Best street semi slick tyre

[Clint32]

Im looking to get some decent tyres to use for the times whan i want to have fun both on and off the street, i will be using 225/50/16 tyres. Currently i plan to get some brigestone re540s, these will cost $230 each and i have not heard many bad things about them. I was also told these are being replaces by a new model, any one know how good this tyre is. Whats everyone else using and the cost, cheers

[Freebaggin]

Clint,

I'm sure he doesn't mind me saying, but Chris32 fitted a set of the new RE55S from Bridgestone Gouger Street, 235/17 rear only. They are the next model on from RE540S. Assymetric though so you can't take off rim and swap left to right.

Anyway, he loves them and he was getting good grip in the wet as well. I'm sure he'll give you the low down.

They look real hot as well:

Also, how's the R33 HICAS kit going?

[Clint32]

Cool ill have to ask him about them, they are probably not selling the 540s anymore than.

Im getting there with the 33 hicas removal kit, are you going to the drift meet next weekend, if i have something done maybe i could fit on the sat morning.

[KamikazeR33]

how much r the RE55S worth each?

[Freebaggin]

Still selling RE540S so you still have the choice. Not sure if you've met Greg, but he has 265/18 RE540S's on his R33 and they are awsesome as well, but I think you have used them yourself, correct?

Laurie at Bridgestone has unbeatable prices, nation wide I reckon, so other semi-race stuff like RA-Is or DJ-01s might be better (I dought it) but no where near the (cheap) price of RE540S and now RE55S from Laurie. Go for it mate! Reading the Jap Bridgestone site I think the RE55S is better for everythign but particualrly wet grip so good for combo driving like you want. I'm definately getting them when my turbo goes on and my current rears are fried!

Hmmm, I wasn't going to Drift day but if the kit is ready then would be a double incentive. Anyway, no rush, cheers.

[KamikazeR33]

nah i havent used RE540s but since u r talkin so highly of the RE55S's i thought i might ask ya how much they r each

i need new tyres soon so somethin that will be good for all conditions will b nice

these r road legal?

[Freebaggin]

Sorry KamikazeR33 I was responding to Clint32.

Yeah, I reckon the RE55Ss would be better for wet conditions as guys here have trouble with RE540Ss in the wet unless they are super hot or road goes from dry to wet. Otherwise too dangerous. So I'd never put RE540Ss on front unless you only drive when dry. Best if Chris32 gets on here and comments when he has had week or so and with real wet days as he drive his car to work daily.

Unbelievable price but it's the first time Laurie has sold a pair so he's using Chris as a bit of a test. Should drive over and get them off Laurie! Best price in the country He has a huge turnover and all the car clubs go to him as well as race teams, so his customers wear out tyres alot:burnout:

Both are road legal.

[jlnewton]

They are great prices. I might have to look into these Bridgestones as the prices seem very good and Just looking through my HPI Mags there seems to be alot of Japanese circuit cars using these RE540s street semi-slicks.

The cheapest I have come up with here in Brissie is this:-

235/45 R17

Falken Azenis.................$430ea

Dunlop D01J (soft).........$460ea

Dunlop DO2G (med).......$460ea

Does this guy ship interstate? if so does he have a email address I could use to contact him?

[slip]

What bridgestone does this laurie bloke work at?!?!

[Duncan]

I reakon the Dunlop D01Js are the *best* r tyres, but the bridgestone re540s are far better value for money (not that any of these tyres are cheap....)

[Freebaggin]

Gouger Street Bridgestone in Adelaide CBD, sorry don't have his number but will be in Whitepages on line.

Guys, please keep this info to yourselves in terms of trying to get other Bridgestone stores to match as they won't and might get Laurie in trouble with Bridgestone head office I assume. He asked us (the local SAU and SVD guys) not to ask other stores to match, so if he doesn't get in trouble then he'll get us all cheap tyres forever.

Anyway give him a call, he might be able to help out, but sending stuff interstate might not be his cup of tea.

[Chris32]

Yep, RE55S are heaps good!! I managed to clock up almost 450km on the weekend, they were so good I just wanted to keep driving!! As good in the wet, if not slightly better than normal road tyres, and once a little warm they grip like crazy in the dry. Only downside is as Freebaggies pointed out, they can't be swapped left to right - but when i questioned them about this, they said by the time they need to be swapped, they will be rooted anyway, so just get new ones!!

So far so good, they look pretty mean as well - surprisingly they are a little quieter than my previous tyres, and about 10 times quiter than the Azenis semi slicks I had before.

Also, can't get any wheelspin in 1st geat with 200rwkw, unless I dump the clutch at 5000+rpm, even then they hook up pretty well

I can see these tyres breaking diffs and gearboxes though, so you have been warned!!!

Can't think of a better tyre for street/thrash/track,

Chris

[KamikazeR33]

how much did u pay for them chris?

[Chris32]

$320 ea 235/45/17 - dont know what rrp is, but these were done at a special price

[KamikazeR33]

oh ok

i got quoted $400 each tyre plus freight from my bridgestone dealer - size is 255/40/17

u got the phone number of laurie? is that who u went through?

[Chris32]

Yeah, got them from Laurie - not sure if he'll ship them, phone number can be found on the bridgestone australia website, don't have it handy at the moment

One thing, my 235/45 are BIGGER than my previous 255/40/17's, for some reason the R series tyres are always much bigger?

[KamikazeR33]

ok ill call him and find out then

they are a straight fit like a normal road tyre tho?

[HKSgtst]

what about em, falken Azenis ?

[Duncan]

Chris32, I understand that tyre width is measured at the maxiumum width of the tyre, not necessarily the tread width. Many street tyres have very rounded edges which means the actual trad can be a fair bit narrower. With the R tyres the manufacturers are much more interested in outright performance and so they make the treads as wude as the tyres.

KamikazeR33 R tyres are a straight fit as long as they are the correct width and ratio, like any street tyre.

HKSgtst, I haven't used the Azenis myself, but I understand they are at the more "sensible" end of the R tyre world, so they are not as good as the dunlops or bridgestones for outright grip.

[Chris32]

Yeah, your right, but they are much wider across the tread than a equivalent road tyre. For instance, I have 235x45x17 S03's on the front, and the RE55S are much wider in contact patch than teh S03's. Just remeber, that if your car is slammed and your current road tyres are very close to the gurards, then R series tyres in the same width (ie 255x40x17 'normal tyres' compared with 244x40x17 R series tyres) will probably foul the guards - make sense?

Had Azenis semi-slicks on the front - they are Ok but no where near as good as S03 for everyday, and defiantly miles apart from the RE55S