Another tire thread? come on! but.....looking for autoX / Street options

[misterpeanut]

Thanks for the quick reply Bill. Unfortunately for my 19" wheels they only offer a 265 or a 295. According to TireRack's test the Yoko Advan A052 is still a better performing tire and is available in 275/35. So I guess I'll go that route for now...

Does anyone give any real concern to TireRack's warning about these types of tires being exposed to temps of 20f and colder?

 

[JDee]

Does anyone give any real concern to TireRack's warning about these types of tires being exposed to temps of 20f and colder?

Yup.

 

[misterpeanut]

Bummer. I hope I'm not driving you guys nuts with dumb questions, but what would you recommend when daily driving in middle-Tennessee winters is a real thing? Unfortunately I don't have 2 sets of wheels. Currently I have Nitto NT555 G2 275/40r19 on the back and they are ok, but feel like they grip as well as a 500trw tire, not like the 320trw they claim to be.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Mister P, you listed you want something for the street and for some HPDEs, and frankly living 60 miles from Solo Nationals Concreteland, I agree A052s are killer rubber tubes, yet they wear faster than edible undies. They are the 200TWR standard bearer for Autocross right now, but for street or HPDEs you want something lasting longer.

Tough decision, but if you are looking for something to last you on both the track and street then you need something like the RS-4 or the Continental Force ( there should be sizes in 19s next year ). The other choices would be a Falken RT660 or a BFG Rival S 1.5 ( both in 275/19s ), and I
know Luke Pavlik ( ext. 4362 ) at TireRack , a track rat for over 20+years, recommended the BFG to quite a few folks wanting an autocross/track tire .

Lastly JDee is right, the tire's compounding is not conducive to cold weather and they will not heat up sufficiently making them slick on cold pavement -- not a pleasant situation for accelerating, turning or stopping! Good luck my friend and don't worry about asking questions here.

 

[67GTA]

Check out the Goodyear SuperCar 3’s as well (not 3R’s). 220TW that will hang with most of the 200TW tires for track days. They were designed as OE on the Camaros, so built for heavier cars.

 

[302BOB]

I hope I'm not driving you guys nuts with dumb questions,

MP, It's a short drive for most of us around here, so don't worry.......dumb questions are a dime a dozen......it's the smart ones that I worry about trying to answer.............

 

[EF1]

Thanks for the quick reply Bill. Unfortunately for my 19" wheels they only offer a 265 or a 295. According to TireRack's test the Yoko Advan A052 is still a better performing tire and is available in 275/35. So I guess I'll go that route for now...

Does anyone give any real concern to TireRack's warning about these types of tires being exposed to temps of 20f and colder?

tire rack gives the same generic warning about cold temps to all summer only tires. Look at the tire manufacturers warnings for the tires you are looking at. It is often a colder temp than what tire rack lists.

 

[misterpeanut]

Thanks guys, this is all really helpful. Yeah, the big concern with the winter temp warning was: "Flexing of the specialized rubber compounds used in Extreme Performance Summer tires during cold-weather use can result in irreversible compound cracking. Compound cracking occurs as the result of improper use or storage, and Goodyear's warranty specifically excludes tires exhibiting this condition from coverage. Any tires exhibiting compound cracking must be replaced."

My neighbor has a new Mach 1 with the Performance Pack which comes with the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, those look like they'd be sketchy in rain and the rubber is super soft, but I haven't seen any issues as he drives around in 20f deg. temps.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

I saw issues with Pilot Sport Cups on Vipers and Mustangs while I was still selling. The issues listed above can happen but I honestly think the biggest concern is the lack of heat that the tire can build making them ice skates even on dry pavement. This is not just for Goodyear F1s, Sport Cups, etc. I experienced super lousy grip with RS-4s years back on my 12 Boss 302.

Frankly the suggestion for almost all extreme or DOT tires begins at 40 degrees, with lower temps possibly to cause cracking , etc.

 

[funksouljon]

Lastly JDee is right, the tire's compounding is not conducive to cold weather and they will not heat up sufficiently making them slick on cold pavement -- not a pleasant situation for accelerating, turning or stopping! Good luck my friend and don't worry about asking questions here.

Ha, once you know its coming, it can be fun. I found right at that 43 degrees is where mine start to get your attention on the street. This has really made me consider a second set for street.

MisterP, keep asking questions. Its not about getting different answers, its about the specific question getting more exact answers based on presentation.

I am very happy with my RE71Rs as recommended by Bill. I use as a street tire, autoX and a couple track days. Been very happy. I am planning on changing up when I replace just to see if I can tell a difference but I also don't have a way to try back to back different tires in the same condition to really say exactly how others compare. I also don't have a spare set of wheels, but have been looking for something next year.