johnnywoz

Any Opinions?!?

I am autocrossing in SCCA SoloII and I have an '09 Z06 with headers, pipes, airbox and stock suspension. I have an extra set of 18"/19" rims that I want to mount Nitto NT01 tires on, but there are no 19" tires. So I thought I would go with NT01 on fronts and NT05 on rears.

Any Opinions?!?

froggy47

Hoosier, Kumho

Lawdogg

Nt05s are a sticky street tire, but still a street tire. If you like oversteer, well, you'd have it.

johnnywoz

Yes, the Nittos are still street tires, but right now I don't have the means to transport a second set of wheels with me to the events, so I will have to keep using a street tire till I am able to get a trailer or something.

johnnywoz

Would love to go with Hoosiers but my issue is getting them tot he events.

What Kumho would you suggest?

johnnywoz

I don't have a trailer or support crew which would allow me to haul a second set of wheels to the Auto-X events. And since I have to drive my vette to the events, I am stuck with having to use street tires. Which is why I figured the Nitto NT01 tires would be a good choice, but as I mentioned, they don't have a 19" for the rear rims.

So I thought a good compromise would be to put NT01 on the fronts since one needs lots of stick for turning around those cones and have NT05 on the rear as a better than a regular street tire traction.

Lawdogg

For autox, it might be a good comprimise. Understeer is always my autox undoing.

PushinTheLimit

Ever thought about picking up a small tire trailer and towing it with the vette? Alot of guys do this and works well for them. This lets you run on Hoosier A6's or Kuhmo V710's and not have to drive on them to events.

froggy47

The Kumho 710 or Hoosier A6.

How far is the drive to autox? I drive to 3 venues on a6/710

25 mi, 60 mi and 100 mi (all 1 way distance)

You will only wear them badly if you are running toe in/out, then they wear pretty quick on the street.

BTW the a6/710 like a LOT of neg camber especially a6 or they wear fast on the course.

Cloaked323

Get a little trailer the hitch mounting is the tough part, and was the pretty expensive for me it was double what I was quoted I wasn't really happy about it but is was done before I was told. The trailer works really well except you have to get to your event earlier and leave later, However, you will have more capable tires on your car and they won't wear out as fast. my opinion obviously.

Bill Dearborn

If you want to run street tires I would suggest looking at NT05s all the way around. I think the combo you are looking at will make the backend come around too much.

Bill

johnnywoz

That is what I am concerned about, but my thinking is that even on my crappy street tires, the rear is not my problem, understeer is. NT05 all around would keep the grip on all four corners the same, but I thinking that having NT01 on the fronts would help with better grip for getting around those pesky cones.

johnnywoz

Right, I have seen others (C5/C6 vetts) do this with one of those Harbor Freight trailers, but I have heard that there is not way to rig up a hitch to a Z06 because of the NPP mufflers.

I would appreciate any suggestions as this would be a good solution.

gkmccready

Don't take this wrong, but 9 times out of 10 when somebody tells me understeer is their problem they're (a) not slowing enough for corner entry, and (b) not being smooth with their steering inputs. Especially on high hp, rear wheel drive cars where you're usually fighting a loose-under-power/loose-on-exit problem.

johnnywoz

Very interesting, and very surprised. Those A6 are not street legal, right?

My regular Auto-X events are about 40 miles one way (others are 90+). How long are your A6 tires lasting since you are driving on them to your events?

johnnywoz

No worries, I am still a noob at Auto-X and still learning, so all advice is welcomed.

I hear what you are saying and agree, I have a fairly aggressive driving style, and I have not been braking hard enough when approaching the corners. However, I am pretty smooth in other areas of the course, so I am getting there, just more seat time right.

What I am trying to address is that I am currently on some very underperforming tires and want to move up to tires with more grip. I have driven other vettes at Auto-X events that were much more prepared and on A6 tires that I was able to better handle around the corners and as well shave off a bunch of seconds on my times compared to my vette. So I know what sticky means and able to tell the difference.

"Sometimes slower is faster"

gkmccready

I hear you, loud and clear. BUT. If you learn to drive within the limits of whatever street tires you have and keep the front and rear matched you will be much better off when you move to better tires. Going to sticky tires too early can hide all sorts of non-optimal driving -- as you saw when you jumped in a car shod with A6s. Don't try to fix your understeer by running mismatched tire compounds -- it's like trying to fix it by running 315 front tires, and 275 rear tires... would you do that?

A matched set of NT05s would be a great step towards NT01s/R888s which would be a great step towards full-on R compounds (Hoosiers, etc)...

Sounds like you know it's your driving style that needs fixing and not the car, so work on what needs fixing. :-)

Cloaked323

Not true I have a C6 Z06 with Borlas and had a hitch installed, works great no issues at all other than what I've mentioned regarding install.

froggy47

They are street legal, any tire with a DOT number is street legal, but try explaining that to a cop.

Driving to/from on a6/710 does NOT heat cycle or wear the tires much UNLESS you run a lot of toe (out front/in rear) then they WILL wear a lot.

I have a LOT of camber both ends, but zero front toe & if I need rear toe I do it at the event & then set it back b4 I leave.

I get about 80 f & 120 r runs (laps) on A6 and maybe 25% more on 710's.

I am pretty easy & smooth on tires, YMMV.

BTW neither is "competetive" past the 1/2 life, you start giving up time to the guys with newer tires. But they still beat street tires.

johnnywoz

COOL

So tell me more; what brand hitch, did it have to be customized, pics????