[s-cars] what tires to get ?

[LL - NY]

IF your primary use of the tires is at the actual track events, and the
tires are used for untimed "transits" between venues (i.e. the transit times
don't count), then I would shave the tires, you may want to target around
4/32 or so. 3000# isn't THAT light, and the tread shoulders will quickly
wear (chunk) at full tread depth when running at the limit in the dry. To
help with the longevity of the tires and stabilize them, also consider the
TireRack heat cycling that they offer.

Compound is going to be strikingly important, especially in the wet at the
track, believe it or not, it'll trump tread depth/pattern until you hit
hydroplane speeds which isn't as much of an an issue until you hit standing
water. As to which TireRack tire is best at this that meets your criteria,
you're going to have to peruse all of their graphs and comparos that they
have listed in their website.

FWIW, I used their latest Max Performance Tire comparo (on their website) to
end up with the Eagle F1 GSD3's I have on the Saabaru (WRX with a pretty
face) and it was rated pretty highly in the wet in their tests. I found at a
Divisional autocross that the F1 GSD3s were awfully slick feeling at
competition speeds in heavy wet conditions on macadam (a bit grippier on
concrete) and control was knife edged. By comparision, the Avon Tech RA's I
ran in subsequent runs (they are essentially slick DOT-R's, with only 2
circumferal grooves for "tread", but they won't come close to your required
140 treadwear rating) were not only much faster (about 6 seconds on a 48
second course) but much easier to control. As an additional comparo done at
Road and Track on a Gen3 Miata  this summer/fallobserved, compounding
triumphs over tread pattern. You may also try to look up the Road and Track
comparo they did do with that Miata (assuming that your car is "similar").
They seem to have found that, other than the DOT-R's that they tested, that
the OEM tires were pretty hard to significantly beat (performance, lap
times) on at least, that particular car.

HTH,

LL - NY

On 3/23/07, MLP-S580 <mlped at qwet.net> wrote:
>
> Oh yes, with a bit of sleep now, some additional clarity, I hope, of
> thought.
>
> The other part of the question, at least, and maybe even more important as
> "What brand, and in what size?" is "should we consider having the set
> shaved?"
>
> By rules (see www.onelapofAmerica.com )the tires will be new, off
> TireRack's
> shelves, streetable, UTQG minimum Tread Wear 140 rating, tires wearing
> (depending on the tire) something between 10 to 11/32nds new
> rubber.  That's
> a lot of rubber.
>
> Bearing in mind the potential wet weather concerns, but vis-à-vis the
> somewhat limited vs. extensive highway miles to be driven~ should we
> consider asking for TireRack to shave the tires? If so, how much?  Down to
> @
> 5-6/32nds?
>
> Thoughtful replies will be appreciated.    ..... I'm afraid that
> "technical"
> questions dealing with shaving have been remarked upon as sending Baloney
> and Krasusky in to tizzies and off on tangents, usually chasing Senor
> Pizzo,
> but then I figure they'll pitch in any way  :-)
>
> Cheers
> mike
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: s-car-list On Behalf Of MLP-S580
>
> Ok, so it was decided over a margarita at lunch, we'll be doing the One
> Lap
> of America deal in May.  Tire rules provide:  1.  must be something sold
> by
> TireRack (so they can mark them); 2.  Tires must have a minimum UTQG wear
> rating of not less than 140; 3.  A team must get by on no more than six
> (6)
> total tires.   The "track" events will take place at @ 8 venues, connected
> by something like approximately 5,600 miles of driving
>
> 1.      Wet skid pad "race" at TireRack's testing facility in ?? Indiana;
> 2       1st track event at Autobahn Sports car track out side Chicago;
> 3       2nd event is, I believe a Mid-America Motorplex, @ 2.4-5 mile road
> course, in Pacific Junction, Iowa just outside of the Council Bluffs/Omaha
> area;
> 4       3rd Miller Motorsports track in Tooele, near Salt Lake City
> 5       Pueblo Motorsports track Pueblo, Colorado
> 6       Hallet Speedway in Oklahoma ~ a 2+ mile road course track
> 7       ?? Reilly something ~ this stage I believe will include drags
> 8       Mid-Ohio Track, finally finishing at
> 9       TireRack test facility, with, I think a final "dry" skid pad run.
>
> Car:  will be a fairly light (by Audi Standards) 3,000# rear wheel drive
> platform.  Not overpoweringly powerful either ~ maybe @ 170-180 SAE
> adjusted
> bhp at the rear wheels.  OTOH, while not very impressive in the engine
> compartment, the car can slow down & stop with the best of them.  In fact
> better than most.
>
> The OEM tire as fitted by the factory were 225/45 x 18's on 8" rims.
>
> We have several sets of 18 x 8.5" rims available.  We'll run same size
> tires
> front and rear.  In the past, the car has run:
> Michelin Pilot Sport Cups in 265/40 x 18 Dunlop SSR in 255/40 and 265/35
> x18
>
> The car is said to be capable of running tires as big as 285/35x18's.  I
> haven't run anything that big.  Frankly, I've never felt the car really
> has
> enough power to make use of the bigger x-section tires.
>
> Anyways' before calling up TireRack to order our allotted 10 tires, I
> thought I'd poll the list to see what, if anything you gurus think would
> be
> a good choice of tire.  Remember, there's a lot of driving that has to be
> done BETWEEN the scheduled track events; and in the past at least, we've
> been told there's been a lot of events that are subject to rain etc.
>
> Cheers
> Mike
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: s-car-list On Behalf Of LL - NY
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] what tires to get ?
>
> Same in NY (okay, lie, 58!)
>
> On 3/22/07, Bill Noland <wenoland at pacbell.net> wrote:
> >
> >  I think temperatures in the mid-30's are scary in their own right.
> > That is one of the reasons I live here on the Left Coast.
>
>
>