Matt Romanowski

I searched a lot of people seem to like this tire. We're going to get a set for our 914 (225/45-15). Do they need to be shaved to 3/32? The Nitto tech support was less than decisive with their help. The car is about 2100lbs with a stock 3 liter for motivation. It works tires, but not nearly as hard as a newer car. Thanks!

d15b7

hi. You don't need to shave them (they have massive treadblocks). they won't chunk, no matter how rough you are on them. I run them in Limited FWD Time Attack on my Honda Civic. it weighs 2400 lbs with me in it, and makes 385 whp on 225-50-15 Nitto NT01. we don't shave them, and they don't chunk.

that being said, I'm about 1.5 sec faster on Hoosiers than the Nittos (but Hoosier isn't allowed in Limited class).

Todd
ReidSpeed

Matt Romanowski

Cool. I'll buy them full tread!

J richard

Yup full tread is just fine, you can use all the gooey goodness...

mglobe

I suspect the opinions about there being no need to shave the NT01's are correct, but has anyone actually tested this out? Do we know that they are not any faster shaved to 3/32' or 2/32's or are we all just looking at the tire and saying "it shouldn't matter"?

pmason

I have ran a set with no problem full tread, I have a second set full tread that I only ran one session so far and no problems.

MelanomaMan

Anecdotally, faster shaved for me. If I want a longer lasting practice set I'll go full tread, and yes still slower than hoo hoo's

Deadeye

If used for a DE tire no need to shave. You should get a full season out of a set with Chiquita.

JackOlsen

It's a good question.

The generally held opinion is that the NT01 is an (old-formula) RA-1 that you don't need to shave. I think it's an interesting question as to whether they'd be faster shaved -- I suspect the answer is yes, even if slightly. But then, the tire isn't at its fastest on its first few heat cycles when it's not shaved -- just like the old RA-1, which kept getting faster as it ate through its tread. I think the question would be whether a shaved new set of NT01s would be as fast as an unshaved set that were 50% through their lifespan.

The problem is that most drivers who are willing to go through the hassle of shaving in order to gain a few tenths are not usually going to be the same drivers who are going to run NT01s, since it's a compromise tire under the best of circumstances.

Full disclosure: I run them and like them. I've never shaved a set of NT01s, although I ran RA1s both unshaved and shaved back in the day.

utkinpol

nt01 and RA1 canot be same - i run nt01 fronts with ra1 and nt01 is way softer then ra1. also wears off faster. ra1 tire unshaved is a pain, it skips in a sweeper, nt01 is solid enouth new but now at 2/32th it is very nice and predictable in a slide and you can hear them very well too when ylou get close to overdriving them. I like them a lot, those are good tires but i do not think they same same formula with ra1, it does not seem like it, neither by touch or by grip.

JackOlsen

Complicating matters is the fact that it seems as though Toyo/Nitto has reconfigured the RA1 in the course of bringing it back from retirement. Its replacement was supposed to be the R888. But that tire was so widely hated that the decision was made to bring back the RA1. Problem is, the newer RA1s seem to be a thinly disguised R888. Oddly, the NT01 appears to be the only way to get the 'good old RA1.'

But you're right. When the RA1 (of either generation) is unshaved, its first few heat cycles are wiggly and strange.

J richard

I've run both NT01 and RA1 both shaved and unshaven. Big difference on the RA1 full tread, no noticeable difference for the Nitto other than they wore out faster being shaved...

I haven't run a new set of NT01s recently, but I have the RA1, on both the 944 and the boxster, they feel very similar and behave in the same predictable manner as the old tire.

I got my last set about the beginning of the year, hard to say if the were an irradiated set or not...

JackOlsen

My information is second-hand, so take it accordingly. But the new RA1's bad characteristics are in the second half of its lifespan, when the old ones were getting better and better.

And even if the compound has changed since the tire's been introduced, I would guess that a lot of the stock in the pipeline is original.

But again, on this issue I'm just reporting what I've heard. So if someone out there knows I'm mistaken, please let me know.

Erik911RS

[QUOTE=JackOlsen;9754508]My information is second-hand, so take it accordingly. But the new RA1's bad characteristics are in the second half of its lifespan, when the old ones were getting better and better.


I agree with Jack's statement on the newer RA1s. The recent set I was using compared the set previously went to dog poop pretty quick when usually the grip level would pick up at that same life cycle. It was like I was on ice skates and there was still tread grooves showing. Both started life shaved.

The older set I had made it to the point it was like a slick tire and still going with tons of grip. I set some of my best times ever with those tire, they were unbelievable.

Of course I am the guy that still cannot figure out why I can go faster on RA1s than I can trying Hoosiers for the first few time, so maybe its just me...

Veloce Raptor

New RA1's are most definitely different than old RA1's, especially in the second half of their (now-shortened) lifespan.