blake

Thanks Mooty. I'm trying to make this sport "cost effective" (wrong sport, I know)...

As tires are currently my biggest expense, I would like to find a balance between value and performance...

Please help steer me in the right direction! This addiction continues to get worse...

-Blake

mooty

i am toyo biased, i konw, it's not that obvious LOL.
some may argue that mpsc is faster.
but if you want COST effective, i can say with zero hesitation that full tread R888 is much more bang for the buck then mpsc no matter how you cut it.

doc2s

what sizes are you looking at?

blake

235/40-18 Fronts & 295/30-18 Rear: OE Sizing... I am still running the factory GT3 wheels. Do not see a need (yet) to go the light wheel route (Fikse/CCW/Volks/BBS/etc.)

-B

datax

+1.

What sizes are you guys getting? Heard Toyos run slightly small. I'm also thinking of R888 as my next set. Any shaving or heatcycling required for the tires? Thanks guys.

blake

Here are the sizes available (from Bob Woodman's Tire):
http://www.bobwoodmantires.com/toyo/toyo.html

-Blake

mooty

i run 255/315

KOAN

If you want to stay solvent, DON'T try Hoosiers. They are the crack equivalent in tires. They are so superior, that it is very difficult to not use them,, even though they are so short lived. I'm going to go with either R888 or Nittos on my GT3 for as long as I can...same thing with Motons....must not falter...must not falter....gasp!

multi21

Blake,

I would not even hesitate to go to R888 over the MPSC for a number of reasons. First off, the MPSC take a while to warm up and where you live that could be a long time. The 888 are ready to go from the 1st lap. They do get a little greasy toward the end of the sessions, but you'll have to work with pressures on that.

The MPSC cost more and don't last as long and then tend to just "go" which I always hated.

I didn't like the R888 at first, but after scrubbing them in really good they are great tires. I haven't gone through a whole set yet, but it appears the same ratio of wear as other tires (rears are used up twice as fast as the fronts). I'm a big fan of the Nittos which have similar characteristics of the R888 including tire compound, the exception being that the Nittos did not get greasy like the R888 at the end of run sessions. Hope that helps.

DRG13

I run Hoosier R6's 245/315...I'm addicted, I've accepted this addiction, I can no longer fight the addiction nor justify it...I get about 8-9 really good 20 minute sessions and then they seem to get progressively worse until I finish them off in session 16 or 17...but those first 4-5 sessions, good god man, I gotta have em...September 23rd 2006 was the first day I ever tracked a car...big mistake, big....

blake

Thanks Pete. I remember when Dell was attached to the Nittos. If memory serves me, the only problem with the Nittos is the sizing... Ideally, I'd like to try a set of each brand this summer and pick a favorite...

What tire sizes are you running for the track? I'd prefer to stay stock with the wheels...

Thanks,
-Blake

multi21

Here's the thing, with the Nittos I ran 245 up front and 315 in the rear. I know it sounds too wide, but I never had an issue with rubbing ect. and boy did I love having the extra wide rubber in the rear.

With the R888, I went the more conservative route. I have 245 in the front, but the stock 295/30/18 on the rear. It doesn't fill out the wheel well and I believe I could have gone to a 305 without an issue.

All this on stock GT3 wheels.

LVDell

Blake, you are right.....I loved the Nitto's and would 100% rec'd them to anyone. I ran the 245/315 combo and it fit just fine. Never had a rubbing issue except the front at full lock. Great grip, FANTASTIC communication, and more importantly, you can control the tire very well. And for those of you on a budget (like we all aren't ) the Nitto will be great all the way to the cords! I got 40+ HC's out of them.


Then I made the mistake of sampling the crack.....Hoo Hoo Dear Lord in heaven, the grip was worth a couple seconds a lap but the cost for a set was a bit more and the life was less than half of the Nitto's.


Since then I have decided to move to slicks. I haven't run a new set of slicks yet but ran a set of year old scrubs last weekend and the scrub slicks make the R6's look like the R6's made the Nitto's look.

My advice? Don't sample the crack if you don't want to get hooked since there is NO turning back.


Here is my tire progression over the last year and half and fast times at VIR on that tire:
1st season (Fall 2006)
235/295 PS2's
2:12 (IIRC)

2nd, 3rd season (Spring, Summer 2007)
245/315 Nitto NT01
2:09.9

4th season (Fall 2007)
245/315 Hoosier R6
2:06.1

5th season (Spring 2008 1 event)
230/280 Yokohama Advan Slicks (used scrubs for 1 event)
2:04.8

245/305 Pirelli P0 Slicks (starting next event indefinitely)
???

DRG13

Dell,

Can you be more specific on the P0 slicks..I'm seeing D3, D4, D5, D6 etc...

-Dan

doc2s

i have a set of used r888 in 245/40/18 and 305/35/18 that i will sell cheap if you want to try out the r888 and judge for yourself.