I'm looking for tires, maximum dry traction and still street driveable, as opposed to the D.O.T. approved race tires like the Victoracers. I do autocross the car (96 Z28) and am switching to 17x9.5 wheels. With what I've already done in suspension work (springs/shocks/bushings/LCAs/larger swaybars) the car is already too far gone for F Stock, so it's an E/SP car. I do not want to give up the street driveabilty of the car but want the best grip I can get.
Suggestions/Recommendations please?

 

Yokohama A032R. I'm running 275/40-17 in the front and 315/35-17 in the rears.

Pros: Very sticky, full depth grooves (they do well in the rain), decent tread life (around 10k mi).

Cons: Kind of expensive, howl horribly (especially when braking -- they sound like 4x4 truck tires).

 

I am currious of the same thing. i like the A8032 from yok but they are kinda pricy. I am considering the kumho MX or the yok avs ES100. the only problem is the ES100 are sold out for a while. other considerations are the nitto etreme roadracing 555 II or avs intermediates.

 

I think everyone has missed the point of my question. I know what's out there as far as D.O.T. approved tires specifically designed for autocross/road racing, but I'm looking for max performance STREET tires. Wet traction isn't a big concern as I don't drive the car in the rain unless its an unplanned shower but maximum dry traction street tires are what I'm searching for. I've considered BFGoodrich KD's, Kumho Ecsta 712's, and I've heard conflicting comments about the Firestone Firehawk SZ's.
So, thats what I'm looking for input about

 

umm...all those tires i mentioned except the A8032 ARE street tires.

 

I'll let you in on something people don't know about or don't want to talk about. Two years and 12,000 miles ago I put a set of Firestone Firehawks SZ50 EP's 275/40x17 on my '97 SS with stock Stage 1 suspension. I have run about a half dozen Auto-X's and 2 open track schools with them. At the second event 10 of us were using Hot Lap Timers. I took 4th behind 3 Porsches that were trailered in and running racing tires. In 5th and 6th behing me were a Porsche and a "00 Lotus Esprit also running racing tires. They still have about 3/32" left! I have never had a flat, they run perfectly quiet and are the best tires in the rain I have ever had (although like you -I didn't buy them for that purpose). Don't get me wrong, a softer rubber would be great for racing but I would not have had so much fun on only 1 set of tires!

If you are running FS or ESP, do they have a Street Tire class in your Region? This is a great class where anyone could be your competition. The only downer is that you have wait for the results to be posted for your class. The event person has to calculate the times and unless you know everyone that is in your class, you won't know how you did until a week or 2 later.

 

Here's my opinion of several tires I have used on street and track. I have listed them from best dry grip to worst. First of all, I would like to try the BFG G-Force FD tires. However, almost every BFG tire I have ever owned has felt square and I don't want to pay $1200 for set of tires that I will absolutely hate the ride. Therefore, I am waiting for a reasonable price. I have concluded that I can get better traction with cheaper tires.

Kumho Victoracer 700:

Use the 315mm size on rears for street and track ($171). Amazing grip off line and coming off corners. Very confidence inspiring. Feels like it pulls well over 1g lateral stick with modified suspension (almost scary). Slightly shorter tire (.25") over standard. Not alot of tread depth, so their life on the street will be short. Be careful in heavy rain or standing water. Good for about 3k miles on the street before all secondary tread grooves are gone. Even tire wear. Then good for about another 3k until cords show. BEST PRICE AND STICK FOR STREETABLE 315MM TIRE PERIOD.

Nitto Extreme 555R II:

Use the 275mm size on the fronts (only $150 including shipping!). Wide contact patch (about the largest I have seen for this size tire). Compound feels very soft and sticky. Car brakes extemely well. Turning is responsive, solid and predictable. Good tread depth. Estimate that tires will be good for 6k miles on street. Do not appear to stick laterally as hard as Kumhos until hotter. Feels like it significantly exceeds 1g in lateral stick. Even tire wear. Kumho is supposed to start making the 315mm size soon. Very Pleased so far!

Yokohama (Advan) A032R:

Use both 275mm ($190) size on all 4 corners and use 315mm size ($230) tires on rear, when I want less oversteer. Very good traction in dry (probably just over 1g later stick) and stable in rain. Kind of pricey. 275mm tires are rounded on shoulders and have less contact patch. 315mm tires are square-shouldered and have good contact patch. Should last 10k miles at current rate of wear. Very noisey - sound like 4x4 mudder tires - embarrassing on street. Even tire wear.

