Best tires and sizes?

[Mark Morrissey]

I finally managed to find some nice 7 and 8 inch x 16 fuchs for my 1978 911SC track/street car. I have done some research and have an idea of what I think would be a good tire to use; one that would provide good grip on the track, wet and dry, and also be a decent street tire for minimal street use in mostly dry conditions. I would never take the car out on a wet day. But, as we all know, we sometimes get caught with a rainy track day, which really sucks, but, it happens. Not just interested in which tire you guys like, but also what size is best for this size of fuchs. Here is what seems to look pretty to me good so far:

Bridgestone The Potenza RE-01R
at 205/55VR16 and 225/50VR16

Kumho Ecsta MX
at 205/55ZR16 and 225/50ZR16

As I stated, I'm not really sure if these are good sizes. These tires seem really nice and the price is right too at tirerack.com.
I would love a full competition tire but can't swing it right now. At some point I may be able to afford an extra set of wheels and go the slick route. I'd just like to hear about other folks likes and dislikes with a situation similar to me that have 7 and 8x16 Fuchs.

Thanks for your help. I don't know about you, but I haven't been on the track in 3 years and I'm jumping out of my skin with anticipation.

Cheers,
Mark

[PatrickB]

If I had to choose from the 2 listed, I'd go with the Bridgestone's.
I think the Kuhmo's are better suited to AX, and not so much DE track use.
Another to consider is the Hankook RS2, and Falken 615. More grip than the Kuhmo, but not as much as the Bridgestone. The Hankook's & Falken's might have a tad bit more treadlife than the Bridgestone's. There will always be a trade off - grip vs. treadlife that you will have to decide! I run the Kook's on DE's, and they hold up fairly well.
I'm switching to Toyo RA1's next, as my car doesn't see that much street use and I'm willing to sacrifice the wear for the extra grip.

I think the UTQ on the RA1 is 100. Bridgestone is 140. Hankook & Falken is 200, and the Kuhmo is 280?
Lower the UTQ the better the grip, but shorter tread life...

No affiliation, but check out www.edgeracing.com for the best price on the Hankook, Falken, & Toyo tires.

[nostatic]

I ran 225/50/16 and 245/45/16 on my 7/8s. They will fit but you might need to roll the fenders. Depending on the tire you might have more sidewall squirm, but we always figured the extra rubber was worth it.

As for brand, I haven't looked at street tires for years so I can't help you. RA-1 is my tire of choice, and I drive to/from the track, sometimes up to 400 miles each way. But if you're just starting at the track it think it is better to run street tires for a year or two. I used to use Ecsta 712 and Yoko ES-100. Cheap and reasonable performance. When you're starting at the track your tires aren't your main problem. Seat time and decent instruction is key...the rubber doesn't matter for awhile.

[Eagledriver]

Toyo RA1's make great track/street tires. You can put 225/50 in the front and 245/45 in the rear. Must roll front fenders and maybe rears with this size.

-Andy

[Ray B]

I've had decent luck with the Michilin pilot sport cups. The advantages are they aree decent in the wet ( although I don't drive in wet conditions at road atlanta) and last forever. Disadvantaes are price $1120. was my last quote and they take a few laps to heat up before the stick (but then again, so do I) +1 on 245/45s for the rear. I ran 205/55 with the MPSCs on the front as they have a massive sidewall. I have rolled front fenders but really don't know if the 225/50s would fit at my current ride height. Good luck.

[htron435]

I've run the Kumho MX's in those sizes on 7 & 8's. They fit great and they are a nice DE tire (although they can get greasy on those 90 degree summer days). They're cheap and decent (but not great) in the rain. They were my street tire of choice for track days (used them on both a 911 and on a 99 Corvette). I think you'll like them. I'm finally taking the plunge and going with RA-1's this year.

