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Hi guys,
I've been searching on the forum and elsewhere for a while with little success. My brother is looking at buying a set of RE001's, but after reading varied opinions on them which seem to mostly revolve around where they were manufactured, we're trying to work out a couple of things:
1. How can you tell the difference? I presume the sidewall is stamped with the place of manufacture; is there any other way?
2. Are there specific sizes that seem to be coming from specific factories? In particular my brother is interested in 195/50/15's. Since some of you folks have probably bought them in this size, can anyone help us out as to where yours were manufactured and if they also come from elsewhere?

Sorry if there is an obvious answer out there somewhere, but I did try to find it.

Yes, side wall will tell you where manufactured.
Aussie made one (now, no longer a factory here) were terrible in the wet from personal experience. Jap branded ones were fine.

aussie ones have moved their production to thailand.

oh, and it says it on the sidewall.

surok wrote:aussie ones have moved their production to thailand.

oh, and it says it on the sidewall.

Correction. They are now made in Taiwan not Thailand.

Opinions related to differences in quality depending on country of origin seem to have focussed on susceptibility to chipping of the outer shoulders. My Aussie-made ones chipped badly on the outer shoulders after severe provocation on the track ... two sets did this and my current third set are chip-free (so far).

Experience with wet grip seems to depend on the model you drive and possibly the camber set-up. CB reckons they were aweful/dangerous on his modified NC. I've found they grip fine in the wet on my NA6 with stock suspension.

What size have you been running, Bryan? Does anyone know specifics for 195/50/15? I thought people might have looked at/used this size and be able to tell me where they were made.

Yeh I use the stock size (naturally) which is 185/60R14. Your tyre dealer will be able to tell you where the 195/50R15 are made.

I've bought 3 sets of 195/50r15 RE001s over the last 3 or 4 years. All made in Japan. The latest set I have was made there in the 42nd week of 2010.

Thanks guys, that's exactly the info I needed. I'll pass that on. Thanks again.

The latest Bridgestone winter catalog shows a new Adrenalin. The Adrenalin RE002. This looks like a replacement for the RE001.

Sadly, the RE002 does not come in 14' like it did with the RE001. There goes my tyre of choice for my NA to use for the track.

wait a bit off topic but does anyone know where the new RE002 is made???