f4 plt

It's getting harder and harder to find "R" compound tires that are DOT rated in 16" So far I have found Yoko and Toyo 888's . My Mich cup tires are about worn and Mich does not make them any more in 16" what What have others gone to? I'm leaning towards the Toyo 888. My need is I like to change tires at home when I go to the track. Car is an '83 SC

911Dave

Kumho Victoracer V700. One of the best R compound tires ever.

JackOlsen

Toyo RA1 -- it's pretty safe to say that you'll like it much more than the 888.

And while the lifespan will be shorter, 911Dave is right about the V700/V710.

There are also Hoosiers.

And the Hankook Z214 Road Racing (C51), while a mouthful to say, might be a better tire (depending on how you judge) than the Hoosier R6.

Driving to the track will shorten the lifespan of all of them, although the Toyo RA1 will be the most durable of the bunch. If you can fit them inside the car, or on a small trailer, or even on a roof rack, you'll waste less money over time.

f4 plt

Actually my first choice is Toyo RA 1 but I have checked several places and have been told they are out of production.

f4 plt

Jack:

while I have your attention do you just lift your 911 on the pan with your lift? or what jacking points do you use. I have the Snap on scissor lift. By the way I really like your '72 wish I still had mine.

Jack

burglar

The BFG R1 comes in 4 16" sizes. The softer compound R1S only 2. These are nearly full slick, like Hoosiers.

I'm not 100%, but I think the Toyo R888 is newer tech than the RA1, and comes in many 16" sizes.

Also maybe worth looking at the brand spanking new near-R compound tires, the BFG Rival, Dunlop Z2, and soon to be released Bridgestone RE-11a. They are getting very close to R performance - with much better wear at a much lower price.

Ed Hughes

I thought R compounds, by nature, are DOT approved. I also thought they resurrected the RA1 at Toyo a year or two ago?

Ed Hughes

From Toyo site:


225/50ZR16 236890 6.0-7.0-8.0 24.9 9.2 8 23 1390 44 853 11.2 100 AA A
245/45ZR16 236800 7.5-8.0-9.0 24.7 9.6 8 25 1477 44 861 11.2 100 AA A

f4 plt

Thanks Ed, I just finished looking on the Kumho site and the problem is I run 205/55/16 on the front which they don't have in any of the Kumho tires. The 225/50/16 will rub on the inner fender well on my Sc. I'm going to check again on the RA1's and the back up will be 888's . I track the car from time to time as the neck allows its not my daily driver.

race911

Right, because Spec 911 will be in a world of hurt if these get discontinued.

I'll take the heat and suggest you probably don't need an R-compound tire if you're committed to running a 205 up front. I wouldn't bother with one until I'm consistently inside that 1.5 sec/min of lap time that the R compound gets you.

JackOlsen

I lift it on the pan. It helps that the lift top is 48"x48". I used to put in an inch-thick pad to prevent spike loads down there. But I also added a sheet of aluminum across the full underside of the car to clean up the aero and get a flatter, straighter profile between the nose and the rear swaybar. Part of that meant I had to put in some 'filler' to support the space between the belly pan and the aluminum sheet. I was looking for more of the padding when I had my flash of genius idea -- and I just used the same piece I'd been putting on top of the lift. So it's still padded, above the aluminum sheet, and I don't have to think about it.

AVDCAV

RA-1