RT-S Front tires

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Will this fit the 2015 spyder rt limited. Does the fenders have enough height and width for theses tires?

Thanks, Lois

PM sent ..... Mike

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

That link you referred to - https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...T5XL&tab=Sizes

is for a Quatrac 5 sized 185/65R15 tire!! I don't know of anyone who's managed to fit a 185/65R15 onto their Spyder without doing mods to the fenders &/or support brackets. The biggest I personally could fit on my 2013 RT Ltd with the same fenders as most of the 2015 RT Ltd's was a 175/60R15, and even then, I had to gently prise up the fenders to actually fit/mount the wheels onto the hub (once on, they were fine!) However, when cornering hard the hex head screws that project their heads into the wheel well area just touched the new tires, so I took all the hex head screws out & replaced them with dome head screws, & no more touching!

But I think you'd be seriously 'touching' something if you tried to run the linked 185/65R15 tires, they are just too much bigger than the OE Spec tires, that are a bit on the small side of their nominal size anyway!! You could always mod the fenders tho?!?

Peter, ............. Vredestein actually makes FOUR 15ln. Front tires that will fit the Spyder ....even a 206/65-15 rear tire ..............Mike

[Jeffmal]

Peter, ............. Vredestein actually makes FOUR 15ln. Front tires that will fit the Spyder ....even a 206/65-15 rear tire ..............Mike

I’m certainly no tire expert but with the help of Mike and Peter, I forged on to investigate Vredesteins to a ridiculous level lol. The 205 for the rear is almost the same width as the stock kenda 225, similar to the Yokohama 205! In the Vredestein quatrac 5 series they offer different 165 and 175 series with the closest to stock fitment being the 175/55r15 ( this is the one I ordered for the front of my f3t but I am nervous that they still be slightly too high) I will post how they worked out once they are mounted. They also offer the sportac series which has almost the same ratings but is a “b” for wet roads as opposed to “c” for the quadtrac. These tires are harder to get for the fronts but if you search hard enough I’m sure you can get 2, the rears are available. What I like about this series is they have a 175/50r15 which is not as high and should fit under those low fenders fine. If anyone has experience with these on the f3, I would love to hear... I may be the guinea pig installing Vredesteins on all 3 wheels. Report to follow.

[UtahPete]

I’m certainly no tire expert but with the help of Mike and Peter, I forged on to investigate Vredesteins to a ridiculous level lol. The 205 for the rear is almost the same width as the stock kenda 225, similar to the Yokohama 205! In the Vredestein quatrac 5 series they offer different 165 and 175 series with the closest to stock fitment being the 175/55r15 ( this is the one I ordered for the front of my f3t but I am nervous that they still be slightly too high) I will post how they worked out once they are mounted. They also offer the sportac series which has almost the same ratings but is a “b” for wet roads as opposed to “c” for the quadtrac. These tires are harder to get for the fronts but if you search hard enough I’m sure you can get 2, the rears are available. What I like about this series is they have a 175/50r15 which is not as high and should fit under those low fenders fine. If anyone has experience with these on the f3, I would love to hear... I may be the guinea pig installing Vredesteins on all 3 wheels. Report to follow.

Let us know how it goes, will you? Thanks!

[Jeffmal]

Neither. We stock and install high quality Yokohama tires for the front. Do not care for the chinese imports.

Do you use the 175/55r15 for the front of the f3t? Not much clearance under the fender. How does it work out for you?

[Jeffmal]

Let us know how it goes, will you? Thanks!

👍 I just ordered the today so it may be a week to 10 days before I get them installed and I will report!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I’m certainly no tire expert but with the help of Mike and Peter, I forged on to investigate Vredesteins to a ridiculous level lol. The 205 for the rear is almost the same width as the stock kenda 225, similar to the Yokohama 205! In the Vredestein quatrac 5 series they offer different 165 and 175 series with the closest to stock fitment being the 175/55r15 ( this is the one I ordered for the front of my f3t but I am nervous that they still be slightly too high) I will post how they worked out once they are mounted. They also offer the sportac series which has almost the same ratings but is a “b” for wet roads as opposed to “c” for the quadtrac. These tires are harder to get for the fronts but if you search hard enough I’m sure you can get 2, the rears are available. What I like about this series is they have a 175/50r15 which is not as high and should fit under those low fenders fine. If anyone has experience with these on the f3, I would love to hear... I may be the guinea pig installing Vredesteins on all 3 wheels. Report to follow.

