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30 Day Firestone Indy 500 Review.

Litespeedgti

Ready to race!
Location
Little Rock,Arkansas
Car(s)
2019 GTI S DSG
Great review

22 May 2017:
1100 Miles in and I"m faced with a decision. To keep or not to keep. I have had no drivability issues at all. No performance worries through dry or rain slicked roads. There must be an issue down the line but I can not find it in the miles I have driven and the performance I demand on my daily drive. I now realize that the top tier tire that I almost paid for would have been a waist of some very hard earned dollars. Everything in my day-to-day drive is handled superbly by these tires. Even the 5% when there is an open twisty road with no traffic they can handle everything I can throw at them. Just for reference, I can out drive the DS06's ability with ease. I am going to be taking a small trip, 500mi or so, and will report back on the drive. It will be mostly interstate so I don't foresee any issues.

I also live in Little Rock Arkansas and will consider these for my GTI.Is there a more specific name/model other than Firestone Indy 500? Thanks
 

lostru

Ready to race!
Location
Central Arkansas
I would say they are more quite than the Continental S06. The lack of the block tread design through out the primary contact patch is the only thing I know that would be making them so quiet. Now I can see where linear etched concrete interstate may make them sing a little but all tires will on that surface. I have battled noisy tires after a few thousand miles by rotating the tire in the cross pattern. Its a fight at some places to get them to change from the front to back and back to front method. Its has always worked for me with noise after some wear.

This is the exact naming convention that is used for the tire. I purchased them at the Airbase Firestone. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireModel=Firehawk+Indy+500&tireMake=Firestone Hope to see you around lightspeedgti.
 

Rcode

Go Kart Champion
Location
LINY
These are out of stock at tire rack for 3-4 months. I also can't find them at any Firestone in my area. Hopefully my summers can make it through the season and I'll be running these next year. Thanks for the review.
 

GLoBaLReBeL

Ready to race!
Location
South Bend, IN
I'll be taking my GTI out this weekend for Last Sunday and will report back. So far, my opinion of these tires is right in line with the OP's. Road noise decreased over stock A/S dramatically and the one neg I have is the rim coverage. I wish it had a bit more of a lip to protect the rim from curbs but its something I can live with for 1/2 the cost of the PSS's.
 

Litespeedgti

Ready to race!
Location
Little Rock,Arkansas
Car(s)
2019 GTI S DSG
I would say they are more quite than the Continental S06. The lack of the block tread design through out the primary contact patch is the only thing I know that would be making them so quiet. Now I can see where linear etched concrete interstate may make them sing a little but all tires will on that surface. I have battled noisy tires after a few thousand miles by rotating the tire in the cross pattern. Its a fight at some places to get them to change from the front to back and back to front method. Its has always worked for me with noise after some wear.

This is the exact naming convention that is used for the tire. I purchased them at the Airbase Firestone. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireModel=Firehawk+Indy+500&tireMake=Firestone Hope to see you around lightspeedgti.


Ok, thank you.Will consider at tire time!
 

kaferboy1

New member
Location
Central Arkansas
Nice to see some Arkansas guys here. I live in the Little Rock area as well. I have used some of these tires in the past and have been pretty happy with them. I'm currently running DWS06s but was looking at a set of 18" Indy 500s for autoX and summer use on my extra set of wheels. I figure the all seasons would get torn to shreds. Anyway, maybe I'll run into you guys around town sometime.


Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
 

lostru

Ready to race!
Location
Central Arkansas
1 June 2017:
Well it is about the last day I could return these tires. Firestone cannot have them back. They will be staying on the car even though I have the money to get the PSS. I cannot justify the extra cost when my day to day driving does not warrant it nor does my driving skill. Are they good? Yes they are. Are they the best out there? No they are not but they are damn good. So good in fact that they are doing more than the cost of the tire. Wet roads, they handle everything above and beyond common sense dictates. Dry roads, handling is way past the price of the tickets I am willing to pay. They are, at the price point that they are at, the best performance tire for the dollar. Hands down. If they wear out at 22K then I will replace them with another set for the price the PSS warranty would cost me in the end anyway. Its a win guys. A really well balanced win.
 

M3bs1

Go Kart Champion
Location
North Augusta SC
Taking mine to the track this weekend for a real test. Unfortunately they are only 225's. Hopefully I'll be able to hang with the P-cars. If they do well, I'll definitely be up for another set. In 235, though.
 

lostru

Ready to race!
Location
Central Arkansas
Taking mine to the track this weekend for a real test. Unfortunately they are only 225's. Hopefully I'll be able to hang with the P-cars. If they do well, I'll definitely be up for another set. In 235, though.

Let us know how they do. I'm really interested on how they do on a controlled course.
 

GLoBaLReBeL

Ready to race!
Location
South Bend, IN
Took them out canyon carving and while they were much better than A/S, they left a bit to be desired. I do think the shop put to much air in them tho, and after a few minutes, the PSI probably got up there and was causing them to be a little les grippy than they could be. I would think running these in the 33 - 35 psi range would be ideal (at operating temp) and I think mine are at 37 cold so probably even higher up there at 38 - 40 hot which would explain it. Next time I roll out, I'll bring the tire pressure gauge and see what they are and lower them to get a better idea.

Still, for $105 a tire. . . its hard to beat. I went 235 on a 8" Rs10e. I would like a bit more of a lip for curb protection so I might go 245 next time, but as it stands I'm with the OP yet again. These are staying on the car and will be my goto for this rim and tire setup in the future.
 

M3bs1

Go Kart Champion
Location
North Augusta SC
Let us know how they do. I'm really interested on how they do on a controlled course.


Will do. Loaded up and ready. They do look kind of small.

 

M3bs1

Go Kart Champion
Location
North Augusta SC
I have to say I'm impressed. I put on about 160 miles at Roebling Road this weekend and the tires did great. The solid outer rib resists chunking, and the overall grip level was surprising. If you are familiar with the track, you know it is extremely hard on LF tires. I rotated them front to back (side to side would have been better) halfway through, and at the end the LF was looking a bit rough. I was deliberately overdriving the tires, trying to learn what the car could do, and how best to put the 4wd to use. Very little noise, unlike the OEM Contis that squealed like pigs on the track.

https://youtu.be/SQEj2TIRYnc
 
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lostru

Ready to race!
Location
Central Arkansas
I have to say I'm impressed. I put on about 160 miles at Roebling Road this weekend and the tires did great. The solid outer rib resists chunking, and the overall grip level was surprising. If you are familiar with the track, you know it is extremely hard on LF tires. I rotated them front to back (side to side would have been better) halfway through, and at the end the LF was looking a bit rough. I was deliberately overdriving the tires, trying to learn what the car could do, and how best to put the 4wd to use. Very little noise, unlike the OEM Contis that squealed like pigs on the track.

https://youtu.be/SQEj2TIRYnc

Great to hear. What pressures did you settle in on in the end? Looks like they will do way more than a normal commute with a few good corners will dish out.
 

M3bs1

Go Kart Champion
Location
North Augusta SC
Great to hear. What pressures did you settle in on in the end? Looks like they will do way more than a normal commute with a few good corners will dish out.

I started at 40/38 cold, never checked them again since they felt fine and seemed to be wearing as well as could be expected. Additional camber would certainly help both grip and tire wear.

This was the worst of the bunch. Another session or two and it would have started coming apart on the edge. Sorry about the huge photos.





For comparison, this was a stock Conti after one track day (different track)

 
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