edit Burninout101 (edited 02-01-2000).]

 

Justen,

The F1 may not be the "best" tire out there but it's pretty good. Besides, you only have 2 choices, the F1 or the BFG Comp TA in the correct size. Sure, there are other tires that are close but they come with their own set of problems such as fender clearance, spec rim width and rotations per mile. Only you can decide if the trade offs are worth it.

Back to the original question, I asked that very same question of an SVE engineer who has access to and has tested both tires and he said he liked the F1's. He also said it was almost too close to call so if I had a thing for the Comps then go for it.

A little background. The Comp was the spec tire when the Lightning was slated for '98 release. When the truck was delayed, Roush (the actual employer of the SVE engineers, it's an outsourcing thing) used the Comp on their F-150. Goodyear entered the picture late in the production cycle and was chosen as the OEM tire over the Comp, probably a bean counter thing.

I went for the F1s due to supply and price. The Comps were back ordered and cost $30 more per tire. I may try the Comps the next time just for grins. When that will be depends on my right foot.

------------------
Mark Whatman
mwhatman@worldnet.att.net

• 99.5 White Lightning (PSP Filter & Chip)
• 99 Buell S3 Thunderbolt (not stock!)
• 98 F-150 Lariat (Flowmaster)
• 96 26' Velocity Offshore Race Boat (far from stock!!!)

 

I cannot find this size in the BFG Comp TA (295/45 ZR). I must be looking in thw wrong place. What about the Potenza from firestone will they fit?

Terry

 

edit

 

I put on Bridgestone Potenza pole positions. They are slightly lower profile (295/35 vs 295/45) but are quite frankly the BEST tires I have ever owned. Also, they are truly amazing in wet weather so if you encounter that frequently its another bonus.

 

The last 5 vehicles I bought came with Goodyears so they must be good but I can't get any mileage out of them. (Could be my driving habits.) I replaced all but one of them with the Comp T/A ZR's. My wife complained they made her A4 ride too hard over bumps and since I get twice the mileage from them, they must be harder than the F1's. But, I love them and since they perform every bit as well as the F1's, I'm thinking the goodyears must be softer than they need to be. The Tire Rack lists the 295/45ZR-18 for $291. Backorders are common!

 

This is sort of a double post, since I asked the same questions on another thread, but in case you didn't read me there, I am wondering what you tire experts would recommend for towing a boat, around the 5500 lb. range? Somebody said that the OEM tires have thin sidewalls, which doesn't sound very safe for towing. How do you think the Potenzas would work? Nathan says they are 2" smaller, so wouldn't that lower the ride hight by an inch as well as lower the effective rear axle ratio? Anyone know what the effective ratio would become? Not being an engineer I'm not sure how to figure that out, but I did a guestimate and came up with an effective axle ratio of 3.78.

[This message has been edited by alphadoggy (edited 02-03-2000).]

 

Frankly, I don't know which is the best tire for a Lightning, but as you may have read on my post of yesterday about my flat, I now know how much the OE tire costs (Ouch), and no Road Hazard help either.

As a throwaway story, I now have the 16 inch spare on the right rear and it measures about 1/4 inch taller than the OE. So, I figure it's close enough to drive the Bolt "normally".

What an absolute gas!!!! That sombitch lights up like a flamethrower and it makes noise like you wouldn't believe. Mine will light the stock tires up and smoke and all that, but virtually no noise is present, just a loud hissing sound. The 16 incher screams and reminds me of my youth.

Like I said, a throwaway story.

Bill

 

you might also check out this thread:
https://www.f150online.com/f150board...ML/001513.html

 

I have the TA's on my truck and they seem really great. Discount Tire can order them down here in DFW.

------------------
Mumbly also known as Buck
Carrollton Texas (DFW), Member of Fordified.
Black 1999 Stage 3 Roush F-150 Super Cab Flairside
Here are all the goodies: Kenne Bell Supercharger, Roush Suspension, 18"x 9.5 Chrome Wheels, B. F. Goodrich Z295/45, Full Ground Effects, Roush Leather Signatured Interior (Front and Back), Flowmaster with Side Exit Infront of the Wheel, Embroidered Floor Mats, F1 Cobra Hood, ******* Hard Tonneau, Bedrug, Slide Window, and lots of other little odds and ends

Work rhigh@nortelnetworks.com
Anytime mumbly_f150@yahoo.com




[This message has been edited by Mumbly (edited 02-04-2000).]

 

My calculator shows an effective gear ratio of 3.86 with the change to 295/35R18 tires. Seems like a fairly cost effective way to get better acceleration if in fact the Pontenzas can hold the power.

------------------
2000 Red Lightning on Order - All Options
'99 Yukon Denali - Silver, Lowered 1", Borbet CW4's, 285/60R18 Toyo Proxes S/T's, Hotchkis AntiSways, Edelbrock Shocks
1998 Red Trans Am (not Ram Air) 6 Speed
2000 Red Trans Am Ram Air / WS6, 6 Speed On Order

 

Thanks for the computation, WHAT04. it seems that this is only part of the upside for switching to Potenzas. Am I right that the ride hight is also reduced by half the difference in tire diameters? This should help the handling, too. But my main concern is about towing. Would the Potenzas be better tires for towing a 5500 lb. load that the OEM's? And if so, what do you do with the OEM's? I can't see putting a $1200 set of tires on the curb for the recycler to pick up?

 

Hey alphadoggy, the Goodyears have an overall diameter of 28.45" versus 26.13 for the Potenzas. Therefore ride height is reduced by 1.16" (or you could just round that to 1").

I was looking at Tire Rack to see if they give any sort of load rating for there listed tires. Couldn't find any info. However, was reading customer comments about the Potenzas. One Porsche owner was very pleased because he had 1/3 tread left after 8000 miles. Yikes!?!

My best guess is that you probably are not going to find a superior performance tire that is good for towing 5000 lbs. Just my humble opinion.

By the way, there were not any customer comments on the Goodyear F1's. Hmmmmmmm!

 

Potenzas after 12000 miles ... and I still love that tread pattern...

 

Nathan,

Did you get your speedo adjusted for the different tire size?

Daniel