Tortious911

Hello all. Long time lurker, first time poster.

I am planning on replacing my tires sometime this year on my new-to-me 2010 C2S. Although there is plenty of tread left on the tires, they are the original Bridgestone Potenzas RE050As and they are probably due for replacement due to their age.

My questions:

1. Do I need to replace the TPMS sensors or batteries when I replace my tires? I hear that they tend to have a limited lifespan, and it would seem to make sense to deal with them before they die while I'm replacing the wheels.

2. I'm leaning toward replacing them with another N-spec tire, perhaps with a new set of Bridgestone Potenza RE050A N1s. The primary negative about my existing RE050As is that they have a lot of tire noise, but I don't have any points of comparison. I'm not willing to spend the extra $$ on PS2s, and probably won't go with Super Sports because they're not N-rated (notwithstanding all the good things I hear about them). Does anyone have any experience with the Pirelli P Zeros compared to the RE050As?

3. Does anyone have any recommendations for shops in the Chicago area to handle removal and installation of the new tires? I'm worried about scratching my Turbo wheels and have had bad experiences with places like Costco.

Thanks in advance for your collective wisdom!

LexVan

Don't get hung up on N rated tires. Super Sports would be a great selection.

Drive to the Tire Rack in South Bend and have them expertly installed. Worth the trip.

Sent from my iPhone using Rennlist

hBomb

If you're looking for somewhere in the city, Top Store on Hoyne can install tires for you, and will store your summer wheels during the winter and vice versa. They store and service all sorts of high end cars there. They don't sell tires there, but you can order them from Tire Rack and have them sent over. Give Jim a call.

golfnutintib

On a 2010 car it is probably worth replacing the TP sensors. They nominally have a 5-6 year battery life. You will be replacing them anyway if you are going to own the car for a while.

N rating not important. 050's are a fine tire, softer sidewall than MPSS but get really noisy when tread wears down. MPSS a better tire overall. Don't think they are that much more. Consider Conti's tire in the same category too. They are excellent. P Zeros are harsher than MPSS but no better grip. They also don't age well like the 050's... Everybody hates Pirelli's once the tread is down 50% they ride like rocks. On their road tires anyway. Trofeos and Corsas a different story.

awrryan

I had the super sports on my 2001 996 and they were absolutely amazing. They beat the N-rated Michelins that came from the factory with the lightweight 18" wheels that I had on my car ( available on '02-04 model years) in every aspect. Handling comfort and noise. I too was hung up on Porsche-rated tires, until I tried the super sports. That said, I would not replace a Porsche-rated tire with anything else other than super sports, including anything from Hancook Ventus or any other tire brand. I currently have Michelin PS2s on my car in my avatar and will change them for super sports or stick with PS2s even though I hear from almost everyone that the super sports are the ways to go. From personal experience, I do not think that you will regret going with the super sports if you decide on a non n-rated tire. Make sure they're balanced with road force variation. If the tire shop hasn't heard of that or claims it doesn't do anything, stay away.

onewhippedpuppy

N-spec is a marketing exercise to rip off Porsche owners unwilling to do some research. I have Pilot Super Sports on two cars currently (C63 and Cayman) and have had them on past cars, very good tires. I also love the Potenza S04, I've had them on multiple Porsches.