any1 running Summitomo tires on street car?

[joelrkaplan]

just located some 15" Fuchs...after viewing tire rack site for 195/65-15...was wondering if any1 is running the Summitomo HTR 200's ?.....please let me know...TIA

[pwd72s]

Joel...I went to tire rack's site...My thinking is to go to a higher speed rating?

[larry47us]

Joel:

The Summitomo HTR 200's are an H rated tire. Most street sports coupes or sports sedans will run V rated tires. I have a Lexus SC300, so I can give you some specific information. The car originally came with V rated tires, and after they only gave me 15K miles to the tread, I downrated to H ratings. I use the car for highway use. I don't really push it hard around corners. I do feel the difference between the V rating that is standard on the car, and the H rating that I am currently driving.

The speed rating of the tire means more than just how fast you can drive with it. It really relates to the stiffness of the tire wall. If you go to a tire store, and you take a T rated tire, stand it on the tread, and then press down on it (from the top towards the ground). You will be able to easily do it. If you try that with a Z rated tire, you won't be able to budge it. It will be like pressing on concrete. A V rated tire is closer to the Z. The H rated tire is closer to the T.

Where this shows up is in the handling of the car. If you are only driving straight, you won't notice a thing. If you are going down the highway like you are doing AutoX around cars instead of cones, you will notice what I call "slingshotting" as you straighten the car out.

When I take a sharp corner with my H rated tires, at the peak of the corner, the car will lean out over the tires, and then as the car straightens out, the body will snap back over the tires. For my luxury coupe, no biggie.

But on my Porsche, which is designed as a handling car, I want to get the most out of the feeling of that handling as I can. I will stick to V rated tires at the very least.

But it is your call. As you move from T => H => V => Z you get stiffer tires, spend more money, corner better, and get worse mileage to a set.

You pays yer money, and ya takes yer choice. Hope it helps

larry