Pilot Rib vs PS2

[markdav]

ok, everyone says you should not mix front and rear tires. Agreed but they wear at different intervals so when Porsche starts using new tire models and reviewers give them great reviews, you have to choose between keeping the old or starting a transition to the new or spending $$$ replacing all while throwing away the unworn tires. I love the Pilot Ribs (esp compared to the original PZeros).

Lots of talk about the PS2 being even better even though similar specs to the Rib.

Car is Boxster 2000, 2.7 manual, regular driving (not agressive), Both are Sport Pilot Ribs but the front have at least 15K left on them (5 k driven).

Q - apart from the theoretical arguement about not mixing, anyone had any bad experiences mixing tires that are this close?

Thanks, Mark.

[986Jim]

I'm sure a lot of people will come on and give all these reasons why you can't mix tires and this and that.

Fact is if your driving the car on the street and you don't drive the car hard you would never even notice if I put winter tires on the front and all summers on the rear except for the noise.

Mixing tires will give the car unpredicitable handling results if your pushing it. It falls under the same thing as people putting winter tires on the front of a FWD car but not the back thinking it's only for traction to get going. It will make the back end come loose a lot earlier around corners because of the increase grip in the front vs. back but if you drive like a granny it will never happen anyway. Same thing with you.

If your pushing the car hard into corners and have no grip at the front and high grip at the rear guess what happens? You will need to be into the corner pretty well though for this to happen. If you're driving normally then it's not really that much of a factor to you.

Let the flaming begin.

Edited September 19, 2006 by 986Jim

[nick49]

Wifes Boxster has original P-Zeros on the front and Yokohamas on the rear. Been that way for nearly 10k miles. The fronts are about due for replacement and we will go the Yokos to match the front. My wife does not drive agressive, I on the otherhand, having roadraced motorcycles, like so see what it will do. I also like to compare it on same roads and turns to my Carrera. No negative issues here, and by the way being the type that hates throwing away good rubber, I used Dunlop 9000s on the front until worn out with new P-Zeros on the back of my 996. I cannot recommend this to others as I don't have an attorney on retainer but it worked for me and I consider myself very safety conscious.

[markdav]

I'm expecting the flaming too! :-)

Really looking to the forum for insight into the handling characteristics of these two tires and whether they are as close as the specs say. Definately interested in this line of tire because the rib in both types reduces noise. Would not go anywhere near a brand difference, season difference, tread type difference.

[mikefocke]

If you have concerns

You can always go rear Ribs now and then all 4 PS2s later when the Ribs are all pretty much worn out at the same time. The general rule is you can get 2 rear tires for 1 front, kind of the reverse of the brake pads.

You do know that PS2s on 17" would require a size change too at the time you do the fronts.

And Ribs are a pretty darn good street tire and that is the way you describe your driving.

As to the arguement advanced which says no problems except if you drive hard, who of us "normal road drivers" knows when we will be called upon to do some avoidance where the forces will cause us to be driving hard. It is in those few second that a tire of the best qualities may be needed. It is why I never understand people who buy expensive cars with wonderful suspensions and then drive their tires till cord is showing.

IMHO, YMMV