85Gold

No Bueller here but NT01 are famous/infamous for being really sucky until they get a couple of heat cycles on them.

I would start out at 30 to 32 psi cold and drive the crap out of them to get them hot and keep the max pressure under 40 psi hot.

Peter

deputydog95

Mine were great right from get go. Maybe you got a bad batch that wasn't stored properly and the rubber has gone bad.

I start at 30 all the way around. Get 5-6 good laps, come in hot, and adjust. They're usually perfect for the rest of the weekend so long as ambient temps don't flux. I shoot for 36F 38R.

Nitto is now pushing for heat cycling if you can do it and letting them set for at least 24 hours. I just bought my second set and put one easy session on them this weekend since I still had life in my first set. Now they sit.

Vonschmidt

I have run the nt01 for 51 heat cycles on my GT2. Great tires. Run 27/26 cold temp.

Jas0nn

Bumping an old thread, but it seemed relevant ...

I've been running NT01's on my 2450 RSR look track rat (245/315). Before this weekend, I was adjusting pressures @ 36 psi hot across all corners.

This weekend at WGI, I finally got a hold of a pyrometer and saw the middle of the tires running hotter than the outsides, so I lowered pressures 2 psi at a time until they were relatively even across the tire (between 30-32 hot).

But here's the issue: I'm only getting 125 (less in front, ~117) degrees of heat into the tires. The car is definitely being driven hard (but there's also more to strive towards). Should I consider lowering the pressures further?

deputydog95

That's about right. I don't get mine that much hotter and my car is heavier. I was concerned a bit too as they have an operating range up to 150 if I'm not mistaken. But they work really really well.

Don't go lower on those temps. Leave it be.

What's your alignment specs?

TXE36

Perhaps of dubious value in this thread, but here are my observations of Nitto NT-05s vs the old Dunlop Star Specs. Car is in the avatar.

PSI Hot: 40 in the SS, 35 in the Nitto NT-05s

Front Camber of -3 degrees was perfect for the SS, not enough for the NT-05s. I get outside shoulder wear with the NT-05s that I didn't get with the SS.

The sidewalls of the NT-05s are very firm. I caught a nail in one and didn't realize it until I was prepping the car and found the tire pressure had dropped to 15 PSI - the tire didn't look low at all.

One thing I really like about the NT-05s - they are cheap. 235/40-17s are $138 and can be had for $130 with a little bargaining. Dunlop has gotten way to proud of their Star Specs.

-Mike

JackOlsen

Yes.

It's a tricky thing to make blanket statements about ideal pressures, because ambient/track temps will make a difference in your target.

My car is about 2400 pounds wet. On a recent track session with 73° air temp and 93° track-surface temps, I was getting my best lap times with the NT01s at 21/29 hot (F/R), with inside temps hitting 170°/190° (outside parts of the tread were 25° cooler).

85Gold

^ Lighter cars with big rubber can definitely run lower pressures than a heavy car and if you are only getting to 120 degrees hot then your are leaving grip on the table at that low temp. My 6GT3 runs 36 front and 38 rear hot, I start at 30#'s cold. and my rear temps get to around 200 with the fronts around 180.

Peter

Jas0nn

Jack - I was hoping you would chime in, thanks!

At first glance, that seems quite low - but I know you have the experience with these tires in a very similar car, so I'll give a shot (slowly) my next track day and report back.

Just so I'm clear: when you mention inside temps v. outside parts of the tread, you're talking about the surface temp v. deeper in the rubber itself, right?

JackOlsen

Surface temp, measured witha probe type pyrometer.

JackOlsen

Inside and outside refers to which shoulder of the tire.

deputydog95

That's weird. I run 32-34 hot. Sometimes a little more. -2.5 front and -2 rear.

Take back what I said earlier about my temps. Re read my original emails to nitto. I was seeing 175/150, rear to front. Temps are even across the tread block.

Never got close to optimal temps, even after hot laps. Lap times are good so the tires are being driven hard.


Here's what the email from nitto said when I asked about my temps being lower than optimal:




For tire pressures, we've found the NT01 likes hot pressures in the high 30s. Your starting cold pressures would depend on how much your tire pressures grow on track.

We would recommend performing an initial heat cycle prior to hard competition use. Gradually bring the tires up to their optimal operating temperature, between 185 and 220 degrees F. Then gradually bring them down in temperature and let them sit overnight. They should be ready to go the next day. We'd also recommend a camber angle between -2.5 and -5.0 degrees.

Beantown Kman

I shoot for 36 - 38 hot on my Cayman. At 40 they are greasy. They need negative camber. -2.5 is minimum.

TomGT3

Have you ever tried the front at a lower pressure (32-34 hot)? That is what I am usually at. Not sure if it matters, but it is on a short track (NHMS 1.6 miles). I have 2.7 camber front, rear is 2.5, What is yours set at?

I'll have to try the higher pressure next week at Lime Rock an see how it feels.

Jack667

Are some of you guys driving your car to the track on these NT01s? I'm looking for a tire to take me to/from tracks that are 1-2 hours away for DE events. Seems like NT01s might be the way to go.