So I'm after a new set of 17" rubber and I'm open to all brands but my requirements are tread ware rating of 400+ and the type of driving I do will be mostly highway, and a couple of track days. I'm mainly looking for something similar to the Yokohama s-drive but a little more sportier.

400+ tread ware is key. I don't want to have to replace them each season.

Anyone have any suggestions?

I've owned the k110's (hankook) they wore too quickly, I've checked out the RS-3, it's nice but with a trdwr of 140, they won't hold up to highway abuse and same goes for toyo r1r's.

The direzza's also look like they won't hold up to hwy kms.

FML tire shopping is a PITA!

I had a set of Nitto NT555's before my current tires and I will be going back to them. They gripped great on launch and lasted 3 summers. My buddy runs them on his Evo too and swears by them, he had tried Hankook V12 EVO's, he said they were decent but only lasted a little over a season.

The Nitto's are $500 for a set of 235/45/17, which is pretty decent I find.

My wheels are 17x7 +45

According to the charts I can run a 245/40/17. They (all brands) aren't that expensive to begin with. It's the long term use and rare abuse I want them to handle.

What Nitto's are they?

NT555.

245 maybe be a bit wide on a 7" rim. 235's fit perfect on my evo rims(8" wide).

I'm leaning towards these http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

These are the ones I'm talking about: http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/tires/nitto/size/viewProductDetail.do?ra=%2Ftires%2Fnitto%2Fsize%2FviewProductResults&pc=40138&ar=45&rd=17&cs=235

frack I've gone through this a lot lately. 245 can fit a 7" wide rim, the over hang is 1.3 inches each side. I've seen Camaro's run this but with a higher side wall. So maybe you're right...? 235 might be the right size. But it's step backwards from my 18's and my 8" wide currently has 245's. I'd say they're flush visually but probably over hang by half an inch each way.

Damn that's a decent price!

This is 235 on an 8" wheel, pretty much flush:

LOL nice pic! Looks like you're going faster than 90 km/h

Hmmmm....now you've got me re-thinking sizes. I find the 235 an obscure size to shop for but when you show me a Nitto555 for $125 each, damn!

Is anyone running a 245 on a 7" rim?

245 is 9.6 inches.

225-45-17 is perfect on 7" so I'm thinking 245 will buldge pretty badly.

I'm seeing that every where I look Rob. Thanks for chiming in!

This tire size is a half inch smaller in over all diameter in comparison to the factory 2g alloy. Will that create drive train problems? (newb question I know)

Not if you keep all four corners the same. Your speedo will read a little bit high, but not by much and it might save you a ticket or two

Ok so it's decided. 225-45-17 is the size I'm after. I'm still leaning towards the Yoko S-drive at 300 treadware. They're $125 each from tirerack.com.

I've been hearing and reading good things about the Michelin Pilot Super Sport. Also the same treadware rating..Looks like a stickier tire than the Yoko's.

Turns out the Dunlup Star specs are discontinued and have been replaced by the Direzza Z2's. They have a 200 trdwr. So that won't fly for me unfortunately.

Any body else have any suggestions?

400+ treadware, so your not looking for a performance tire, your looking for all season, mud & snows?

What kind of treadlife are you looking to get? My Kumho XS are rated as 180, currently have 20K miles on them & will get 5K more no problem (or 40K km). I could probably get more out of them if the inners werent wearing faster then the rest (good alignment but I think its just caused from toe changes as our suspension compresses/rebounds, with soft rubber compounds).

For me thats 5 summers, after that much time the rubber is starting to lose performance. So I'd rather burn through the tire vs throwing them out with tread left.

lol which is why I've decided on 300's and not 400's. I plan to order from tirerack again, and I'm comfortable paying up to $600-$650 for a set. Keeping in mind I'll have to pay duties crossing the border at Ogdensburgh. I just priced out the s-drives from my work and with out tax, they're $220x4=$880 + 13% hst = $995. I'll be saving a couple hundred bucks this way.

I am really happy with my Nankang NS-2
I paid about 650 installed for them.

http://www.amazon.com/Nankang-NS-2-High-Performance-Tire/dp/B004QL6OOU

You will always lose traction with treadwear and vise versa depending on road conditions and driving habits. If you are just looking for a long lasting tire for highway miles go with the 400 or 300. If you want to drive fast and furious style then 180's is what you want. On dry hot days. If you get more rain then hot days stay with a higher treadwear. If awd burnouts on rainy days is what you are looking for then go with a lower treadwear.

