DOT "Slicks"

[jimrankin]

Have my Team Dynamics 8" & 9" X 17" wheels ordered from Team Illuminata Motorsports and now deciding on what to skin them with. Got my SB100 "Kit Car" registration number so my WCM S2K will actually get a plate and see some street time, but it's mostly going to be used for track days.
I'm one of those "spoiled" Californa drivers who don't have to think about standing water or really cold weather so lack of rain dispersing tread grooves isn't a concern. "Tread life" is only a concern if someone has had a real problem with a set of the ones listed below. I'd rather buy a new set because they were worn out than because they were getting hard. Hoosiers are not DOT legal (and I've heard that even on an Ultralite they go away faster than government bail out money) so only good for comparison of grip.
Looking at three basic "DOT Slicks". Hankook Z214 in the softer C71 compound, B.F.Goodrich G-Force R1 and Toyo Proxes R888. G-Force and R-88's are available in the 235-40-ZR17 and 275-40-ZR17 size and the Hankooks in 245-40-ZR17 and 275-40-ZR17 that will fit my wheels and should fit in the fenders.
I know that tires are kind of "personal preference" items but there is usually something to be gained from having information from people who have "like" rides. Reviews from racers on how they worked on their super modified 6 series BMW or front wheel drive rice rocket is going to be totally off base for a 7 clone.
I've got time to decide because the wheels are months out and I found all three tires listed above "in stock" and expect they will be available till at least most of that mid-west / northeast snow melts and you hard core drivers come out of hibernation. LOL
Thanks for any comments, Jim Rankin

[Boxologist]

is the car being trailered to the track? if thats the plan, have 2 sets of tyres. How many miles of street driving is planned?

[jimrankin]

Was a real problem finding wide (8"-9") wheels with the right offset and bolt pattern. I'm going to make one set of wheels and tires work for track and street, thus the need for a DOT rating.
I'd be way more interested in a good used set of wide rims than tires but if the rims come up maybe the tires will work. What do you have? I presume Hoosiers if it's going to require trailering.

[WestTexasS2K]

Jim how do you like your wheels? I think they are great.

[d15b7]

hi.

if you plan on street driving it at all, then you really need to consider running the Toyos or Nitto NT-01s or Yokohama A032R or A048R on it. you don't want to run the hoosiers or the hankook 214s on the street. especially the hoosiers; they have a very thin carcass (i think that they only have a pair of fiberglass belts; no steel belts?) and can be very very easily damaged by even the slightest pothole. also, i've found that they are a magnet for 'trash' like nails and screw heads and whatnot; they pick up flats very easily. i've run the toyos as street tires (and also the yoko A032R) for years; they are a great 'dual purpose' street and track tire.... if you really want to run the fastest R compound tires at the track (hoosier and hankook z214 and the new goodyear DOT) then you need two sets of wheels and tires, or you need to trailer it and no street driving).

hope that helped!
todd
ReidSpeed

[jimrankin]

Already discounted the Hoosiers before starting my search as I already knew they were too light to handle any street use. I had talked with a local tire distributor about using "race" tires on the street, mostly discussing the car weight of about 1,400 lbs and limited street driving. He had mentioned that all manufactures of "racing" tires don't consider the tires as "for street use" but all were basing the use limits on everything that the tire might fit on, like a car at twice my weight. He also didn't think anything less than a 40 series or taller was a good idea if it was going to see any highway use.
I'll look into the tires you noted (actually was already looking at the Nittos) and see if anyone else has any feedback.
Thanks, Jim R.

[jimrankin]

Waiting on the wheels to get made and shipped before I can tell you if I like them. LOL. Sure hope I do because they are bought and paid for. It might have been you who suggested them to me a couple of months back. Basically just waiting on the wheels and deciding on a set of tires now. Been doing quite a bit of deconstruct/reconstruct on the car and actually have at least 75% of the rattles out and built a whole new pedal assembly that moves the pedals "left" so i can move them forward and still fit my foot between the right bulkhead and the brake pedal. Even with that had to shave the pedal edge a bit and sculpt the bottom right edge of the brake pedal a bit. Boy, what do the size 13 shoe guys do?
When I get the wheels I'll give you an update. Thanks, Jim R.

[jwduncan]

Jim,

As another data point, I run Toyo Proxes R888s as a street tire and sometimes track day tire on my Ultralite. There are certainly faster/stickier tires for pure track or autox duty but these are tires you can drive to the event on, run a track day with reasonable level of grip, and drive back home. And they seem to wear well. I have another set of hoosier slicks/rims but they are strictly for autox use.

I know your criteria wasn't concerned with rain ability but FWIW, last year, I used the R888s as Autox rain tires and was quite happy with their performance. I really think the tires will eventually end up heat cycling into bricks before they wear out.

No personal experience with the other tires you mentioned but I'd pick the R888s if I had to do it again today.

[jimrankin]

Good to get an opinion from someone with a "7" in both street and track use. From what I've seen in the various post going quite a ways back the tires on 7's are usually heat cycled or age hardened way before they are used up. Unlike the post on the tire sales sites reviews where most of the comments about "soft" or "R" are about cording in one track session. LOL.
I guess we should be happy to have them last that long. There are a lot of comments about the R888's, most of them good. Thanks again.