Federal Tires

[jplacson]

Has anyone ever heard of these?

Are they any good?

I'm about to get a new set... and I was just surprised to find that these tires cost 2x as much as Goodyear Eagle F1s (the new GS D3)

I'm wondering if they really are 2x as good as well.

[Rory535i]

you serious about the price!?! that's really expensive! i got them new with my 17's and they cost me about 70euros each. they're an australian manufacturer i think. i thought they were very good. good in heavy rain but not so good in damp conditions but great in the dry. maybe i thought they were good because of the cheap price! there's no way they're worth more than eagle's!! they're the daddy! i'd take them over federals any day!

[jplacson]

Ya... weird... maybe it's cuz Federals are imported into the Phil... vs. Goodyear who has a main plant here. GY F1s are redesigned for our climate, so cold weather is out... and higher tolerance for heat and high humidity are added.

Ok, thanks! I just thought there was something special about Federals the price was just way out there at over US$200 per tire. F1s are about US$120/tire here (235/40 R18) And they do look bad a$$!

[Rory535i]

yeah defo go for the eagles. had them on a different car and they're fantastic in hot weather. federals aren't worth that at all in my opinion.

[Dash01]

Have you considered Avon Tech M550 tires? Check the TireRack website and ratings for further info. Also worth consideration are Pirelli Zero Nero and Fuzion ZRi. These Avon and Pirelli models are all-season, whereas the Fuzion RZRi is a summer tire. May be worth a shot.

Based on this research and input from others, I just bought a set of Avon Tech M550 tires for my Porsche, but have not received them, so have no personal experience yet.

[Jr ///M5]

While you are doing your research on tires, look up the specification section on the tires you are comparing. What you are looking for is the weight of the tire. I've found that when I was comparing several different tires, the weight spread over 6 different tires was as much as 6 pounds each, in size 235-45-17's. That is quite a bit of rotating mass, especially at each corner of the car. The Michelin PS-2 was the lightest at 22 pounds. The heavier tire was the Avon at 28 pounds. The Pirelli P Zero Nero M/S came in at 24 pounds for standard, and 27 pounds for run flats.

You might want to consider this information when deciding, it would be like getting extra horsepower.

Jr

[Dash01]

Very good point, which I took into consideration, particularly in light of unsprung wheel weight and rotating mass factors. OTOH, a heavier tire may be the result of better sidewalls (crisper handling?) or tread that lasts a lot longer. No matter what tire you choose, it'll always be a compromise among the various factors.

However, I also talked to Lee at TireRack, who is one of the tire testers and who has 30+ years of autocross experience. They use BMW 530 cars on their test circuits, and have some very knowledgeable testers and objective procedures on a given set of cars and a given set of test conditions. As of now, I have no personal experience, so necessarily trust the judgement of the TireRack guys. Presumably, their input is more useful and objective than anecdotal evidence and "surveys" from various tire consumers who lack such comparative references.

Anyway, their recomendations may be worth considering, since the whole tire selection process is pretty esoteric: Probably worth a shot.

l tnt

While you are doing your research on tires, look up the specification section on the tires you are comparing. What you are looking for is the weight of the tire. I've found that when I was comparing several different tires, the weight spread over 6 different tires was as much as 6 pounds each, in size 235-45-17's. That is quite a bit of rotating mass, especially at each corner of the car. The Michelin PS-2 was the lightest at 22 pounds. The heavier tire was the Avon at 28 pounds. The Pirelli P Zero Nero M/S came in at 24 pounds for standard, and 27 pounds for run flats.

You might want to consider this information when deciding, it would be like getting extra horsepower.

Jr

[jplacson]

No I haven't cuz Avon Tech aren't available here in the Philippines.

We only have the usual... Goodyear, Bridgestone, Michelin, Pirelli.

Some importers bring in Yokohama, Dunlop (ugh...these are my tires now... lousy), Kumho, Continental, Nitto.

But imports are 2x the price, and don't carry warranty. Goodyear is the only one that offers a lifetime warranty on the F1s. Considering our road hazards here... it's worth it. They will replace your tire with one of equal wear if it gets damaged in any way for the life of the tire. Nails... road spikes... potholes... etc. are all covered.

Then I run over to Bridgestone to get N2 fills... hahahahaha... lifetime top-up.

[Mobius]

Maybe Federal has a high-end line, but in the states, they're usually the tires featured in the "FOUR TIRES FOR $100!!!" ads.

[jplacson]

I'm sure they do... seeing as that my size requirements (235/40 R18) only had one option. But still... at 2x the price of the new Eagle F1s... unless they have 2x the grip, AND 2x the wear rating... US$900 for a set is just ridiculous.