bridgestone RE 71

Hi, anyone with experience with the Bridgestone Re 71 before ? I think lot of those japanese motorsport video's (opinion) show cars uses that. How does that compare to the Pirelli P7000 supersport? By the way I need some good recommanditions on tires ?
Any tips and concerns would help
thanks .

I went through a set of RE71's on the 400E. Good (but not great) grip, good response, noisy as hell, unpredictable and "spooky" at the limit. They don't like water very much either. Treadwear is rapid, but after awhile you want the darn things to wear out so you dont' have to live with them anymore. The RE71 is technology dating back to the late 80's, it is no match for the newer tires of today. The P7000 and and P7000 Supersport are two different tires. Same tread design, different internal structure and very different tread compound. The Supersport is nothing more than a all-season or touring tire molded into a high performance look. You will note that it is "the first Pirelli designed for the US market". That also means that nobody would buy it in Europe... A recent "blind" test by Automobile magazine reviewed the P7000's and didn't have much nice to say about them.

What are your priorities in a tire? Dry grip? wet traction? snow/slush traction? Quiet/comfy ride? long wear? cost? appearance? Also it depends what size you are looking for. Some tires are good in certain sizes but can be easily bettered in others.

For non-snow use: Michelin MXX3, Pilot SX, Pilot MXM. Stay away from the XGT V/Z4. Pirelli P-Zero Asm, forget the rest of the lineup. Bridgestone S02 PP, forget the rest of their lineup. Yokohama: AVS Sport, Nexus. Firestone: SZ50 Dunlop: Sp8000 and Sp9000 don't bother with D40m2. Have heard good things about the Toyo Proxes T1 but nothing solid.

If you need something with snow traction as well then that opens up a whole different can of worms. You then either have to have one set of tires that is a total compromise or two sets that are more specialized. The more you tell us the more we can help you. What size/sizes do you plan on using? What are your tire priorities?

Lee

Lee.
I have tried a set of P7000 ( not the supersport). My experiences on them are consider some what fair. They are not very good on water as advertised. Pretty good, but kinda noise. Treadwear is not expectable, goes out fairly fast.
My size are 225/45/17. Since I lived around the Seattle area( rains hella ), I might have to go with something that for the wet traction. My priorities are something that would have a longer lasting treadwear, but at the same time that could provide me with some handling, and the price that is reasonable.
Michelin MXX3s are the best tires, I have ever try. They are the OE on the M3, they have excellent handling, but again the wear out pretty fast, and wet traction are some what fair.
I have also heard good things about toyo tires( people from Honda , VW ), Should I gave it a try ?
I don't really care about the snow, if it snows I will get those stocks tires back on. By the way doesn't snow that much around here in Seattle.
one thing I do like to ask is where to get tires ? Through mail order , or local dealers ? The reason why I consider local dealers is because they provide road hazard insurance, which could save me some money. There are lot of pot holds and nails on the road around Seattle. Last time I felt in to a hole, and it just kill the tire and the AMG rim as well. I should have purchase carlsson, or brabus.
I am now using a set of 4 225/45/17. The OE are 195/65/15.
Thank you for your help
Pete regard

Go to http://www.tirerack.com They have the best website and are a great source for aftermarket wheels/tires. You might be able to better their prices slightly at http://www.cheaptires.com Never used cheap tires but their prices look pretty good even if their site is downright cheesy. Now that we have the "where" settled, lets get on to the "what".

You say you run 225/45/17...these are the tires I would recommend that are available in that size:

BFG T/A KD...They are a bit pricey. I have not driven them yet, but I have heard nothing but great things from everyone who has. Supposedly wonderful in wet and dry, can't rotate b/c of the asmetric design. *2nd place* (mainly because I have not driven them and they are unproven vs the MXX3 which has a superior track record)

Bridgestone S02 PP...should be great in the wet, but not as good as its price would suggest in the dry. If you are going to spend the cash, spend it elsewhere. *4th place*

Michelin MXX3...great tire, nuff said. I would either go for the MXX3 or the TA KD in this price bracket. Michelin is coming out with a new "flagship" tire so be patient and perhaps the price will drop. *1st place*

P-Zero Asm....worth considering. I have heard they are a bit more difficult to get the most from. They are also the most resistant to hard use, only problem is once they do wear you can't rotate. *3rd place*

