THSCC Forums

I'd appreciate any suggestions for an hpde/street tire.

A penny saved is a penny I can spend at the track. Like you I'm often looking for ways to make my pennies go farther...and faster. Tires are a big decision. and when the time rolls around, I spend a lot of time reading, asking questions and comparison shopping looking for the proverbial best bang for the buck for both daily driver and track shod.

My experience had yielded mixed results. I had a good experience with a set of Ultra High Performance Summer Avon Tech M500 (245/45-16)on my twin turbo RX-7. They were communicative, predictable, good in the wet, held up pretty well and were cheap. Grip seemed decent, but I ran these at the start of my track hobby. Would I find them as adequate no that I have more experience?

Impressed with those I got a set of Ultra High Performance All-Season Avon Tech M550 A/S for my wife's Jetta. Again they were pretty cheap. They served well, but as they wore nearer to the wear bars they roared. They were unbearably loud as if something were wrong. This spring I was in between track cars and finished them off at the MARC event this May. I was the only car running all season tires in our group. Combined with them being mounted on the Jetta, I'm scheduling a Tommy John surgery after giving all those point bys that weekend. I spent a bit more money for some Ultra High Performance All-Season Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS tread. I think they'll be a great tire. Hopefully the shop will finally get them ballanced.

For my Volvo 740 Turbo beater, I threw some Kumho Ecsta ASX tread on. No complaints so far, but the bar is pretty low. Don't get me wrong. Its a great beater: comfortable, roomy, RWD and its a turbo. But it is a beater nonetheless.

Back to my RX-7, I had a set of Kumho Ecsta 711 tires. As they wore they seemed to lose grip precipitously. Well before the wear bars they were rendered craptonium.

Mark Cooper talked me into a set of Toyo T1R tires (245-40-17 Front 255-40-17) Rear. They were grippy, friendly, durable, but not cheap. They seemed worthy enough of the price for me to get a second set and then two more rear tires. They may have been the best tire I've ever owned.

Now I've replaced the track monster RX-7 with a more serene RX-8. The 8's tire size is a more expensive 225/45-18. Also an option is a 245/40-18 sized tire. I'm looking for a durable tire that communicates well, handles nicely and can get me to the track as well as get me around it. I'd trade some grip to gain a nice predictive nature. So here I am again reading, asking questions and comparison shopping. Anecdotally, it seems many folks have mixed experiences with cheaper tires. Sometimes they chunk, lose grip or wear quickly. It's that racers adage of you can two of these three: cheap, fast or reliable (durable in the case of a tire?). The tests tend to only reveal the tires dynamics early in their life and the customer reviews online tend to be missing a stupid filter.

Before I pony up valuable track bucks for a set of Yokohomas BFGs or Hankooks, I guess I'd like to hear more experiences and opinions.