Before I get started my ONLY mod is a FSWERKS stage 1 tune, and a muff delete. Upgrading to a full exhaust. The drone @ 2500-2800 rpm is taxing(blame it on me for being 38 yrs old), and i want a "complete" exhaust possibly a Milltek exhaust w/ resonator or Mountune (quietest exhaust i've researched so far)
The story:
After riding on the original wheelz-n-tire for over 35k, I decided it was time to upgrade to a new set of wheels and tires, of course. Been a longtime Enkei fan (RPF1) and their reasonably priced wheels and their lower than stock weights. For the tire i went out on a limb to get the Kumho PS91 tire(s). Is it me, or is Kumho naming of the "PS" part a jab @ the pilot super sport? food for thought, lol. When I ordered the tire, the tirerack rep said they tire tested them and it's data is highly comparable to PSS. Said the only limitation is it slightly handles less in wet versus PSS, but otherwise amazing tire for the money. Researching the tire from Australian and UK markets revealed that they are VERY comparable with the reviews to the PSS tire stateside. BTW, those markets ALWAYS seem to get the better tires than us. I know PSS fans don't rip me, those tires were my top choice for performance and longevity. But getting those tires on a 1600 dollar wheel-n-tire budget would net me a very cheap rim, which i didn't want. I also researched a VERY low key tire from Firestone called the firehawk indy 500. in UKDM, ADM, JDM, it's the Bridgeston Potenza S003 tires that's another awesome tire to consider. Problem was i wanted a tire a notch below the "extreme" category:
For the rim I chose the Enkei TY5. Not sure any FosT or FiST folks here have thise rim. I found it to be a VERY VERY nice wheel. I always loved a darker color car on blk wheels. The rim:
Tirerack's virtual look:
Real look:
AND
The Impression:
Before i "go there", lol, lemme tell you i've had several cars with several tire combinations in the past:
-Falken Azenis RT215 ('93 civic sedan w/ Spoon SW388)
-Falken Azenis RT615 ('00 Civic Si w/ Rota Slipstreams)
-Yokohama AVS Sports ('04 WRX w/ Rota Torque)
-Kuhmo Ecsta XS ('92 Civic Hatch w/ RotaSlipstream)
-BridgeStone Potenza RE050A ('08 mazdaSpeed 3)
-Pirelli PZero Nero ('12 GTi w/ APR Stg1 stock wheels)
the first 4 cars ALL had coilovers, Wilwood BBK, subframe bracing, etc :smile:
The PS91 "butt" and "steering" feel a lot like an extreme performance tire. Your ride will be noticiably stiffer. Also the steering wanders more b/c these sticky tires are picking up EVERYTHING. If there's cracks in the road, it feels like the tires manage to literally follow the path of the crack, if you know what i mean. I had a chance to tackle the clover leaf from I-285 to Stone Mountain Fwy exit going east(atl folks know what i'm talking about), a nasty lil surprise decreasing radius and the tires inspired more confidence around the turn than the goodyears. Now that's not to say the Good years were bad. Lateral G's tested by the Big 3 auto magazines:
-Road & Track (.96g)
-Motortrand (.95g)
-Car & Driver (.94g)
***Not bad numbers for an open diff'ed FWD car!!****
performance metrics similiar to "stock" and very "mildly" modded evos/stis/wrx and i mean you'd have to be a professional driver for the awd arch rivals to pull away on the track or mtn roads. Randy Pobst described the ST as after existing the WRX, "Man, the Focus ST is way more fun!” Oh, boy." (Not knocking those cars, clearly a higher ceiling when modding on a mid to high level)
The handling felt @ least as good as those 3 numbers and possibly better. The lift off oversteer is there, but it's not as IN YOUR FACE as they were promoted in the goodyears. Goodyears made lift off more a playful experience, While the Kuhmos made it more incentive to compensate for FWD natural tendency to understeer. What I'm saying is the new tires made it a bonus to cut lap times, think ROI (Return Of Interest), lol. Please keep in mind this isn't a full fledged auto-x or even a track tire. PSS/PS91 and the like, i would consider a canyon carving tire, if there's a category for that, lol. The moment of truth will lie with Tail of Dragon.
The Rim:
I have to say that Enkei knows how to make a proper rim despite it's JDM-ness. As we ALL know our stock rim looks a bit sunken when with it's +45 offset. The Enkei has a "just right" offset of +42 versus the tire stretching appearance of the +38 or lower(not knocking on the flush folks, just i'm more on handling than aesthetics), or spacers for that matter. The weight measures in @ just over 20 lbs. So I'm figuring i shed 24lbs of total unsprung weight on the axles. With a Triple R front lip and the Boomba Racing Wing riser, IMO, it would give the FoST a mean look, FoRS is mean, i know, but worthy of a 2nd glance.
The Conclusion:
Thanks for letting me share this with you! I'm very impressed with the combination. It certainly breathes new life and looks to my car. I hope this wasn't too word-y, Just wanted to fill you guys/gals in with as much detail about this(Not sure if i'm the first with this setup). Off topic. I can't wait when FoRS parts becomes avail for our FoST!!!
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