nkhalidi

I think some people are throwing around the term 'race' as if a DE, auto-x, or open lapping event is racing. It's not. Racing is wheel-to-wheel competition where they hand out trophies. The vast majority of us here on Rennlist are not racers (this includes me).

And about tires, some people are getting really bent out of shape; if you want high mileage, go to Tire Kingdom and get something with a 50,000 mile warranty.

I got 1300 miles out of all four OEM PS2s before they were corded. I have about 1400 on my PSCs with aggressive alignment (F: 1.5 camber, R: 2.5 camber) and I expect about 500 more before it's time for new tires again. I chalk it up to cost of doing 997 business.

S4to911

I had P Zeros that came OEM with my 2005 911. Got about 8K out of them--very noisy at the end, especially in the rear. I was told (on this forum, no less) that I should get 15K out of a set of PS2s, and they should be much quieter.

Well, 8K later, the rear PS2s are shot, with max inner tread wear, as described above. They were also pretty noisy over the last 1K--much worse than the P Zeros.

I now expect no more than 6-8K out of my tires--the cost of a 911. In retrospect, I'm not quite sure the PS2s are any better than the Contis or the P Zero OEM tires.

Buzz911S

That's a valid statment..... I check my tire pressures every other day. These tires have NO volume, so one or two PSI can make a BIG difference. Mine never chopped like the other one's posted. There is at least 2k of rubber left on the tread caps. It has to be out of spec. I know of people who have gotten 18k out of a set of PS2's.... they just had their cars aligned for max tread wear. I've never seen one shred the inner side walls like this though.

To clear up the confusion about my racing, Ian... I've road raced for a long time. Not in this car... though. I've tracked a Porsche at Sebring and at Daytona. These were all "private" track days that were purchased by a large number of people. The races were not long enough to have to change tires, but after each race I was in... the tires were no where near this worn on the inside. Yes, I am just getting out of Novice class in AUTOCROSS! My son is the one to beat in autocross and he's driving a Suby WRX. I have only raced Autocross twice in this car. I just won Novice class last month, so I'm now in a higher class. Sorry if I confused you.

And, YES... I have found the tires on Tire Rack at a reasonable price. I'll probably order them today. I've been looking at them for about a month, and I can't beat their prices anywhere. And just to clarify something once again....the money is not a concern. If I have to buy new tires every year... so be it. But before I succomb to taking this as just a "regular thing" that rear camber and toe is going to be brought back into spec. The way it is set up now is dangerous. I checked the tires thoroughly the day before the threads were hanging out and they weren't worn there. I drove it 20 miles and it only took that to grind through the rubber on the inner sidwall. So, be expecting a call from me if you're at Tire Rack. I'll be the guy having new PS2's sent to Daytona. I really to appreciate all of the input. I'm just not ready to accept running on my sidewalls! The left rear tire is leaking air .... I just hope I can pump them up and make it to my tire dealer before they blow.

Chris C.

Not to doubt your example Buzz but anyone getting 18K on the rears using PS2s is driving on the freeway in a straight line and never at full throttle. Just not a realistic target...PS2s are sticky and wear accordingly.

1999Porsche911

It is the complete opposite. The more you drive your car at speed and the straighter you drivie your car, the fewer miles you will get out of the rear tires. Rapid acceleration will only REDUCE the uneven wear of the tires since the camber is dialed out when the backend drops.

WCE

Rear end squat under hard acceleration maxes out the negative camber!
On the otherhand, if toe-in is the wear issue, extended high speed driving would wear'em out quicker.

1999Porsche911

Rear end squat flattens the tires to the road surface and therefore removes all negative camber. These are split axle vehicles. There is no debate as to what causes the rear tires to wear on the inside when set to factory specs. It has nothing to do with toe in or out.

gravedgr

In my 996, I drive 6k miles before trading it and experienced betwee 25-50% tire wear (Conti's). According to the poll someone posted, 40% of the people responding get 15k miles or more.

