THSCC Forums

20 runs out of a set of A6s on a 330i actually sounds about right to me. Those cars are pretty famous for being tire killers in stock class trim.

_________________
Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
(Insert passive aggressive signature line here)

What's the width of the rim and how far out of the recommended rim width are you? My 295/30s on 8.5" rims are wearing much more on the shoulder than the 275/35s I ran last year, and I'm attributing that to the deformation of the sidewall (looks like a question mark) due to stuffing too much tire on the rim. Sam Strano warned me that the 295s would not wear as well as the 275s due to the deformation issue, but he said that the 295s were still faster (almost 1" wider carcass/tread than the 275s).

_________________
Art McDonald
Premier Amateur #518
2008 Dishman Cup
Pivot Cone Snob

Rodney is a waxer (but in a good way)

Art,

Hoosier spec shows 8.5-10", and the 330i is 8" front, 8.5" rear. Note that their 255/35 isn't really a 255 though. It is actually 274.3/31.5-18 tire if you use Hoosier's specs for it.

If the stupid ZHP didn't have staggered wheel widths, then tires could be rotated often which would greatly extend life.

Also, like Kevin, we've had Star Specs on the ZHP now for the past 1.5 years, and Jackie and I have autocrossed it in Atlanta numerous times now in STX class (8.5" with 255/35 all around). The tires are wearing great, have superb grip for a street tire, and we've gotten very used to not fooling with having to swap tires at events and all. We're very spoiled now just arriving, unload a few things, set pressures and you're ready to go. Of course the only non-stock class legal thing on the ZHP now is a rear sway bar, so it's not exactly an STX-caliber car, but we're just having fun.

_________________
Current stable:
2019 BMW M2 Competition slicktop 6MT
2011 BMW M3 sedan slicktop 6MT
2007 BMW 328i wagon (slushbox for now)
1975 CanAm 125MX2

I think what a lot of people aren't factoring in here is the max load rating for the tire. The Kumho V710 has a MUCH stiffer sidewall and thus the load ratings for each tire are 15-20% higher for the comparable size. As Chuck B. alluded to, the construction has a lot to do with the wear characterstics. I can put 285/30/18 (1433# Max Load Rating) on the STi and they will last 2x-3x as long as a 295/30/18 A6 (1235# Max Load Rating), mainly due to the construction and the max load rating.

I'm will order some new tires tomorrow and likely I will order the Hoosiers because they are the faster tire. - AB

_________________
'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

All the more reason to brake earlier a roll into the throttle earlier. That was the secret to better than average tire wear on the Chiles/Jacobs Minis, don't load the front tires so heavily, they will just slip and slide instead of gripping anyhow so save the rubber. Any top Axer will tell you it's not how deep you drive into the turn, but how fast you come out of it that wins.

_________________
SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

Chuck B,

Since you aren't in Stock with the rear bar anyway, and picking up on Chuck F's comments, are there things you are "inclined" to do that would shift the balance so the rear's do more of the cornering load? Another "trick" is to modify your line to minimize time spent "working" the front tires. Look up "diamonding the corner" which is basically doing most of the turning very quickly and then opening up the steering angle to eliminate push and/or get the inside rear unloaded so power can be applied with less wheelspin. Personally I greatly prefer to be "driving off the rear tires" (never autox or owned front wheel drive) to understeer.

_________________
Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

There are a bunch of us running NASA Time Trials and using Hoosier A's at CMP, VIR, RRR, RA, etc. The general assessment is the tires are heat cycled out by 10-15 heat cycles. A heat cycle being any lap(s) at speed. In TTs, we generally run one warmup lap and then three hot laps and we are done.

I currently have 10 cycles on my set and still have plenty of rubber. I rotate from left to right (Z06 with 275/17 fronts and 275/18 rears) between events. I need to have them flipped on the rim before my next outing. I am running -2.1 degrees camber up front with a tick out of toe and -1.5 degrees in the back with a tick in of toe.

This is not exactly the same usage at autocross like you guys are discussing, I just figured I would throw it out there for comparison.


-Kevin

_________________
2003 Torch Red Corvette Z06 ST3/TT3 #01

Road Courses: Rock - VIR-F - VIR-N - VIR-S - VIR-P - VIR-G - RRR - CMP - Road Atlanta - CMS - NSS - NCCAR - Mid-Ohio - Watkins Glen
Drag Strips: Red River - Byron - Cordova - Route 66 - Raceway Park - zMAX

All the more reason my ZHP will be a mild, local STX build for local fun and HPDE. But, having said that, any time I you're saying that a tire is .3-.5 seconds behind another tire that's certainly within the scope of driver noise. For local stuff, I'd certainly run a Kumho, or a Star Spec or a whatever.

I would not run a Nitto. Ever. Again that is.

Plus I get the urge to cord Hoosiers out of my system in a Type R.

_________________
Not spectacular just decent.
I'm not sure what I'm driving.
Maybe an ITR in DS.
Or half-assed STX prepped 330.

I don't see the big deal.

Regardless, after the NCAC, I'm switching to running TIR class for all local events. Who's with me?

Jim

Bahhh, you can get one more event out of those.

_________________
02 Focus SVT
STF 9

X-TIR, right?

_________________
Steve Carter
1972 Datsun 240Z-- resto pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/srcartermd
2007 GPW Honda S2000-- STR 86

Hell yeah. Unless there's a TIR class for the NCAC.

_________________
Not spectacular just decent.
I'm not sure what I'm driving.
Maybe an ITR in DS.
Or half-assed STX prepped 330.

She picked up a push on the corner. Weird.

_________________
Not spectacular just decent.
I'm not sure what I'm driving.
Maybe an ITR in DS.
Or half-assed STX prepped 330.

I just ordered a new set of 295 A6's this morning, to the tune of $1288 prior to shipping and mounting. I have a set of 16 run tires mounted currently, but with a 2 day NCAC this weekend and a two day at ZMax (day 2 being the Subaru Challenge), I wanted to make sure I had good rubber for testing.

I would have bought Kumhos in a 285 to test a shorter sidewall and better load capabilities, but TireRack has 3 of them and no one else in the country has them. Ugh. If Kumho actually had product available, they might sell a lot more of them.

One thing that has helped the tire wear on the STi is using a massive front sway bar. I went from a 21mm stock bar to a 34mm bar now. I honestly want a bigger bar and may have a 36mm built over the winter. - AB

_________________
'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

Nah, running TIR at a championship event is just silly.



Um, no. That's silly too. Unless they let me run ST-X-TIR with a Civic. Or if they let me run my road race ITR Integra in TIR: ITR-X-TIR?

See, it just gets too complicated. And silly. Plain 'ole DS-TIR it will be. From what I've heard, there are a lot of people fed up with the current tire situation in the auto-x world. Besides myself, I know of *many* others that will be making the same move for local events. It should be fun!

Jim