Hi!

Any ideas what could be the best tires for autocrossing?

I have been looking at the Michelin CUP 225/40-18 and 285/30-19

/Adam

 

I concurr just go for it!

 

I got 255s on the front and 295s for the rear. Our group had a time adder for slicks, so I stopped using them and got used wide tires on ebay for a song......... The used tires had less tread so they were great to use, I could drive on the street with them and not sweat the police. Slicks had me changing wheels all the time like every weekend, had two groups I ran with, and no slicks ment that I did not have to pay LOTSS of money or take a hit for the time. Its all for fun and 800+ for slicks got to be silly, thats my thoughts..Wdy

 

If our wanting to run slicks I reccomend hoosier a6 295 30 19 rear and kumho 245 35 18 fronts. We tried the hoosier up front but without enough camber they cord quick. If you plan on running a mix of autocross and track I would try nitto nt01 235 40 18 front and toyo r888 295 30 19 rears. But for autocross the michelins dont really get up to temperature enough and dont not reccomend them
And if you decide to go with a street tire to drive the kumho xs 245 35 18 and 285 35 19 we found are great for concrete and all around a good tire

 

The stickiest street tires I've used are Kumho XS y Hankook RS-3. I didn't like the Pilot Sport Cups. Most R compound tires require -3º of camber on the front as a starting point so before considering R compound you'll need to buy something like KMAC's for the front.

I'll be using Hankook Z214's at my next event an I'll let you know what I learn. My car has -2.5º front camber and -1.5º rear camber as a starting point because that's what worked best with the Kumho's and Hankook street tires at the track.

Les

 

The z214 arent bad but with us only having -1.8 camber and 2 drivers they corded due to the heat. I would assume with that much camber and only 1 driver they would be great, which they were to me

 

BTW if your stuck on slicks, consider going 18 as you can rotate them and even the wear, the kumos corded due to camber quick. Woody

 

While slightly dated,
Hottest Autocross Tires for 2011 - Autocross.US Forums

First question to ask is if you want to be the fastest at any cost, or most bang for the buck, easiest to "get-there, race, and get-back-home".

Fastest: A6
I used Z214 C71 compound last year and they were great from the first run, but didn't last any longer than A6s (about 1 season, 1 driver, about 15 events, 8 runs/event, ~50 sec/run).

I'm convinced you can be competitive and still get a lot of life out of the tires if you drive smooth and smart (not over-driving corners).

And get the camber bolts for the front, and keep your tire pressure 36-40 psi.

Mike

 

I'll add my little snippet here. Some great info. from a well respected driver. No; not me,lol. Street Touring and Track Day Tire FAQ - UTQG 140+ | Facebook

 

Another snippet of useful information is tire pressures. Starting pressure depends on the time on track. I aim for 39 to 40 PSI hot. For runs of 5 minutes or more I start around 33 psi cold. For a real short run you will need to start closer to the final temperature you want. This applies to the Kumho XS and Hankook RS-3. I don't recommend the Yokohama Advan AD08 because they fall off when hot and even more after being half worn. The Kumho's and RS-3's stay good to their death beds and handle the tropic heat well. When new, the AD08 is excellent.

Les

 

Yes. I have to agree on the kumho Xs. We had these on concrete and got a lot of runs co-driving wih extreme heat. When they corded both sides corded at the same time at the end of their life

 

That's pretty much how I do it also Les, although I start a little higher(39)because I'm currently running RE-11's which like a little more pressure. For those that are trying out new(to them)tires and want to go to the ultimate effort in competition, the link I provided in my above post has a good tutorial How to determine best pressures. Just scroll all the way down to nearly the bottom of that commentary.

 

This crap "There are a variety of methods used by folks to determine the optimal pressure for competition use for a given tire. The most common method to "ask the experts" on the Internet. And while this can certainly get you in the ballpark, it is fraught with issues. Optimal pressure depends a lot on how your car is setup, the surfaces you run on and the weather. In particular, if you don't have optimal camber settings for your suspension, you'll need more air. Likewise, if yo are running on a smaller rim width or if your car is heavier, you'll need more air. So take everything you hear with a grain of salt and do your own testing." gets people involved in accidents, killed, or in lawsuits...

I suggest you Just say 'go with GOD' and whatever happens you hope you come out the other end alive. If you don't, OH WELL, I guess you went with God (maybe?)...

You see, EVERYONE (almost) on the internet is an 'EXPERT'...

 

You do understand we're talking about racing/autocrossing here on a closed track; right? Andy Hollis is indeed an expert, and a multiple National Solo Champion. Andy Hollis

 

Yes, I did miss the part about it being on a closed course, the reference I quoted pretty much says its all left to chance, or did I misread it?


Everyone should pay attention to waivers they sign when on private or commercial property. People like me who missed that part of the post might have not caught that. Thanks for the clarification.