Just bought a set of these tires in 265-35-18. These are the newer and stickier compound 595RS-R with a 140 Treadwear with the reinforced sidewall and not the older 595RS which had a 180 Treadwear rating and were junk because of the soft sidewall. I know everyone is hot on the new Hankook RS3's, but I don't think they are worth another additional $300.00 (breaking $1,000 bucks shipped) for them in the newer 275 35 18 size. Going to break these in and do some testing this spring and summer. I'd figure I would support my fellow Taiwan brothers. This is not a knockoff mainland Chinese made tire that you hear on the news with issues . These are made in Taiwan which has much higher standards just like Japan and Korea.

They are currrently very popular in Austrailia and used in the Lotus Exige Cup there in 2007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7JNj...eature=related


Has anyone used them on a EVO except for one guy who tested them in the stock size a while back? I have not heard anything about people using them since then.

Any feedback would help.

Thanks
Michael

Got these for just over $700.00 bucks shipped.

 

BUMPIN this thread ttt!! I'm dying for more info on these tires. I'm torn between these and the direzza's I'm very curious as to how many miles you could get from these tires, also what tires have you previously been on?

 

Thanks for the bump. However you shouldn't compare these directly to the Direzza's. They are not even in the same price category. I can easily see this thread going to crap real fast if you begin to say that these tires are better than the Direzza Z1's even with scientific proof. Tires are a personal choice and a sensitive one. I remember Robi saying that he has been beat by all sorts of tires. From cheap ones to real pricey ones. There is really no(like Charlie Sheen says)"WINNING" tire out there. lol

A good example is when the Hankook RS3's first came out in 2008 people bad mouthed them because they remembered how bad the RS2's were. Now they are the shiznit since they are now have Time Attack winning championship pedigree. But with increased demand the price has also creeped up considerably. Tires are complex because the suspension setup and alignment is just as important to quick times as the tires. It has to match.

I bought these tires because they were different and very good from a price point of view, but also a pain in the *** to buy since there is such limited stock in the USA. In Austrailia they are very easy to get and widely used there since they have been introduce back in 2008. They even offer a 285 30 18. If you are looking for good wear then don't buy these. They are very soft and wear is really due to the driving style and alignment settings. Just remember all these extreme street are all basically a harder R compound tire with deeper grooves on them. My main concern is to see how well they hold up to extended heat cycles and if they will chunk. The break in is critical to how long the tires last. I heard so much hype of the Nitto NT05 when they came out but they turned out to be turds in the heat department and were built NARROW. They get greasy after a few laps. Nitto has also slowly crept the price up and they are not really a great value anymore. However the NT-01 is still a great R Compound tire. I was one of the first to use the NT-01 back when they were introduced in 2006. Won a lot of RTA's with that one set and got 2 seasons on them. Like I said before driving style and setup has a lot to do with longevity.


Other Tires Worth Mentioning:
I heard some good things about the Toyo R1R but it seems like they are used more for drifting and have terrible wet performance. Any thoughts on that tire?

I also considered the Kumho XS but heard the dry limit was sketchy.

Falken RT615K? If you are going to spend that kind of money you might as well buy Michelin Pilots. Another good example of a good value tire going Versace on us.

I plan to put these 595RSR's through a few Time Attack events. I have driven everything already have a pretty good idea of the limitations of street tires in general. If you really want to go fast buy R Compound tires.

Anyone with first hand knowledge of these specific tires would greatly help this thread. I am not interested in more stories about the old 595 SS. Those were very crappy tires. These are legit road racing tires used in competition outside the USA. They are popular in England and Australia with the Skyline and Drifter crowds as well as some time attack series. Dai Inada of Option actually endorsed them at some point on You Tube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRJ4F...eature=related

A Japanese Magazine evaluated them and had this to say:
Federal 595 RS-R Achieved “Sensational” Results in Tire Test From Magazine of Japan
Tires are the final determinant of how your car goes, stops, and turns--or doesn't.
The latest kudos came from Rev Speed, one of Japan’s long-standing consumer media, which named Federal 595 RS-R “a high-performance offering features a sporty personality, with a genuine bargain of attractively and affordable price.”

A team of evaluators spent a full track day behind the wheel were treated a taste of tire test at Nikko Circuit. To quantify, equalize and determine its real worth of a tire, five of the more recent releases in the ultra-high performance category from various makers were tested on a well prepared Impreza GRB, equipped with new; full tread depth tires in size 235/40R18. Publication has conducted a comprehensive evaluation by undergoing a series of time attack and drifting which encompassed all 5 hot laps each to monitor and analyze steering characteristics of every tire as a measure of overall balance.

