Skoda RS replacement tyres - interesting

[woofy]

What's the current price for PS3s at the stock size? I saw Costco were fitting them fairly cheaply here in Melbourne.

[brad]

Re: PS3 over GY F1A2, can I ask why? I suppose just did. As I said, a lot of people agree with you, but the data I've seen consistently says that they are both top notch tyres, but the GY is better in the wet, as well as being a top performer in the dry, and is also quieter, so why pick the PS3? I haven't been able to find much on how they stack up against each other for wear except for the treadwear ratings, which are ratio based, so don't relate to actual mileages being achieved by users of either tyre. Heaps of variables, I know, but any first hand info is better than none.

When I had the 4 wheel alignment done at Spinning Wheels going on 4 weeks ago the tech said to run the recommended 220 kpa/32 psi in the backs, but to run 250 kpa/36 psi in the fronts. That's what I'm doing to see how it goes. I agree that the recommended front pressure 210 kpa/30 psi is not conducive with long tyre life.

I've consistantly had a better run with Michelin for the 34yrs I've been stuffing about with tyres. I did work at Goodyear back in the early days & aprt from being badly made (Aus manufactured stuff) or superceded technology (USA stuff - they have never been on the cutting edge of tyre tech because the consumers over there don't want it) the method GY used to achieve grip was to use a soft compound tyre - which is why I used to wear a set of tyres out in 10,000km. Michelin OTOH, used to get great grip & long life.

Over the years I've run a few GY products (when I still had contacts in the company & could still get staff prices) and taken a deep breath & paid a premium for Michelin & the Michelin has never left me with buyer remorse. GY OTOH often made me remark that I was glad I hadn't paid full price.

It's a personal (and probably illogical) thing & very subjective & not based on any dealings with the F1A2.

looking at tirerack in 225/40x18 92XL with a maximum price of $250 each (to stay under import duties/gst) & disregarding the "restrictions" I'd pick the following (in order of preference).

• Michelin PSS
• Michelin PS3
  Continental CSC5 (because they are available in AUS)
• Continental ExtremeContact DW
• Goodyear F1A2
• Bridgestone Potenza S-04

Again, others will choose different - personal preference only.

re: tyre pressures: 36 all round at a minimum for me. 40 if the family is on board for extended periods.

[BottomScratcher]

I've consistantly had a better run with Michelin for the 34yrs I've been stuffing about with tyres. I did work at Goodyear back in the early days & aprt from being badly made (Aus manufactured stuff) or superceded technology (USA stuff - they have never been on the cutting edge of tyre tech because the consumers over there don't want it) the method GY used to achieve grip was to use a soft compound tyre - which is why I used to wear a set of tyres out in 10,000km. Michelin OTOH, used to get great grip & long life.

Over the years I've run a few GY products (when I still had contacts in the company & could still get staff prices) and taken a deep breath & paid a premium for Michelin & the Michelin has never left me with buyer remorse. GY OTOH often made me remark that I was glad I hadn't paid full price.

It's a personal (and probably illogical) thing & very subjective & not based on any dealings with the F1A2.

looking at tirerack in 225/40x18 92XL with a maximum price of $250 each (to stay under import duties/gst) & disregarding the "restrictions" I'd pick the following (in order of preference).

• Michelin PSS
• Michelin PS3
  Continental CSC5 (because they are available in AUS)
• Continental ExtremeContact DW
• Goodyear F1A2
• Bridgestone Potenza S-04

Again, others will choose different - personal preference only.

re: tyre pressures: 36 all round at a minimum for me. 40 if the family is on board for extended periods.

Thanks for the detailed response brad. I've been locally quoted $260 for the GYF1A2, and $320 for the PS3. I'm thinking that at these prices that the tyres are probably parallel imports. That said, the prices aren't bad, and whether parallel imports or not, they are covered by local consumer law.

I understand perfectly how you feel about the Michelins. I feel the same way about German made Good Years

[Diesel_vert]

BTW: note your comments on checking pressures regularly but if you were only putting 30psi in them, then tyre life is not going to be terrific. I have no idea why Skoda recommend such a low pressure - esp on a 40 series 18" tyre.

