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I need new street tires for my Mustang. I need a tire with a lot more compliance than my current z-rated Dunlop SP4000s, since the aftermarket springs and eurethane bushings are quite literally beating the car to death on the mean streets of Durham. To achieve that goal I'm willing to give up some handling and go with an H speed rating, and probably also go back to the OE 225/60-15 size. A M+S tire wouldn't hurt in case I get caught out the weather.

Surfing around Tire Rack I've come up with two possibilities:
Dunlop SP Sport A2
Kumho HP4 716

Opinions? Other suggestions?

Art

I'm running a Falken Zeix 512 now. Grip is pretty good in a straight line 360 treadwear. They ride waaaaay better than the Goodyear Bald Eagle RS-A's that were on the rims before. They are 205/55/16's and are V rated. The 60 series 512 is H rated and has a 420ish treadwear rating. They are made by Sumitomo some I'm guessing the HTR+(I think that's the name) tire is probably pretty much the same thing. All in all they are a good street tire and can be run at 51 PSI in my size. I have 40 now and they handle ok as long as you don't push it. I'd reccomend them as they are a fair price. I got mine from www.vulcantire.com

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2006 Civic Si - #24 HS for 2015

2005 GMC Sierra
1991 318is Garage Ornament

I used the dunlop sp a2's for a while. comfortable ride, good wear pattern. don't expect super grip, but definitely a good all weather tire. rain is not a problem. snow is no problem either if you drive accordingly. can't remember the price though....

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www.ncvw.org
1993 VW Corrado VR6 - DSP15 (RIP)
1986 MB 190E 2.3L 16v - STX (SOLD)
1997 BMW M3 3.2L - BS for now

Art,

You might check out Tire Rack's Grand Touring All Season category. These are intended to be soft riding. There is a ContiTouringContact CH95 which got good "ride comfort" test results. The "buyer revews" are the typical love/hate mix. Current price is $64.

Note that when I tried H rated tires on my 88 5.0 it didn't seem to make a difference.

Can you soften the shock bump setting without having to remove the shocks (or buy new DA's)?

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

My Maxima came with those Dunlops when I got it....I have no complaints about them so far. They are wearing well. I also had those Kuhmo 716's on my Integra for over a year (until I flat spotted the hell out of them autocrossing). I thought they were a great tire for the price.

Not sure if they make them in your size, but I have had Bridgestone Potenza RE950's on my girlfriend Passat for over a year now and they have been a really good tire as well, however, they were not as good in the snow as the Michelin's it came with but they did ok.

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Stephen Westerfield
2009 Infiniti M35 | 2007 Honda Fit Sport | 2005 Ford Mustang GT |2000 GMC Sierra |1992 Acura Integra LS | Super Westerfield Bros Acura Integra

Another vote for the dunlops, I have had several sets of those on the jetta when it was my daily driver. They are a great all around tire. Also Kuhmo has a new GT tire the KH11 in that size for less than $70ea. And the Sumi is the HTR+ which is a HP all season tire and a few bucks more than the kuhmo.

Adam

I've put the Dunlop A2's on my daughters Prism and they are fine except for a low speed buzz you get with them in town when approaching a light. They're not the quietest tire.

The Falken Ziex ZE-512 are on my sons car. They would be a better choice if you want to get more flex to cover your stiffer suspension. I find these tires have a lot of sidewall flex and give a smooth ride. They also coast on the highway very easily with almost no throttle input. We don't put 40-50lbs in them like Rob does. 30lbs all around.

I have the Sumi HTRZ-II on the Vette now and can tell you that you don't want those if you are trying to make the car ride softer. Maybe with a 60 aspect ration they'll be smoother. But with a 40 aspect in front and 35 aspect in the rear I can assure you they don't flex much. I can feel all the bumps. Very good rain/dry tire for all around purposes and price.

Now Ann has some TigerPaws on her Monte and they ride very smooth, are fine in the rain with the exception of standing water, and are good in snow. Definetely a better M+S tire than the above group.

Graham

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http://www.greywinds.com

Thanks for all of the replies. Dick - I've tried setting my Konis (yellow SA) from one end to the other. No help with the initial jounce/crash when I run over an expansion joint or pine needle, though cranking them up certainly stops the rebound. While those struts did stiffen the ride when I had stock springs, I figure that the harshness I have now is due to doubling the front spring rate (to 750-900 lb), and the eurethane in the control arm and camber plate bushings. Strap on your HANS device and come over for a drive down the I-85 eternal construction zone one day

Art,

I believe that Koni SA's don't adjust bump (aka compression) other than maybe slightly since the adjustment is for rebound. However, I agree that with the bushings and stiff springs those pine needles will be pretty abrupt even with soft shocks. Let us know which tires you pick and then whether they help.

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Art,

Using our inventory of Mustang GT's (2001 and 1997) and different size wheels and tires I've done some comparisons of apparent ride comfort using 17 inch 45 series Z rated, 16 inch 55 series H rated, and 16 inch 60 series snows. I cannot feel any noticeable ride comfort difference with our stock suspensions. This is consistent with previous experience with my 88 5.0 using various brands and speed ratings and with previous tires on our 97GT. Unless your current tires are "competition" or "ultra high performance" versions, I suspect that you won't feel much difference with something new. I will say that the handling/grip on dry pavement of the snows (Dunlop Graspic DS1) is certainly mushy . . . probably mushier than any all season tire you might buy.

Maybe you should try what Ford did with the Exploder . . . tire pressures in the mid 20's for ride comfort.

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT