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Feedback on Hankook 21s?

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ckessel

Active Member
Jan 15, 2011
4,455
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I'm getting close to due to for a new set of tires. I know at least a few folks here have gotten the Hankooks and I'm looking for feedback on if it was worth it.

How is the ride? Traction? Road noise?

The Tesla Service Center cautioned against non-Tesla approved tires as they've had a couple folks come in with new tires that were having issues. Some Toyo's and some other brand. Problems with traction and road noise.
 
We have he Hankooks on rear after nail in sidewall of original tires. So far zero issues. Great traction, road noise is no change to me. Ride is the same. I will be sticking to hankooks for all tires. Have had them on our 911 for years and they work great.
I've noticed some people tend to make up things regarding hankooks, toyo's etc... Just because of the price. They feel only buying very expensive tires are the answer. If you don't pay as much for marketing your tires you can offer a cheaper priced tire, and that is what hankook and others do.
If you'll notice in consumers reports tire reviews, as well as many others, the hankooks are usually towards the top for a reason.
 
I'm happy with my Hankooks (V12). I have 21" 245 front, 285 rear. Performance is great and I would say exceeds that of the Conti DWs they replaced (stickier and less given to collapse in hard cornering under heavy acceleration -- not sure how much of that is due to the new stagger setup I have). These tires are pure summer whereas the DWs are designed for a bit more flexibility than that. However, I have not seen any loss in wet conditions (even though it doesn't get wet that often here in the bay area).

Road noise seems very similar to the DWs which are better than the Michelin PS2s in that department so pretty happy there.

It is a little difficult to compare mileage as temps dropped substantially a few days after I had these installed. In just a few comparable drives I saw no noticeable penalty though (again compared to the DWs).

These tires are definitely not as sticky as PS2s or PSSs but it is a pretty good trade off. The value is pretty excellent if you ask me. In the end I may go to PSS tires if the right size comes out or even PS2s but that will be primarily to see how much performance upside there is at the extreme end of things. I have a pretty easy commute in a very temperate area with an SUV as backup for any cases where I need snow/ice/wet tolerance. I would certainly not be sad if I stuck with the Hankooks next time I replace this set.
 
I'm happy with my Hankooks (V12). I have 21" 245 front, 285 rear. Performance is great and I would say exceeds that of the Conti DWs they replaced (stickier and less given to collapse in hard cornering under heavy acceleration -- not sure how much of that is due to the new stagger setup I have). These tires are pure summer whereas the DWs are designed for a bit more flexibility than that. However, I have not seen any loss in wet conditions (even though it doesn't get wet that often here in the bay area).

Road noise seems very similar to the DWs which are better than the Michelin PS2s in that department so pretty happy there.

It is a little difficult to compare mileage as temps dropped substantially a few days after I had these installed. In just a few comparable drives I saw no noticeable penalty though (again compared to the DWs).

These tires are definitely not as sticky as PS2s or PSSs but it is a pretty good trade off. The value is pretty excellent if you ask me. In the end I may go to PSS tires if the right size comes out or even PS2s but that will be primarily to see how much performance upside there is at the extreme end of things. I have a pretty easy commute in a very temperate area with an SUV as backup for any cases where I need snow/ice/wet tolerance. I would certainly not be sad if I stuck with the Hankooks next time I replace this set.

I should also add that I get mild rubbing on the front tires when turning hard while backing up (only in one direction of turning). It never rubs going forward. I am assuming this is primarily due to the fact that I went with front wheels that have a 25mm offset instead of the stock 35mm (also have 9" wide rims rather than stock 8.5"). It doesn't bother me and I like the look of tires being a little further outward in the wheel well but if this worries you, make sure you go with stock offset on the front (35mm). I don't really consider this a tire issue but wanted to make sure I included the info.

By the way, I used America's Tire in Santa Clara, CA for the tires, rims and install. I purchased the TPMS from Tesla and dropped them off because I wanted my original 21" rim/tire package to stay ready so I would have the original factory config available. I was pretty happy with America's Tire both in service quality and price.
 
Chris, I got mine about 5 weeks ago. Rear set, as I picked up a nail too (unrepairable), price is great, but the traction is not as good... at least in cold weather and wet streets now. Even so, I'm fairly certain the Conti's do better than the Hankooks. Maybe they'll fair better in the Summer.

If anyone pushes them to the edge, and knows though, it's Zextra.
 
^^^
staggered makes a HUGE difference!

I also think the v12s hunt more on brushed concrete freeways but mine were new when I was last on a freeway like that. (vs the contis)
maybe someone else can comment on that part?

I have not experienced that with the Hankooks. Again, I am comparing with stock Conti DWs. My Z06 used to hunt really bad on grooved concrete both with the Goodyear F1s and with Michelin PS Cups and PS2s. Maybe that caused me to be immune to more minor forms of hunting.

