[Cloud9...68]

My car desperately needs a new set of tires, as the current set of Kumho Ecsta's, while they look like they have at least 10,000-20,000 miles of tread left on them, have ZERO grip, even when simply pulling away from rest. As luck would have it, the current issue of Car & Driver has an excellent article comparing eleven 225/40/17 high performance tires. They compare wet and dry skid pad, autocross, and braking performance. The article provides the raw data from their tests, allowing the reader to choose the best tire based on their own needs, but they also selected the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 as the overall winner. Their criteria match mine pretty well, so I'm probably going to go with the Goodyears for my 968.



The article purposely did not consider characteristics such as noise or ride quality, and while these aren't of paramount importance to me, either, I would like something quieter than the current tinitis-inducing Kumho's. Does anyone have any experience with the Goodyear F1's? Thanks.

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[Mikeoupe]

HI,



This has bee discussed several times and at length over here in the UK - http://www.porsche968uk.co.uk/phpbb/index.php If you have a look on there in the tires section you'll find lots of relevant info.



It has been commented on numerous occasions that the F1's are also a quiet tire and will be what I'll be changing to when my current Continentals wear out.



Mike

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[ds968]

the results of the GS D3 for all aspects of performance and ride quality consistently rank either # 1 or # 2 with the Michelin PS 2 ... they switch places on top honors depending which car magazine test , tire rack website , or consumer reports you read, but the differences between the two are so small it's not even worth spending time thinking about it. IMO, you can't go wrong with either one. Pricey, though..



I have the PS2, I like them a lot, but I prefer the thread look of the GS D3.. superficial I suppose, and I would have picked those just for that reason but I got a decent deal on the PS2s and did not feel like spending another $ 200 ( four, total ) for the thread appearance alone.. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/dry.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Etnier]

I have been running Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3's for two years now and wholeheartedly recommend them. I did a lengthy review and followup on them on 968.net, and here's what I said back then (thanks to Bruce Ward for suggesting ways to search successfully on 968.net- restrict your search to "Subject Only" if you can):

11 Sep 2003

I've now spent a couple of weeks on new Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3's, which replaced Bridgestone S03's on my 17" wheels. I don't do any track driving, just town and highway.

The Eagles are much better at avoiding the 'tracking' which the S03's were susceptible to: I used to be pulled around by minor grooves in paved surfaces: the Eagles, with no defined center rain slot, drive over these flaws effortlessly. This is a big improvement in the driving experience: I no longer feel the car is being pulled around by the road.

Overall I also think the Eagles provide a more comfortable ride- they seem a bit 'cushier': again I have no objection to an increase in ride comfort. I get just as much of a sense of road feedback and control as I did with the S03's.

The TireRack site gives the impression that the Eagles would be perhaps quieter: this isn't the case in my experience. The spectrum of the noise generated by the newer tires is lower in frequency, which perhaps might make it seem quieter to some, but it's my guess that the SPL is if anything, louder.

These tires seem as grippy as the S03's, but I notice they're easier to get chirps from: on aggressive power-on turns they'll chirp every time, whereas in the same circumstances the S03's are all but impossible to get squeal from. I think I feel a little bit of breakaway going on as well.

Very subjective impressions, from a non-technical driver. Hope they help.

(I have not received the $60.00 rebate promised on the set of four tires, and it's been at least a couple of months....)

11 Oct 2003

A followup-

I recently completed a series of long highway trips which really pointed out the advantages of this tire- the ride was much more comfortable, both in that 'tracking' was greatly reduced and that the cracks, potholes and expansion joints we have all over US roads were much less of an annoyance. Roadholding, braking and wet performance are exceptional

I think these are special tires.

The full thread can be found here...

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[Cloud9...68]

Thanks for the inputs. Actually, the Goodyears are very reasonably priced, and are significantly cheaper than the Michelins or the Yokohamas that C & D tested. I'm glad to hear the tramlining is reduced in the Goodyears. This is yet another very annoying trait of the Kumhos - they follow any irregularity in the road.



I find it very interesting that the reviews on Tire Rack of the identical tire by different people often yield impressions that are 180 degrees opposite. Makes me wonder about the manufacturing disciplines in the tire industry. It appears that tires have large deviations batch to batch. I would dearly love to have a look at the SPC control charts of the manufacturing line before purchasing my tires, and select from a batch that is well in control. Unless I'm planning on purchasing a few thousands sets, I'm afraid I'm out of luck; guess I'll just have to take my chances. It's just that I've now had three sets of truly horrible tires on various cars over the past ten years or so, and would like to improve my odds the next time.

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[S_Cal968]

My note from 968.net:



I found the tire article online and notice that they ran test [as expected] with generic tires. Another point to consider when choosing a tire is some German car mfgr's have tires made to their specifications. For Mecedes it's "MO" and for Porsche it's "N2". The Pilot Sports in the test are PS2 which is considered a summer tire. The tires I have are N2 spec Pilot Sports which are all-season and directional. Plus they're rated for 186 mph - now one would have to drive the car off a high cliff to attain that speed, but it's nice to have that extra margin.

For the test they used a BMW 325, which is only a 2.5L. I'd think they'd use a car with more ooom pa pa...{?}.

Just some food for thought...

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[mo30cpe]

I bought my MO30 coupe in July and the Goodyears were on the car. I had never heard of these tires until I bought the car. I live in San Diego and drove the car 3,300 miles to get it home from New Hampshire.



We drove through heavy rain the first day in Pennsylvania and the traction was excellent in those conditions. They are far superior to the Kumho Ecsta in terms of performance ,treadwear and noise.



I have since bought a set of 18" wheels for daily use and use the 17' wheels and tires for track days. I bought the same Goodyear tires for my 18"wheels.



The tires had around 7000 miles when I bought the car plus 3,300 miles cross country, 3 autocross, 1 DE and about 3,000 more miles before I bought the 18s. Still plenty of tread left. As an all around tire they are a great value.



Someone mentioned earlier the reviews from tire rack were mostly non favorable. It seemed to me they were about 90% favorable and played a role in my decision.



The tire tread looks very agressive and is an added bonus.

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[WYLDCTZ]

I have the Goodyear F1s and love them. As everyone else has said, they along with the Mich PS2's are consistently rated the best tires. I find mine to be much quieter than the Kuhmos that were originally on the car.



I chose the Goodyears over the PS2s because they look a hell of a lot cooler on the car <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> The price was negligable at Discount Tire.



Mark

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[Cloud9...68]

Thanks for all the inputs. Sounds like I can't go wrong with the Goodyear F1's. My rationale for selecting these over others in the test (i.e. the Yokohamas) that performed slightly better in the dry is that I plan to start doing DEs next year, and given the finite chance of it raining during an event, I'd like the extra stability the Goodyears appear to have in the wet, at least according to the C & D test.



So, I need to go through the following progression: The engine mounts on my car are shot, and since it requires removal of the crossmember to replace them, I think it makes sense to do a wheel alignment when I'm done. But I'd also like to do a wheel alignment close to the time I get new tires, so I need to replace the mounts first, do the alignment, then immediately get new tires. But I desperately need a new floor jack to replace the mounts, and I'm going to ask for a nice one for Christmas from my mom. So, right after the first of the year, I'll replace the mounts, do the alignment, and get the new tires. Should feel (and sound) like a new car. I can't wait...

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[WYLDCTZ]

You might think about a lifetime alignment also.



Good luck!



Mark

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[flash]

yes!



for best tire wear and handling, everyone should be doing an alignment once a year, including ride height check and/or set, especially if you have an aftermarket suspension setup - you would be amazed at how easily things get out of whack

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