Advan A050 - is it really that good?

[deviant]

Since when? The A6 is a DOT marked tyre.

[zossy1]

Since when? The A6 is a DOT marked tyre.

The DOT refers to the United States Department of Transportation. It has nothing to do with our road rules.

Guran has already quoted the regs which are clear:

Road Tyres means tyres of the treaded type which, when fitted to the vehicle, will permit it to be registered for normal road use in New South Wales. To be considered as a treaded type, except at tread wear indicators, a tyre fitted to the vehicle must have a moulded tread pattern at least 1.5 millimetres deep in a band that runs continuously across the tyre width that normally comes into contact with the road, and around the whole circumference of the tyre. Excluded specifically from this definition of Road Tyres, are Race Tyres.

Schedule 2, Clause 56 of the Road Transport (Vehicle Registration) Regulation 2007 sets out the requirements for a road legal tyre in NSW, which IIRC is pretty much consistent with all other states:

56 Tyre tread

(1) A tyre on a motor vehicle must not have cleats or other gripping devices that could damage road surfaces.
(2) Except at tread wear indicators, a tyre fitted to the vehicle must have a tread pattern at least 1.5 millimetres deep in a band that runs continuously:
(a) across the tyre width that normally comes into contact with the road, and
(b) around the whole circumference of the tyre.
(3) A vehicle must not be fitted with a tyre that has been treated by recutting or regrooving the tread rubber, unless the tyre was:
(a) constructed with an extra thickness of rubber designed for recutting or regrooving, and
(b) labelled to indicate the construction.

[MattR]

Since when? The A6 is a DOT marked tyre.

Seppo DOT markings mean nothing here, and the A6 is not a street legal tyre in the US despite the DOT approval. There is a reason why the A6 is called a cheater tyre both here and the States

[madjak]

What pressures are people running the Advan A050 at? I was running them very low at my last track day and they have scrubbed the edges of the treads quite badly. I was running 24psi. I did lift them up a bit but my run at a higher pressure was slower.

You talking hot or cold?

Hot at the time... I ran them this weekend at 27psi (hot) and they seamed to perform ok. Much shorter track through so it's hard to tell as they didn't get as hot. I also added a lot more camber to the front which is helping.

I was just wondering what others are running as a starting point, as other cars are running these 32 + Psi and with some (a westfield) running them at 18! Recommended is 30-34 but then the site says as low as 20 depending on car.

[Charlie Brown]

Digging up an old thread to report on the A050’s.

After 8 events over 7 months, they have reached the end of their life. I can still see a tread pattern but unlike the V70a’s that got better with almost zero tread, the A050’s have lost their grip, about 0.5 seconds a lap at EC South circuit.

I found the A050 to be about a second a lap quicker on the South circuit and half a second quicker at Wakefield than the V70a.

Tyre pressure wise, I initially ran them at 30 – 31psi hot but after discussions with Gorden Levin dropped them back to 29psi. So cold start pressure was 24psi and then adjust after the first run.

If you can’t stump up the big money for the A050’s, the Advan AD08R is another option at around the same price as the V70a’s with lap times that would get pretty close to the V70a and will last a little longer.

[manga_blue]

x2. My experience with a modded NA8 on A050s exactly matches on Charlie Brown's experience with them on his NC, even down to the same lap time improvements and that tendency to go off a bit with age/wear. I also start them at 24psi cold and keep watching them so they come up to 29-30psi hot.

[madjak]

I'm onto my second set now.

First set lasted around 14 months and 12 events, with some tread left on two of them. The grip levels definitely went down a little at the end. The new tyres are much grippier and I've now run another 5 events on them. In the series I run, 75% of the cars run the A050 softs and I think it's pretty clear that they are the top tyre to run.

I think they are a little sensitive to heat cycling.... I overheated my first set on the first event I ran them. It was 38 degrees and the rubber was rolling off them but man they were grippy!

I find I'm quickest at around 24 PSI hot and I get excellent wear at that pressure. I usually start the day at 24 PSI cold and work my way down. My car is around 920kgs though so it's probably lighter than most.

[greenMachine]

Soft compound?!

I am about 20,000kms from my track tyres right now*, but I am fairly sure that my 50s are M compound. IIRC, when I was running Dunlops S compound was for hillclimbs, or wets for the circuit. With the heat over there, I would have thought Ms were the go ...



*OK, I am skiting , but I have to say that the Italian lakes area has some great MX5 roads, though only seen one, an NB with the top down of course!.

[rascal]

Soft compound?!

I think madjaks sig suggests some hill climb usage, which would explain the softs.

I am about 20,000kms from my track tyres right now*,

Wow, you must do a lot of road Kms on your track tyres.

If i can manage 2000km out of a set of my track tyres then I'm happy.. (sprint events not hillclimbs) and that's to the cords..

[Charlie Brown]

*OK, I am skiting , but I have to say that the Italian lakes area has some great MX5 roads, though only seen one, an NB with the top down of course!.

The only Mx-5s I saw in Italy were a couple of brand new NC’s on a car transporter.

There definitely are some great roads but when you’re there to see the sights it’s a bit hard to take advantage of them. At least the Italians drive at a reasonable pace and generally have a bit of courtesy to change into slow lanes as faster cars approach.

[Okibi]

On my 3rd set of A050s (all medium), can't really compare them to any other tyre it's been too long since i've used another make/model and those were cactus when I was given them.

The A050 seem to be the most competitive tyre for our club level motorsport (sprints / autokhana). I've found if I start getting the car really loose and keep the boot in then they seem to get greasy (so that lap time goes from bad to worse). I think I got about 9 events out of the last set and they were shagged when I was done.

[madjak]

Yeah softs... the speed events I do are max 3 laps at Barbagallo long track plus a fairly fast warm up. On the 35degree days they start getting too hot on the last lap. I often go out do a quick lap, back off and treat the next as a cool down and then one final fast lap.

For the hill climb sprints etc the softs are easily the best where you are starting on cold tyres.

One thing a few of the other drivers have noticed, the softs can last longer than the mediums if you don't mistreat them. They are very grippy and dont slide as much as the mediums. I've never tried the mediums though.

So far this year i've won my class by under 0.1 of a second 3 times so I need all the grip I can get. Every event i've been behind and on the last run I drop a few more PSI (24hot) and get that extra 0.3 off my time.