Tire feedback

[cluscher]

I'm just a recreational HPDE guy and I'm looking to go with an Extreme Performance tire this go around. I've narrowed it down to the Hankook Ventus RS-3 and the Yokohama Advan AD08. I'll run a staggered 275/35, 305/30 setup on my GT500. Does anyone have any experience with either of these tires, good or bad, and how they compare to each other, as well as how they compare to a tire like the NT01 or R888.

Thanks.

 

[a1yola]

I really like my bridegstone RE11's and RE01-R's. They're awesome performance street tires! I've heard good things about the RS3's but never tried them. Have you considered not running staggered and just running a square setup?

 

[gcassidy]

Yes, why have more tire in the rear of a car that (stock) tends to push?

 

[cluscher]

This will also be my street setup and longitudinal grip is also important to me. I'll have my stock wheels too and will likely get 275/35 NT01s or Hoosiers at some point as I get into it more, but I'm looking for a good all around tire that I can just drive to the track on and have a fun day with.

 

[MFE]

I have the Hankooks as my daily tire and backup track tire, so I haven't driven them on track yet, but they really look like the bang-for-the-buck performance tire by a long shot. I don't have video yet but I just finished a track day Saturday where I was running NT01's, and I could barely keep up with a friend of mine in his '11 Mustang GT. That's not usually the case, he can out-power me down the straights but I usually make up for it in the turns. This time, not so much, so I figured he had R-comps. I was wrong, he was running Hankook RS-3's.

 

[cluscher]

Thanks for that feedback. I've heard similar things about the Hankooks, just not on the Mustang. Others have said great things about the Yokohamas, again not on the Mustang though. Do you have any idea what size tire your friend was running on his '11?

 

[MFE]

No. I think they're stock size for the car, whatever that is.

 

[TroyV]

Based on the the lap times and autocross run times I have seen them do in comparison to V710's and Hoosier A6/R6/SM6, the RS3 is a cheater tire if there ever was one. The 140 tread wear designation of the RS3 is just to appease the SCCA people who want to run a sticky tire, but still refer to it as a street tire. It is a good thing for them that UTOG ratings are completely subjective and can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. If there was a central regulation on tread wear, these would be much more like the RA1/R888/NT01 or possibly even stickier. There are virtually stock cars on the RS3 at our autocrosses that normally would be getting seriously pasted by cars on R's...and they are not.

Get them if you can afford them. They will wear fast...but that comes with the territory.

 

[TXPD]

longitudinal grip? i will offer this. for road course driving you are going to me much happier with a road course set up(same size tire on all 4 corners) than a drag racing set up with big rubber in the rear.

* as cassidy said. add the smaller rubber in the front the the big engine weight and your car will not want to turn. these cars shove the nose anyway. put big rubber in the back so you can launch will make traffic lights more fun but wont do you any favors on the road course.

* you will burn the rubber off the car far faster than you need to. with the same tire on all four corners you can rotate and manage your tires much better. with the primary right turn nature of these courses you want to rotate side to side. with a mustang you want to rotate front to rear. smaller rubber in the front will create understeer and pressure on those fronts and then you cant rotate them.

word to the wise

 

[cluscher]

Thanks for the feedback on the RS-3s.

RE: the squared setup, I know as I tore the hell out of my stock front 255 F1s while running the 285s in the rear. I'll have my stock 18 inch wheels too with lots of track tire choices for that wheel.