So Ive been rocking the Federal 595 RS-Pro on my 15x7 Kosei wheels for a just over a year now. Seen a few trackcrosses, many autoXs and probably 3000~miles give or take. I leave them on all season and often take few hundred mile weekend jaunts. For what they are...I liked them alot.
The car is a 96 Tercel with a low pressure turbo with Fortune Auto coilovers, Whilteline RSB, and some bracing and other goodies, I run the car in XS-B.
Got the Feds from Phils for like 450~ shipped. They drove well had really good grip and once I learned their nuances.. I was pretty fast on them. Initially they were nearly silent...but the last month or so they grew loud. Only really an issue with the windows up...like the long drive home from the track with the AC set on meat locker.
Last event or 2 the tires just seemed off. I had to water them down between runs and while still 1st in class, just.
So I popped onto the old interwebs and was browsing tires. The Feds went up in price surprisingly. Checked on the Falkens and they were cheaper and being on TireRack...I get them next day. Since I was left unsupervised with a credit card I ordered a set. Same size, 205/50-15. With a plan to put them on a spare set of Enkeis that were gifted to me.
After mounting them today...3 out 4 seated at 65-70psi. The last one took 105-110...yeesh (and yes I even knocked it back down and relubed it). I mounted them on the car and went for a first heat cycle/scrub in drive.
Holy eff do these drive very different but in a good way. The on center feel was completely different and direct while slaloming down the road felt so amazing. They made the car feel 500lbs lighter vs the Feds. Everything just felt better, the steering felt boosted. Went thru some mild back road twisties and absolutely no drama.
The biggest ?? Is how are they going to wear for me. I see others having mixed results. My Feds surprisingly look barely used given what they all have done.
I have no experience on Yokos or BFGs other then passengering in much better cars.
Good stuff. I have my eye on the RT660s for the Probe, if I end up using it for autocross like I plan.
Cactus
HalfDork
8/4/21 6:49 p.m.
Holy E36 M3, I'd never use that kind of pressure to seat a tire. At least not one I'd stand anywhere near. I'm glad you suffered no ill effects.
I've not heard that many good things about Federals.
Cactus said:
Holy E36 M3, I'd never use that kind of pressure to seat a tire. At least not one I'd stand anywhere near. I'm glad you suffered no ill effects.
I've not heard that many good things about Federals.
After 75psi I had the young shop hand take over...he doesnt have kids lol
I haven't been a fan of the Federals I've run before. The rt660 is a damn good tire for the price but the rt615k+ in your size is a better wearing tire and also fairly grippy. Not top of the heap, but still damn good I think. Can't go wrong with either though.
Cactus said:
Holy E36 M3, I'd never use that kind of pressure to seat a tire. At least not one I'd stand anywhere near. I'm glad you suffered no ill effects.
My Dmacks were not seating at 140psi.
I sanded the beads more rounded, and they seated at 100ish...
After a couple hundred miles street and 1 autoX event
In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
I think I was judging by the wear. I was at 33 front, 32 rear for the last 2 runs. Next week Ill start lower. I rotated the tires for next week as well.
I've read, noted not first hand experience, so take with a giant grain of salt, that 660s are happy in the 26-28psi range.
captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:
I've read, noted not first hand experience, so take with a giant grain of salt, that 660s are happy in the 26-28psi range.
I saw that in a few places as well and thats even on heavier cars.
Were you at the Philly SCCA autocross at Ripken Stadium Sunday? If that was you, I just have to let you know how much your car made me smile. Made me miss my old Hyundai (which was a similar build and really made similar sounds).
I brought my other car to Ripken this time:
In reply to Gimp (Forum Supporter) :
Yessir that was me. A modified Accent...thats definetely something in my lane, do you happen to know Andy? He used to have a few, now he has a fleet of Celicas.
Your Camaro is soo cool. I didnt get a moment to check it out closely.
malibuguy said:
In reply to Gimp (Forum Supporter) :
Yessir that was me. A modified Accent...thats definetely something in my lane, do you happen to know Andy? He used to have a few, now he has a fleet of Celicas.
Your Camaro is soo cool. I didnt get a moment to check it out closely.
Andy is one of my best buddies. I sold him the silver Accent in that video.
Duke
MegaDork
8/11/21 12:03 p.m.
In reply to Gimp and malibuguy :
If you folks were at Ripken last Sunday, next time come down for one of our BMC events there. We run on Saturdays and were there on the 7th.
Next one is Saturday, 11 September. We'd love to see you there and get a chance to meet more GRMers.
In reply to malibuguy :
overinflation, most likely. Here's a tire that had 35-38PSI, right side, left cussed course.
I spent the money for the Falkens this year and I'm pretty meh about them. Grip is good and it took some trys to find pressure that worked. 40psi hot for me (heavier car, 285/30/18). Then 3-1/2 weekends in they just delaminated big time (with at least 50 percent tread left). I'm not the only one either. Guys running them on Honda Fits and Miatas are having delamination problems too...in the center. Mine was outside edge and a Civic tore a set up in the same way. The general consensus from the more serious racers than me is 2 weekends then sell them as take offs because weekend 3 they'll be on the way out. Typically significantly higher pressures have been better too.
I'm not knocking the tire as it is fast and surprisingly consistent even when it gets real slick. But in my case I find the addition of $600 in tires to every weekends expenses to be ridiculous. Based on the tread depth wear a full season should be doable but my experience and others is a dead tire long before the tread gets worn out.
I had a center delam issue on my 99 Miata ES car running 28psi. 3 autocrosses (one of them raining) and I got this. Not pleased.
rt-615k+'s for me. The 660 is nice but I wanted the longer wear.
In reply to DaveEstey :
Considering what the bit of outer edge peeking out in the photo looks like, I'd guess that's from overdriving the front end and/or letting them get way too hot.
In reply to dps214 :
Heat seems to be the issue. The 660 is a great auto X tire as it has grip from ambient and doing auto X rounds give plenty of cool down. By comparison to say an RE71R the 660 is prone to hot brake lockup where the RE locks up cold. Doing Time Attack sessions with the 660 they're good for 3 laps...out and 2 fliers, after that they get slick and just start wearing fast...like huge marbles/tire chunks fast. Fist fulls a weekend end up on the splitter.
this feedback is great, and is also why I mounted these on different wheels JIC I have similar issues. The Federals are starting to look better to me now as just well look at mine after all they went thru and still look flawless.
Key to getting the msot life out of RT660 is to not overdrive them on the front, but getting a REALLY good heat cycle in them is key to making that center rib delam issue not a huge issue..
the delam issue is hit and miss..
spacecadet (Forum Supporter) said:
Key to getting the msot life out of RT660 is to not overdrive them on the front, but getting a REALLY good heat cycle in them is key to making that center rib delam issue not a huge issue..
the delam issue is hit and miss..
I did 2 35-40mi spirited driving sessions in the very beginning. Came home and jacked the car up off the ground. Next day same thing but I rotated the tires. After that it was autoX...some 60miles away.
When I got home i rotated the tires again for this up coming autoX
I have 33 HC's on my RT660's with tread remaining. I don't drive through understeer by feeding in more steering. The center rib has been fine and the wear has been exceptionally minimal. As the recent GRM article stated, a well seasoned RT660 is still a fast tire.
I have started seeing the outside shoulder delaminate, with no cords showing. I fully attribute it to me overdriving the tire as I knew their pace was slowing down after so many heat cycles. It is such a fun and predictable tire that I started letting the tail loose around 28 HC's as I had no more care for their longevity.
