MCF gents, I am in need of advice. I am in dire need of a tire upgrade as the tread on mine is dangerously invisible... I would really like to find a very nice set of high quality tires that will last long. (Wouldn't we all?) Please keep in mind I'm not made of money :p

Wanli 245/35 Z R 19 93(W=left/Y=right)XL S 1088 Treadware 280 Traction A Temperature A.

So what tire size/quality/etc am I looking at here?

He also provided me with the stock wheels....and three different tires on all four of them. Therefore, I will need tires for the stock '02 SS wheels for the coming winter.

Finally, I'm not sure if I should also purchase new rims flat-out. The pictures show the wear.

This angle captures the general color scheme of the Monte that the rims and calipers absolutely complete. Yellow, black, red. The back wheels feel like they need to be larger just a tad.


And this sexy close-up reveals the not-so-sexy side of these wheels.


The anti-theft lug nuts are rusting on the insides, there are paint chips on the rim around the center, and there are two rims on this car that are actually bent and bulge outward in a 2 inch portion on the circumference.

And FINALLY, I definitely need new brakes. Idk if that means just new pads/rotors/calipers. I've heard ceramic pads and drilled/slotted rotors are the way to go. I probably won't have to mess with the suspension beyond that while I have the wheels off.
THANKS gents, seriously appreciated.

 

Id get new rims if 2 are bent & got with Falkin Ziex 512 tires i love em they dont wear out bad & EBC redstuff if u want a good brake pad

 

What type of a budget do you hope to accomplish this with? Keep in mind the larger the wheel/tire size the more expensive they are.

As far as brakes pads go my recommendations would be (in order of preference):

1. Raybestos
2. Bendix
3. Wagner

They all make dependable pads that exceed OE spec and will offer a long service life as long as you prep the rotor correctly prior to installation. If the rotors are grooved (but deepest groove doesn't exceed minimal thickness) have them resurfaced. If they're not grooved use some coarse sandpaper on a board and remove the glaze leaving a cross hatch pattern on the rotor. Some companies include new hardware with their pads, but if they don't it would be a good idea to purchase and replace it at the same time.

 

I'm thinking total all under $1000. Might be hard to do including new tires for the stocks. I'm currently running 19s, correct? This size seems reasonable. Can anyone tell me anything about the quality of the Wanlis I had? I want the highest treadwear, traction, and temperature qualities reasonably available.

Mike and Mike...are those pads all ceramics?

 

The EBC ones a Kevlar Ceramic mix

Redstuff Brake Pads

 

I put Falkins that Mike is talking about on my 05 SS's stock rims and they were a really good buy.

 

All of the aforementioned companies in my previous post make pads in ceramic, semi-metallic and organic composition. To be honest though, I think you will be pushing it to try and replace wheels and tires alone for $1000. Toss the brakes into the mix and you're really going to be hard pressed. I put 17" wheels/tires on my Monte and it was just under $1200...and I did a lot of comparative shopping of brands and prices prior to making a purchase.

 

Okay well thanks for dragging me back down into reality. I definitely want tires that will fit the rims I have now so that in the future, if I get new rims I can use them on these new tires. Any brake basics I need to know? The brake market seems just as saturated as the wheels.

 

Hey man, I'm not trying to burst your bubble, but things add up quick. You might be able to find something to fit into your budget, but the question is would you be settling for something less than you wanted...and would you be happy with it? I just did a quick search online and the closest I came to what you're running now is a set of Helo 18" black/polished rim wheels at Tire Rack. They run $160 each. The least expensive Falkin tire were at Discount Tire for $155 each. That's $1260 before mounting, balancing, wheel locks and tax. Will your current wheels/tires last for a couple more months? Maybe do your brakes now and do the wheels/tires later once you have a couple hundred more saved up?

The Raybestos ceramic (SGD series) pads will probably run around $125 for front/rear. Add in new mounting hardware and you'll probably be able to do the job for around $150...excluding any machining of the rotors that may be required.

 

*Siiigh* They both need to be done desperately. I'm coming up with nasty tires on TireRack now. I'll splurge on rims another time, and have a shop my grandfather knows of bend the rims (not this jerk-off Persian guy in my town who rips kids off.) Got time to wait to but winter tires though.

Good news for all this is my dad will help financing it because these are necessary things for safety, etc. LOL.