225/50ZR17 Goodyear F1 all season on MS3 + PICS

[CosmoMS3]

I installed my new rims + tires + TPMS on my MS3.
$1425 shipped from TireRack: Sport Edition CD 17" rims, 225/50ZR17 Goodyear F1 all season. Not the best looking rims probably, but I do not have to worry so much about the brake dust.

When I had them put on the car, the mechanic called me in the shop to show me that the front tire is way too close to the wheel cage. With the front wheels all the way turned left or right, there is about 1/4 of an inch left between the tire and the plastic around the wheel.

I told him to put them on anyway, I figured I will try them on at least. I was worried about the tire rubbing against the plastic at the smaller bump. It's been a week already and I put about 500 miles on the new tires, and no rubbing! I drove 145 mph on the highway, with a lot of diving, and I tried cornering harder and harder, and still no rubbing.

Bottom line, if anybody wants to try this combo 225/50 - I think it is pretty safe. I do not know how good it will be on the snow, with so little space left around the wheel. The traction is great, breaking and cornering decent. The Goodyears are noisy over 80 miles per hour (and really noisy over 120), but hey! that's not a big concern for me.

 

[Sacrilicious]

hrrm...i honestly like the look of that wheel + tire combo...=D

 

[CosmoMS3]

Squealing in 2nd gear

I drove for a while this afternoon and I notice that if I accelerate heavily in the second gear, these tires make a squealing noise even with the traction control activated.

It is not very loud, but it sounds great. That combined with the CAI sounds really make you feel that you are going fast.

 

[fourthmeal]

Another plus:

You're going faster then your speedo says, thus you're covering more miles then your odo says. This means you'll lose value at a slightly reduced rate. Cheating, of course.

 

[Sacrilicious]

That combined with the CAI sounds really make you feel that you are going fast.

...as much as of a hoax the placebo effect is, it's all that matters in the end...how do you FEEL? ;o

i definitely have the same thing going for me due to my cobb sri. my butt dyno tells me nothing is really different, but my cobble dyno tells me +50WHP AND PULLIN ON THAT NOOB IN THE PORSCHE GT3!!! >=O

 

[CosmoMS3]

Stability vs. ride softness

The first complaint I have about the Goodyears F1 vs. the stock Bridgstones is stability when cornering. Last night the stability control kicked in while I turning left on the highway @90 mph. The car felt very unstable for couple of seconds. I'm sure the big tire sidewalls (225/50/17) are to blame. The overall ride is softer but the car is not as "planted" as before.

 

[AutoXRacer]

Why did you change your stock wheels/tires...?
Is this setup for the winter only?

 

[CosmoMS3]

Why did you change your stock wheels/tires...?
Is this setup for the winter only?

I cannot drive the car in the wintertime with the stock tires. So I was considering winter tires, but after doing a little research I decided to go for all-season tires. Most of the times the pavement is clean and dry, it is just very cold.

The reason I wanted to go from 18 to 17 is I just wanted more rubber. The roads are sometimes horrible around Chicago and I just felt bad driving my car over potholes. I can really tell the difference now, the big tires take out some of that harshness.

But with the new tires I almost started sliding off the road (good thing we have stability control) @90 mph in the same curve I drove 130 mph in august !!