tires and wheels Tires for Seattle opinions please?

[Blue02]

Am needing tires soon as the newly resurrected

Blue Bucket is being driven daily.

Was looking at these:

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/tires/falken/product/submitProductSize.do?pc=28863&utm_source=FroogleCSE&utm_medium=Shopping&utm_campaign=FroogleCSE&gclid=CIakn_7KkLYCFcR7QgodIVgA4g

Falken Ziex ZE-512 195 60 14

Any opinions or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Have been out of the 02 world since 1995, and am now

enjoying having one once again.

Also, MAJOR thanks to Patrick at Midnight Motorsport

for turning my hash of a project into a running 02 I

can drive without fear of an electrical fire or blowing

up from a leaking gas tank.

Regards,

Rick G

Kent, WA

[vinntagejoe]

I've been running on these for about a year. Good rubber, nice tread, good price, no issues.

[billpatterson]

Hi Rick

I choose Hankook Ventus H437. As you see...no real data yet. I pondered tire choice for a long time and finally decided based on reported performance in all weather conditions (I live in Alberta) and reviews. The cost was average. Time always tells!

Regards

Bill

[Cruzr]

Ran them on my 73 for several years. Good dry grip but a little noisy. Hard compound makes for a hard ride. If you are up in age like me, get something with a softer compound.

Replaced them because of dry rot.

[Stu]

I am running Yokohama S drives (currently 195/50 x 15). Patrick highly recommended them. I used to have Dunlop Direzza Z1 Specs (195/60 x 14). The Yokohamas are really nice, great grip, good wet traction, and a softer feel than the Dunlops. The Dunlops grip like rails. If you want a street legal racing tire type grip, go with the Dunlops.

I also have a set of the Falkens you referenced in your post, 205/60 x 13 on stock steelies (yes, they made them in that size just last year). They're OK.

I also (Patrick called me a wheel whore) have a set of Sumitomo HTRs on a set of E30 steelies, 195/60 x 14. I like the Sumitomos better than the Falkens. They seem to give a nicer feel to the road (hey, you can feel the road with your fingertips in these cars).

I'm in Ballard, if you want to try out a set of wheels and tires!

Stu.

[Chamonix72]

Rick, I came to like your car during its time at Patrick's. it's come a long way!

Anyway, on my 02 I run Yokohama S-drives. Very good tire. Good in the wet, great in the dry. Predictable. My E12 came with Falken Ziex 912s. They are good as well, but I don't really push them.

[nbucklew]

Haven't had them on an 02 but I've been running Falken 512's on my e28 (205/50/r15) for years now- great dry grip and have surprisingly good grip in the rain for the 1st half of treadlife then they can get a little dicey under power when wet. Though it's barely a 30,000 mile tire regardless of what advertisers state for that tire size. Might be longer in 195/60/r14 size

[roadhog0]

Another vote for Yoko S.Drives if you have 15" wheels. I've got probably 10-12k on mine between Seattle and Corvallis roads and they're holding up fairly well. Awesome grip in the summer and fair grip in the winter when it's wet. A little dicey in the cold but I've driven into town a ways with em in subzero temps before without incident. BUT they are not long life tires! I figure at most I will get 30k out of my set, I've already worn through them at least 1/3 of the way. Camber wear doesnt help either....