Nittos are bald, what to get next?
 

Well i had my 275 - 35- 20 Nitto's for exactly 20k miles and the thread is almost gone. Just now coming home my tire pressure got low, and i managed to pull over at a gas station and pump air (this tire has gone flat before) and make it home. So anyways, i need 2 new tires for the back, I have 20x10 wheels. I like the way the nittos grabbed on the street, but i am just wondering if there are any other tires that are better/equal or bang for the buck. I thought about just putting 20" drag radials in preparation for having a supercharger later, but this car is my daily driver so i am worried about being caught in the rain. I haven't ruled out the d/r yet, but i am leaning more towards the best/good value tire that i can run on the street to hook like a mofo, but also have somewhat decent mileage out of it and be driveable in bad weather. Thanks for opinion. :icon_shrug:

Also, what is the biggest size i can run? I have eibach pro-kit on the car BTW.

Since you have the Nitto's already.....

Go with their new NT05! Its the craziest street tire we've ever tested. Hooks like a Drag Radial, has wet traction better than the BFG KDW2! Plus its just a damn cool looking tire. and they make it in the same size you have.

Without modifying anything, on a 20" rim with the correct offset, a 285 is about all you're going to get in there. 295 if you're lucky. So run the 275/35/20 and see what happens. Shoot me an e-mail for pricing on the NT05's. Check them out on Nittos site as well:

http://nittotire.com/#index%2Etire%2Ent05%2Esizes

I have run just about every 20" tire out there and I can tell you that these are the $h!t.

-Eric

What nitto do you have? Being worn out at 20K I would have thought you had d/r already.

^+1 agreed.

Out of the 555, INVO, and NT05 you find that the NT05 hooks better than the rest? Is there a 285 in that tires? I have the 275 but i would like a slightly bigger tire. PM me a price for 2 back ones in all those flavors.


I have the Nitto 555, the thing is that i dont do burnouts or ever took these to the track. I do launch them every now and then but i was surprised they only lasted this much.

The NT05 is closer to being a competition tire than either of the other Nittos mentioned. Actually it's one of the tires chosen by autocrossers who compete in a category that does not allow "R-compound" tires (R-comps are the autocross equivalent of drag radials). Call them midway between a good summer tire and a DR.

Things like pavement texture and inflation can and will affect tire life significantly. If your TPMS is still in operation, you shouldn't be excessively low on air. But if your 20's don't have the sensors and your tires do run a bit too low, and you take corners harder than most folks, you can EASILY cut your tire life by 1/3 even if you don't ever do burnouts and only launch hard occasionally. Trust me on this.


Norm

since you have nittos on the front stay with the same i hate when ppl have diff front and rear brands on the car if you change all of them then try kdw 2 i love the look and the ride great

All three of the tires mentioned are Nittos. Unfortunately, lots of people have to upgrade in stages for financial reasons.


OP - if you do get only a pair of NT05's, you should put them on the rear, and not only because of their better acceleration traction.

But keep an eye on their tread depth - NT05's are only molded with a little over 7/32" deep tread grooves, compared to most summer street tires being up around 10/32" tread depth.


Norm

Nitto NT05 or my personal recommendation would be the Nitto Invo's which are what I myself use. They have a 260 treadwear rating and are as sticky if not stickier than the Michelin PS2's.

cant afford to get all 4 right now. 2 front ones are fine anyways.

Norm, so you like the NT05 better than INVO and 555? yeah im definitely putting them in the back since my fronts are ok. I really want to have the best grip on the street.

Why do you recommend the INVO, over the NT05? MY buddy has them and swears by them. i just dont have enough info to really know the difference. They are all about the same in price though.


Thanks for help guys! :icon_teeth:

The NT05 is a very sticky tire, even more so than the Invo for sure, but the Invo has significantly better tire life, which is why I recommend them... A sticky street tire with tons of life on it

I have the Nittos NT05 installed on my Roush. They can really hook up! With the stock Cooper tires that came with the car, it would not hook at all. But with the Nittos, i hardly ever lose traction. But as previously said these tires dont have long life. It still fun drifting around the corners though =p Jk.

My current 305/35 Nitto DR's are just about completely bald and some NT05 in the 295/35 variety will replace them. Damn tires are expensive.

I am running the INVO and love it but it still doesnt have the dry traction I am looking for. On my other car the NT05s work great. They have the 275 but they do NOT have a 285 in a 20" rim height. PM with your email and I'll try to get you the best price i can. I will need your shipping add too.

I have Invos on my car. I love them. They have great wet traction for all those rainy days here in FL. Plus they are super sticky.

So the invo has more life, how many miles are you expected to get with either of those? I would have to see how many miles i would have to sacrifice to be extra stick lol

How many miles you been riding on yours? What rpms can you launch and hook your car? Drifting with them sounds fun :icon_bike: !

How much are you lowered? I wonder whats the biggest size that i could fit with my eibach pro kit 1.5" drop. I do like the look of a 305 though
!

Pm'd

Yeah i think they were rated with the better wet traction. I will spin a little bit coming around a corner when wet because my tires are a worn the hell out. :icon_look:

I have Steeda comp springs which I assume are less than the prokits but also had H&R race springs which were substantially lower and the 305's never contacted the fender lip. Never had a problem with them on my car. I'll stick with the 295/35's on the 9.5'' rim I run in the future. The 305's really need a 10'' rim and have to be checked for correct pressure regularly or they wear unevenly. I'd run 295/40's if I could find some.

In terms of dry grip, NT05 > INVO > 555. Wet grip could be a different story, tread life probably will be, so it'll come down to what's most important

My experience is similar to Impulse's, in that an autocross "Street Touring" tire is much grippier than any tire that's intended for a more general target buyer. That covers accelerating, cornering, and braking, as an ST tire isn't just a one-trick pony like most drag radials are. When I first upgraded the tires on my autocross car to a more or less similar tire (Falken Azenis RT615, FWIW), the first time I really got on the brakes was an eye-opening experience.


Norm

I can't complain bout my toyo proxes 4s but i love my nittos too what ever you do decide with go 295 out back im as low as you go and i fit it no prob

Yeah I like my Toyo Proxes 4s alot too. They have decent grip and even with 295's in the back, I have not had too much trouble with hydroplaning

Well for my luck i have a 20" wide rim! good to know that i can fit up to a 305 and be lowered with no problems.

Im more worried about dry traction, because i drive really carefully in the rain anyways. I think the general idea is NT05 is the stickiest of the nittos, but they last a bit less. How much less could i expect out of the tires?

I heard good things about the toyo Proxes also, Its definitely a big plus that they have the 295 size, my nitto 555's only had a 275 as the biggest size. :icon_shrug:

Ummm, 20" is the diameter number. Width is the ?? in "20 x ??".

A 20 x 10 will work for a 305/35-20, but a 305/30-20 really needs 20 x 10.5 or wider.


As far as relative tread wear rates go, I can't give you information that's any better than taking your experience with the 555's and scaling that by the ratio of the advertised treadwear rates, which at least baselines one tire against your specific driving. Actual experience with NT05's (or whatever) could end up varying from that either way. YMMV, as they say . . .


Norm