nrcooled

iTrader: (4)

I just picked up some wheels for the street and looking to get some race rubber mounted on the stock Enkies for track events. I typically go to about 3-4 events per season and want to get something a bit more sticky then Max performance tires.

I am looking experience and opinions on any good R-compounds. How much like to expect out of these and if I should shave them.

Thanks,
NR

4-BNGR

iTrader: (3)

Nitto

metaphysical

iTrader: (3)

RA-1 is a reasonable cost, Hoosier wear much faster and cost more. Or you could go with Victoracers, which are similar to Hoosiers and cost less.

jbrennen

iTrader: (1)

You probably need to tell us what you're looking for in an R-compound tire...

Performance at all costs?

R-compound which is streetworthy?

Economical -- longest lived R compound?

There is no best tire for everyone, because everybody has different priorities.

I personally have two sets of mounted R compounds -- Toyo RA1s (last a long time, usable on the street, decent rain performance) and Hoosier A3S04s (don't last long, not streetable, don't work in rain, but grip like glue when conditions are right).

If you want a tire that will last you for a couple of weekends at the road course and allow you to drive back and forth to the track, go with the Toyo RA1.

The Kumho Victoracer is a popular tire which is stickier than the Toyo, but not really streetable except for short trips. But it's more economical than Hoosiers.

Hoosiers are probably the stickiest of all (along with the new Kumho V710 which I don't know much about). But they don't last long and are pretty much unsuited for any street use at all.

kevo

iTrader: (7)

what Metaphysical said, Hoosiers are waste of money unless you are doing time events or door to door racing, they will last maybe 2 weekends. Victoracer and Ra1 is more cost efficent and will last you a lot longer. I ran the Victoracer and they are very consistant with good wear.

jbrennen

iTrader: (1)

Forgot to mention... Hoosier has two rubber compounds available. The A tires (A3S04, A3S03) are intended for autocross or perhaps qualifying laps on a road course. Their optimum grip comes at a lower temperature, so they work pretty well with only minimal warm up required. This grip and convenience comes at a price -- the tires don't last quite as long.

The R tires (R3S04, R3S03) are intended for longer stints on a road course. Their optimum grip comes at a higher temperature, so they don't grip at their best until you get some heat into them. But they last longer than the A tires.

nrcooled

iTrader: (4)

I appreciate the feedback and sorry for the terrible grammar and spelling in the first post.

Of course price is a consideration (I wish I were made of money) but I am looking more for increased performance in addition to something that will last 1-2 years of track use (again 3-4 events per year) I am willing to pay for that longevity but I am not willing to compromise the performance.

I saw that the V700 is $155 a tire and that was surprisingly cheap to me. Is there any other options in that price range that will give a similar or better performance.


4-BNGR - Which NITTOs do you recommend?

metaphysical

iTrader: (3)

Bear in mind that track surface plays a huge role in tire selection. If your doing road course events on a rough/gritty track, and your driving the car extremely hard, you could use a set in one day. And figure $250 per tire mounted/balanced.

4-BNGR

iTrader: (3)

These tires are amazing http://www.nittotire.com/tires_555r.asp


Nitto 555r

I have the Nitto 555zr (235/45ZR17) and they rock ($105/tire)
The 555r's are ready for "punishment" http://www.nittotire.com/tires_555r_features.asp

They are $158/tire shipped to your door.
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...tp=Competition

4-BNGR

jbrennen

iTrader: (1)

Anything else in that price range that will grip like the V700? Probably not. The best price I've seen on Toyo RA1s would still come in a few bucks more than the V700, but the RA1 has slightly less grip than the Victoracer V700.

I think that getting 2 years of 4 events -- 8 events -- from one set of tires is probably unrealistic. These R compounds are molded with a reduced tread depth to begin with (4/32 inch for Hoosiers, 6/32 inch for Victoracers, 8/32 inch for Toyo RA1s), and you will wear through rubber quickly if you're actually pushing the car.

Considering that R compounds should be considered expendable items, and that you're just starting out with them, I'd suggest buying something inexpensive which can be expected to last at least a couple of events -- like the Victoracer, which you really can't go wrong with as long as you realize that they should be treated as track-only tires (every heat cycle decreases the tire's grip). By the time that you need new tires, you'll be better informed to pick your next set.

4-BNGR

iTrader: (3)

Can you say "sticky"

jbrennen

iTrader: (1)

One more thing, before you run any hot laps on R compound tires, make sure that your car has a proper performance alignment. If you run too little negative camber, you can "cord" an R compound tire in one day, as the outer shoulder of the tire will bear almost all of your cornering loads (and suffer essentially all of the tread wear). You probably want at least -1.5 degrees camber at all four corners, although that would be considered a bare minimum.

kingleh@GSC

iTrader: (3)

go with the hoosher "race tire". they will last you good while but give you good grip. prob about 2 seconds faster a lap then those nittos.

jbrennen

iTrader: (1)

Note that the Nitto 555R is a drag radial tire. I can't comment on them specifically, not having any experience, but drag radials are designed with different goals in mind than road race radials. In particular, drag radials often have softer sidewalls to permit the tire to flex when launched hard -- the sidewall actually flexes and stores energy when launched while allowing the tire to grip the road better.

This doesn't mean that a drag radial tire is necessarily bad or wrong for road racing, but it's not optimized for it.

JTB

iTrader: (23)

Finding a good track tire is always a compromise between wear and performance. I have tried the Kuhmos, Hoosiers, Yokahamas and Michelins.

My favorites so far have been the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup. The have great durability and wear characteristics for heavier cars, great stick and are very gradual on their limits and they communicate very well.

Tire Rack Sport Cup Review

If you are new to track events then you want a tire that is going to last and is predictable so that you can learn on it. The sticky rubber such as Hoosiers is faster but does not like as many heat cycles and will wear out much more quickly -- upgrade to this once you know your times and the tracks and are looking for an advantage.

Get an alignment that is appropriate for the track! You can kill any set of tires very quickly with a bad alignment. It also wouldn't be a bad idea to get a pyrometer to see where your temperatures are. It will allow you to see if you alignment is correct as well as set your tire pressures correctly -- this will also have a dramatic effect on tire wear and performance.

Good luck and have fun!