Agree that stagger makes a huge difference. Can't compare with original DWs since they don't come in the right sizes for that. DWs are a surprisingly good overall compromise of stickiness for such a flexible tire, reasonable noise, reasonable rolling resistance. To me they also feel softer (more compliant) than the Hankooks or than other performance tires I have had in the past (this is good for comfort but comes with a little handling penalty). I would probably just keep them if I were sticking with the original 21" wheels knowing what I know now.

That said, I would never go back the 245s on the rear now that I have experienced 285s. That is the single biggest performance enhancement available because it fixes the most objectionable performance issue with my early P85 which is the complete shutdown of power during hard acceleration out of a corner. Completely destroyed the fun.

And the aesthetic improvement is also pronounced. The 245s on the back don't look nearly as bad when the car is stationary. You need to check it out driving behind a MS (which I do everyday here in the bay area) to realize how lame it looks. But I digress...
 
thanks.. I only really noticed the grooved concrete on 280 near the Stanford area and south SF area but that was a while ago.

Hankooks are definitely more slippery than I remember the continentals being but I kind of like being able to kind of drift the car around things when you get the rear to slide out a little but this is at 25-40 mph. coming out of a corner there is no way you can punch it until you are ~40 mph and going fairly straight (in a P)

I think they wear better. Need to rotate my tires and look soon, I have started driving more aggressively again due to the several trips I have taken and been left without my car for a week at a time. so painful to be away from her
 
thanks.. I only really noticed the grooved concrete on 280 near the Stanford area and south SF area but that was a while ago.

Hankooks are definitely more slippery than I remember the continentals being but I kind of like being able to kind of drift the car around things when you get the rear to slide out a little but this is at 25-40 mph. coming out of a corner there is no way you can punch it until you are ~40 mph and going fairly straight (in a P)

I think they wear better. Need to rotate my tires and look soon, I have started driving more aggressively again due to the several trips I have taken and been left without my car for a week at a time. so painful to be away from her

:) even more fun to drive with a stagger setup!

As far as the spin vs no spin under hard acceleration I experience the same as you but I am not sure if that means the DWs have more grip as I feel a lot more acceleration with the Hankooks. I think the lack of grip in the DWs was causing them to break away so quickly that the traction control and/or stability control essentially squelched all power. I think (this is just my theory so take it with a grain of salt) that the Hankooks are showing higher grip and are behaving much more linearly at the grip extremes and thus allowing the acceleration to build further before counter measures are engaged. This way they deliver just the right amount of slip in those conditions and certainly more than the DWs did.
 
Sorry guys but I think all what you write regarding the (good) grip of Hankooks is completely wrong. THEY ARE TERRIBLE, I WILL NEVER GET THEM AGAIN. I replaced my contis as I had terrible wear (which today I know was all due to total misaligment with more than -1 toe out) and wanted to try the cheapest alternative. I get wheel spin at 35 mph !! Basically I cannot at any place floor it from zero, it's just tracktion control kicking in up to 35 mph. So a P with the hankooks is basically useless ! I did not have that issue with the contis, I will get them again.

Wear though is MUCH MUCH better on the Hankooks, I would say you get double the mileage. This all makes sense, softer tires= better grip but worse wear.

gimp_dad, do the 285 completey prevent wheel spin ? I love the turbine wheels and do not really want to change them, but on the other side I want to have the full benefits of a P and not wait until 35 mph to floor it ! Is there a photo posted somewhere of your car ? How much are the 285 hankooks ?
 
Just putting in my $0.02 - I got the Hankooks about a month and a half ago and have had a great experience with them. I really feel that they are quieter/smoother, but I do not drive as aggressively as most, so I cannot provide deeper handling characteristics. For usual daily driving (for which I use my MS) they have been an incredible bargain - particularly for those who almost bought the 19s out of concern for tire costs.
 
Sorry guys but I think all what you write regarding the (good) grip of Hankooks is completely wrong. THEY ARE TERRIBLE, I WILL NEVER GET THEM AGAIN. I replaced my contis as I had terrible wear (which today I know was all due to total misaligment with more than -1 toe out) and wanted to try the cheapest alternative. I get wheel spin at 35 mph !! Basically I cannot at any place floor it from zero, it's just tracktion control kicking in up to 35 mph. So a P with the hankooks is basically useless ! I did not have that issue with the contis, I will get them again.

Wear though is MUCH MUCH better on the Hankooks, I would say you get double the mileage. This all makes sense, softer tires= better grip but worse wear.

gimp_dad, do the 285 completey prevent wheel spin ? I love the turbine wheels and do not really want to change them, but on the other side I want to have the full benefits of a P and not wait until 35 mph to floor it ! Is there a photo posted somewhere of your car ? How much are the 285 hankooks ?

I don't have any of the issues you describe with the hankooks on a P85. And before had occasional wheel spin with the contis. And never have had with hankooks. So obviously each car is different. Should I write the Conti's are terrible as well??