I'm rocking an Ironman Imove, which for the price is a decent tire. Good all season, forget about it at the track.

Why do I need rain for an awd burnout? JK

I want the best of both worlds, great performance and long life.

Had the NS-2 on my civic back in the day, they were OK..found them noisy but my 3" exhaust kind of cancels that out lol...

Good luck!!! I dont even think the best of both worlds at least in tires exsist. It is like running an allseason as a snowtire. They work kinda. But even a POS linglong snowtire will beat any all season in the snow.

I've always preached that to my clients. "The best all season is out performed by the worst snow tire in winter"..lol guess I should take heed to my own advice.

Linglong, sounds funny when you say it with a chinese accent.

Is it wingwong or ringrong. Sorry no racial pun intended.

IT'S FLY LICE YOU PLICK!!!!

And don't worry about the racial comments, I'm only HALF insulted

I stand by Hankook. Cannot beat the bang for the buck factor you get with them.

For the difference in price between the Ventus EVO V12 and anything comparable you could buy 2 sets and still have cash left over. Sure treadwear is lower but performance is fantastic.

I use the Ventus Z-214 R-Comps and they are the stickiest out there, but they wear quick.

The RS-3's keep winning competition after competition and are generally sold out everywhere - the treadwear is low but you won't find a better performing tire, but some of the competition definitely does have better treadwear.

Pricewise, Hankooks are generally the best performance bang for the buck and generally some of the cheaper options, but treadwear usually suffers. I always get from the States (unless I find a sweet deal here) so pricing difference may not be as drastic if you're buying locally.




After reading through this thread a little more thoroughly...the difference in tire costs is truly astounding.

The evo v12's (which I'm running now on the 18's) are wearing to quickly for my liking. I drive A LOT of high way into work and back home when I daily my car. I've even considered keeping my 18's as a cruising set with some s-drives (yoko's) and the 17's as strictly a 100-140 treadware (r1r's, direzza z2's, those rs-3's you mentioned)..BUT, what a PITA to tote a set of extra wheels inside your car, with you to track days. And my eclipse is NO WHERE NEAR trailer queen worthiness.

So imagine this, it's 90 kms each way into town and back home, 5 times a week and sometimes further for hockey games. That's about 1,000 kms a week. They next set of rubber I buy need to handle that, and be able to allow me to break loose every now and then. (on the track of course).

Oh and to add one last thing, the Evo's (in my size) are $124 each and the S-Drive is $125. For the extra $4, I'd like to try something new.

while we are on the topic of tires, whats peoples experience with 1010tire? They seem to have decent prices and free shipping on full sets of 4?
I am not trying to plug them I am just trying to see where or what peoples experiences are with them and tires

Not sure if its just a promo but I don't think they normally have free shipping. I don't think they have the best prices out there but don't think their too bad most of the time either(you probably don't have the tire shop selection the GTA does). Remember you need to add on something to have them installed if your compairing to your local shops price.

Tirerack.com usually has some pretty good prices but their shiping cost to Canada really jacks the price up. If you can have them shippied within the US, you'll do much better.

Edit: On tire choice, I have no personal experience but also check out the Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport. Bridgestone makes some really nice tires currently but their usually pretty spendy. If I was looking for something with more tread wear vs the max performance tires I typically run, I'd probably give them a shot, as this model doesnt seem to bad price wise.

Yeah I am lucky I dont ever pay for install or Road Force balancing, perks of working at a dealership. Downside is having to do the work after a days worth of work dealing with repairs on vehicles

Believe me, the difference an R-Comp makes in performance on a track (that is, if you both know how to and are willing to push a car to its very limits) is significant to say the least. R-Comps make more of a difference than any other single mod, especially for the price, especially if you throw them on a set of lightweight rims.

It's definitely worth the 'hassle' of carrying around the rims if you're going to the track. I usually lug enough tools with me to disassemble/rebuild the entire car on the spot anyways, so what's a few tires? Besides, if you track on your street tires they WILL get chewed up - significantly, especially if they are a higher treadwear (i.e. lower temp, lower performance) tire.

