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Recommendations for dedicated track wheel and tires?

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Hey all,

I'm looking for an inexpensive set of wheels (18x10 drifts for $600?) and tires for use on track days. I intend to carry them to the track and swap them back and forth with my street tires.

Any recommendations on what tires to be shopping for?

I could try take-offs, but do they require any special handling when compared to street tires?

Or should I try NT01s? They seem attractive but not really super cheap.

Thanks,

Bob
 

ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
8,730
2,734
Arizona, USA
18x10 Drifts are a great way to go on a budget. I have a set myself.

I don't think take-offs require any special maintenance vs. new race tires or vs. street tires. I just put them on and run them, you just need to know what pressures to run them at (applies to any tire).
The real question is how many heat cycles will you get out of them before they fall off, but for most HPDE stuff this won't be a huge deal. This is also very dependent on how hard you are driving the car.

You will get at least two weekends out of the NT01s; potentially more if you "flip" them inside-out after each weekend. Best performance-for-price out there in a track tire, IMO.
 
Arizona, are you saying that you only get 4 track days from a set of NT01s (w/o flipping)?

I had hoped they would last longer... I don't think I can afford $300/day in tires. :/
 
Bob said:
Arizona, are you saying that you only get 4 track days from a set of NT01s (w/o flipping)?

I had hoped they would last longer... I don't think I can afford $300/day in tires. :/

I'm 4 days in on mine and they're not heat cycled out yet, nor are they out of tread. Trust ArizonaBoss, they're one of the best durability/$ track tires around.
 
What size NT01 would work best on an 18x10 +43 wheel?

I was thinking of the 275/40/18... but that seems a little narrow. Will 275-width NT01s be noticeably more grippy than my 275-width Michelin Pilot Super Sports?
 
Bob said:
What size NT01 would work best on an 18x10 +43 wheel?

I was thinking of the 275/40/18... but that seems a little narrow. Will 275-width NT01s be noticeably more grippy than my 275-width Michelin Pilot Super Sports?


The 275 is a great match for a 10" wheel. A 40 series sidewall is good for maintaining a near-stock overall diameter. If you want to shave some weight, you can run the 275/35/18, but it won't fill the wheel well very much.
 
Thanks for the responses, guys.

j3st3r, which take offs do you buy, and from where do you buy them? I get kinda mixed up with all the compounds.

What's the wear like versus something like an NT01?

You guys both drive GTs? Do I need to upgrade my oil pan before running slicks?
 
1,281
3
Tulsa, OK
I use the 18x10 drifts as well. I buy my take-offs from jbracingtires.net and usually buy Hoosier R6s (275/35/18) or Pirelli slicks (305/645/18).

I still run my stock oil pan with R comp tires. Neema is upgrading his.
 

steveespo

Lord knows I'm a Voodoo Child
Moderator
4,008
1,924
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Cookeville TN
Bob said:
Have there been any recorded incidents where a GT blew a motor due to running high-G slicks?
None that I have seen. I still have my GT pan and with Pirelli slicks I have pulled peak g numbers of 1.40 with sustained 1.25g. I watch the oil pressure gauge and haven't noticed a drop in OP during cornering. I have an Auto Meter gauge with tell tale light set at 29 psi, hasn't ever lit up on track.
Steve
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
+1 on the SVE drifts for a cheap set of track wheels.

Surprised nobody mentioned the discontinued tires:
http://www.hoosiertire.com/discontinuedtires.htm
click the BEING BEGIN SHOPPING link and scroll to the bottom.

http://rehagenracingproducts.com/NEW-Continental-Race-Slicks-275-35-18-275-35R18-DISC.htm

Maybe try a set of takeoffs first.

+1 on the slight oil overfill. I have not noticed any frothing even with almost an extra full quart. I think the integrated gasket/windage tray does its job pretty well.
 
Go with at least a 10" rim, then you can still use the 275 take offs from some people or you could use a set of 295/30 R6 so its the best of both worlds. Also you might call and check with some of the race teams that post on here and some others they might have a set of slightly used rims for a greatly reduced price.
 
Hey, just joined and snooping the track talk but i highly recommend the Enkei PF01. It is 18x10.5 with a +47mm 5x114.3 offset. They are 22lbs each and under $500 a piece. They are exclusive to a dealer in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area but if you are interested I could get you in touch. They are on my Boss LS and come in black or silver. They also have a roulette pattern to reduce slippage on the rim and tire. It practically keeps the rim from moving inside the tire which is NICE!
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
arasaki2 said:
Hey, just joined and snooping the track talk but i highly recommend the Enkei PF01. It is 18x10.5 with a +47mm 5x114.3 offset. They are 22lbs each and under $500 a piece. They are exclusive to a dealer in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area but if you are interested I could get you in touch. They are on my Boss LS and come in black or silver. They also have a roulette pattern to reduce slippage on the rim and tire. It practically keeps the rim from moving inside the tire which is NICE!

Welcome to the site!

...but I gotta correct you. The Enkeis are available from other sources too here's one I know about:
http://www.cortexracing.com/shop/enkei_pf01/

I think Sam Strano has or had them too.
 
arasaki2 said:
Hey, just joined and snooping the track talk but i highly recommend the Enkei PF01. It is 18x10.5 with a +47mm 5x114.3 offset. They are 22lbs each and under $500 a piece. They are exclusive to a dealer in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area but if you are interested I could get you in touch. They are on my Boss LS and come in black or silver. They also have a roulette pattern to reduce slippage on the rim and tire. It practically keeps the rim from moving inside the tire which is NICE!
Welcome to BMO. I have photos of your car that Dan sent me and it looks nice.

Yes Dan from Outperformance and Filip from Cortex ordered the custom wheels. I have not heard of Strano having the custom offset rear wheels but maybe he does.
 

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