Need a new track tyre...

chrons_rotary · Postby **chrons_rotary** » Fri Jun 24, 2016 3:06 am

So my 205/50/15 NT01 are starting to get low and I have been looking at replacing them in the not too distant future.
The NT01 seem to be a good lasting tyre (so far lasted 12+ months of hillclimbs + the occasional supersprint) and reasonably quick.

I have 15x9 wheels and will ideally be looking for 225/45/15 to suit my needs.
Currently running ~2.5* neg camber all round, in an NA8 that makes around 280whp, weight would be a little less than standard.
I am currently running in Type 4, which does let me run slicks, and am planning to do 8-10 hillclimbs + 3-4 supersprints a year.
Ideally would need to be reasonably grippy from cold for the hillclimbs, but not wear out quickly doing supersprints.
Would be nice if they lasted a full season.

I have been looking at Hankook Z214 in medium for my next tyre.
Hoosiers would be nice, but not sure how long they would last.
I know the Yokohama A050 is popular, but I don't want to have to run the 225/50 with the taller sidewall, as I would run into scrubbing problems, and would raise the CG.

Let me know what your experience is with your track tyres, and any recommendations would be great.

rascal · Postby **rascal** » Fri Jun 24, 2016 9:31 am

chrons_rotary wrote:Ideally would need to be reasonably grippy from cold for the hillclimbs, but not wear out quickly doing supersprints.

The above two wants are almost mutually exclusive... You'd need to run softs to have them warm up quickly but softs wont last on a supersprint. (unless you are WTAC and have a $10K per day tyre budget to run one lap and ditch them)
Decide which is more important , hillclimbs or sprints, and choose softs or mediums to suit.

chrons_rotary wrote:I know the Yokohama A050 is popular, but I don't want to have to run the 225/50 with the taller sidewall, as I would run into scrubbing problems, and would raise the CG.

just for reference, the actual width of a 205/50 A050 is only 8mm narrower than a 225/45 NT01 so these may be an option.
Also 215/50/15 A050s are wider than 225/45 NT01s and only 6mm less radial clearance in the arches.
The A050s are noticeably quicker than an NT01.

manga_blue · Postby **manga_blue** » Fri Jun 24, 2016 10:16 am

I've used Yokie A050 in both soft and medium. The softs were pretty grippy right from the start and , very strangely, lasted better than the mediums. I can't figure why - maybe lower slip angles?

rascal · Postby **rascal** » Fri Jun 24, 2016 10:23 am

manga_blue wrote:I've used Yokie A050 in both soft and medium. The softs were pretty grippy right from the start and , very strangely, lasted better than the mediums. I can't figure why - maybe lower slip angles?

Maybe you're not driving hard enough Phil... :lol:

Dan · Postby **Dan** » Fri Jun 24, 2016 10:45 am

manga_blue wrote:I've used Yokie A050 in both soft and medium. The softs were pretty grippy right from the start and , very strangely, lasted better than the mediums. I can't figure why - maybe lower slip angles?

I had a similar experience with Hankook Z221 softs, I did 10 days and they still had enough tread on them for another couple of days but I replaced them because they were past their prime speed wise.

On topic I have run a fair few sets of Hankook Z221's which I think share the same compound as the Z214 - I ran Soft Z221's on my Evo X and on my MX5 I've used a set of medium Z221's, a set of soft Z221's and am back on a set of Medium Z221's coming off NT01's before I got any Hankook's.

All of the Hankook's heated up pretty quickly, in warm weather they were almost good enough to go full pelt after the first couple of corners at Wakefield but the speed dropped off pretty dramatically with the softs after 4 track day and they also took longer to heat up as they got older whereas the Mediums seem to keep their speed more consistently across the life without the huge cliff drop in performance the softs got (the soft's performance plateau seemed to be around the 6th day). I don't think any of the Hankooks were any worse than the NT01's in getting heat into them so if you are happy with the NT01's for hillclimbs I think you'd be happy with a set of Z221 mediums from that perspective.

Hankook also sell a true slick in the form of the F200 if you want that, Gary's Motorsport Tyres who are the dealer could probably answer questions comparing them since they go to motorsport events (I usually would say to ask Dean Evans at Hankook but I understand he's left now).

Hankook have a good guide which has graphs of surface tempratures to aid with compound selection as well http://www.competitiontyres.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Hankook-Handbook.pdf

manga_blue · Postby **manga_blue** » Fri Jun 24, 2016 11:03 am

rascal wrote:
manga_blue wrote:I've used Yokie A050 in both soft and medium. The softs were pretty grippy right from the start and , very strangely, lasted better than the mediums. I can't figure why - maybe lower slip angles?

Maybe you're not driving hard enough Phil...

That's always been my problem, Russell. :roll:

I do suspect that when I was using softs I was steering the car a lot more than drifting it though. In any case the softs were a few tenths quicker.

The American · Postby **The American** » Fri Jun 24, 2016 2:50 pm

I've been running 205/50/15 A050 Medium compound, in street sprints and hillclimbs. I plan to go to softs for the next full set.

On Mediums, I'm grip limited in first and second for cold launches, and under braking I'm only just getting to the limit of the tyres since upgrading the pads.

I tend to run 25/26 cold which lands me at 30psi back in the pits. I'm running 2.5 camber front and rear, and wearing the insides quicker than the outsides at both ends (which I find surprising - maybe the runs are not long enough to get mediums hot enough to stick)

zossy1 · Postby **zossy1** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 9:04 pm

The A050 would be my choice. The Hankook semi as about as quick out of the box but will cycle out faster.

The COG change from 45 to 50 sidewall is minor. They may rub but that can be remedied. I'd try the Mediums first as they *should* last longer (in spite of Phil's experience). They warm up quickly and grip like mad from stickers to cords.

Hooiser radial slicks are quicker for a few cycles but then come back to A050 grip levels, whilst being tougher to warm up. Great tyre though.

I've never tried Hankook slicks but they have a fantastic reputation.

RS2000 · Postby **RS2000** » Sun Jun 26, 2016 9:00 pm

Anyone tried the new Toyo R888R yet?

StillIC · Postby **StillIC** » Mon Jun 27, 2016 9:06 am

I absolutely agree with rascal and zossy1. rascal gave a great answer, I think.

I have used A050 softs in a supersprint on a front drive car; they were perfect for the back axle, terrible for the front, as I destroyed them in less than one event. I would avoid A050 softs on the MX5 for supersprinting also, as the A050 mediums get up to temperature in a few minutes and grip "from stickers to cords" to quote zossy1.

R888s are an ancient tyre that were not the best when released to the market, although they were not bad, IMHO. I used to run Toyo RA1s about 12 years ago, which I read were made from the same compound as the R888s. They were acceptable, but no quicker than comparable Yokos (A008, A048), Dunlops or Bridgestones. The Yoko A050 have moved the world on since then.

RS2000 · Postby **RS2000** » Mon Jun 27, 2016 9:57 am

R888R's look totally different to R888's.
Gordon Levin Motorsport Tyres rep reckons only a smidgen slower than AO50's, but cheaper. They sell both.
Anyone tried them?

chrons_rotary · Postby **chrons_rotary** » Mon Jun 27, 2016 1:40 pm

Thanks for the replies guys.
I will probably end up getting the A050 in 225/50 and deal with the clearance issue.

Zozzy I know you've got flares, but do you think it is possible to get the 225/50 under stock guards with a roll and pull?
Not sure what height I am running at, but I think it was around 115mm F, 120mm R, with 10kg/6kg springs and stock clubman sways.