I just got a 101 on this today from a tech at my work and pretty neat stuff.

Mr. Ponte - How do you fit ALL of your tools and a spare set of wheels in your car?

Multi-Tool doesn't count

Road Force is pretty neat eh Mike. Makes a huge difference on lower Quality tires.

He definitely does not, he could barely fit my fenders in his car, let alone 4 extra tires

Yes it is. But to get 100% true round is still impossible if you ask me. I thought they called this a "roll-out" test. But Road Force is a combination of aspects that aid harmonic balancing.

Thought so!

Oh It isn't about being round. It measures sidewall variation. Run out is very different then Road force. It helps match the tire and rim high and low spots.

I just confused the two already and I learned it about an hour ago

Nice!

If can log onto E-LEARNING they have a good course on it under steering and suspension.

Between you and me, I fuckin hate e-learning. It's a PITA. They update these courses and always manage to get the "online classroom" on my day's off or when I'm off shift. Just brutal! I don't see any compensation from this. I pay my own way every day here and this additional time spent "training" is less time on the floor, where I GET PAID!

Although, some of the information is useful..but I use that term "useful" very loosely here.

Probably different being in sales. I get paid full days and car to drive. Where do you go Montreal(boucherville) I should say.

lol nono..Acura hosts training here in Ottawa. Typically out of our convention center where we also participate in the "new" annual Ottawa-Gatineau Auto Show. No NSX again this year but the RLX will be there.

Have you seen our new district sales manager?

ps. wtf is fairview doing selling $2000-$4000 trade-ins? gm's with 200kms on them? They don't belong on your website

Oh cool! We have to travel to Honda Canada in Markam. I really Have know idea what sales does up there I am just glad we never see those in the shop.

Do you track the talon? What events/lapping days do yo typically attend?

I can easily fit a floor jack, jack stands, full ratchet set, enough fluid to for a complete swap, a large box of hand tools and for wheels/tires in my Talon. Don't know what you guys are smoking. And yes, I've done it all before. In fact, minus the tires, it's what normally occupies my Talon on a daily basis with everything easily fitting in the trunk besides the floor jack itself which resides in my passenger footwell should I feel it necessary to bring it along.



The Talon has only been to the drag strip or auto-x'ed as I have to figure out adequate cooling before I'll touch a lapping day, not to mention I need to invest in some high end rotors and pads, if not a better braking set up all around. I'm hoping to get 'er out for a few lapping sessions this summer.

I mainly track my Mazda and I typically go with SRTA (Sigma Racing Time Attack). By far the best group in Ontario - incredibly organized, VERY safety oriented, in car lap-timers, leaderboards, refreshments/food, prizes, etc. I've also done some lapping days that S-Ville or other groups put on, but predominantly SRTA as it is the best bang for your buck.

Once I get my Talon track-worthy I'd like to make a trip to Calabogie, Tremblant, etc. for some real fun. Calabogie even does night racing

I was just messing I know you had a ton of other stuff from school in your car at that time.

That SRTA stuff looks cool!

SRTA it is. Solomon, Ive been dying to hang out with you at a track since meeting you. Hopefully this summer is the union of a bunch of us who im sure will get along great and get some decent lapping days in.

The only thing left for me is to grow some balls for the full potential of my brakes and suspension. BRAKE LATE!! BRAKE LATE!!

What kind of Mazda?

I almost exclusively go out with touge or lately it has been invite only events that people hold. i'll have to check out SRTA this season.

i'd love to see a DSM out at a track day!! Give the Mini a run for its money.

And i'll be spending this season trying to max out my AP racing 4pots. Really need to grow some balls to brake to these potential.

No mods for the mini this year except maybe some sway bar end links for the rear. The money will be spend building the 4g63

oh and to stay on topic, I'm cheap and don't even balance any of my wheels...lol

No mods? Buddy! The two days spent installing your Aqua mist kit is considered in my books a worth while mod to brag about. Im itching for a ride when its all hooked up finally.

Never thought Id say a mini can give a DSM a run for its money.

Aquamist was purchased last May so it doesn't count.

Amazes me that you two are probably standing next to each other on your phones posting here.

