Life after NT01 - need help with next track tire decision

[adc]

I just returned from a track day at VIR, where I was testing and adjusting my new Ohlins R/T suspension. Although it was super hot weather-wise, I was having a ton of fun and working my way up the setup ladder, absolutely love the new balance. The fun however was cut short on the second day when, after a routine left-right tire swap (CW configuration) I discovered that the Ohlins spring perch had carved a W-shaped groove into my front tires.

It was still safe to drive on but I decided to call it quits. I'm now in the process of having wheel studs installed along with 5mm front spacers, all good.

But since the front tires are done, and the rears have perhaps another 2-3 days left in them, I'm ordering new tires - and here is my dilemma.

My setup:
Apex wheels, 18" 10"x25mm front and 11"x44mm rears.
Vorschlag camber plates at -2.6
Ohlins R/T
Running Advanced group or Hi-Inter depending on track and organization.

I was thinking of trying out the RE71R since so many people here like it more than the NT01. But to do that, as I understand it, my only options are:
- 275/35x18 square setup front/rear
- 275/35x18 fronts and 305/35x19 rears
Second option would necessitate new rear wheels.

I am struggling with a few questions... Am I loosing anything with a "smaller footprint" 275 square RE71R? Should I bite the bullet for the 19" rear rims? Or stay with the Nittos?

Help me out please, I need your recommendations. As always, your help is much appreciated.

[F80Speed77]

Is a 275/40/18 going to be too tall? If so I'd say try out the Yokohama A052. They have a couple of 265/XX/18 sizes too that I'm sure would work fine and some larger 295's to fit on those big 11" wheels you have in the back. This is the fastest 200TW tire hands down.

Also going to throw out a Wildcard!!! The Dunlop Z3 in 285/30/18. It runs a little a skinny for a 285 but is going to give you a little more meat than the the RE71R would in a square setup.

It was deemed slower than the others in TR testing but not by much and it actually exhibited more average G than the others so maybe it needs a little setup to work?
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=242

[NYG]

I'm running Toyo RR from NT01 at the end of the month at the Glen, I'll let you know if you're interested.

SYT_Shadow runs wild times on RE71Rs.

Most common complaint I hear from guys who use them is how quickly they get greasy.

[adc]

Originally Posted by F80Speed77

Is a 275/40/18 going to be too tall? If so I'd say try out the Yokohama A052. They have a couple of 265/XX/18 sizes too that I'm sure would work fine and some larger 295's to fit on those big 11" wheels you have in the back. This is the fastest 200TW tire hands down.

Also going to throw out a Wildcard!!! The Dunlop Z3 in 285/30/18. It runs a little a skinny for a 285 but is going to give you a little more meat than the the RE71R would in a square setup.

It was deemed slower than the others in TR testing but not by much and it actually exhibited more average G than the others so maybe it needs a little setup to work?
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=242

Interesting suggestions...

Yes, the Yoko 275/40 would reverse the stock diameter stagger (26.7" diameter). But 265/295 seems doable.

265/35R18 97Y XL 7/32" Starting Tread Depth
weight:24 lbs section width:10.6" tread width:9.9" diam:25.4"

295/35R18 103Y XL 7/32" Starting Tread Depth
weight:27 lbs section width:11.8" tread width:11" diam:26.2"

Yoko's are light! Would longevity be similar to the RE71R?


I'm also going to put the front wheel on and measure clearance. I'm trying to see if a A052 square 295/30 might fit with a 15mm spacer in front.

295/30R18 98Y XL 7/32" Starting Tread Depth
weight: 26 lbs section width:11.8" tread width:11.2" diam:25.1"

[adc]

Originally Posted by NYG

I'm running Toyo RR from NT01 at the end of the month at the Glen, I'll let you know if you're interested.

SYT_Shadow runs wild times on RE71Rs.

Most common complaint I hear from guys who use them is how quickly they get greasy.

Yes please.

RR has a 40 wear rating, I'm assuming they are basically slicks? Have no experience with them. I'd be curious how many days you're getting out of them.

