staggered tires versus non, wide versus non: questions

[matthugie]

The 225/45 tire selection is very slim, has anyone had experience BF Goodrich GForce KDW 2's in this size?

I had KDW 2's on my e36 and really didn't like them. For as sticky as I heard they were, the Kumho Ecsta's all seasons I had on before them had better grip both dry and wet. On top of that, they are ungodly loud. I didn't realize it until I replaced them, but after I did I could listen to the radio at 2/3 the volume I had been with the KDW's.

[Emre]

not that i plan on doing this anytime soon, but just out of curiosity emre, how much more grip would the Nitto NT-01 in 225/45-R15 provide compared to the Hankook R-S3? any idea?

In terms of sheer grip, the R-S3 is not far off from the RA1, R888, or NT-01. At Tremblant, my lap times with (brand new and freshly scrubbed) R-S3's were within 1 second of what I used to get with RA1's. The last season I ran R-S3's at Mosport, Tremblant, and the Glen, I was passing guys in similarly prepped E30's running R888's and NT-01's. Honestly, they're that close in terms of grip.

The difference is not in the level of grip, but in feel and longevity. The sidewalls are much softer on the R-S3 compared to a true R-comp, which means turn-in is pretty mushy. And after a handful of track days, the R-S3's turned to stone and grip dropped off a cliff.

If you choose to run R-S3's on the track, you really need to fit them on a wide wheel to compensate for the squishy side-walls. A 15x8" would be ideal for the 225/45-R15 version. I've run them on 15x7" wheels, and they definitely need the extra wheel width to give their best.

[leegf]

If you choose to run R-S3's on the track, you really need to fit them on a wide wheel to compensate for the squishy side-walls. A 15x8" would be ideal for the 225/45-R15 version. I've run them on 15x7" wheels, and they definitely need the extra wheel width to give their best.

emre -- if i only have a 15x7 wheel, do you still recommend the 225/45-r15 rs-3? or would i be better off with a comparable tire in 205/50-r15 -- say the kumho ecsta xs or falken rt-615k?