Since I recommended you buy the Vredestein's ..... the 175 is the width .....the height ( aspect ratio considered ) is 55 which I believe is the stock HEIGHT ( using the 165 as a width )..... 165 vs 175 = 10mm ... 5mm on one side & 5mm on the other ....10mm is less than 1/2 inch so the true gain is only going to 3/16ths ...... I'm 99.999% sure they will fit...... Remember the wheel/ tire is STATIC to the fender and brackets ....the entire assembly moves up / down together ...it never changes ..................I think you are going to be impressed with them ....keep us posted ..... Mike

[Jeffmal]

Since I recommended you buy the Vredestein's ..... the 175 is the width .....the height ( aspect ratio considered ) is 55 which I believe is the stock HEIGHT ( using the 165 as a width )..... 165 vs 175 = 10mm ... 5mm on one side & 5mm on the other ....10mm is less than 1/2 inch so you true gain is only going to 3/16ths ...... I'm 99.999% sure they will fit...... Remember the wheel/ tire is STATIC to the fender and brackets ....the entire assembly moves up / down together ...it never changes ..................I think you are going to be impressed with them ....keep us posted ..... Mike

I almost went with the 165/60r15 but they were slightly taller!

[tehrlich]

Yokohama Avid S34FA 175/55-15 Great tire for the Spyder.

Thank you James for your suggestion, and installing them for me. I'm at 10K miles on them at 25psi on the front and 28psi on the rear. Ridden in just about every type of weather except snow/ice. Almost no wear on the fronts and minor on the rear. Kendas tire are the worst. It is funny to me that everyone agrees on this, but bases their PSI recommendation from these crappy tires to their car tire replacements.

Tried my Yoko's at 15psi and they were like soft water balloons. Hated it because even turning in my driveway was laborious.

[jcthorne]

Do you use the 175/55r15 for the front of the f3t? Not much clearance under the fender. How does it work out for you?

The Yokohama 175/55-15 tires we install are a perfect fit with all 3 fender types. No clearance issues whatsoever and no modifications required. Other brands in that size will not all be the same dimensions.

[marty1096]

Good or bad on front of Spyder RT-S?
Federal 595 EVO
Federal Formoza AZ01

I can tell ya what I use: Federal Evo 595 and I love them. My opinion of them are strictly based on my useage. I would buy them again.

[Jeffmal]

The Yokohama 175/55-15 tires we install are a perfect fit with all 3 fender types. No clearance issues whatsoever and no modifications required. Other brands in that size will not all be the same dimensions.

Do you know the diameter specs on these tires?
I was just told the Vredesteins are

We can tell you that a 175/55R15 Vredestein has a new overall diameter of 573mm, which is 22.5591 inches, and a max in service diameter of 581 mm, which is 22.874 inches.


I don't know what the max in service diameter means....

[Jeffmal]

Max service diameter = if the PSI is at the max allowed pressure for that tire that will be the MAX diameter that the tire can attain ...... The Short answer to your 25 or more questions about tires is ....Jeff you are waaaaaaaaay over-thinking this ........ and the difference between 573mm and 581.. is less than 3/10 of an inch ....and since you are talking about the Diameter you divide the 3/10 by TWO .... SO IT'S MINISCULE ......... To allay ALL the rest of your Fears about the Vredesteins you bought ....if they don't fit ....I'll buy them from you at TWICE what you paid annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd I'll pay the shipping to Vermont......I don't make stuff up and then post it as FACT and I do not LIE about stuff either...... plus my BUTT never over-rules SCIENCE ..................Mike

Now that sounds like a legit offer! (but I still hope they fit...)
Thanks

[Docster]

No we don't.

People should use the "Advanced Search box" top right hand corner, below the Log Out, Settings, My Profile tabs.

I know there are new spyder/current spyder owners that join this site.


