how do overheated, squirmier tires give better feedback than tires engineered for that purpose?


u can shave street tire to 5/32 to help it and you suffer on the track

 

RA-1's can be run on the street just fine, only problem is you'll pickup all kinds of nasty shat on the street

 

Because they get overheated and squirmy. They also squeal like a stuck pig and start to lose grip quicker.

Those are all feedback mechanisms, most of which are missing from R-compounds.

I didn't say they were faster, or grip better, or even better in the wet. But they let you know when you make a mistake sooner and more obviously than the RA1s.

After a while, you don't need such obvious feedback to quickly understand when you have been less than smooth or less than precise.

If the point is to have fun and be fast, use the R-compounds. If the point is to try and develop your feel for the grip of the tires with as steep a learning curve as possible, the worse tires the better the learning -- for most people.

YMMV, as with anything.

 

And after 1 year experience on the track, I have to agree with sphinckter...don't mess around with street tires on the track...there's no point to it. You'll be slow, and wearing the shit out of your daily driven street tires..Plus you can get R-compounds for nearly the same price as the high end street tires like S-02's

 

Thanks bud.

Appreciate the maturity

 

Exactly. Putting R compounds on the car at this stage makes for a potentially faster car, but makes for a worse car to learn to drive in.

 

Exactly, after a year on the track you should have switched to R-compounds (depending how many events you do, and how fast you leard). But those first several track days are probably better served by street tires.

 

If street tires stop someone from going quickly then they are no where near ready to make the most of dedicated track rubber.

 

I understand the tire compound debate. I think I can make that decision now. Thanks everybody.

Can somebody comment on 235/45/17 size on the fronts and whether your experience leads you to suggest a stiffer sway bar and what the consequence is of using the stock swaybar.

Thanks

 

What?! This is the Internet. Things don't work like that. We have to continue arguing about it for at least two months after you've already gone out and bought tires.