Bridgestone RE71:

Amazing dry stick street tire. Not made anymore- damn shame. Probably good for 0.95g's lateral stick on modified suspension. Used to be made in 275mm and 315mm sizes. Tire was as sticky at the start of life as at the end. Lasted 16k miles. Even tire wear.

Yokohama AVS Intermediates:

Very good stick dry stick street tire. Not made anymore in 275mm or 315mm tires. Good as the Bridgestone RE-71s to start (0.95 Gs lateral stick), but then get hard at lower layers and loose traction. Also become darty on uneven roads due to very square stiff shoulders. Tire was a bargain price too. Lasted 18k miles. Even tire wear.

Bridgestone RE730:

Successor to the RE-71. Twice as expensive. Good ride, but not as much stick (between 0.9 to 0.92G s with modified suspension. Very deep rain grooves. A little noisy when the tread wears out. Lasts about 20k miles. Even tire wear.

BFG G-Force KDW:

Only used on Wifes 1996 Impala SS. Not as sticky as RE730s used on that same car.

Goodyear GSC:

No traction, but they wear hard as stone (33K miles of hard abuse). Car broke lvery oose in second gear all of the time. Round tire, good ride.

Dunlop SP-8000:

Horrible dry traction for such an expensive tire (315mm & 275mm sizes). It seems like half the tire are voids for rain grooves. Worse traction than 245/50ZR-16 RE-71s. Given such poor traction, they wore out in only 16k miles. Major second tread wear on a perfectly tuned modified suspension. Tires also became very darty on uneven roads, as they wore out. Trash.

BFG Radial TA:

Tread is hard as stone (lasted 38K miles). No traction. Unresponsive. All tires took set and rode like square Flintstone wheels. Couldn't wait for them to wear out. Was tempted to slash them so I could justify buying new tires .

 

Well the people a Kumho would disagree with you at least. They do NOT market nor recommend the Victoracer series tires for street driving.

 

I Corner, thank you very much, thats an excellent write up and is greatly appreciated.
I've considered the G-Force KD's also, but my present experience with the KDW's makes me leery, I'm very unhappy with the KDW's and consider them worse than the GS-C's they replaced (all the stock sized 245-50x16's). Since I'm not in a massive hurry to buy tires, I'm just collecting information right now, and you've provided me with a lot to digest....again, thanks!!

 

???

in what way?

very interesting. i replaced my gs-c's w/ the kdw's and consider them to be vastly superior to the goodyears. perhaps your suspension needs to be tweaked (or tweaked further)?

 

What about the goodyear eagle F1 supercar tires? They're standard on Ferrari's and Zo6 vettes. GM high techs project thunderchicken had them and they said they worked great. I never used them but am considering buying them when I'm ready for new tires.

 

Yes all the tires i mentioned ARE street tires. I did not say anything about Kumho Victoracers, I said Kumho MX's. go here to see them http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....rtnum=74YR7EMX
these ARE street tires. in fact i just bought two for the front and they are sitting in my living room. I will have them on wednesday and i will let you know how they are.

 

Those are among the ones I've been looking at, please let me know how you like them once you get 'em on the car.

thanks

 

ok well i put the new kumho MX on the front of my car today. the feel really nice. Tread looks awsome, wet looks like it would be good, dry traction is good too. since i really have only had just over and hour of experience on them i cant really be very detailed, but they feel better then any other tire i have owned.... yok AVS intermediate, BFG comp T/A, yok A520s. I am probally going to be at the next race at the gainsville test track in FL on the 19th and then i will really be about to tell how they are. but so far i love em.

 

another vote for Firestone Firehawk SZ50 !

i was in F Stock beating other cars on race tires in 2000 in Hawaii Region on these tires. Only lasted 14,000 miles though with 11 autocross events (no additional runs, 44 timed runs and 3 runs at the track).

i now run Bridgestone RE730s (not quite as good) and have another set of wheels for the track with slicks...that's really the best way to go. I think you would actually save money in the long run (2-3 or more years) vs. running street tires and abusing them at autox every month. and that's if you don't plow often. if you do, probably only last 9 or 10,000 miles.