[bimmerboyE92]

We run Toyo RRs and won't be going back to RE71Rs. You don't lose anything in feel. The sidewalls are stiffer so they wear more evenly. The biggest difference is that RE71Rs will last 15minutes before they overheat and really start to wear. Toyo RRs you can beat on, AP Racing calipers all around and they just don't give up.

[adc]

Originally Posted by bimmerboyE92

We run Toyo RRs and won't be going back to RE71Rs. You don't lose anything in feel. The sidewalls are stiffer so they wear more evenly. The biggest difference is that RE71Rs will last 15minutes before they overheat and really start to wear. Toyo RRs you can beat on, AP Racing calipers all around and they just don't give up.

How many days do you get out of a set?

[bimmerboyE92]

Originally Posted by adc

How many days do you get out of a set?

I think they will heat cycle out first. 14 heat cycles on first set. 50% wear. The 2/32" wear bars just got touched and they start with 4/32. At 12 heat cycles I noticed they slid a little more. But racers will practice on them to the cords. Faster than RE71Rs right now.

I'd be happy with 24 heat cycles. That's 4 session per day is 6 days. My RE71Rs would last 4-5 days total with a flip in the middle.

[RSXDC5]

I vote for the Nankang AR-1, 100tw. It’s basically a better/faster r888r.

[fanatic1]

Originally Posted by RSXDC5

I vote for the Nankang AR-1, 100tw. It’s basically a better/faster r888r.

I have the AR1 295/315 (run small) on the car now and coming off of Yoko A052 in 265/295. The Yoko were very fast and was not disappointed with wear rate. Someone here runs A052 in 295/315, but seems big for 10/11”.

Next track day isn’t until early September, will report on AR1

[F80Speed77]

Originally Posted by adc

Interesting suggestions...

Yoko's are light! Would longevity be similar to the RE71R?

I'm also going to put the front wheel on and measure clearance. I'm trying to see if a A052 square 295/30 might fit with a 15mm spacer in front.

295/30R18 98Y XL 7/32" Starting Tread Depth
weight: 26 lbs section width:11.8" tread width:11.2" diam:25.1"

Yoko's need camber but it looks like you have plates so you should be ok (you need to get that camber setting up over -3, -2.6 is rookie numbers !!!)

You'll probably need your effective offset to be somewhere between +10 and +15 to fit those 295's comfortably on the front.

[sc_tr0jan_m3]

I ran the AR1's back to back weekends compared to the NT01's and really liked them. I can't wait to get 275 on the next set.

[drroc]

Devil's advocate here. Why not just run NT01 again with spacers and build the experience in incremental fashion?

[adc]

Originally Posted by drroc

Devil's advocate here. Why not just run NT01 again with spacers and build the experience in incremental fashion?

I’ve been tracking the NT01 Nittos for the past 5 or 6 years. They are durable, friendly at the limit and all that, but I only get 3 laps max of peak performance per session, and it is hard to time this with traffic etc.

I’d like to try something a bit quicker, that offers a broader peak plateau.

[bimmerboyE92]

Originally Posted by adc

I’ve been tracking the NT01 Nittos for the past 5 or 6 years. They are durable, friendly at the limit and all that, but I only get 3 laps max of peak performance per session, and it is hard to time this with traffic etc.

I’d like to try something a bit quicker, that offers a broader peak plateau.

Toyo RR?

[adc]

Originally Posted by bimmerboyE92

Toyo RR?

Definitely looking at it, and the Yokos. Good fitment for both these... I'll check out prices.

[erictrainer]

I got your solution with 305 fronts...given your suspension and camber plates shouldn't run into issues. Sent you a PM.

[Gomeler]

My NT01s must have been heatcycled out, I still had 3/32" of tread but the rear was completely disconnected. I was having to lift through a highspeed 70mph .6G corner..

Lapped RRs for the first time last night. I won't be going back, the RRs were godly. 18x11 square, 295/30r18 square. AP 9668/9449 w/ Carbotech XP10. The car put power down with ease, the rear-end could be rotated in a controlled fashion with the throttle, and correcting an oversteer was as easy as a slight throttle correction + wheel correction. Basically drop 10% throttle and a micro correction of the wheel and then roll back into the throttle.