Pretty close, We both chat on iMessage after we close shop

Sounds like a plan. If the Talon isn't up to it, I'll just toss around the Mazda. May not have a lot of power but she sure handles like a champ for what she is.

Driving at the limit in a controlled manner definitely takes some practice, but there's nothing like it once you get to that point. I've spun out at 160+ km/h before with cars behind me...just gotta get back at it figure out what you did wrong so you (hopefully) never do it again.



Mazda 3 Sport. But, on the more technical tracks (like Mosport DDT) I can keep up in a pretty much stock Mazda 3 (just better rotors/pads and SS lines) on R-comps to Speed 3's and more. In fact, I originally started tracking when the car was heavily modded and even though it was noticeably slower without the mods, I still demolished my old time(s).

'Driver mods' really do make all the difference. But R-Comps will net even a pretty beginner driver a few seconds on a technical track if they're willing to push it a bit.

I've heard mixed reviews about Touge, but SRTA is hands-down the place to be. The pricing is great, they have a 50% cash back if it rains (assuming you bought early enough in advance) and winner for each group gets their money back. Then there's all sorts of other prizes, food/drinks/etc. and the biggest draw, if not everything else, in car laptimers for everyone for the whole day



For the record, those who have never run R-Comps before, be careful. Make sure you take a lap or to warm them up...hard braking, etc. Secondly, street tires (Even the high performance ones) will 'speak' to you i.e. they'll squeal, etc. on the limit of grip. R-Comps either grip or they don't...they don't talk back, they fight back i.e. if you throw too much at them you won't know until it's too late and your spinning around.

You've almost convinced me to buy some r's for my enkei gtc01's.

Do these count?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

They're only $68 more than the S-Drives (300trdwr).

Or are you talking about these?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...fromCompare1=yes&vehicleSearch=false

No, but they're not far off. Honestly, the RS-3s are more than adequate, because they are still a street tire they are winning all the events. Like I said earlier in this thread, Hankook makes the stickiest compound - they wear out quicker, but if you want a tire that holds, ain't no better bang for your buck.

When I purchase a set of rims for the Talon I'll be getting a set of RS-3s for DD use and then keeping R-Comps for track use since I drive HARD and I don't want to wear out my street tires.

But like I said, the RS-3s will be an awesome experience and you won't have to worry about 'chunking'/etc. like you do with some street tires when they get hot because these are made for it. And, these are a good stepping stone to R-Comps because they will give you feedback at the limit. More than an R-Comp but still less than any regular street tire.

These are R-Comps and are what I us...ep them for the track and the dry days.

That's the other bonus about a tire like the RS-3/Direzza/etc...they will still perform on a wet day like a champ. My r-comps would have me skating across the track if it's raining hard. They do make rain tires in r-comp equivalents, but I can barely afford the 1 set of rims/tires, let alone a second. And, my Talon ain't that damn big!

Have you any experience with the star specs Solomon? I showed you my set when you were at the shop. Im stoked to try them out. Comments, suggestions?

Not on a track, no. Threw my buddy's Ford Fiesta around a parking lot with them once but that's hardly much to go by.

They are a sticky tire. In the dry the RS-3 will beat it any day of the week, but I hear the Direzza is a better wet performer and also better treadlife. An overall tried and tested tire with consistent performance and a large following. Our very own Ghiz Tha Wiz loves his!

The DZII is released in Japan and available for pre-order here in NA, so I'm curious to see not only what's new and improved vs the DZI (what you have), but also how it compares to the RS-3, etc.

The star specs are discontinued. Z2 is the new hotness for Funlop.

Hmmmmm.....what's an extra $68 to try out 140's vs. 300's. If I do this, I will have to keep my 18's as a daily and forget selling them..or, find another set of 17's and keep the costs down by buying 17" tires vs. 18's. I'm just really disappointed with how heavy the EKM3's are. 24.6 lbs vs. 17.6 lbs goes a long way. It's almost 30 lbs off the power train.

If you can afford to keep a separate set of rims/tires for the track, it's well worth it, especially since you DD the car and do heavy mileage.

The beauty of something like the RS-3 is that it will last you for ages if you're strictly using it for the occasional track days. What makes it even nicer is you could always throw them on for some spirited weekend crusing, since they are a street tire.

That 30lbs is HUGE because it's unsprung mass. Unsprung mass is THE DEVIL.

