Hankook RS-2 tyres in the winter?

[TimR26]

I've currently got Hankook RS-2 tyres fitted to my car. The back tyres are fine with 3 or 4mm but fronts are on the low side and now need replacing.

I have decided to either buy two new RS-2 or get four new Goodyear F1 Asymmetric 2's.

What are peoples opinions on using the Hankook RS-2 through the winter? I've found them ok so far but I'm not too sure how they'll cope as the weather gets worse.

 

[Craig.H]

I took my Clio out last winter on these tires and they were shocking in the snow, couldn't get up the slightest hill!

 

[jenic]

I wasn't keen on the RS2's on my clio.

I'm going to treat my meg to some conti 5p's in the new year, got mismatched tread depth on the front atm which is annoying, but will live with it over winter.

On the clio last year I ran GSD3's and they were excellent in the snow, but they have a completely different tread pattern to the Asymmetric 2's, similar compound i would have thought.

 

[TimR26]

I took my Clio out last winter on these tires and they were shocking in the snow, couldn't get up the slightest hill!

I'm not too bothered about snow because I just won't go to work.

I wasn't keen on the RS2's on my clio.

I'm going to treat my meg to some conti 5p's in the new year, got mismatched tread depth on the front atm which is annoying, but will live with it over winter.

The RS2's can be dodgy sometimes in the wet but I just make allowances for them now.

On my 172 I prefered the Goodyear GSD3's to the Conti 3s hence why I'll go Goodyear again. Also they seem to score consistently high in tyre tests and are good value at £148 a corner

 

[jenic]

£148 fitted? If so where?

I'd have the goodyears for that, like you say, the GD3's were great on the clio.

 

[TimR26]

I'd order from Camskill which is £605 delivered then I can get them fitted for £25 cash in hand.
http://www.camskill.co.uk/m61b0s322p78811/GOODYEAR_TYRES_CAR_GOODYEAR_EAGLE_F1_ASYMMETRIC_2_-_235_40R18_95Y_XL_TL_

 

[BIGASH]

I'm going to treat my meg to some conti 5p's in the new year, got mismatched tread depth on the front atm which is annoying, but will live with it over winter.

The Conti 5's are great I had a set a few months ago on a car I've sold recently and they were a really good all round tyre ! What size tyres do the Meg's run? I had 225/40 18's on the Golf and I found the Dunlop's to be really good tyres but I don't know too much about the Meg's!

 

[TimR26]

The R26 tyre size is 235 40 18.

You can run 225 40 18 as well which I was considering as they are £30 a corner cheaper.

 

[BIGASH]

I was going to say I used to pay £100 a tyre for the Dunlops and paid the same for the conti's when they came out. I would really recommend the Dunlop's they got me everywhere I needed to be in the winter last year but that was with 4WD to help aswell! I just did a tyre size calculator for the difference in the above sizes and there isn't too much difference but you do loose a bit of the width but depends if your fussed about it

 

[TimR26]

Yeah, there's <1% difference so an indicated 70mph would actually be 69mph. I'm not sure how the narrower tyre would affect the handling if at all.

What Dunlops are they then?

 

[BIGASH]

Yes I don't think the sidewall will be too much of an issue maybe a slightly harder ride but I don't know what affect the width would have. I would probably just stick with the original size. They were Dunlop Sport Maxx GT's

 

[Fletcher]

As long as you take it easy it wet conditions you should be ok with them.

 

[Tom]

Winter performance will be horrendous. Tyres like this aren't even supposed to be stored at less than 10 degrees let alone used. The compound will harden and they will degrade considerably. Bad idea.

 

[Nick172Cup]

As long as you drive sensibly you'll be fine Tim, last year in the snow I took the Cup out on R888's with camber and had no problems.

 

[Tom]

As long as you drive sensibly you'll be fine Tim, last year in the snow I took the Cup out on R888's with camber and had no problems.

FYI

http://cache.toyotires.com/sites/default/files/tirestorage.pdf

better safe than sorry IMHO

 

[Nick172Cup]

FYI

http://cache.toyotires.com/sites/default/files/tirestorage.pdf

better safe than sorry IMHO

No no I agree with you Tom with regards to that, they were nearly finished with anyways so didn't use them on track etc after the snow. It was all I had at the time to get around so made do.

