autocross tires
01-11-2008, 12:17 PM
#17
Burning Brakes
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The proxes 4 is a decent tire. I ran them (2 sets) on my GTI. They have almost the same grip ans the T1R, but the sidewalls arent as stiff. I was getting about 12k miles per set out of them but that included track time, autocross and driving hard on every on ramp I could find 
For an all season tire (dont try to drive in deep snow though) they are tough to beat.
For an all season tire (dont try to drive in deep snow though) they are tough to beat.
01-11-2008, 12:46 PM
#18
Racer
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+1 for Toyo RA-1's as long as you're not using them on the street (other than to and from an event close to home). Hoosiers or 710's if you want to win when you're autocrossing - it depends on what your goals are. Check Grassroots Motorsports for relevant tire tests, which they do often.
01-11-2008, 01:35 PM
#20
Race Director
RA-1s are an R compound tire with primary use on track. They are sturdy enough for the street, but due to ther compound will wear quick. Maybe 5000 street miles. I have been using RA-1's on my race car since 2002 and love them for track use, but would never put them on a street car for street use. I would put them on street car that saw 80% of its miles on the track with the occasional street drive.
01-11-2008, 02:15 PM
#22
Race Director
They last a long time ... For race tire....
They last a very short time ... when compared to street tires...
Just because you could use them on the street does not mean they are good street tire. BTW most racers run them down the cord or till they heat cycle out. Even so most racer run them bald for at 1/3 to 1/2 of their life. I would not do that on the street.
01-11-2008, 03:59 PM
#23
Race Car
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Yeah, DOT race tires are not for the street, despite being legal for the street (although I'm pretty sure you could get a ticket in the rain for unsafe conditions or something).
Anyway, I always have to toot the BFG R1 horn for R-comps- it is a long-lasting race tire that heats up enough for autox. It's sort of between the hoosier a6 and r6, but longer lasting. It is, however, $200+ per tire, and also can't be driven on the street.
I used yokohoma evs 100s on 15x7" phonies for DD and autox for awhile. They were 215/60 or something so they were lacking in the responsiveness range, but they were forgiving, predictable tires, had good wear, and good grip. They are also less than $100 per tire in that size. I think you can get a 225 version of that tire that will give you a lot of responsiveness back. My experience was as long as you put your steering response in early you would be okay. In fact I think this made me a lot better driver when I stepped up to R-comps. I don't have the experience of some of these guys like m758, but early input goes a really long way, especially in an older car with worn out stuff.
Speaking of which- replacing tie rods/ tie rod ends is really worth it if you're going to be autocrossing.
Anyway, I always have to toot the BFG R1 horn for R-comps- it is a long-lasting race tire that heats up enough for autox. It's sort of between the hoosier a6 and r6, but longer lasting. It is, however, $200+ per tire, and also can't be driven on the street.
I used yokohoma evs 100s on 15x7" phonies for DD and autox for awhile. They were 215/60 or something so they were lacking in the responsiveness range, but they were forgiving, predictable tires, had good wear, and good grip. They are also less than $100 per tire in that size. I think you can get a 225 version of that tire that will give you a lot of responsiveness back. My experience was as long as you put your steering response in early you would be okay. In fact I think this made me a lot better driver when I stepped up to R-comps. I don't have the experience of some of these guys like m758, but early input goes a really long way, especially in an older car with worn out stuff.
Speaking of which- replacing tie rods/ tie rod ends is really worth it if you're going to be autocrossing.
01-11-2008, 04:10 PM
#24
Race Director
... My experience was as long as you put your steering response in early you would be okay. In fact I think this made me a lot better driver when I stepped up to R-comps. I don't have the experience of some of these guys like m758, but early input goes a really long way, especially in an older car with worn out stuff...
You are correct in the idea of early inputs and the reason is softly sprung cars with soft sidewall tires take relativly long time for the input you give to actually move the weight around in the car. The reason is it takes time to move the body and only once the chassis has taken "a set" can the car being to change direction. That is one major reason race cars have stiff suspension, quicker response. So to compensate for the slow response rate of the car you need to turn it quite early and then wait a second for the chassis to load up. Depending on the speed this may be turning 20ft early in a autocross so that the chassis is ready once you get to where you want.
01-11-2008, 05:51 PM
#26
Burning Brakes
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