By the end of the test, the 595 RS-R competition tire was recognized to offer quicker response and higher levels of grip, as well as more consistency lap after lap. According to the magazine in the May 2009 edition, 595RS-R performed particularly well in all factors that drive overall satisfaction. Two test drivers Mr. Takashi Oi and Mitsuhiro Kino****a were both enthusiastic about the Federal’s performance, they gave a comment on the independent commendation stated:” There is always a phenomenal amount of traction on the tread for Federal 595 RS-R, its steering performance remained responsive when initially turning off center as the vehicle accelerated around some of the tighter corners on the test track. ” In addition, they also advises drivers who shod Federal tire to differ tire pressure based on how, what and where you drive for a smooth ride.

All summed up, 595RS-R is a new upgraded all round tire with superb track that really endures in high powered driving. It is designed to get the maximum out of your machine. And therein lies, the tire major believes, a class leader that truly differentiate our product from other existing options available in the market.
Here is the Video in Japanese
http://www.streetfire.net/video/fede...rsr_643696.htm

 

I had a set of the Federals and could never get them to balance. Tried like 5 times at three different places and they never stopped shaking and vibrating. Hopefully your experience is different. Personally I would steer clear of anything Federal makes to avoid what I went through just to end up getting different tires to solve the issues I had. Good luck.

 

Sorry to hear of your issues. So you had the RSR's right?

 

No. These were 595SS but none the less I've never owned tires even ones I knew were garbage when I got them that would not balance out. Might have been a bad batch or just a super crappy tire. I just steer clear of companies that make very poor products even if their top of the line stuff is legit and of quality. I think companies of integrity wouldn't put their name on something that they aren't proud of and if they are proud of sub par goods then no bueno in my book. I hope this works out for you. It very well may.

 

I understand your issues with the SS. As with any tire company the only company that has had overall consistency in quality is Bridgestone and Michelin. That is why they command the money. I have had Pirellis, Goodyears, Dunlops, Toyo's and many others that had balancing issue from one batch to another. Goodyear being the crappiest of the bunch and that was for regular passenger tires.

I am aware that the SS's were a pretty crappy tire but that was a first generation tire that was designed 10 years ago and I remember the numerous complaints about them. Remember the Hyundai Excel from the 80's? Even Hyundai's are nice cars now.

Lets see how these turn out. I will not say anything until I have some miles on them.

 

You'll like em and be amazed at the grip they have... You may encounter a weird diagonal slit running across the tire, but from the 20+ tires I have never had a bad experience with them...

I have taken these tires to 160mph straightaway pulls going into a banked turn pulling 1.6g's at 140+mph...

If you do track them, it may be best to have them shaved first... Just the other weekend at Buttonwillow they seemed to heat up a little at the end of a 20min session. Most likely from all the tire squirm...


Enjoy...

 

Picked up my set last weekend as well. Huge PITA to get a hold of...but hopefully it'll be worth it. For the price...i'm sure it will be

 

Where did you get those tires. I searched for a dealer last year and couldn't find anyone that sells them.

 

Try These Sites: I got mine from Tire Savings.com because they had them in stock. City Tire usually has more stock.
Try City Tire Online
http://www.citytireonline.com/

Tire Savings.com
www.tiresavings.com

FR Sport.com
www.frsport.com

 

Hey O town, where did you get 20+ tires? Do you have a better source since you have tested them since the beginning? Got any idea where to get the hard to find 285 30 18 size tires? Any info will help us.

 

Dan at Professional Awesome Racing had this to say about the tires. He was the 2010 RTA Street AWD Champ. He ran with Hankook RS3's last year.

Matt Dennison has had good luck with these tires. I have been dying to drive on a set as I hear they are grip monsters... no luck yet.

Dan
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2001 Mitsubishi Evolution VII
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Redline Time Attack Autobahn Country Club 2010 Street Tire Lap Record!
Redline Time Attack Auto Club Speedway 2010 Street Tire Lap Record!
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Did you get any proof that it was the tires and not your suspension/rims that were the issue. I've only heard good things about Federal SS595 other than the fact they don't perform the best under wet surfaces.

How much more are the RS-R over the SS?

 

No need to get into an arguement over a bad experience. It won't make him come back anyway. Like I said before it is a sensitive choice and a very subjective process. Different rims act differently on tires so that could have something to do with it. The Nitto 555 has very soft sidewalls and drive differently when it seats on different types of rim lips.

Cost?

They are not significantly more maybe 15% more. Depends on sizes. The 17" sizes are cheap. Once you go 18's it bumps up considerably. They won't last as long as the SS. Go to one of the sites above to get the comparison.