Trackday tyres - what to get?

[Duce]

hi

Can anyone recommend reasonably priced tyres ideal for a track day?

I've been recommended the new Toyo 888r's but they don't seem to do them in 205/45/16

 

[stu8v]

Use 15" wheels as you will get a greater choice, they mostly come in motorsport optimised sizes.

 

[PYE21]

Ive just bought some 15's because you carn't get any decent trackday tyres for reasonable money (less than £160 a corner) for 16inch wheels.

 

[Gary G]

Dont tell him that.....he's buying my bloody wheels!! *runs to find good track rubber in 205/45/16* lol

 

[GordonD]

I thought a good idea would be to get a set of 21"/530mm diameter racing tyres for my occasional playing around out on the track. Sure, it would lower the gearing, but who actually gets up around 240 km/h on the track. The 20 km/h that smaller diameter tyres would knock off the theoretical top speed isn't used. And that smaller diameter would lower the car another inch and improve its handling.

The problem I found was that I could only find 21"/530mm diameter tyres to fit 13" wheels. You'd think the racing tyre companies would realise you can always put a bigger diameter wheel on a car, but you can't fit a smaller diameter wheel on over your brakes, and make all their tyres in low profiles to suit large diameter wheels. But, that I can see, they don't seem to.

Unless someone who has seen a tyre company selling, say, a 7.2/21.0x15 tyre or its metric equivalent.

 

[stu8v]

200/580/15

200mm width
580mm diameter
15" rim

 

[Duce]

DOH! my research technique is slightly backward!

what will i be paying for 15" trackday rubber?

 

[Duce]

However - Gary's wheels look damn nice and i think will add to my stealth all black look on the track

 

[Lunner]

Can get some decetn dry weather 15" tyres for £15 a corner, how ever the more sensible option is to simply use your old road tyres, much cheaper and you can use 16's then.

I have a set of illegial eagle F1's and they have lasted me bruntingthorpe, Ty Croes and Donnington, although they were a bit fucked at Donnington

 

[y0z2a]

Best 16" trackday tyre by far is the Yokohoma Parada.

/y0z

 

[Duce]

Nice one mate, just what i wanted to hear

they should last many many track days

next q - where's the best place to buy them?? i've just checked mytyres and it doesn't seem they stock them.......

 

[Guy]

i went into local motorworld and blagged the paradas for 70 quid a corner for my 182.

theyre about 78 on the motorworld chavvy kroozin website i think - cheapest place i could find them though!

rang toyo and they had no plans of bringign the r888 in 182 sizes
yoko a048 etc arent available in the right size either i dont think..

 

[George k]

As far as I can discover the only genuine track tyres in 205/45x216 are Kumho Ecsta V70A and Hankook RS2. The latter are quite hard and so should be good for long runs, but do not warm up quickly enough for sprints. I shall be up at Autosport International and shall visit all likely contenders. If you go onto the Tirerack, a US site, they recommend that most of these tyres are buffed down to 3-4 mm for dry use, as by reducing the heat build up they do not chunk or tear so easily.

 

[y0z2a]

V70A's are good, BUT... they fall to bits if you get the pressures wrong.

/y0z

 

[George k]

So what pressures do you recommend for the V70A?

 

[y0z2a]

I run on the 15" and when hot on circuit, 30.5 or 31 psi all round.

phenominal performance.

depends as to which circuit, as they can get very very hot very quickly - you have to keep a close eye on them. At Llandow I got a front up to 48 psi from 27psi cold - within about 6 laps...

/y0z

 

[George k]

Thanks very much - most of my runs are between 55 and 65 seconds so there is not a lot of time for heat build up. Do you think it is worth buffing the V70A to reduce heat build up?

 

[Adams_16v]

y0z whats the best tyre in 15" mate?

 

[modifiedmadness]

Just got sum 195/50 R15 Avon ZZR's on mine. They feel real sticky, but with a minimal tread pattern... prob not a good choice for the winter.

 

[miketheman2k]

i went into local motorworld and blagged the paradas for 70 quid a corner for my 182.

theyre about 78 on the motorworld chavvy kroozin website i think - cheapest place i could find them though!

Thanks for the tip, I've been looking for a retailer for these Free delivery too!

 

[Guy]

they came within 3 days to my local motorworld

reason i got the money off was cos im a member of a local car club and they said they would give us club discount.
so i said if he does me them for the right price i'll order 4. he said 70 is the cheapest he can do them for, which i was happy with as saw them on some websites for 80/90+!

could always go in there and try and ask about cliosport club discount? just pretend halfords/the motorworl in the next town are prepared to give you CS discount.. he he

 

[y0z2a]

They do not come with a lot of tread anyhow...

It will reduce the heat build up, but not by much on a 60 second run. The more heat you get into the V70 the better it grips.

maybe just run the tyre for a day before your event to try and take some of the surface off?

/y0z

Thanks very much - most of my runs are between 55 and 65 seconds so there is not a lot of time for heat build up. Do you think it is worth buffing the V70A to reduce heat build up?

 

[y0z2a]

y0z whats the best tyre in 15" mate?

Kumho V70's are pretty good at £60 a corner on 205 50? or 55? 15
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup - £175 a corner
Yokohoma A048 R

All of these are great, the Michelin would be my prefered tyre however but is very expensive.

I also like the Yokohoma A539 but it is more of a road tyre and has a tendancy to melt a little bit when the going gets really really tough.

/y0z