Rival S is actually proving to be faster than RE71Rs on some cars. Keep in mind I'm coming from an autox perspective. I ran both tires on an Evo last year and found that it was easier to go fast on the Rival S. They were a little more forgiving, while the RE71R made you have to drive "pinkies out"

 

I ordered a set of 285/30/18 re-71R around the 1st
Of the month. I checked on the status today and was told I would
Not have them tell the middle of June. So I ended up just ordering the
Rival S. Will be nice to see how they compare to the normal rival that I am
Replaceing.

 

From Tire Rack? I ordered on 5/6 and they showed up 5/12. Weird.

 

No from discount tire. I looked yesterday on tirerack and they show delivery 6/12.

What size did you order

 

285/30. My second set already.

 

Must just me my ****ty luck.

 

If you go through a rep it's sometimes easier to get them faster than the site shows.

 

I feel like Bridgestone must be losing a lot of sales on these due to not meeting production. I'm 90% convinced to say screw it with the waiting game (they've just given me a fourth setback date now) and get something else.

 

That's why I just went back to running the rivals. I was first told middle end of May. Then told end of May early June. Then yesterday was told middle of June or end. I said
F-it just get me some rival-S. They will be here Friday.

 

For those of you running the RE71's in a 285/30 what width wheel are you on? I'm on 265/35 RE71s on a 9.5" RPF1, seem like a 275 will fit well but a 285 may just be too wide?


Also, is a 285/30 too short? <--- That question has been driving me nuts btw. Did a bunch of searching and cant really figure this out. This would be mainly for AutoX with a few track days thrown in and zero DD.

 

I'm pretty sure the RE-71R doesn't make up a big portion of Bridgestone's sales. They would probably stand to lose a lot more money if they diverted manufacturing away from their mainstream tires toward lower-volume niche tires like the RE-71R, so we end up with longer lead times.

There's a broader discussion about manufacturing, recent changes in economic outlook, and the benefits of just-in-time manufacturing here, but that gets boring quickly if it's not your jam.

The key is to order the tires a little bit before you need them and bag them until it's time to swap them in. That becomes especially important when spring time coincides with Bridgestone's rebate, which tends to drain inventories fast.

Listed wheel width range in the specifications is 9.5" to 10.5". A 9.5" would work, but 10.0" would be even better. 10.5" is your best bet, but it's obviously going to take a little more work to get that to fit.

Depends on how tight your courses are and how much power you're making. 285/30R18 is roughly the same OD as the 245/40R17 that we all used in STU for years, which was just about right for most of my local courses with STU-level power. Once you start going up to SM-levels of power, you may want higher top speed in 2nd. You're probably better off achieving that with a higher revving motor, though, because taller tires are also going to raise your center of gravity.

 

I seem to always forget to note that its for an Evo X! My bad!


The X OEM size is 245/40/18 with an overall diameter of 25.6", the RE71rs in 285/30 have an overall diameter of 24.8" which I believe is a substantial difference. I'm in ASP pushing 333hp -- so not that much HP. Would you say the 285 is too short? The 275/35 is essentially the same exact diameter as stock but I'd def go wider if the shortness doesn't degrade performance.

 

285/30 is too short for a X unless you have a taller final drive IMO. I would stick with 275/35. Then X gearing is already on the short side.

 

Agree with this! However 285/30 and 4.11 would be magic with a stroker

 

Sorry, I should have noticed that your profile said Evo X. I'm not as familiar with that platform, but here are the factors to consider:

Taller tires mean your CG is higher by half the difference in outer diameter. It's not a huge change, but it's still worth considering.

Taller tires give a higher top speed but lower acceleration. If you're frequently hitting the rev limiter in 2nd or shifting into 3rd, it might be worth sticking to taller tires. If you rarely hit the limiter and rarely grab 3rd, you might be better off all around on shorter, marginally wider tires for better handling and acceleration. Depends strongly on your course.