[Noel]

Originally Posted by htron435

I've run the Kumho MX's in those sizes on 7 & 8's. They fit great and they are a nice DE tire (although they can get greasy on those 90 degree summer days). They're cheap and decent (but not great) in the rain. They were my street tire of choice for track days (used them on both a 911 and on a 99 Corvette). I think you'll like them. I'm finally taking the plunge and going with RA-1's this year.

I agree with Jay on all points. THey are so cheap that I just love them. Plus they have great grip for a street tire. I can't say enough about them. I also used 205s and 225s on those size wheels.

I too am using RA1s this year, but used streets for the past 7 seasons with good results.

[PatrickB]

Originally Posted by Noel

I agree with Jay on all points. THey are so cheap that I just love them. Plus they have great grip for a street tire. I can't say enough about them. I also used 205s and 225s on those size wheels.

I too am using RA1s this year, but used streets for the past 7 seasons with good results.

Noel~
Do you like the extra grip with the RA1's? I will soon be moving to the dark side too...

[rfn026]

I notice that Toyo says the RA1 can take up to -5.0 degrees of negative camber. How much are you guys running on these tires?

Also does anyone have experience with the Toyo as compared to the Kumho 710?

Richard Newton

Wheel and Tire Performance Handbook

Ultimate Garage Handbook

[htron435]

I have yet to drive on either tire but I've read a ton of posts on the subject. It seems that the 710 will give you more ultimate grip than the RA1. However, consensus is that the RA1 wears like iron and will not heat cycle out like the other brands. If you're in competition or running for times the 710 will perform a bit better -- however, they don't last nearly as long and they cost more. The RA1 can be driven in the rain to and from the track safely. For DE I chose durability over ultimate grip.

[gunlover05]

another 100 dot r tire to consider is the Nitto NT01...same compound and tire (diff tread) than the Toyo RA888 i hear, just a little cheaper.

[jhynesrockmtn]

I have the Kumhos on my black SC in 225/50 and 205/55 on 7's and 8's. The front fenders are rolled. They've been great. My 83 has Yokohama Advan Sports that are also great street/DE tires. I'd like to put RA-1's or similar on that car but the Yokos are in too good a shape to toss.

[sbarton]

225/50R16 front, 245/45R16 rear.
If you want the ultimate grip with a street tire, go with the Advan Neova AD07. They are pricey and don't have the tread life as the others, but stick like glue in the dry and wet. Other options are RE-01R's, Azenis RT-615, Hankook RS-2's, Direzza Z1, and Kumho MX's. Toyo is coming out with a new high perf street tire, the R1R, which looks pretty good.

-Scott

[KTL]

I think you've got the right idea going with the street tire from the start. The tire sizes you've chosen for either the Bridgestone or the Kumho are fine and they have to be fine- because you can't get a 245/45 in either tire!

I think the RE-01R is the better choice for ultimate dry performance. Wet performance is a toss up. Reason I say that is because the Re-01R has the A traction rating (which is a measure of wet traction performance) and the Kumho MX has an AA rating- the top rating. You'd think the MX would be better. But I know folks that use the MX in the wet and find them a bit scary. Adding more confusion to the issue, i've run Michelin Pilot Sport Cup R compounds (A rating) in the rain and they peformed brilliantly compared to my Yoko ES100 (AA rating) street tires. Point being, you can't always trust the numbers. Ask people with actual experiences

I have not used the Bridgestone RE-01R, but i'll venture to guess that it performs better than the Kumho MX. The people who run the best AX times these days appear to be battling it out with either the RE-01R or the Falken RT-615.

In my opinion, when it comes to street tires, you might as well buy a reasonably priced tire instead of blowing extra good money on Michelins or Goodyears. You're beating the heck out of them (if you're really pushing it) on the track, so why throw away $ for another .1 sec? The extra cost doesn't equate to substantially increased performance. The Kumho MX, Avon Tech M500, Hankook RS Z212, Falken RT-615, Bridgestone RE-01R,......... all in the same price range and will all offer good performance on the track.