bowmanm98

I have 18x10 and 18x8s, would you go with a slick? Which one and what size? Or like the Hoosier R304? I am only interested in performance. I got some new 3 piece 19" for the street and I am looking for track only tires.

I would keep the R compounds I have but I got a nail in one and they are saying I should replace both rears. Whatever, maybe I should just patch it.

LVDell

You should probably also inquire about what suspension it is paired up with. Once you venture into the world of slicks you should also have a suspension that will allow you to take advantage of the extra "grip" as well as seat/harness setups. Just my $.02 but I think that would be more informative. Personally for me, the next set of tires after I get through with the SO-2's will be the MPSC tires paired with my RoWM030 suspension and 6 pt harnesses.

Ray S

I have not driven "slicks", but I've got nothing but good things to say about Michelin Pilot Sport Cups. They probably give up a little grip to the Hoosier R-Compounds, but they offer great combination of good grip, treadwear and predictable breakaway. My previous Kuhmo V700's blistered on me and did not last as long or provide as much grip as the MPSC's.

bowmanm98

Oh yeah, excellent point. I have seats and a harness bar sitting in my plasma room so I'll be doing that soon too. I am starting to think about just racing with the 19s. Have you heard anything about the Toyo T1-S? They're wider too.

Ray S

I have a friend that "Cup" races a 968. He uses the Toyo's and likes them a lot.

karlooz

yeow slicks?!?!?! i definitely want to do that too but before the switch you might want to add the oil starvation kit otherwise you might blow an engine. porsche says it's a must with slicks. no need for the kit with r compounds.

i have dunlop ssr r-compound tires. they are on closeout at tirerack.com, $115~120/ tire! deal was soo good i got 2 sets. i am running 18x8.5/18x10 and they fit great. supposedly not as sticky and are not considered a true r compound but they communicate when they are about to give.

over at the performance/racing board people have commented that MPSC need 8 laps to get to operating temps. kinda long, especially when you do a TT, 3 practice laps and 1 hot lap.

if you want to get as close as possible to a slick with an r-compund tire then hoosier has the r3so4. it's a slick which has only 2 grooves at 4/32" depth. they have a 245/35-18 (but it's for 8.5-9.5" width rims, maybe you can squeeze them onto 8"ers, just ask tire rack.) and 275/35-18 for 9.5-11" rims. they also have 285/30-18 but for 10.5-11.5" rims.

SRL

The Michelins give up a lot of time to the Hoosiers. Like 2-4 seconds a lap. BUT, the Michelins also last a LOT longer than the Hoosiers, which is primarily why they're slower.

I agree with the post regarding oil starvation. Slicks are a whole different world and can cause all sorts of issues from oil starvation to premature wheel bearing failure. There are a LOT more forces transferred up into the chassis with slicks.

But they're fun!

evolvedaz

If you want a good R compound the ONLY tire I race on is the Toyo RA1. Since I know you dont have coilovers yet, going with Hoosiers would be bad. Once you run a good set of coilovers and are able to adjust the camber and ride height appropriately, you can run a Hoosier. RA1 is a perfect tire though. The R compound is either on or off. You are either gripping or sliding. On stock suspension you have so much body roll that you are losing the effect of the tire and ultimately can be dangerous if they grab wrong and incur to much body roll.

BTW I have a set of 19" Toyo T1S brand new if you want to run those on your street wheels. The T1S is great for beginner events, but more of a street tire.

earlyapex

I really don't see the logic in going to slicks. You're not competing for trophies or money and your safety equipment is good enough only for DE's and the casual time trial. You will do fine with MPSC's or RA-1's. You can't get enough negative camber in a stock 996 to take full advantage of even these tires. Have fun and resist the temptation of going to a race tire when this is obviously not what you intend to do.

TT Surgeon

sport cups or corsas.

bowmanm98

Slicks probably aren't the right choice for me right now.

So which would you take to the track? Either 225/265 Dunlop R on stock 18s or the 235/275 Toyo ProxesT1-S on 19s? The proxes will be lighter and wider, but will it make up for the softer R compound?

karlooz

the suspension was designed for 18" wheels so i would say 19's for show 18's for go (although i have never tried my 19s on the track).

FWIW, i have been told the dunlop ssrs are more like SUPER sticky street tires rather than true r-compounds. you can go with 235/265 and the 265s are actually more like 275s.

you should also check out toyo RA1s in an 18" fitment.

i think any weight advantage the toyo's have on 19s is lost when you compare the weight of your 18" rims vs. 19" rims.

JimB

Bowman,
Hopefully this is all clear to you now. Like everyone elso I will throw in my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.

Slicks - There are many different slicks that will fit on your car but camber will probably be a problem. Most seem to want quite a bit of negative camber on our cars. As Dan pointed out, you also have a very compliant suspension which will be less than optimal. I wouldn't worry about oiling problems unless you are very fast. If you want slicks I would find a racer that has a set they have run for a couple of races. Tires the big boys paid to recycle would be just fine for DE. Bottom line, probably not a good idea but testing some old ones would be fun anyway.

Hoosiers - Without question the fastest R compound tire. Less camber worry here. You actually would want less negative camber in back than you have with a stock setup. You want more in front but they will work ok. If you were in the neighborhood I would give you a set of used ones to try. We only race them for 6-8 heat cycles. Get out your checkbook. They are just over $1100 a set and don't last very long.

MPSC - I think these are a great choice for DE. They have pretty good grip and last a long time. You can actually drive these to the track. They would be my choice.

All others are, from a racing standpoint, not competitive. A few people are racing with Toyos and Kumos but not many and none that I've seen on a 996. I have a set of the Dunlops that I bought for rain tires but I've never used them.

If I were you, I would get MPSCs. 235 and 265s would be best with your suspension.

Again, just my 2 cents and worth every penny.
Jim

LVDell

Hey Jim, great write up (as usual) but I do have 1 question for you regarding your size rec's. Why 235/265 vice 235/285 on the 18x8 and 18x10?

mitch236

Most guys at the track with 996's use 17" wheels so completely forget trying 19". Move up slowly with your tires leaving Hoosiers for last. They are fast and fun but less forgiving and more expensive.