Dunlop SP8000E replacement?
05-19-2002, 08:05 PM
#1
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Dunlop SP8000E replacement?
I've got a 2000 A4 2.8 MS. The Sport option means it came with 16 inch 10-spoke wheels and Dunlop SP8000E 205/55 ZR16 tires. After 23,000 miles, they're getting close to the wear bars and it's now time for new tires.
I strongly believe in not "messing with" a car's design (which unfortunately won't earn me much points with you aftermarket/chip guys
so I'd like to replace the tires with as near to identical tires as possible.
I see that Dunlop SP8000's are still made, so I could buy those again. But I also see from poking around online that the treadwear on these really sucks, comparitively, which I certainly can corroborate. Can anyone recommend another tire to look into, that will be nearly identical in performance but with better treadwear?
I don't want 50,000 miles out of the tire, but 23,000 is pretty low, I think.
I strongly believe in not "messing with" a car's design (which unfortunately won't earn me much points with you aftermarket/chip guys
so I'd like to replace the tires with as near to identical tires as possible.I see that Dunlop SP8000's are still made, so I could buy those again. But I also see from poking around online that the treadwear on these really sucks, comparitively, which I certainly can corroborate. Can anyone recommend another tire to look into, that will be nearly identical in performance but with better treadwear?
I don't want 50,000 miles out of the tire, but 23,000 is pretty low, I think.
05-19-2002, 08:29 PM
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IMO you'll be hard pressed to find equal DRY performance to those tires with much more tread life .
especially if you take into account how cheap the SP8000s are compared to the comparable or better dry traction tires.
BTW I know the 2.8 is heavier etc .. but I got over 35k out of the OE SP8000s on my 99.5 1.8tqms.
BTW I know the 2.8 is heavier etc .. but I got over 35k out of the OE SP8000s on my 99.5 1.8tqms.
05-19-2002, 08:52 PM
#3
Are you kidding me?.......sorry bro, but that's simply not true.....=).......
there are a number of tires out there around the same price with equal if not better treadwear ratings, with FAR better dry performance, AND better wet performance.
Such as Bridgestone Potenza RE730's and Kumho Ecsta 712's....
I've had both of these. Both are around the same price as the SP8000's, and both absolutely blow the SP8000's away in every way....and still with a very high tread wear rating.
Hey Chris...I would highly recommend either of these. Of course there ARE even better, but you'll bay quite a bit more for them.
=)
Such as Bridgestone Potenza RE730's and Kumho Ecsta 712's....
I've had both of these. Both are around the same price as the SP8000's, and both absolutely blow the SP8000's away in every way....and still with a very high tread wear rating.
Hey Chris...I would highly recommend either of these. Of course there ARE even better, but you'll bay quite a bit more for them.
=)
05-19-2002, 09:44 PM
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He asked for comparable pricing. RE's are ~110 and I can find 8000s for ~85. Hence my caveat about
price in my post. And as I said I got over 35k on my OE set and have 50% tread left on their replacements with ~17000k on them. I yanked the Dunlops when I changed to 17's and tried the Toyo T1-S .. better tire but lousy wear and way more $. I am going to try a set of S03's with the next purchase.
05-19-2002, 11:57 PM
#7
Yippers...you got a hook-up on tires? Has anyone tried the Dunlop SP Sport FM901s...
they are available from Tire Rack now and are dirt cheap. I saw these tires offered in Japan for a few years now when I used to buy Option Mag and they look great. Only a treadwear rating of 200 though, so don't expect more than 30-35K mi out of them. BTW, my stock 8000Es have lasted me nearly 35K miles and I drive hard more than half the time.
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05-20-2002, 09:02 AM
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I do.
Haven't tried the FM901's yet, but on Vortex many are raving about them. They're real inexpensive, from the reviews, I'd have to recommend them just based on their price alone.
05-20-2002, 09:18 AM
#9
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just to clarify, the OEM SP8000E's are NOT cheap ....
The OEM 205/55/16 SP8000E are different from the standard SP8000. The OEMs are actually a wider contact patch tire, and you pay extra for that. It's a special order from Tire Rack, and the price is as much as SP9000s.
If you just replace it with a standard SP8000, you will get a smaller section width and hence worse traction/grip compared to stock.
If you just replace it with a standard SP8000, you will get a smaller section width and hence worse traction/grip compared to stock.
05-20-2002, 09:32 AM
#10
AudiWorld Expert
treadwear vs. performance ...
If you don't care much about having lots of dry/wet grip, then it's easy to find a long treadwear tire, but you can't have both - performance AND long treadwear - mutually exclusive, if you may.
For the most part, you'll find that sports/summer tires (including your SP8000E) only last around 20-25K miles, while most all-seasons last double that. There's really nothing in-between.
So, make up your mind on what's more important, and then choose. If you liked the amount of grip you were getting from the SP8000E, then you should probably stick with a summer tire. Of course you can do better than this by going with Bridgestone S-03, Michelin Pilot Sports, or Toyo T-1S, to name a few. Or even going with SP9000, if very low noise and comfort are high on your priority list.
If you don't care about performance driving and speed cornering, etc, then maybe you'll be OK with a longer lasting all-season, like Bridgestone RE950, or Michelin Pilot Sport A/S (if you can afford it). Maybe even Dunlop SP5000, but while they can handle snow, I'm not sure that they'll last much longer than summer tires. While at it, do a "zero-plus-size upgrade" and go with a 225/50 tire, to make up for some of the lost traction/grip that you would have had with a summer tire.
For the most part, you'll find that sports/summer tires (including your SP8000E) only last around 20-25K miles, while most all-seasons last double that. There's really nothing in-between.
So, make up your mind on what's more important, and then choose. If you liked the amount of grip you were getting from the SP8000E, then you should probably stick with a summer tire. Of course you can do better than this by going with Bridgestone S-03, Michelin Pilot Sports, or Toyo T-1S, to name a few. Or even going with SP9000, if very low noise and comfort are high on your priority list.
If you don't care about performance driving and speed cornering, etc, then maybe you'll be OK with a longer lasting all-season, like Bridgestone RE950, or Michelin Pilot Sport A/S (if you can afford it). Maybe even Dunlop SP5000, but while they can handle snow, I'm not sure that they'll last much longer than summer tires. While at it, do a "zero-plus-size upgrade" and go with a 225/50 tire, to make up for some of the lost traction/grip that you would have had with a summer tire.