Michelin PS2/PSS VS Nitto Invo!

[costanZo]

So my car is being picked up today in Massachusetts and being delivered out to Todd at A&C Performance over in California for an insane tune and a bunch of goodies to be installed.

My current tires are the following:
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, 295/30/ZR19
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, 335/30/ZR20

I was told these have been discontinued because of the newer Michelin Pilot Super Sports. However, I'm not fully sure I need to drop roughly $2200-$2400 on a complete set of new tires anyway since mine are only about 3 years old, and logically should last at least another 3 years or so. My main concern is the passenger side front tire has a puncture/hole on the inner side as you can see in the picture below.

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This picture was taken last March in 2011 at a local performance shop while I was having my KW2's installed. They told me the tire was fine to drive on temporarily, but I should really have it replaced within a month or two. Well, I'm still driving on it lol, but because of this I don't drive the car hard, I've been babying it. This tire with the hole I actually bought for $100 online when the one before it blew out. I believe the TPMS Unit on the valve stem got pushed back into the tire while driving causing my last tire to lose air and go flat, so I had to replace it quick and bought this one online cheap with decent tread. I did not know there was a hole until the performance shop told me while installing my suspension, and I actually purchased the tire and had it put on my car 5 months before the suspension was installed.

So basically, what I'm getting at is, I really want a new tire for my passenger side, but I'm not sure if the other 3 tires really need to be replaced. Is there anyway to get a used PS2, 295/30/ZR19, or if I'm replacing one of the front tires, is it best to replace both front tires with roughly the same tread at the same time and leave the rears alone for now?

Also, if I were to replace all four tires, considering how much the newer Michelin Pilot Super Sports go for, am I better off just buying a new set of Nitto Invo's? I heard they were pretty much half the cost of the PSS and a very good tire. Is that true?

My car is a street car only. I doubt I'd ever take it to a track, but I def like to have fun with it around town and on the highway when I can lol. My suspension was also tested at the lowest ride height without rubbing for my current tire sizes with 30 sidewalls. I noticed the Nitto Invo side walls aren't the same as my PS2s... Would this cause issues with my ride height if I were to have a 25 sidewall? I've been looking at comparable tire sizes for Nitto Invo, and unless I'm incorrect I think the most comparable sizes to my current setup are: 285/30ZR19 98W front and 345/25ZR20 100Y rear.

For the newer Michelin Pilot Super Sports I could get the same setup or larger rears:
Michelin PSS, 295/30R19
Michelin PSS, 335/30R20
or
Michelin PSS, 345/30R20

Any information would be greatly appreciated... thanks!

 

[uvbnbit]

Worse case would be purchase a new one while you can. PS2 in that size still avail. (if you want to drop 5 bills on one). Def best to replace in pairs if possible. Newer tread up front will encourage oversteer in sudden lane changes, etc. Driving conservative you shouldn't have a problem.
.02

 

[Stonep185]

”I think the most comparable sizes to my current setup are: 285/30ZR19 98W front and 345/25ZR20 100Y rear.”

These are the exact size and brand of Nittos that I run on my '96 GTS. They have worked well for me on the street and some track time. At times the 540 ft. lbs of torque are too much for them to handle lol I honestly haven't had any other tires on the car so I can't give a comparison, but I will say that I will not hesitate to put another set of Invos on when the time comes.

 

[costanZo]

Worse case would be purchase a new one while you can. PS2 in that size still avail. (if you want to drop 5 bills on one). Def best to replace in pairs if possible. Newer tread up front will encourage oversteer in sudden lane changes, etc. Driving conservative you shouldn't have a problem.
.02

Thanks, I was thinking the same thing by replacing both fronts at once instead of just the passenger side. However, I'd prefer buying used ones with decent tread to somewhat compare to the rear tires, and of course to also save some cash.

”I think the most comparable sizes to my current setup are: 285/30ZR19 98W front and 345/25ZR20 100Y rear.”

These are the exact size and brand of Nittos that I run on my '96 GTS. They have worked well for me on the street and some track time. At times the 540 ft. lbs of torque are too much for them to handle lol I honestly haven't had any other tires on the car so I can't give a comparison, but I will say that I will not hesitate to put another set of Invos on when the time comes.

That's good to know. I guess if I was gonna replace all four I might consider these Nittos as well considering the money I'd save. I'm glad to hear you like them though! What kind of mods are on your car now while running the tires? Also, how long have the tires been on your car for?

 

[Viper Parts of America]

A full set of new Super Sports would run less than $2K delivered from some vendors, while the Nitto Invo with slightly different sizes (as noted above) would be about $370 less. Both are an excellent tire, with the Super Sport reputed to be much better on a road course due to stiffer sidewalls. The softer sidewalls on the Invo make for great straight-line launches and a softer ride, but tend to roll a bit on hard corners which can be a bit disconcerting for some. Good luck in your search!

 

[Stonep185]

Costanzo my mods are minimal: k&n filters in stock air box, smooth tubes, high flow cats, straight pipes out the back, muffler deletes. 440rwhp and 485rwtq. I have traction problems at times but honestly who doesn't? Haha the tires have been on the car for about 3 yrs.

 

[Paul Hawker]

You should check with Todd first. He is really well connected in the tire world, and could most likely be able to come up with a new Michelin, or even source a used Pilot Sport with similar miles to your others.

This way your car would be all set to go when it is returned to you from A&C : >)

 

[costanZo]

Thanks Paul,

I spoke with Todd last week in regards to my car and he said both front tires weren't that good, and there was a nail in one of the rears. So he mentioned I should just replace all four. So I guess that's the route I have to take now..