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Enkei/Nitto or FRP/Hoosier or .....

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Ok, I know there are tons of threads on tires for track already but I haven't been able to make up my mind and need some quick decisions as my car is about to ship soon.

I want a set of track dedicated wheels and I have two set-ups in mind:

1. Enkei PF01 with Nitto NT05 275/40-18 front and 295/35-18 rear

or

2. Ford Racing Parts 303S 19" with Hoosier R6 265/35-19 front and 295/30-19 rear

What is your recommendation? I want a sticky fast tire but I also want it to survive more that 2-3 track days....
Last year I was using the 302S rims together with Continental SportContact 5P and they were excellent but not an r-compound tire and got overheated after a few laps of hard pushing. Perhaps the Hoosier R6 is the only way to go?

Or the R6 on a set of Enkei's?!? (Are there any suitable dimensions?)

Highly appreciate your input!
 
All good questions but not a simple answer. I'm running your item #2 on one set of track wheels, but after I burn up the R6s my first track weekend I'm making the 302S wheels my street wheels. I bought a second set of Enkeis and just ordered a set of R888s in 305/35/18 and 275/35/18 to see if they last any better than the Nitto 555RIIs. I'm going to order a set of Hoosier R6 or R100s for the other set of Enkeis. The faster r-comp tires R6, NT01, 555RII, R888, R100 also wear out faster. No silver bullet there unfortunately. If you're willing to sacrifice some grip, it sounds like the NT05s will last a while.
 
#299 said:
What is your recommendation? I want a sticky fast tire but I also want it to survive more that 2-3 track days....

Moved this to the tech section.

So you want the best of both worlds ;D It is, like many things, not going to happen. You want to go silly fast and stick in there the Hoosiers are the way to go but they will not last. If you are on a budget and still want to have 80% of the fun run the 05's, they will last a lot longer. I have seen people cord NT01's in a day and a half here, on lighter cars. Only you can answer the question best. IMHO going 18 is the best way to go since you have a wider selection of sizes out there.

If you plan many track days consider getting two sets, Hoosiers for the days you want to run fast and something like the NT05's for regular practice days. That was my plan until I found some race take-offs. Another nice thing about two sets are the ability to heat cycle them correctly.
 
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Thank you for your input!

I know I'm asking for the impossible :)

I will go for the Toyo R888's. (Thank you Cloud9!) Many people here use it with good result plus it is actually legal for use on the streets for real...
 
ArizonaGT said:
I used to get 3-4 weekends out of NT01s, now I'm lucky if I can get 3. Still my preferred tire. Gary was right, however--this car eats tires.
Thank goodness I was starting to think I was just a hack. I actually got more tire life out of my pig GT500.
 

ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
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Arizona, USA
I think it's that the soft spring rates on this car let the car roll more and plant more weight on the tires, which is great for traction, but it just eats the tread.

I recently got a free set of used R888s that have a lot of tread left on em in 265/35/18, not sure how I will like em or if they will make it more than a weekend, but free tires are free tires.
 
ArizonaGT said:
I think it's that the soft spring rates on this car let the car roll more and plant more weight on the tires, which is great for traction, but it just eats the tread.
That's funny, my buddy (who I consider very smart) said the exact same thing. He has a modded GT with koni yellows and Steeda springs. I think that's exactly the issue, the car turns but it eats the tires.
 
cloud9 said:
ArizonaGT said:
I think it's that the soft spring rates on this car let the car roll more and plant more weight on the tires, which is great for traction, but it just eats the tread.
That's funny, my buddy (who I consider very smart) said the exact same thing. He has a modded GT with koni yellows and Steeda springs. I think that's exactly the issue, the car turns but it eats the tires.
With the money you saved compared to a Z06 or GT3 you can buy a LOT of tires. ;)
 

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