I believe that unsprung mass they say 1 lb is equal to 10 lbs sprung weight.
My 17 inch rims are 16 lbs I figure thats a weight savings of almost 10 per rim over stockers and they were only 16inch. That is a huge help. On my old VW with its 11 pounder rims it would light the tires up in 3rd where with the 17 inch tires it struggled to spin 2nd

Guys, don't get caught up in what you need. Show up with a half decent tire that wont overheat and get greasy and you'll have plenty of grip to go out there and learn.

Everyone here needs to stay away from R-comps at this point till your driving level requires it.

I have a set of advan neovas that have more grip than my Rs-3s but i still prefer the RS-3 as the feedback they give to drive to the limit is great for driving at the edge of grip.

FACT: i have a set of KW V3 adjustable coilovers on my Mini and never adjusted a single knob since i installed and leveled the car.

Mike makes a good point.

I started tracking on Nankang NS-2's. And then jumped up to a set of R-Comps that I got a wicked deal on. My Nankangs scrubbed hard and got pretty chewed up but as mentioned, if you're running a tire like the Neova/RS-3/Direzza/NT01/etc. you'll be thankful for it. I should reiterate, R-Comps do not give feedback...they grip or they don't - you need to know how to drive to make R-Comps work for you.

As for everything else, don't blame lap times on the car. Go out there, and drive your car until you've not only reached the max potential of its current settings but have also developed enough as a driver to be aware of everything and able to properly translate a lapping day into knowing what kind of adjustments need to be made. This comment is more aimed at suspension/handling/dynamic adjustments but just in general. Experiment more with stuff like early/late/trail braking, heel-toe, throttle control, line of attack, etc. THESE will make you a better driver. Don't be afraid to spin your car out or lose control. If you drive with fear, you will never drive well.

Also notice in talking about getting your car ready for the road course there is no talk of what size turbo do I need, my car needs more power, etc. tires are the number one thing!

Its all about having a car that is setup properly with what you got and making it all work together RELIABLY.

On that note, I feel it would be worthwhile to prepare a 'track prep' sticky in the tracking forum.

The other thing about tires is that the smaller the rim size you can get away with the lower priced tires will be. 18" track worthy tires are incredibly expensive compared to a 17". !7" is pretty much the norm these days and most DSMs should be on 17" at the largest for the track if not 16" if they haven't upgraded there brakes yet.

Agreed, other than looks I too don't believe there is any benefit from running anything bigger than 17" on a DSM.

Or almost anything. The width makes a hellofa lot more difference than the diameter.

Evo Brembos w. 2-piece rotors under a 17*8+ setup is more than anyone in a DSM will likely ever need. 17*10 if you're going full-out, but most people will never need that much meat, nor want to put in the effort/money to make that much meat fit safely and reliably.

Anyone running 225/50/17's versus the 225/45/17's?

I think the higher sidewall "looks" better than the 45's.

I would keep the stock circumference. The bigger wheels will ride like crap and make the car slower.

Thanks Reza!

If you have 45 minutes to kill and want to learn how a tire is made, check out this vid;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUaou5A9jyk

Michelin Pilot Super Sports.

A buddy of mine at work swears by these, they have a 300 tread ware and he's used them for 3 track days, and 20,000kms, they're at least 40-50% left. Warrantied until 50,000kms.

I just find they're such a boring tread block pattern they will suck horribly in the rain. For me, I do a lot of highway, and am still partial to hankook evo v12's or the yoko s-drives.

BUT, hankook's are stickier so I may go back to those.

I dunno, I had S-drives on my PT and they only lasted one season of semi-aggressive driving. Sure they were comfy and decent in the rain, but a track tire they're not.

Which is why I'm thinking of going back to Hankook.

Yoko's are POO!!!!!!

Hey, totally unrelated, but I checked the data sticker on my hitch, says 5,000 lbs max load. What do you think?

I think the hitch is rated 5000lbs. If your mdx can pull that much or not is the question.

I honestly think it can, but for a long trip..probably not.

I've pulled a CSX out of a snow bank with a tow strap, and it was STUPID easy without any fuss from the MDX.

I know it's not much of a comparison to hauling a trailer and my eclipse but frack me, I don't want rent a truck AND trailer for the S/O. Nor do I want to drive the DSM down there either.

