Damnit. Time for a new plan.

 

I PMed Jim over a month ago about getting a set of shaved Sumitomos... NO RESPONSE!!

Are the HTR ZII that much worse? (I noticed the treadwear went from 140 - 220... not a good sign)

 

Indeed it is. But hey you have the big toys so now you get to play with the big boys

 

Just sent my boss an e-mail telling him to give me my bonus now or eat shit. We'll see how that plays out... There may be no toys for me this year

 

Bwaaaaaaahaaaaaahaaaaaaaaa

 

[QUOTE=RACER,Sep 13 2004, 03:34 PM] 1000 miles should be more than enough miles to scrub/wear in a set of S-02 tires.

 

How would the Fuzions compare with the HTR Zs?

I appreciate all the input thus far, and Ludedude - I still consider myself very much a novice!! Conservative. Want to get smooth and better, not too worried about speed right now!

 

If you look at the S02s at the proper time you can see a lighter color emerging in the tread. It appears that the top layer is the sticky stuff while the bottom is optomized for something else...

 

I'll put in my .02 When the tires are worn almost all the way through (S-02's) They tend to harden to some degree. This is normal for all tires. When run on the street, it is very hard to generate any heat out of the tires unless your driving like Parnelli Jones. On the other hand, while running on a closed course, it is easier to generate that necessary heat to a more optimal temperature.

For example, my original OEM tires have 9,700 miles on them. When I go around a tight uphill curve, the back end slides very easily. If the tires are cold, I can barely press on the brake pedal without anti-lock engaging. If I run the car at the least, semi aggressive, I can then press on the brake pedal a reasonable amount and not have anti-lock engage.

I have to take my hat off to you for going 100+ through the esses at Watkins Glen on near bald rear tires. In my experiences, sometimes a racetrack can have less grip than a public road at times.

Hell, if ya got extra money, get some new rubber. I have an extra set of tires (semi used) on a set of OEM wheels in my garage, but waiting till it is no longer wise to continue running my original S-02's.

 

It's 115+ with the R-compounds...
Actually the car feels very good; keep in mind I've been driving ~8 days per year for 14 years at this track, and I also teach so I'm going around as a passenger a lot too.


I suspect it is all about the heat as you point out and as I have wondered for a long time. The heat that gets put into the tires from the brakes is amazing. After a 30-minute session the wheels can be so hot you can hardly touch them. Obviously this kind of heat is never possible in a street-driving situation.

I may very well order up some new sneakers. These S-02s are the original tires. They have been flopped once on the wheels so both shoulders are getting down and the center still has a respectable amount of tread. I drove some crappy used Kumho 712s for a while so I suspect these S-02s have about 17,000 miles.