Well on an Audi it doesn’t make sense, because traction isn’t a huge issue. But with a 550+hp rwd car, you’re not going to have a good time with street tires at the strip. Spinning down the entire strip is no fun
^^^ agreed on the flex…although plenty of cars shear driveshafts/yokes/axles with enough hook. Anyway, I don’t see the point of running street tires at the strip, just to lose a second, for the typical RWD 600 hp cars. Example, IIRC my bro’s street-driven '94 GT does a 12.1 at 121 on streets, 11.1 at 122 on drags. Any car he’s had faster than that, he’s never run on street tires at the track…
Also why I went down to an 18" tire for our face-off…RWD vs Quattro, I lost less than a car length at the launch.
For the $1000+ you pay for a pair of R888s in 305, with a 100 treadwear rating, you could have had a pair drag radials AND wheels. Sell them when you’re done with the car.
The pic at the top gave me lulz, since it looks like he’s running all seasons in front, and a (edit) R-compound out back. I’d pick him to be first in the ditch.
fixed that for you
:-p
He will get a solid 7000 miles out of a set of r888’s. One of the big reasns guys run them over NT-05’s, which are a 4000 mile tire
How are they when cold? R-comp tires are usually horrible cold. I wouldn’t want my braking distance drastically increased during the first 20 minutes of my drive in case some dumbass cuts me off or whatever.
They warm up once you’ve driven 5 km or so, just from flex…they are just a little more ‘fun’ the first few clicks. Even at 5C, within a lap they are very predictable.
Car I drove last week had online tire temp for all 4 tires. at -2 they were up to 20 degrees C after 5 min.
Well usually you just run the sticky tires in the back. Then a good summer tire in the front.
Basically making a stoplight racer…yeah, maybe why I don’t think much of it, not really my style.
Please explain ngng to a newb…some sort of self-proclaimed internet track star? Kinda scared to know since apparently I like his choice in tires.
ngng was a lame scammer, worked with PES (or was it VF) to promote their crappy supercharger, scammed his insurance company to get OEM RS4 widebody on his S4, and yes, pretty-much self-proclaimed superstar.
Anyway, I’m not sure why this thread got so side-tracked. Bora initially asked about tire size for better STREET traction (from re-reading his original post). Somehow, the thread went on a tangent to the point where we’re discussing drag radials.
I don’t think anyone here is debating the benefits of drag radials at the track. If you want to spend the money, lug them around, spend time at the track mounting them and so forth, sure, you’ll get a better time (albeit unrealistic compared to your street trim but that neither here nor there).
However, from what I understand (and agree with saki on this), why run drag radials or R-comp tires all summer long, including on the street (which the car will be on 99% of the time). It’s a powerful luxury car, not a dragster.
It was mentioned it only takes a few laps on the track for the tires mentioned to warm up. Well, how many city stop and go traffic lights is that? I’m guessing they’d never warm up at all (at least not to within a sticky temp) driving in 5c weather in the city.
Just saying…
No street tire will get him the traction he is looking for. They WILL all spin. He NEEDS an r-compund to get traction on the street. Such as the R888
Good times at the track is a different story. Even the R888 will be marginal at the dragstrip, because it’s too stiff.
Fair enough. So how long, if ever, would an R888 take to warm up to the point of actually having better traction than a max performance street tire in stop and go city traffic?
Like I said,
That’s good enough temp to have better traction than a max performance tire.
Anyhoo, I’ve driven many many miles on Dunlop Z1s on various RWD cars, RE-11s on my S4, and RA1s on my NSX. BUT - I’ve already stepped down in dry traction to the Conti DW, and likely I’ll go to the PSS in the future for street wheels. There’s other compromises with more committed tires which aren’t on the spec sheet:
-flat spotting after being parked (some even for a day)
-noise noise noise which only gets worse and possibly unbearable as they wear
-uneven wear (and not just inside to outside, near the end of the life they can just wear out-of round), heat cycling (which can make the tires harder than street tires well before they are worn).
-glass temps which will ruin an R-compound at any speed below -5 deg C
Tires will always be a compromise, and you’ll constantly be reminded of the sacrifices you made in any scenario. I just can’t see the scenario where I need to cut a 1.6 60’ on the street, and I’ve driven RWD cars many miles with stock 400 hp, 483 hp, 493 hp, 612 hp and 618 hp…never did I feel i needed an R-compound, and none of them had more than a 285 rear.
I had some poor luck with my Hankook RS3s in colder weather (50*F or so). No braking traction resulted in my locking all 4 wheels and leaving 4 ~100ft strips. Avoided the accident but it was close.
The high HP GTR’s run either R888 or a DR full time on the street. If anyone remembers the Switzer 1k GTR that was at the strip running 9’s passes with 1000hp… He was running R888… I know it’s an AWD system but he’s putting twice the horse power down to the wheels…
How could we forget that gtr.
As for tyres at the strip, I see the idea of drag radials, esp if it helps to avoid breakage of things. It’s just not for me.
im thinking at this time that i will go with r888’s in the rear and PSS in the front.
i have no choice but to go 10cm wider in the rear so ill go 295/30 19 instead of 285/30 19
I have already accepted the fact that i mat go through 1 set of rears per summer. maybe 1.5 and thats fine.
if the r888 end up being too slick for DD use ill go back to PSS. Trial and error i guess.
And if i can ill get 2 rear drag radials for the track.
Unlike taking rear seats or doors off, You just cant put the power down on the track with these cars unless you have PROPER tires.
Does it represent the times i would get on the road? no. Reality is a toyota yaris could possibly beat me from a dig if i cant get traction on street tires (PSS at least, will see how the r888 work out)
Does that make the yaris a faster car? Is the power of both cars properly represented?
Now from a rolling start thats a whole different ball game. (as long as it rolling faster than 45 mph’ish )
As the Pirelli commercial used to say “Power is nothing without control”
If you do R888 in the rear and PSS in the front dont ever drive in snow or rain, unless you want to die! ;D
Snow I don’t need to worry. Rain well… I’ll go nice and slow lol
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What are you rocking for winters,?