tires in the first gear (6MT), but it hooks up in the second just fine. That's on a regular surface with cold tires (summer temperatures). I never had Nittos, so can't compare. I'm very happy with traction.

The handling is excellent: it feels like it's on rails (when it's dry). What's also important is that this tire combination is much more comfortable and smooth, so on a half-decent road the Track suspension setting works just fine, and with that comes much-much better handling compared to the Street suspension setting, all without excessive harshness.

Rain performance was OK initially: I could drive in the rain just fine (carefully, but at the regular traffic speeds). After a couple of thousands of miles, as the tread went, it got bad. Really bad. Like 25-30 mph tops in heavy rain. I wouldn't even think about driving at regular highway speeds when it's wet now.

I have a bit over 4,000 miles on that combo now (spirited driving, but no burnouts). The fronts are almost like new, the rears are bold. And by bold I mean no thread left whatsoever, just a bit on the edges. The dry traction is just as good as when new; the noise is much lower, but I can't drive with them when it's wet. I think I can still get a couple of thousand miles from them. So if you never see a rain, you can count on 6,000+ miles.

Will I get a new set for the next season? Probably not. The main reason is the wet performance in the second part of the tire life. I try not to drive when it rains, but unexpected precipitation happens occasionally, and it's bad when it does. Other than that, I'm really happy with the performance.

Thank you for sharing the detailed feedback here. Everything you said about the Toyos seem great other than how they seem pretty sketchy in the rain lol.

Just a curious question here so I can get a little general idea on how the grip is....I duno if your stock power or modded but with those tires warm, on a warm day, could you hook as low as a 2nd gear 20-30 mph roll?

Also if your not getting Toyos again, what tire would you look into getting next?

 

[akras]

I duno if your stock power or modded but with those tires warm, on a warm day, could you hook as low as a 2nd gear 20-30 mph roll?

Also if your not getting Toyos again, what tire would you look into getting next?

It's a stock 6MT; yes, it will hook in the second gear at any speed.
I'll be getting PS4S in 315/35, but I don't expect them to be as good on a dry surface.