NoSubEDU

I went 14k on my Champions. I thought that was about right when you take into consideration my driving style. Tires were CS2's (Conti) so they aren't quite as soft as the PS2's that came on the car. I'd expect the stock rubber (PS2) to wear quicker, maybe 10k miles? The price I pay for having an engine in the rear...anytime I hit the gas the tires wear.

lwilkins

"I think some people are throwing around the term 'race' as if a DE, auto-x, or open lapping event is racing. It's not. Racing is wheel-to-wheel competition where they hand out trophies. The vast majority of us here on Rennlist are not racers (this includes me)."

Bravo to you for both recognizing that, and stating that. It's true. I have raced wheel-to-wheel for 13 years, and also have instructed for most of that time. Racing is different than "spirited driving", autocrosses and even DE's, not that there's anything wrong with enjoying all of those forms of motorsports . . . .

It's more enjoyable and challenging, too, IMHO.

And, PCA Club Racing long ago ceased to hand out trophies for podium finishes. Unless you're involved in pro racing, you mainly get bragging rights with your buddies, as well as a results posting on pca.org. That ain't bad, as you typically have a real respect for them as drivers. And since you're not being paid for your results, you can have some sanity about what risks you take and don't.

SrfCity

12K on rear PS2's here and figuring on at least a couple more K. Even wear, no DE stuff but I don't exactly drive it slow either

Buzz911S

Sure is a lot of good information in here. I ordered the original PS2 Michelins from Tire Rack. The first think I'm going to do is ask for a printout of the rear alignment. If it is out of spec, I'll ask them to pay for the tires too. I have a good friend who is service manager of a Land Rover dealership. He told me they have the same exact problem, but they are REQUIRED to align every Rover before it is sold. He said being winched down tight against the car carrier on the ship from Germany adds to the problem. And, there's no telling what they do to the car when it is being loaded for transport. So, I'll try the factory rep if the car is out of spec. I accepted the fact that the tires would wear quickly because they feel like pencil erasors. But, nobody ever told me to check the inner sidewalls for wear!! Who would ever dream the tires would run that far out? When this set of P2s are gone, I'll switch to a harder compound.

H20NOO

Interesting point. Even with nearly 8k miles a track day and an autocross, my tires look better than yours. But, I had a full, 4-wheel alignment performed at about 1k miles when I had the new springs installed. That may have made all the difference.

MC

Buzz911S

Damon,

Great to t alk to you today. Thanks for the quick shipping. It's always nice to have a contact at Tire Rack. I'll post later after I get them mounted and find out what the original specs were set at.

BUY FROM TIRE RACK!

Buzz

Buzz911S

I'm sure you saved yourself a lot of miles by having it lowered and realigned. Otherwise, with that kind of use, they'd be gone by now. I was going to try to drive mine to one of Tire Rack's recognized Porsche installers in my area. I thought I could make it to the closest one which is about 15 miles from here. Today I went out to check the rear tire pressures and the left one is flat as a pancake. Yesterday it had perfect PSI. The other one is slowly losing pressure.
It's leaking through the inner lower sidewalls where the threads are hanging out.

Ok, so I have a flat. Will Porsche Roadside Assistance transport me to the tire installer? It IS a disabled tire. Otherwise, my son and I will have to borrow a pickup truck and take the rear wheels off in the garage. Then, haul two tires/wheels... and the replacement set up to be replaced. Photos of each wheel and tire before they do anything too. Then, I can get my "free" alignment by gnawing off another 75 miles getting it to the dealer.

Don't you think Daytona should have a Porsche dealership by now? I mean, we're only the "Birthplace of Speed". lol

If you order from Tire Rack... ask for Damon. He'll fix you up with the right tire and delivery is fast and cheap. Mine should be on by Saturday if I'm lucky.
Then, on to installing the Max Flow muffler system.

Is anyone else here using that from Fab Speed? They sound sweet!

Buzz