Quite odd, given the car's weight and weight distribution.

Even more bizarre is that the recommended pressure for 225/40 R18 is lower at the front than is recommended for 225/45 R17.

Perhaps a Y-rated tyre being more resistant to heat degradation enables the lower pressures to be used, but still... odd.

I was actually thinking they might be a new series, the last version came out in 2004, quite some time ago. They were great for the track but not so good wearwise.

Yep, Toyo Proxes T1-S is a very old tyre (released in 1999) and had big V-shaped grooves, resembling the 1st-gen Michelin Pilot Sport or Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3.

That was superseded by the Toyo Proxes T1-R, released in 2004.

Toyo Proxes T1 Sport is a very new tyre released in 2012 and resembles the Continental Sport Contact 3.

[gldgti]

I have a simlar feeling as brad but about Continentals.

I've been a cheap tyre whore for a long time, as budget suited... But the only sets of tyres I've always been 100% happy with have been continentals, despite them always having been the most expensive.

I've run firestones, hankooks, falkens, bob-jane burnouts, Pirelli, Nexen, Neuton, Maxxis, Dunlop, Bridgestone, and Yokohama. Of all of those, the 3 sets of continentals I've used (CSC3's just on the octavia, premium contact 2 on mk1 and also ecocontact on mk1) have been standouts for wet grip, tyre life and handling performace, with the Yokohama Y352's coming in pretty close behind (a great tyre but long gone now).

My workmate and friend does around 85,000km a year, so has used a few tyres - and he too swears by michelins (in his case he was running the XM series) but similarly to the ecocontacts I had, they were just an all round standout tyre.

Personally, now that money is less of a concern when buying tyres, I'll be giving up everything but the continentals and/or michelins.

[Tigger]

I keep getting back to the point that:
"price is forgotten, long after quality is remembered"

So dont compromise on tyres!.

Your whole opinion of your car can be influenced by the 8 inches of tyre touching the road!!

If you save a few hundred, but have poor performing tyres, you will regret it every time you drive, and cant do anything about it for a few years....

If price is an issue, buy them on 24 months interest free and pay it off each month before the 24 months is up. then you will have premium tyres, without forking out a wad of cash.

I have always bought my tyres this way.

[DunlopRS]

I keep getting back to the point that:
"price is forgotten, long after quality is remembered"

So dont compromise on tyres!.
.........

If price is an issue, buy them on 24 months interest free and pay it off each month before the 24 months is up. then you will have premium tyres, without forking out a wad of cash.

I have always bought my tyres this way.

Hi Tigger – interest free may work for you, but I personally would be very careful with it….
The longevity of the tyre needs to be considered so a new set is not required before the old is payed off – for instance I am doing 35k km a year and only got 25k km out of the OEMs……
There is also the risk to consider of tyre "failure"– about every second puncture I get destroys the tyre – uncanny luck of the nail/screw/whatever going thru the sidewall……… While this is not the average for forum readers I am sure (and there may be insurance at added cost) I have at least 1 flat in the family every year (2 on the RS in 13 months…).

To add to the mix, although it’s a very personal thing, in over 30 years the only tyres I have ever gone back and purchased a second set of are Michelins, Yokohamas and Pirelli….. (and there are a number of brands I have vowed never to go near again…)

[dazag]

I am running the GY F1A2's and have put 15k on them so far and wearing well. The noticeable difference I had between the original Dunlops and the GY was a lot better feel in the steering/handling ( but a bit hard to compare a worn tyre to a new tyre). If you can get the GY F1A2's for $260 fitted, I go for it, that's cheaper then what i got them for and I didn't pay retail. I can't compare to PS3's etc, but I am happy with my purchase.

[Transporter]

I got PS3 for $332.5 fitted from Bob Jane in Adelaide, the car feels like new again.

...and of course the new ceramic pads with the new discs after the tyres were fitted yesterday, to keep these wheels nice and clean, no more weekly wheels wash and dirty driveway after the wash.

[BottomScratcher]

Transporter,

Some questions.

Which pads and discs did you buy? Did you do the rears as well?

And what's that on your jack plate? A piece of wood with a channel cut through it to accommodate the sill seam?