HPDE car - tires?

[nando]

They heat cycle out fast and turn into rocks. ;)

nah


-2 summers of DD'ing R888s, I just hit the wear bars. :p

[Jean]

nando - I know you run 235s...does the car ever tell you you need more tire? 245-275 size ?

[nrubenstein]

nah


-2 summers of DD'ing R888s, I just hit the wear bars. :p

All things are relative, and R888s are pretty pleasant on the street. However, that doesn't change the fact that they do in fact heat cycle out very quickly. RA-1 speed is generally limited by tread squirm - them get faster as they get worn down. 888s slow down with time.

[gearheadE30]

I ran G009s for a few track days, and they blistered pretty bad. Don't overdrive them, or at least give them a cooldown every few laps or they get scary greasy. I have a set of Yoko s.drives 205/55/15s and they have 18k on them along with multiple autocrosses and 6 HPDEs, and they still have tread and pretty good grip. Definitely have gotten my money out of them.

[Emre]

Out of all the very, very many tires I've tried on the street and track I think the best one I have ever come across for mixed street/HPDE use has been the new Hankook R-S3.

Really good grip wet or dry. Progressive at the limit. Excellent feedback. No chunking or uneven wear on the track. Stiff enough sidewalls for crisp turn-in, without beating you up on the street. Don't need for any warm-up period, yet they will last a full 30-min track session without getting greasy. Not particularly fussy about camber. Available in 225/45-R15, which is perfect for an E30 on 15x7" wheels with an offset of ET25. Not too expensive, either.

There are tires that are better on the street; others are better on a dry track. But it would be very difficult to do any better for an all-weather street/track car.

[FredK]

Also, R-S3s are finally back in stock at the Tire Rack, after being backordered for four months!

[nando]

nando - I know you run 235s...does the car ever tell you you need more tire? 245-275 size ?

not with my current suspension/driving skill level