Capn Pete

I currently have these Hankooks on my car, stock 245/50/16's.

I JUST picked up a set of C5 Z06 rims (17 x 9.5's & 18 x 10.5's). Looking at getting 275/40/17's for up front & either 275 or 285 / 35 / 18's for the rear (or maybe 295 depending on the sizes offered by each brand/tire).

Anyway, my dilemma now is this ..... my Camaro is my daily (summer) driver, but has now also assumed the role of occasional track car (as I've expressed in my other thread). Now that I have better wheels for the car, I have the ability to put some superb rubber under the car, but I don't know whether I should go with just a high quality STREET tire, or go with a DOT TRACK tire???

I guess what I'm asking is this:

How "streetable" are tires like...
- Nitto 555RII's?
- Toyo Proxes RA-1's?

and/or:

How "track-able" are tires like...
- BFG KD's, or perhaps KDW's?
- Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's, or other versions of the Pilot Sports?
- Nitto 555's?

Considering I only have ONE set of Z06 rims to work with, what would you guys recommend for a street/track car, keeping in mind daily driving (ie: rain) but I'm not out for pure competition either??

Thanks for any/all feedback!!

(EDIT - I know this isn't posted in the Tire/Wheel forum, because I'm looking for specific advice from the auto-x / road race crowd )

Z28SORR

This is really a very personal decision and depends on your tolerance for driving slowly in the wet.

Race tires or street legal competition tire are great on the street IN THE DRY. But not very much fun in the rain, even light rain. And I am assuming you already know that they wont last very long. Another problem is that, to get the most out of them, you need the suspension set up for competition.
On the other hand Ultra High Performance street tires, while still not great in the rain, are at least drivable, and are usually competative in amateur racing as most everyone else has them.
Ideally you should have two sets of tires and wheels, one for competition and one for the street.

Capn Pete

Yes, I am aware that R-compounds will wear out much faster than real streets.

As far as driving in rain, I don't know if all tires would act the same, but I was just driving around recently on my BFG drag radials (just in the back ... I got a flat on one of my rear tires ) and in the rain, I was actually SHOCKED at how WELL they gripped the road! I mean, even coming around a corner, I could start laying into the throttle, and the tires would either bite, or even if they slipped a little, I could feel them trying to grip ... if I let off the throttle, the back end would "snap" back in line much quicker than doing the same thing with my normal street tires?! So the COMPOUND doesn't actually seem that slippery? (but again, those are BFG drag radials, and maybe other brands, and racing tires might be a different story? ). And I know track tires have much less tread depth, so more chance of hydro-planing.

Eventually I do want 2 sets of wheels, but until I can afford 2 sets of rims & rubber, I want something that can do a fair job of "double duty" (with obvious compromises one way or another).

See, with the factory 16's I've got right now, and the Hankooks I'm running, they get the car around the track "ok", but they can slide out pretty easy without being pushed all that bad. And I've been in a couple cars with wider and/or better tires than mine, and the difference is night & day.

I'm sure just the switch from 245/16's upto 275/17's & 18's will probably make a world of difference, even if sticking with a street tire still, eh? That's "probably" the route I'll take, but then again, if you guys think a tire like the 555RII's, for example, would far out-perform any of the street tires, and yet still be streetable, then maybe I will go that route?!?!

Z28SORR

For what ever reason, when I read your first post, it didn't register who you were.
I don't think you would be happy with anything less then the 555RII or RA-1's.
I drove for years with this type of tire and loved it. Only problem was replacing them every 6 months. Many people are surprised by the wet grip of these tires. But this is only on a well washed road. If you go to the two extremes, a road that is moist after a dry spell or a road that has standing water on it, you had better be on your toes.
One other thing, if it turns out you don't like them you wont have to wait long before you have to buy new ones any way.

Capn Pete

Here's, perhaps, an "easier" question.

Which would give the biggest improvement in grip or "feel" on the track (again, in comparison to my stock tires, on 16" x 8" rims):

- the Z06 rims with aggressive, performance "street" tires

OR

- my factory 16 x 8's with full racing rubber?? (ie: true slicks?)

97z28/m6

slicks.

Sam Strano

Wait... Slicks are NOT DOT R-comps, I just need to mention that. A smaller R-comp will run rings around street tires in most every case.

rmackintosh

...and will handle like ICE when driven in the rain....I would got DOT R tires only if I had a second set of wheels to put on for the track....

97z28/m6

he does...the stock 16"ers.

rmackintosh

I would also try and go to 17's for track duty, but if you already have the 16's....

97z28/m6

he has both the stock 16's and the Z06 17/18's


he wants the Z06 for the street but also wants them for the track (hence this thread) but i'm trying to convince him that a set of track only tires on the 16's would be better than trying to do both on the Z06 ones.

Capn Pete

Ha ha, thanks for answering in my absense!!

Yeah, that's the deal ... I mean, I want the Z06 rims on the car for everyday appearance/driving. But I will have the factory 16's just sitting there, collecting dust.

SO, will I still have a greater advantage putting full racing rubber (not just R-compound streets, but something like a Hoosier slick? ) on the 16's, given that they're only 8" wide, vs. running an aggressive street tire (I'm prepared to go as far as a 555RII at least) on the 9.5" and 10.5" wide Z06's??

..... although I suppose that slicks would be no good on the track if it were a rainy day???

Sam Strano

Um, no.... only if there is standing water. Damp R-comps are still faster. And if you get a set of Full-tread R-comps like an unshaved set of Toyo RA1's they are faster than street tires too in anything over 60 degrees.

Hoosier's and Kumho V710s, have no way to move water, and would be problematic in standing water conditions, but faster all other times. A shaved RA1 would be faster than a street tire at all times unless the standing water was deep where 4/32" for tread can't pump it away.

Slicks, don't run 'em. Expensive, not really anything for the wheels size that fits right. And just because something might fit, realize that those tires are often for much lighter cars and not means to carry 1100+ per corner like the front of these cars can weigh.

Besides in DOT R's are damn near becoming as fast as slicks.

Capn Pete

Well, it seems the 555's don't come in anything other than a couple 17" & 18" sizes, but it looks like the NT01's come in a 245/50/16 . They sound like a good tire, eh?

And the RA-1's come in a 255/50/16, so they'd work too .

Now I need to start pricing these bad boys out! ... as well as a nice set of street meats .

97z28/m6

i hear the NT-01s are soft(softer than the 555rII's)...so if you are going track only on the 16's that's where i would go.