The 295s are stupid cheap, and even if they heat cycle out between 15-20 cycles, like others have said they'll still be workable warm-up rubber. I think I've found a wheel/tire setup that I can burn through a pallet of and be very happy with.

edit: I did cook my front pads, XP10. I need to pull the pads out to see what the temperature paint is showing, but a quick glance showed beige, which is 800C.. really surprised I didn't cook the fluid. The RRs were handling stupid amounts of braking force, I was braking ~3 car lengths later vs my NT01s on my 140-70 straight.

[adc]

Originally Posted by Gomeler

My NT01s must have been heatcycled out, I still had 3/32" of tread but the rear was completely disconnected. I was having to lift through a highspeed 70mph .6G corner..

Lapped RRs for the first time last night. I won't be going back, the RRs were godly. 18x11 square, 295/30r18 square. AP 9668/9449 w/ Carbotech XP10. The car put power down with ease, the rear-end could be rotated in a controlled fashion with the throttle, and correcting an oversteer was as easy as a slight throttle correction + wheel correction. Basically drop 10% throttle and a micro correction of the wheel and then roll back into the throttle.

The 295s are stupid cheap, and even if they heat cycle out between 15-20 cycles, like others have said they'll still be workable warm-up rubber. I think I've found a wheel/tire setup that I can burn through a pallet of and be very happy with.

edit: I did cook my front pads, XP10. I need to pull the pads out to see what the temperature paint is showing, but a quick glance showed beige, which is 800C.. really surprised I didn't cook the fluid. The RRs were handling stupid amounts of braking force, I was braking ~3 car lengths later vs my NT01s on my 140-70 straight.

Indeed, very good pricing on the 295/30 RRs.

The issue I have, all these 285/295 fitments have a 11.9"-11.8" section width, and with my current 275s (section width 10.9") I get severe rubbing on the inside. So a 295 at the front (1" extra width) might need, in my current estimation, a 17mm spacer to prevent rubbing (12mm from increased tire width and 5mm to prevent rubbing).

Not only is a 17mm spacer hard (impossible?) to find, but I am not sure if it will have a good fitment on the outside of the rim. I need to do some checking & measuring.

[Gomeler]

I am running a 25mm front spacer, using a 44 offset(rear fitment) 18x11 EC-7. I was pleasantly surprised that it fit.

[NYG]

Originally Posted by Gomeler

My NT01s must have been heatcycled out, I still had 3/32" of tread but the rear was completely disconnected. I was having to lift through a highspeed 70mph .6G corner..

Lapped RRs for the first time last night. I won't be going back, the RRs were godly. 18x11 square, 295/30r18 square. AP 9668/9449 w/ Carbotech XP10. The car put power down with ease, the rear-end could be rotated in a controlled fashion with the throttle, and correcting an oversteer was as easy as a slight throttle correction + wheel correction. Basically drop 10% throttle and a micro correction of the wheel and then roll back into the throttle.

The 295s are stupid cheap, and even if they heat cycle out between 15-20 cycles, like others have said they'll still be workable warm-up rubber. I think I've found a wheel/tire setup that I can burn through a pallet of and be very happy with.

edit: I did cook my front pads, XP10. I need to pull the pads out to see what the temperature paint is showing, but a quick glance showed beige, which is 800C.. really surprised I didn't cook the fluid. The RRs were handling stupid amounts of braking force, I was braking ~3 car lengths later vs my NT01s on my 140-70 straight.

Got me excited af...

I'm running 275/35 and 305/35 RRs with DS3.12s for the glen in 2 weeks. I've got caliper temp stickers on too. Hoping it all lives up to the hype.

[TheBreeze]

Originally Posted by adc

Not only is a 17mm spacer hard (impossible?) to find, but I am not sure if it will have a good fitment on the outside of the rim. I need to do some checking & measuring.

Turner makes a 17.5.