Dunlop Sportmaxx - Toyo T1r Comparison

[rocketboy]

Hi people, as the title suggest, I would like to hear from anyone who has used both of these tyres and can critique them so I can decide what to do.

The story:

I took my rear rims into my local tyre place to have the tyres swapped over due to a small amount of camber wear (tyres are 265/30 19 Dunlop Sportmaxx). As I loaded the wheels into my van I noticed the inner sidewall of one tyre had two long cracks/splits/cuts that went around the shape of the tyre. Now the tyre shop is looking after me and said they will replace it for me. Unfortunately the same tyre is not available in NZ and isn't even on a ship so could be potentially 2-3 months away ( I waited that long for these tyres originally). Now in NZ, we have to have a matching tread pattern between left and right on the same axle. So...

My options are to wait 2-3 months (potentially) for the same tyre to arrive in NZ, or get a 2 Toyo T1r replacements. I have been more than happy with the grip in both wet and dry conditions with the Dunlops. I am hesitant to go Toyo as the quality may not be up to par with the Dunlops. However, I know a fair few people rate the T1R, so no doubt it's a good tyre.

So in conclusion, does anyone have direct experiance with these two tyres to give a fair comparison between both of them. Ideally I'd like to hear from people with similar sized tyres, but really, if anyone has had experience with both and can help me make my mind up would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Richie

[Bonsai]

in my experience all top end brands have their own slight advantage in certain aspect over the other.

I know if you do a search for Toyo T1r on here you will see many threads.

[rocketboy]

I realise this. That is why I am asking for a comparison from anyone who has experience with both tyres. I'm forking out $4-500 per tyre and any feedback if anyone has any is what I am after. I have done searchs both now and when I originally bought my dunlops, and found no direct comparisons between the two.

[siksII]

Hey mate, I have used both... but I had the t1rs on the rear and have had 2 sets sport maxxs on front of my r33. 235/45/17 and 255/45/17.

They are very different tyres. Big differences in many aspects but overall both are good street tyres.

Without going into details I would most definitely recommend the sport maxx. The t1rs will be a downgrade if you are used to the sport maxxs.

Ill be happy to elaborate further if you need!

[rocketboy]

Hey mate, I have used both... but I had the t1rs on the rear and have had 2 sets sport maxxs on front of my r33. 235/45/17 and 255/45/17.

They are very different tyres. Big differences in many aspects but overall both are good street tyres.

Without going into details I would most definitely recommend the sport maxx. The t1rs will be a downgrade if you are used to the sport maxxs.

Ill be happy to elaborate further if you need!

Please do! Thats kinda what I was thinking. But if you can elaborate will help me make a decision to wait ages for th Dunlops or just get th T1R's and get the whale on the road sooner. Cheers!

[siksII]

The main difference is in the feel.. its hard to judge outright grip, both have plenty (for street use!)

The t1rs felt to have very soft sidewalls, there was a lot of flex in the tyre when cornering. This is at odds with confidence and sharp turn.

The soft sidewalls in conjunction with the way that hicas works (i got rid of hicas since I had the t1rs!) the rear of the car had a wobbly sensation when turning in.

Dry grip felt good, so did wet grip. In the dry I felt they were very progressive but in the wet the dunlops are definitely more progressive... however it might just feel this way because of extra feedback you get.

Magazine comparisons rate the dunlops better than the t1rs and I have read a few that mention the sidewall issue with the t1rs as I have experienced.

I dont think that the dunlops are worth waiting months for, but i do think you could do better than the t1rs esp considering they are not a cheap tyre.

[rocketboy]

The main difference is in the feel.. its hard to judge outright grip, both have plenty (for street use!)

The t1rs felt to have very soft sidewalls, there was a lot of flex in the tyre when cornering. This is at odds with confidence and sharp turn.

The soft sidewalls in conjunction with the way that hicas works (i got rid of hicas since I had the t1rs!) the rear of the car had a wobbly sensation when turning in.

Dry grip felt good, so did wet grip. In the dry I felt they were very progressive but in the wet the dunlops are definitely more progressive... however it might just feel this way because of extra feedback you get.

Magazine comparisons rate the dunlops better than the t1rs and I have read a few that mention the sidewall issue with the t1rs as I have experienced.

I dont think that the dunlops are worth waiting months for, but i do think you could do better than the t1rs esp considering they are not a cheap tyre.

Thanks for your analysis. The problem is finding a tyre readily available in the size. I can get the T1R's a bit cheaper than the Dunlops, and really don't want to wait ages to drive the whale again. I have just removed the HICAS so I'm not sure if I'll notice much difference between the two tyre, but I think I will give them a go for now unless something else is available. Goodyear F1's weren't available, Hankook K-104's were, but would rather something a bit better.

I'll probably give the T1R's a shot as the car is street driven 99% and being the old man I am, don't fang it too often.

Thanks again.

Rich

[BLKR34GTT]

We sell the Sp Sportmaxx at my work. I'd highly recommend them. One of the Best tyres you can get to the street. Best Sportsmaxx are made in Japan and Germany. It all depends on the sizes too.

[siksII]

Thanks for your analysis. The problem is finding a tyre readily available in the size. I can get the T1R's a bit cheaper than the Dunlops, and really don't want to wait ages to drive the whale again. I have just removed the HICAS so I'm not sure if I'll notice much difference between the two tyre, but I think I will give them a go for now unless something else is available. Goodyear F1's weren't available, Hankook K-104's were, but would rather something a bit better.

I'll probably give the T1R's a shot as the car is street driven 99% and being the old man I am, don't fang it too often.

Thanks again.

Rich

Fair enough.. also I would rather have the toyos on the rear since you will notice any difference in feel more if they were at the front.

On another note, since you are an old man and all you might appreciate this hehe... the toyos are a very quiet tyre from when they were new and even when they were nearly bald, far better in this respect than the noisy sport maxxs!

Let us know your thoughts on the t1rs once you have them installed

[R34P3R]

ive got 255 t1r's on my r34s rear and i love them. neer used the dunlop's but i i went for a hill run in the rain with friends and the t1r's kept me gripped on the road. used kuhmo's and then spun out on a dry day going 40 so i got t1r's back.

[phat_man]

i have to agree about the sidewalls things, having used Sportmaxx's they are a very good tyre, and they have probly the best rate of wear i have used (having said that i havnt used that, that many tyres). with the side wall issue, it could be because i noticed that the sportmaxx's have thicker side walls then most other tyres. at the time i compared them to potenza re030 and the sportmaxx's had at least 6mm on each side.

[rocketboy]

Thanks guys, I should have the T1R's on the car soon (hopefully next couple of weeks) and will post up how I find them compared to the Sportmaxx I have been running. I'm still miffed as to how/why these tyres cracked in the first place. I regularly pump my tyres with a bike floor pump to the suggested pressures so it wouldn't have been a pressure issue. And theres no way someone has cut them, so they must have just been a faulty batch or something. Anywho, good to hear they're quite, looking forward to seeing how they go.

Cheers again,

Richie.