Deanna

Agreed. I joined this site before getting my Spyder then spent 4 weeks reading and searching through threads, especially "The Do's and Don'ts" where it suggested reading the Owners Manual......Twice. Many questions can be answered by "read the owners manual" but most are not. IMHO that's no different than doing the child's homework for them. They learn little.

Many here, especially newbies (BTW, I consider myself a newbie), don't bother to do a Search or bookmark important threads full of answers, finding it easier to have someone else give them the answer. Even trying to Search would teach them how to Search effectively. That's the difference between helping and enabling.......and why there's hundreds of tire and oil threads

[h0gr1der]

Does anyone actually have the specs on the OEM Kenda KR31 165/55R15 tires? I've used the advanced search function for here and the whole Internet, not a trace to be found. The Kenda website doesn't even mention the tire.
The reason I ask is I just received 2 new Vredestein 175/55R15 tires from Tire Rack, and they were very light. Almost motorcycle tire light. So I pulled out the old measuring stuff and jotted down a few numbers. These were not mounted at the time, which may make my dimensional numbers off somewhat. I'd like to compare the specs of the Vredestein to the Kenda. There is a pretty good lack of specs for the Vredestein's as well, but you can find more than the Kenda.

Vredestein 175/55R15 Specs as measured by me not installed.
Diameter (Inch) 22.4
Circumference (Inch) (Tape Measure) 70.75
Section width (Inch) 7
Tread width (contact patch) (Inch) 5.75
Weight (Lbs ± 1/4 lb) 13.25
Load Rating 77T (908lbs)
Tread 2 Ply Steel 1 Ply Polyester
Sidewall 1 Ply Polyester

There was also another sticker on the tire which had 3 symbols. Gas Pump was rated C, Tire running through rain was rated C, and Noise was 68dB. Not sure what this means as the traction is rated A right on the sidewall. Mine were made in the Netherlands 28th week of 2018. Shout out to all the folks giving us the years of actual hands on experience to make these selections easier.

[Highwayman2013]

Good or bad on front of Spyder RT-S?
Federal 595 EVO
Federal Formoza AZ01

The Formozas are great tires.

[Deanna777]

[QUOTE=Docster;1370595]Agreed. I joined this site before getting my Spyder then spent 4 weeks reading and searching through threads, especially "The Do's and Don'ts" where it suggested reading the Owners Manual......Twice. Many questions can be answered by "read the owners manual" but most are not. IMHO that's no different than doing the child's homework for them. They learn little.

Many here, especially newbies (BTW, I consider myself a newbie), don't bother to do a Search or bookmark important threads full of answers, finding it easier to have someone else give them the answer. Even trying to Search would teach them how to Search effectively. That's the difference between helping and enabling.......and why there's hundreds of tire and oil threads[/QUOT

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Does anyone actually have the specs on the OEM Kenda KR31 165/55R15 tires? I've used the advanced search function for here and the whole Internet, not a trace to be found. The Kenda website doesn't even mention the tire.
The reason I ask is I just received 2 new Vredestein 175/55R15 tires from Tire Rack, and they were very light. Almost motorcycle tire light. So I pulled out the old measuring stuff and jotted down a few numbers. These were not mounted at the time, which may make my dimensional numbers off somewhat. I'd like to compare the specs of the Vredestein to the Kenda. There is a pretty good lack of specs for the Vredestein's as well, but you can find more than the Kenda.

Vredestein 175/55R15 Specs as measured by me not installed.
Diameter (Inch) 22.4
Circumference (Inch) (Tape Measure) 70.75
Section width (Inch) 7
Tread width (contact patch) (Inch) 5.75
Weight (Lbs ± 1/4 lb) 13.25
Load Rating 77T (908lbs)
Tread 2 Ply Steel 1 Ply Polyester
Sidewall 1 Ply Polyester

There was also another sticker on the tire which had 3 symbols. Gas Pump was rated C, Tire running through rain was rated C, and Noise was 68dB. Not sure what this means as the traction is rated A right on the sidewall. Mine were made in the Netherlands 28th week of 2018. Shout out to all the folks giving us the years of actual hands on experience to make these selections easier.

