THE Tire Thread


What Combo Do You Use?


  • Total voters
    262

KJRGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 4, 2006
2,840
SoCal
Gary, thank you for the detailed write up. I run the Bridgestones with standard wheels on the street and Hoosiers with the BBS on the track. If you want a different look on the standard wheel you can lose the large chrome cap and replace it with new lug nuts and a FORD center cap.

Eddie, I was just in Texas down the road from you over the weekend, in the Sunset/Alvord area visiting friends. Went to our first Stock/Trade Show and Rodeo in Ft. Worth on Friday. Absolutely fantastic!
 

PeteK

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 18, 2014
2,285
Kalama, Free part of WA State
I know the general consensus is for the Re050A series of Bridgestone tires, but I need to order new tires, and I was on Tire Rack and noted the Bridgestone Potenza RE-11's, which are advertised as the next step above the RE050 series. Has anyone tried those yet?
TIA
 

Xcentric

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 9, 2012
5,213
Myakka City, Florida
I know the general consensus is for the Re050A series of Bridgestone tires, but I need to order new tires, and I was on Tire Rack and noted the Bridgestone Potenza RE-11's, which are advertised as the next step above the RE050 series. Has anyone tried those yet?
TIA

The diameter is not listed, but I think the largest size 325/30-19 will be at least 2" shorter than the OEM Goodyear and the Bridgestone Scuderia.
 

PeteK

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 18, 2014
2,285
Kalama, Free part of WA State
Yep, the 325/30 Zr-15 is listed as 26.7" dia. vs. the Goodyear at 28.5 or so. So, I'll order the Potenza 245-18 fronts and Scuderia 345-19 rears.
 

FGT1987

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Sep 5, 2007
36
Just a heads up for anyone needing rear tires sooner then later. I just purchased 2 Bridgestone rear tires from Tire Rack which left only 3 in stock. I believe the next batch were not going to be available until December.

Bob
 

Kayvan

GT Owner
Jul 13, 2006
4,782
Any word when GY Rears are back in stock at Tire-rack...showing backorder
 

AtomicGT

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Apr 12, 2006
3,032
Los Angeles
 

Kayvan

GT Owner
Jul 13, 2006
4,782
Tirerack only shows GY for the GT

#/Sizes I put in off this link for the Bridgestones dont show up...

Bridgestone
RE050A
265/35-18 Front ( 92.75) -12.30%
265/40-18 Front (106.00) +00.24%
255/40-18 Front (102.00) -03.55%
-
345/35-19 Rears (120.75) -04.17%
 

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,194
The Bridgestones are such a vastly superior tire over the GY's..... not sure why anyone would want to pay more for an inferior tire. JMO. The Bridgestones are readily available - installed two sets in the last two days.
 

Xcentric

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 9, 2012
5,213
Myakka City, Florida
Scuderias available from Onlinetires.com for $355.95. FedEx shipping for two from SoCal to SoFla $63.89.

About $100/pair less than Tire Rack.

Online tires doesn't stock them. They get them from the Bridgestone distributer as ordered, so delivery took a few days longer. Build date 0214, which tells me they don't do a run of these very often.
 

fordgt6

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Mar 19, 2009
123
East Lake Weir, FL
The Tire Rack has NEW F1 Eagle tires in stock. I just bought a pair last month. They had a build date of late 2014.
 

KJRGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 4, 2006
2,840
SoCal
What do they charge these days? Did you buy front or rear?
 

RALPHIE

GT Owner
Mar 1, 2007
7,278
 

KJRGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 4, 2006
2,840
SoCal
Thanks Ralphie.
 

GUILTY

GT Owner
Mar 4, 2015
10
Toronto
I decided to still go with the bridgestone over the good year as I needed new rears and the front are 10 years old , even though goodyear is OEM and they are being produced again, I think the wider 345 on the back will give me better traction and look really good also I went for the 255 on the front. keeping the original in the basement for if the day ever comes to sell I can say I have the original tires for the car with 8000 miles on them.
 

KJRGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 4, 2006
2,840
SoCal
I decided to still go with the bridgestone over the good year as I needed new rears and the front are 10 years old , even though goodyear is OEM and they are being produced again, I think the wider 345 on the back will give me better traction and look really good also I went for the 255 on the front. keeping the original in the basement for if the day ever comes to sell I can say I have the original tires for the car with 8000 miles on them.

Good call on the Bridgestones. I am on my third set of them.

8,000 miles on the original Goodyears? Good work. I only got 6,000 on mine. :biggrin
 

EA40

GT Owner
Feb 4, 2012
23
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Has anyone replaced the OEM rears but kept the OEM fronts?

I'm just over 6k miles and the rears need to be replaced. I'm leaning towards Bridgestone: 345/35R19 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Scuderia.

My fronts are fine for now. Considering just leaving them in place until the time comes ...
 

Xcentric

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 9, 2012
5,213
Myakka City, Florida
Has anyone replaced the OEM rears but kept the OEM fronts?

I'm just over 6k miles and the rears need to be replaced. I'm leaning towards Bridgestone: 345/35R19 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Scuderia.

My fronts are fine for now. Considering just leaving them in place until the time comes ...

I got the impression from your other posts that the tires are the original tires. If so, the front tires are years past their expiration date.
 

RALPHIE

GT Owner
Mar 1, 2007
7,278
Has anyone replaced the OEM rears but kept the OEM fronts?

I'm just over 6k miles and the rears need to be replaced. I'm leaning towards Bridgestone: 345/35R19 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Scuderia.

My fronts are fine for now. Considering just leaving them in place until the time comes ...

How do you drive the car? If just normal driving, I don't see a problem. If spirited, - well - that's something else.

However, it sounds like you like to spin your rear wheels a lot, as you only have 6,000 miles on your rears. I get about 12,000 to 14,000 on the rear Goodyears on my GT. If that is the case, change all 4 tires for your own safety.
 

Brombear

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 16, 2013
1,396
Frankfurt Area, Germany
Would strongly vote against it. Compare amout of saving to potential value of damage to your car just because the tires have differing parameters of stickyness ( depending on temperature, softness on the compound, age, tire pattern, etc.)