k9cbw

Hi all.
I've had my C4S cab since April. When I bought it, I knew that the rear tyres were more heavily worn than the fronts.
At the moment I've got Michelins on both front and rear.
These are some of the most expensive of the tyres available. There are some very we'll reviewed , but less expensive tyres on the market such as Kumho.
My question is 2-fold.
i) Should I even be considering theses tyres?
ii) if so, is it ok to leave the comparatively new fronts as they are? Or is having different tyres on the front and rear a NO-NO?

Hurdigurdiman

From what I hear it is not a good idea to mix tire makes on these cars. If you are replacing just the rears then go for the same that are coming off the car. If you don't want to spend top dollars on a particular brand there are other good tires that would fit the bill like V12 Hankooks or Bridgestone Potensa all year round which I have on mine. for around $800 complete all round out the door price. I think, why pay top notch for tires that need to be changed anyway after a poultry 15000 miles. It doesn't make sense. It may make sense if you are tracking the car. Mine are good for 165mph which I won't be doing and I intend replacing the rears when needed. I recently ran over a chunk of metal on the road and bust the passenger front and rear side walls of my V12s Hankooks and had to replace all 4 tires. Those could well have been a top dollar set V12s only cost $720 all round and had 10000 miles on them when the accident happened. I would not put knew tires on the passenger side and leave worn tires on the drivers side even of the same make and went for new all round.

Dennis C

Hurdi's comments about mixing tires are correct. You really shouldn't do it with these cars or it will negatively impact handling. When I consider tires, the major factors that I consider are: handling, road noise, comfort and appearance. Tread wear isn't a major concern - all ultra high performance summer tires exhibit poor wear characteristics. Personally, I haven't fount a tire that I like as much as the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, and I've tried many brands. The Michelins provide the best handling, they a quiet and comfortable. As for appearance - this does matter. I run 295 width tires on the rear of my C4S. The Michelin 295 is almost an inch wider than some of the cheaper 295s. It looks better.

Meares

dennis,
not trying to start an argument here...just looking for some clarification...if the tire is a 295/XX/XX..how could one manufacturers' 295/XX/XX be a full inch wider than the others'?..... given the "Xs" are constant...if that's the case I need to buy 4 PS2s for my next replacement! thanks

Dennis C

It makes no sense. 295 should be 295 - I agree completely! My guess is that the actual tread patch that contacts the road is 295. The difference can be seen on the sidewall. The sidewall on my Michelins appears to be wider than the wheel - there's lots of rubber that "bulges" out on the sides. When I tried a set of Sumitomos in the same size, the tire looked stretched - like it was almost too small for the wheel. There was virtually no bulge or overhang of the rubber.

I don't remember which thread, but I know that somebody posted actual dimensions of various brands at one point and there was a significant difference.

WalterRohrl

Dennis is correct about the width thing. I see the same when I compare my Sumitomos to my PZeros. Both same size per the sidewall, but the Pirelli in my case is about an inch wider.

k9cbw

I've decided to replace the Michelins with new Michelins. It makes sense in the long run.

Thanks to all of you for replying to my post. The differing 'actual' widths of different manufacturers is interesting. One thing I've noticed in the past with previous cars (Audi S6), is that some tyres have a protective 'rim' of thick rubber to prevent keening damage to the alloys. The Michelins definitely have this. It's aesthetically pleasing too. Makes the tyre look wider.
If any of you have experience of 996 C4S ownership, what is the normal wear pattern for tyres front and rear? My rears have worn much more on the inner 1/3 and shoulder than the outside 1/2 of the tread. Can't tell yet how the fronts are wearing.

Am wondering if I need laser alignment?

Cheers guys.

Dennis C

Inner wear on the rears isn't unusual. You can mitigate it to a certain extent with a proper alignment and camber adjustment by a mechanic who know how or properly set a Porsche.

My rears typically last 7,000 - 9,000 miles. My fronts typically (but not always!) go twice as long.