Input on Hoosier A6s?

[amorrow]

Not to start such a generic thread, but I searched and didn't find many opinions of this tire from those who've actually run them on late-model Mustangs.

I'm going to run HSAX on roadcourses with my '98, and am looking for some track rubber. My modifications already put me in A Modified with Midwestern Council, and running a DOT competition tire with a low treadwear rating will not affect my class, given my other modifications. I've read some good opinions on the Hoosiers - would this be a wise choice for a full-weight '98 Cobra with 18"x8.5"/10" wheels? Also, what sizes would you recommend with a 4.30 gear? I heard they run wide, however I'm still thinking 245/45/18 and 295/30/18 would be the ideal size?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[TroyV]

That is an awful heavy car to run A's on. Can you be more specific on how long the tires would be run? 20 minute track sessions? 40 second AX runs?

A's are a brilliant tire, but they are very easy to over heat, and they can instantly cord at the shoulder if they are not aired properly and you are doing lots of sliding.

I got nine 120 second autocross runs out of the front pair of A's on my 03 Cobra. I over drove the tire, and paid the price.

R's will last you longer, but are still adversely affected by sliding the car around. If that is your style of driving, then V710's are the tire for you. They grip almost as good as A's, and better than R's, but are really good for the heavier cars, and have much more heat resistance.. You can also get many many more events out of them.

On my Miata, my A's should be done by the end of my next TT event. So that is around 60 autocross runs of 95 seconds or more, four open track sessions of 20 minutes each, and two TT sessions of four laps each for a total of 223 track/ax miles.

Not a lot of life....even on a Miata weighing 2200 pounds. If you have the cash and want quick laps with no warm up time, you cannot do any better than A's as DOT tires go. R's or V710's are good longer lasting alternatives with the V's having the edge.

The only other tire I would consider to be in the same league would be the Hankook Z214 in the C71 compound (like A's) or the C51 compound (like R's)

 

[amorrow]

Thanks for the great info, Troy.

My autocross runs will generally last from around 1 minute (cone course on an old Air Force base) up to roughly 2:20 (area road courses). This is high-speed autocross, so even though I'll be running full laps on road courses, it will be only one lap at a time, with breaks in between. Based on other reviews, it sounded like the Rs wouldn't give me the instant grip I need.

Also, while I haven't weighed my car, I imagine it's pretty close to stock weight - only saving some weight on my non-cat x-pipe and MM coilover suspension with original k-member that probably doesn't save much weight compared to stock. So your concern of running the A6 on a relatively heavy car makes me question this tire.

I'm really only beginning roadracing, as I've only done parking lot autocross one time - 1 minute lap times on my Pirelli Corsas, and my car did slip and slide (oversteer) quite a bit - I was wondering if the tires were just too cool. I imagine I'll develop my own opinions as I try different tires, but given the additional info I provided, would you consider the V710s probably the best choice for me at this time? Will I get grip without warming them up?

Thanks again,
Adam

 

[amorrow]

Also...if I go with V710s, I see size options for a 18"x10" wheel jump from a 285/30 to 305/30. Which would be a better choice? My Pirellis are 295/30 and appear to fit the wheel very well, so I could see it going either way, depending on whether the V710s run wide or narrow compared to Pirelli Corsas. Given my Cobra seems to be "tight" at its current setting with no adjustable rear traction device, would one size make more sense than the other?

Thanks again,
Adam

 

[TroyV]

I'm not familiar with the Pirelli's, but V710's tend to run a little wide....though not at wide as hoosier's..

The problem with staggered set ups on Mustangs is that the car already understeers badly....more grip in the back will serve to make it understeer even more, unless you compensate for it with wider arcs, aiming for the backs of the cones, and more judicious modulation of the throttle....or you like to slide the car around.

V710's are the shite!! They will last 15 times longer than A6's will, and give you 85 to 90% of their level of grip. They remain sticky right down to the cords. They are more predictable than hoosiers, giving up a little bit as you reach the limit of traction....with just a little bit of extra woosh sound prior to letting out. Hoosiers just stick....right to the point when they don't....and there is no sound that accompanies that transition. It is all feel. Hoosiers are faster, but they do not forgive you your sins if you cross them.

 

[amorrow]

I went ahead and ordered a set of V710s. I noticed they offer "rounded" and "squared" shoulder versions, but I took Tirerack's advice and ordered squared 245/40/18s for the front and rounded 285/30/18s for the rear - the tech said the shoulder style had no effect on performance, and it's not a problem to mix-and-match. And I didn't bother having them heat cycled for autocross use. Sound good? Can I just have them mounted and use them to the autocross school I'm attending without any break-in? Thanks again for your help.

 

[TroyV]

I'm sure there will be a lot of folks on the forums that disagree, but my personal feelings on the matter are that mechanical heat cycling is a scam to make a few more bucks.
Just shoe them and run them normally. Good choice, I think you'll be pleased with their performance.

 

[PushinTheLimit]

I've only ran Hoosier A6's my Z06 and I have been more than happy with their life for autox. I picked up a set of 3-4 heat cycled A6's (315/35-17's) and I got about 90 runs of them with probably 20-25 runs still left in them. The keys to longer life is not to overdrive them and have the proper camber in the car so you don't cord them so quick.

The A6's are just faster for me out of the box than the V710's. I drove a friends car with the Kuhmo's and just didn't like the way they felt. I prefer Hoosier.

 

[amorrow]

I ran my new V710s (245/35/18 front and 285/30/18 rear) for the first time this past weekend and Blackhawk, and was really happy with the performance. While that was my first time on a full roadcourse and only second time racing at all, they felt very predictable. Maybe for my next set I'll give the Hoosiers a try so I can get some comparison and develop experienced opinions of my own.

Thanks again for the replies.

Adam