Grrrrr!!

It's only a tranny. I say give her a go. Get the inspection done at work and pay the 28 bucks for free roadside.

$28 for "free" roadside?

I don't follow

Honda offers it. You need to have the free inspection. Talk to your sevice mananger. Both my Honda have it. Better then CAA because of cost.

Wtf? I've been here almost 2 years and with honda for 2..just learning this now?

Thought the roadside only existed on new and certified pre-owned.

I'm going to look into this

Thanks dude!

It's through Acura plus we use it as a gimmig to get older acuras in for the inspection and try to up sell.

You might want to edit that visible post

Ok, let's take this to PM. I just spoke to my tower op. and he say's we don't offer it.

Wierd. Maybe you should. Is that the same dude that told you a MDX could 5000lbs. He probably thinks your MDX is fulltime AWD aswell. I am not worried about editting. I am pretty sure there are very few Acura customers of mine here.

looool no no...that dude is an advisor hahaha

The guy I spoke with about the roadside was the tower operator.

Should probably get back on topic.

Hankook's are probably my next tire's (again, the third set I'll have bought in 2 years).

BUT, I do like them, and they're dirt cheap!

$440 for 4.

http://www.caranddriver.com/compari...performance-tires-tested-comparison-test

This review was from last summer by Car and Driver.

With tires you usually get what you pay for.

I got a lot.

Bought my Star Spec in 2010; IIRC they were then second. I based my desision on the 2009 review as well as from some personal reviews. I'm still very satisfied.

This last test looks like it was done in an impartial manner by using an experience driver with excellent cridential but I'm still a little "perplex" about it.

Present rubbers should be good for one more season; two if I'm nice to them. I will probably use Car & Driver review but will definately see what the cool kids have to say as well as looking what comes out winner at the track.

Ghislain

The Star Specs are now discontinued and have been replaced by the Direzza Z2 . Preliminary review seems promising.

Another tire coming out for this summer is the gForce Rival . I'm not sure what to make of them just yet, still waiting for full comparison review this summer.

I read that Ju and pretty much shed a tear.

At least I have this club that includes a few member like you that leak interesting information.

Otherwise I would be stuck to belive Automobile "rags"...

I hope to get at least two more year out of the present meats so keep the info flowing...

Love

Giz!!!

Thanks for the compliment!

Come spring I may start a new thread for just tires and keep it updated as new ones are released and old ones cycled out.

Until then, here's a comparison review that's very relevant for both you, OP, and anyone who's thinking of seriously cheaping out on tires and getting the likes of Ling Long, Nankang, Ironman, etc.

Now this review is getting pretty old but some of the tires they tested are still in production.

Edit: I didn't mean you or OP cheaping out, both your tires and the tires OP's leaning towards are in this review, along with a cheap cheap one.

Hey 17x8 guys, check this out!

Although discontinued, I found these at "close out" pricing from tirerack.com

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

Using the EVO 8 17x8 +38 O/S gives you 4mm clearance from the knuckle and 5mm clearance from the fender.

Anyone have any experience with Sumitomo HTR ZIII tires? A local tire shop seems to be the most competitive when it comes to these about 150 per tire for 225/45/17
Are they good or are they garbage

Maybe they're worth a shot. Japanese tires, sort of Japanese car..make sense!

Am I the only one who shops on TireRack.com?

I just bought 2 all seasons for the RTM minivan at TireRack.com . Of course, I had them shipped to a US address

Once you add the shipping My cost for tires is better then Tirerack.

They ship for free within the states. Living in Kitchener, where is the closest boarder crossing to you?

Ever weigh that option of having them sent to a UPS store right over the boarder? Then just cover TAX on your way back into Canada?

Everytime I've done it, it literally saves me 50% $$$ or close it.

Nope! That would involve me going to America.

LOL nuff said...

I didn't get free shipping within the US? They still charged me a little over $30. to ship 2 tires to my US address, but I think I still got an awesome deal. I bought Firestone 710's, They were 225/65-R17's, and cost me $216. before shipping, $246. after shipping. Because I brought them in on my way back from Florida, I claimed them under my duty free exemption, and paid no taxes

Check their webpage. They advertise free shipping within the states.

You would have probably paid double that locally.