Will NT01’s be significantly better than my PS4’s?

[Mustang2014vert]

I take my car to track events a few times a year, mostly at msr cresson, and it feels like I am following the line fairly well but I have trouble holding traction in the corners so I want stickier and/or bigger tires. Running around 3:10 laps consistently on the 3.1 course and I know I’m not braking hard enough but that is another issue. For wheels I have 18x9 front with 255’s and 18x10 in back with 285’s and tires are PS4. I don’t have much money to play with so I was thinking of three options, in order of expense.

1. keep wheels and get NT01’s that will fit, like 265 and 285
2. Keep rear wheels, get 18x10 wheels for front with spacers and run NT01 285 square
3. Get 11 inch wheels and run spacers and camber plates and run 305’s square

Havent had R comp tires before so not sure if they will give a little more grip or a ton more and if a 285 or 305 will be a significant difference. I read a lot on here and it sounds like the wear is good but they can be loud. Don’t care about rain because I don’t drive it unless it’s nice out. The goal would be to make it stick better in the corners without making it a problem for occasional street driving. Hopefully those two goals aren’t mutually exclusive.

Thanks in advance for any tips.

 

[TMSBOSS]

305 square with plates will give you the best grip. NT-01s may be a good tire for you at your experience level. They wear well and are fairly consistent and predictable. They are not the best option for grip. They were the go to option 10 years ago. Today there are better options.

 

[stevbd]

I vote option 2 and agree with @TMSBOSS, skip the NT01. This is a good overview: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/track-tire-buyers-guide/

With proper offsets you don't need spacers on the 18x10. Get front camber plates. Good luck!

 

[TMSBOSS]

The possible downside of spending money on a 10” square set up is later spending money on an 11” set of wheels. Ask me how I know??
If your budget allows, look at 11” wheels and be done with it.
Grip is addictive. You will likely want more, sooner than later.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Agree 100% with the folks here , get 11s and skip the Schittos ----- not a fan of them and they will be hardly any faster than the 4Ss!

 

[stevbd]

OP, you have a couple votes from a couple of the most experienced guys on here, but I might have to respectfully disagree a bit here. There is a lot of distance from where the OP is currently and running a 305 square setup on super 100tw or similar. OP says he has been doing a few track days a year, for a few years, apparently has a 2014 vert, is on a staggered 265/285 setup with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (not 4S or Super Sports), no mention of camber plates or suspension, wants something that works on both the street and the track, and is on a budget. I think it's safe to assume his setup is understeering pretty hard with lots of body roll and the front tire shoulders getting pretty much destroyed.

There is no doubt that 305 square is the max grip solution but sometimes people are just looking for a setup that won't fall on its face on the track but also works well on the street without multiple sets of tires and rims. In my experience, a 275/285-ish square setup with good 200tw tires and front adjustable camber plates for track days is the sweet spot for that use scenario.

I spent a lot of years on pretty much that setup and it worked fantastic. There is also the big advantage of learning the car and the sport at slightly lower grip levels. You have to be hammering pretty hard to get 305's to move around the way you really want them to when you are learning. 305 square race tires on an otherwise stock s197 vert seems a little problematic to me. And while a 285-ish 200tw tire won't be as fast as a 305 square, it can still be pretty darn quick with a good driver.

 

[TMSBOSS]

Stevbd

Agree with your point regarding the car and drivers progress. The reason I recommended the 11" wheel is that 285's are recommended for use on wheels from 9.5" to 11" wide IAW Tire Rack specs. I went the 10" route and someone got a deal when I sold the wheels and moved up to 11's. The OP could move to 11" wheels and still progress through different tires as experience, wear and budget allows.

 

[stevbd]

That's an interesting idea. I didn't realize you could run 285 on 11", cool.

 

[thelostotter]

Piling on to say skip the NT01. I find the base model Goodyear Supercar 3 has better grip and last longer.

 

[SMGDHG]

18x10's
Continental ECF would be my first choice for your application. Better than NT01 in every way (other than price).

 

[xr7]

18x11 or 19x11 wheels. With the right offset and spacers you can also rotate tires.
The tire you buy and how you use them will also determine how long they last. My car is used mainly for autocross and the occasional cruise. My tires were shot after 3 years and around 1500 miles. I ran them 4 years and they were costing me 2-3 seconds a run. New tires and I'm back in the hunt.
Don't waste your money on NT01's. I would personally try to decide on what tire I want to run and the get a 11" wheel to go with it.
For example, the good 305 TW200 are all 19", no 18's, the good 315 TW200 are available in 18's and 19's, with the 18's having the wider selection.
Just my opinion, do what you are comfortable with and go out there and have some fun.

 

[TennTex]

I understand and/or agree with all the suggestions made to Mustang2014vert's question. However, based on the comment about running 3:10's on the 3.1 mi Cresson track, my question is "who do you run with?" As-is this car should be easily under the 3 min mark. So, I would suggest attending an HDPE event with The Drivers Edge. They run a safe event with full time instruction in the first two run groups. Please understand, no disrespect on the lap time, but some good instruction might help determine what car mods are needed.

 

[Mustang2014vert]

Thank you for all of the advice. I do have Steeda sport springs, kyb shocks, Steeda panhard, lca’s and hawk pads. So some mods that help in the corners but nothing real serious. I know I am not fast at all and I take it pretty easy on the brakes. I have only done about 6 track days, one or two with DE and several with edge addicts. Just tired of having to let off so much in the long corners for the under steer. . Thanks again for your help.

 

[TennTex]

Take your time and go as fast as you're comfortable. We all go through phases and get to what I call different plateaus as we progress. Sometimes you think you will never improve, and then you do. Have fun! I'll keep an eye open at events, and if you ever see a blue #731, stop by and say "Hi".

 

[Mustang2014vert]

Thanks again. I’m going to the event on 9/19 and hope to have more tire under the car by then. I looked back at my app and I misspoke a little about my latest times. The best in my last outing was a few laps at around 2:45. Still slow I know but headed in the right direction.

 

[TennTex]

Thanks again. I’m going to the event on 9/19 and hope to have more tire under the car by then. I looked back at my app and I misspoke a little about my latest times. The best in my last outing was a few laps at around 2:45. Still slow I know but headed in the right direction.

Yeah, that makes WAY more sense for lap time! You're doing fine in that range, you'll continue to trim seconds.