All I'm saying is if you drive sensibly, leave enough distance to compensate for conditions you'll be fine on normal tyres. If the tyres are on their way out and your getting new tyres just use these up over the winter and if they crack etc chuck them like you were going to do anyways.

Nick

 

[Breamy]

Personally I wouldn't go for the goodyears on the megane. Had them on mine when I got it. Tears lasted forever but the fronts wore incredibly quickly on the insides which when I spoke to the local tyre fitter he said was very common

 

[mark123]

FYI

http://cache.toyotires.com/sites/default/files/tirestorage.pdf

better safe than sorry IMHO

That is specific to those Toyos listed though. The RS2 is not as soft a compound as in the Toyos so will probably have different temperature limits.

 

[Tom]

I bet you £20,000 billion they arent meant to be used below 10 deg C

 

[Rich_172]

Rainsport 2's ftw had no probs on front last winter. Dunlop sp sport 9000 on the back no bother either. Both great tyres

 

[Jamie86]

A friend runs Sport maxx's on his Meg and they seemed pretty good in the winter last year..

 

[bill]

got shut of my rs2's before winter, didn't live up to the hype for me tbh

 

[Fletcher]

got shut of my rs2's before winter, didn't live up to the hype for me tbh

TBH I was very impressed with my set of RS2s on fast road -track.

 

[bill]

mine had plenty of fast/hard road use, but no track time, remember having some yoko's on my old valver years ago, £105 a corner, cant remember which model, best tyres i have ever had by far, awsome grip on track.

 

[Fletcher]

mine had plenty of fast/hard road use, but no track time, remember having some yoko's on my old valver years ago, £105 a corner, cant remember which model, best tyres i have ever had by far, awsome grip on track.

Yokohama AO48?

 

[bill]

i really cant remember mate, i'm going back 10-12 years plus lol they where by far the best tyre i've ever had, took the car on silverstone took big chunks out of them on road and track they where superb through the bends, have a feeling they stopped making them when i had them on, they where 16's 205/45

 

[Dean.]

IM running rs2s on my meg this winter

 

[TimR26]

After doing a bit more research today I decided to order the Goodyear Asymmetric 2's from Camskill.

The RS2's are now going to be stored then fitted to a set of wheels for trackdays next year.

As long as you take it easy it wet conditions you should be ok with them.

As long as you drive sensibly you'll be fine Tim, last year in the snow I took the Cup out on R888's with camber and had no problems.

RS2's would have been fine but it's no fun tiptoeing about and having no traction out of slow corners in the wet.

Winter performance will be horrendous. Tyres like this aren't even supposed to be stored at less than 10 degrees let alone used. The compound will harden and they will degrade considerably. Bad idea.

That was the general consensus I found, it would be a waste to kill them in the winter.

That is specific to those Toyos listed though. The RS2 is not as soft a compound as in the Toyos so will probably have different temperature limits.

No, Tom is right they're not suitable for use in near freezing conditions.

Personally I wouldn't go for the goodyears on the megane. Had them on mine when I got it. Tears lasted forever but the fronts wore incredibly quickly on the insides which when I spoke to the local tyre fitter he said was very common

That sounds to me more likely to have been the tracking or the tyre pressures.

Rainsport 2's ftw had no probs on front last winter. Dunlop sp sport 9000 on the back no bother either. Both great tyres

A friend runs Sport maxx's on his Meg and they seemed pretty good in the winter last year..

I've never liked the idea of using Uniroyal or Dunlop, just my perception of them as a brand.

got shut of my rs2's before winter, didn't live up to the hype for me tbh

TBH I was very impressed with my set of RS2s on fast road -track.

I liked them on road and track as well, really good when warm. They were as good as the PS3's I had before and £50 a corner cheaper.

IM running rs2s on my meg this winter

I think recommended them to you on MS.net

They are really good as a summer tyre, you'll be fine just go careful when it gets really cold/wet.

If my front left wasn't almost down to 1.6mm I would have kept them on over winter.

 

[scott.p]

I've never liked the idea of using Uniroyal or Dunlop, just my perception of them as a brand.

Whats wrong with you? Uniroyal and Dunlop are two decent tyre brands, I have never heard anybody have a bad word to say about the rainsport tyres uniroyal do. And athough Dunlop are an expensive brand they make some of the best winter tyres going with their 3d and 4d range.