You can read stuff about tires until you are blue in the face ….. What really matters is ….the Vredestein Quatrac 5 is the best tire for all Spyders … EVER MADE ,.....( at least up until now ) ….. The tires of today improve constantly …. right now theseare the best …. and the 175/55-15 is perfect for the newer RT's and F-3's ….. Use 15psi in them …. they work best with a lower tire pressure than the Kenda's ….. Mike

[h0gr1der]

Thanks for the assist Mike. I will say this about the Quatrac 5. The rubber is grippy (is that a word?), good looking tire. Almost stuck to my hand when I was carrying it. 400 treadwear, so it should last a while. The reason I plopped that information down was that I hear a lot of people talking 4 ply this and 2 ply that, but I don't actually see any specs for comparison. I did see that every 175/55R15 tire listed at Tire Rack was a 77T rating, with 908 lbs rating at 51 PSI (Vredestein max sidewall). I chose to get the 91V rated Quatrac 5 for the rear, hope it isn't too stiff. Figure the V rated stuff would be held to a better tolerance. I'd really like to know the specs off the OEM Kenda though. That information is very hard to find. I've been reading until my eyes bled.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Thanks for the assist Mike. I will say this about the Quatrac 5. The rubber is grippy (is that a word?), good looking tire. Almost stuck to my hand when I was carrying it. 400 treadwear, so it should last a while. The reason I plopped that information down was that I hear a lot of people talking 4 ply this and 2 ply that, but I don't actually see any specs for comparison. I did see that every 175/55R15 tire listed at Tire Rack was a 77T rating, with 908 lbs rating at 51 PSI (Vredestein max sidewall). I chose to get the 91V rated Quatrac 5 for the rear, hope it isn't too stiff. Figure the V rated stuff would be held to a better tolerance. I'd really like to know the specs off the OEM Kenda though. That information is very hard to find. I've been reading until my eyes bled.

Kenda tire specs/ info ??? …...….. They will bleed and you will never find about the Kenda's ……..This probably isn't necessary but 51 lb max is only used IF the weight the tire is carrying is at it's MAX ( 908lbs. ) …. and if you follow my recommendation about what psi to use ...you will be very happy.....Everyone who has tried it has been pleased ….. Mike

[ricford]

I was concerned about 'real' speed with tire size. I'm concerned because (in my Sierra) I had tires just one size larger. I was cruising the interstate at 78 mph, which is in that edgy OK you don't get a ticket envelope. I got a ticket. My speedo showed 78 but that cop's radar showed 81. Taxation by ticket. Looked on the truck door and saw the tire size difference. Started running with GPS and next tire change, got factory size tires. No more problems. IRT the 175's, that's what I run now (Contipro). But I'm thinkin of going to 155/60. I don't ryde so fast that it will matter and I don't slide around turns... Plus they fit the fender better. I've put 30 K miles on the Contipro and still no sign of wear. (rear tires changed twice. Probably should stop 'peeling out' (can you do that? n This link compares tire size with speed reading for any size tire at 100 mph/kph. https://www.tyresizecalculator.com/t...ror-calculator

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I was concerned about 'real' speed with tire size. I'm concerned because (in my Sierra) I had tires just one size larger. I was cruising the interstate at 78 mph, which is in that edgy OK you don't get a ticket envelope. I got a ticket. My speedo showed 78 but that cop's radar showed 81. Taxation by ticket. Looked on the truck door and saw the tire size difference. Started running with GPS and next tire change, got factory size tires. No more problems. IRT the 175's, that's what I run now (Contipro). But I'm thinkin of going to 155/60. I don't ryde so fast that it will matter and I don't slide around turns... Plus they fit the fender better. I've put 30 K miles on the Contipro and still no sign of wear. (rear tires changed twice. Probably should stop 'peeling out' (can you do that? n This link compares tire size with speed reading for any size tire at 100 mph/kph. https://www.tyresizecalculator.com/t...ror-calculator

The speedometer and odometer runs off the rear wheel/tire …… and if you switch to say a 215/60-15 … the difference is 2 mph & this is the true speed of the Spyder …..…. Mike