Dunlop 9000....the most "touring" type tire in the group. Probably the best ride, quietest, good wet traction (but not much better than others in this league), slightly cheaper. Wear should be longer than others if you drive easy, less if you drive hard. The easy budget choice. *5th overall*

Yokohama AVS S1....another budget choice. Have not driven them, but most people who have them think they are good but not great. *6th overall*

There you have it...those are my recommendations. The MXX3 is first because it is a great tire and has a proven track record (no pun intended). If the price drops when Michelin launches the "Pilot Sport" it will be even sweeter. The TA KD could be even better based on what I've heard. I don't have personal experience yet. I know they can't be rotated like the Michelin so you wont get the life if they wear at about the same rate. They earned the close 2nd. The PZero has a cult following for a good reason. If you are patient and plan some suspension upgrades, they may be your best bet. A solid 3rd. The bridgestones are good in the wet but not up to their pricetag in the dry, still better than the Dunlops though. I would recommend the Firstone SZ50 but it isn't made in 225/45/17. With your "plus 2" fittment your suspension might not be able to take full advantage of the wheels/tires. That is where the swaybar, alignment specs, and stuff come in. I hope this helps but its getting way late and my brain is turning to mush.

Goodnight and good luck shopping...Lee

Dear Lee :
I went just went into another problem when ordering the S0 2 pp. When I first purchase the tire at tire rack, the recommand 225/45/17. Now they recommand me to use 215/45/17 instead. which of these recomandition should I follow.
My factory setting are 195/65/15 93 300E 3.2
Thank you very much for your time .
Pete regards

I bet the reason they are changing the recommendation is that there have been some minimal problems with clearance on normal W124's with the 225's. I ran 225/50/16 (same width and overall size) on my 400E with no problems. (check out the MSshop 400E review...that is my car and some of the pics it has the 225's on) The tires do fill up the wheelwells and some owners who are used to the skinny stock tires are surprised by the look of the 225's. I'd just order the 225's. You shouldn't have any clearance problems unless you lower the crap out of it. A small drop from "sport" style springs shoulnd't hurt things, but if you go to competition or "clipped" springs you might get a rub near the steering locks. The 215's will be a bit shorter overall but not enough to mess with anything. Just get the 225's, roll the inside of the fenders (only if necessary), and enjoy. If Tirerack gives you too much crap about the size, take your business elsewhere. Discount Tire Direct does not sell Bridgestone (that I know of) but I think Cheaptires does. Their link is above.

Hope this helps...Lee

Hi.. thanks for the suggestions.
My tires do rub, not the fender, but the inside of the car's body .. maybe My car is a little to low ! H&R sports springs ! something around 2.2 - 1.8 . not sure ! Should I use the 215 , or there is way to limit all that. What about 215 on the front and 235 in the back and roll the fenders at the back ?
But it does look great with such height, and of course with the width of the 225.
Thank you
Pete

I never had any kind of problem with rubbing with the 225's on my 400E. Then again it wasn't lowered or anything. If you are getting significant rubbing then perhpas the 215's are a better idea. I'd stay with the same size all around. Besides, if you use 215's in front and 225's in back the difference in rolling radius might be enough to trip the ABS/ASR. Just use the same size front/rear. You can rotate the set, and I doubt your car has a significant problem with wheelspin or oversteer so going to bigger rear tires will not get you anything. As low as your car is it might just come down to a tradeoff of what is more important to you. Rubber or ride height... Since you already have the springs in place, you might just want to get the 215's on all four corners. If you buy some really agressive rubber, you should still have plenty of grip.

Lee

That's exactly what's happening with my 88 300E: I have 215/55R16 in the front and 225/50R16 in the rear....the ABS comes on whenever I need a full stop. Anyway, I think I'll replace the rear ones with 215/55R16.

BTW, does anyone know if it is possible to mount a 205 tire on an 8" wide rim?

Thanks.

205 on a 8" wide rim....perhaps possible, but not recommended. Look at the Bridgestone, Dunlop, etc websites. They have recommendations for rim/tire width combo's. 8" wide is something of a stretch for the 500E's OEM 225's. Why are you determined to mount a 205 on a 8" rim? I just looked at the Bridgestone site. According to their application chart, you can mount 205's on everything from 5.5-7.5 inches. They recommend 6.5 the other figures I assume are the "possible but not recomended". I'd have to advise you not to attempt to put the 205 on a 8" wide rim. Exactly what are you trying to accomplish with such an application?

Hope this helps...Lee