Kubs

I posted this over in the wheel and tire section.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/whee...post1569008340

Have any of you guys used the GS-D3 as a street tire? How is its wet performance? I am on limited funds because I am still in college and I am hoping to use this street tire for double duty street/wet track. I dont do a lot of events but just in case it rains at one I still would like to have a good time. I have heard these tires last a good while too.

Thanks

spazegun2213

I ran them for a while on my subaru, and they were great in the rain. Their dry performance sucked a LOT though, but they are good DD tires (although a little loud).

Kubs

I guess another big question. Are they worth the extra money over other street tires?

spazegun2213

define "other" tires? I have a set of 315 Hoosier wets for sale... $500+ shipping

MungoZ06

OK ... since I already did this for a guy in a C5Z06 looking for dry traction and driveable in the wet ...

"Some comparo info and some additional for consideration. Didn't research the rear sizes available ...
Prices are ball park - mebbe available for less
Goodyear GSD3
UTQG 280; thread 10/32"; $234 for 275/40/17
BF Goodrich TA KD
UTQG 200; thread 9/32"; $245 for 275/40/17
Michelin PS2
UTQG 220; thread 10/32"; $289 for 275/40/17

Kumho XS (new)
UTQG 180; thread 8/32"; $165 for 275/40/17

Falken Azenis RT-615
UTQG 200; thread 8/32"; $154 for 275/40/17

Nitto NT05 (new)
UTQG 200; thread 8/32"?; $159 for 275/40/17

Or you could consider ...
Vredestein Sessanta
UTQG 280; thread 8/32"?; $161 for 275/40/17

Some think they're the shizzel for a street/track tire ...
"They have a 280 AA A UTQG rating which is the same as the G3-D3s and their section width is about a tenth of an inch larger than the D3s."
"They're supposed to be the 'quietest' with the highest cornering ability of all the supercar tires on the market."
YMMV
Or the Toyo T1R
UTQG 280; thread 8/32"?; $160 for 275/40/17
Or the Firestone Wide Ovals
UTQG 320; thread 10/32"; $165 for 275/40/17

... you've got three levels of streetable tires in play ...

the ~ 100 UTQG tires ... mostly Nitto 555RII and NT01 and Toyo RA1 (mebbe the 888) - former is marginal in wet, the latter better, but is less stable in side loads when new - due to thread depth.
the ~ 200 UTQG tires ... several in that area
The Thread initiater placed a premium on dry traction ... so this is where I'd draw the line ...
the ~ 300 UTQG tires ... these give you the wet traction ... but they don't hang with the stickier tires in the dry."
I would suggest looking at the Toyo T1R as ~ to the GS-D3 for about $75 less each.

Pylons

totally depends on your definition of "wet" performance

"wet" with standing water will yield a very different answer from "wet," which is really just damp with no standing water

Pylons

UTQG has little to nothing to do with wet performance

and what it does have to do with it would be in the opposite direction from what you describe...all other things being equal (including tread design), I'll take the lower UTQG in the wet.

drivinhard

At full tread, the 555R2 is a pretty good rain tire in my experience.

TedDBere

I've used both of those tires and I'd never buy the T1Rs again. I would buy the GSD3s, much better grip in the wet and dry. IMHO.

Kubs

Of course nothing is going to be good in standing water. If the track is just damp I would probably still use the competition tires. If it has been at a steady rain all day I would want a tire that can go through it fairly easily. If its a downpour I will probably call it a day anyway.

Kubs

Im looking for the opposite. I want a decent street tire that might see 1 or 2 autocrosses (cause I dont trailer to those) but focused primarily on wet traction. Noise isnt an issue either, the car is pretty loud as it is. This was some good info though and something to consider!

Z06Fix

My Kumho MX's do very well in the rain until they get down to the wear bars. Then they are like ice

EvilBoffin

Kubs -

I've used GS-D3's on three different sports cars, though not a Vette. They are phenomenal street tires, with a wet traction equal or superior to ANY other performance tire.

They will not quite equal a Michelin Pilot Sport 2 for dry traction, and steering response is not best-in-class (their one & only noticeable negative). But they will outlast the PS2 by MANY thousands of miles. You can combat the slightly sluggish steering response on the street by using a few PSI more air then normal - I usually ran about 36-37PSI in them. Don't go TOO high with the pressures, or they will ride very harshly.

As for autocrossing on them, I intended to run them as rain tires at the 2003 Solo Nationals because they were so awesome in the wet on the street, and there were torrential downpours the first day of the event. Unfortunately, the guy who I paid to mount them on my race wheels screwed up one of the tires during the mounting process, so I never got to actually put them to the test.

I HAVE run them in the dry once, and they performed just fine for Street Tire class. There didn't seem to be any chunking or adverse wear - even at full tread, but that will vary based on the surface you run on.

As for price, Goodyear almost always offers a $50-75 rebate if you buy a set of four. Check the TireRack.com website for best pricing, and check out the user reviews there. It is still ranked 2nd out of 27 Max Performance tires, with over 23 Million miles of use reported.

Link to Max Performance Tire Reviews -

.

Kubs

CrystalRacer - Thanks!

From what I am hear they seem to be a pretty awesome tire. I just find it hard to justify spending $1k on a set of street tires. I do like the fact that they will last and I'll be getting 4 of the same size so I can rotate. Time to go get the piggy bank...

Thanks to all who gave input.

Pylons

Kumho SPT's are great if you want really cheap and good in the rain.

Kubs

I tried the SPTs on my BMW and I wasnt too impressed by them. They were a good dry tire but wet was a little slick in my opinion. The car they are on makes a difference too.

MungoZ06

Well, Kubs ... you have some excellent input and experience here ...

Pylons ... yes, "other things being equal" I would too take the lower UTQG, which as a rating is not a linear indicator of wet performance ... but in my limited observations it appears that the "stickier" grade tires tend to have larger thread blocks and less siphoning area, while the "harder" grade tires tend to have more water evacuating capability.

DrivinHard ... yes, I've had the 555RII on a wet track and on the road in standing water. The latter was more scary than the former ...

No issue with props to the GS-D3 ... was just pointing out some options at a lesser cost, as that seemed to be a consideration for Kubs.


Denny

GS023

Sent PM.

the blur

kumho victor racers.