It looks like my big winter mod will be fresh rubber. I'll probably run three sets of tires. A soft tire, a hard tire, and wets. I'm pretty sure the soft tire will be A6's, and obviously the wets will be Hoosiers. I'm just not quite sure about the hard tire. At first I thought I wanted V710's, but now I'm not so sure. I had a set of used V's at the last autocross event of the season, and even with the most aggressive driving, I could not get heat in them at all. That could have been a function of the tires being completely cycled out or a function of having a big tire (225/50/15) with more surface area to heat. FWIW: The car has no problem getting heat into 205/50/15's, even in the coldest weather.
I have three sets of wheels. Two that are 15x7 and one that is 15x8. Hoosiers are generally very light, so I'm thinking I'd run 205/50 A's on my lightest set of 15x7's, which are 9 pounds a piece. That might give me the best combo for quick heating, likely best for cold autocross days, and the practice session prior to and including time trial laps. I plan to run the wets on the heavier set of 15x7's...as with wets, the thinner tires tend to be better.
So the choice is what to run on the 15x8's...and what model and size tire to run. 225/50's are too big (tall) for me to run on track or at Devens without rubbing, requiring me to change the ride height.(which I am unwilling to do...the car is perfect as it sits) That leaves a 225/45/15, which are about the right size for the wheel width if a little wide, or go for a slight stretch and run a 205/50/15 on that wheel. There is no 215 width available.
This year on the 15x8, I ran a Hoosier R3S05 (like R6's) in the 225/45 size. I didn't find them to be any faster than the 205/50 Hankook Z214's I ran this year as an alternate. In fact, I think the Hankooks were faster, prior to them cycling out.
I guess what I'm wondering is, is it better to try for the 205, and try to get quicker heating, or go for the wider tire, which has better over all grip, but takes longer to come up.
The harder tire, can possibly be of the 100tw variety (R888, RA1, NT-01)... Or it could be a V710's or R6..
Thoughts on the matter are appreciated.
For those not keeping score, the car is a 93 ITA/ST4 Miata on coil overs, cross balanced exactly 50/50 with driver, and weighing #2370.
I have three sets of wheels. Two that are 15x7 and one that is 15x8. Hoosiers are generally very light, so I'm thinking I'd run 205/50 A's on my lightest set of 15x7's, which are 9 pounds a piece. That might give me the best combo for quick heating, likely best for cold autocross days, and the practice session prior to and including time trial laps. I plan to run the wets on the heavier set of 15x7's...as with wets, the thinner tires tend to be better.
So the choice is what to run on the 15x8's...and what model and size tire to run. 225/50's are too big (tall) for me to run on track or at Devens without rubbing, requiring me to change the ride height.(which I am unwilling to do...the car is perfect as it sits) That leaves a 225/45/15, which are about the right size for the wheel width if a little wide, or go for a slight stretch and run a 205/50/15 on that wheel. There is no 215 width available.
This year on the 15x8, I ran a Hoosier R3S05 (like R6's) in the 225/45 size. I didn't find them to be any faster than the 205/50 Hankook Z214's I ran this year as an alternate. In fact, I think the Hankooks were faster, prior to them cycling out.
I guess what I'm wondering is, is it better to try for the 205, and try to get quicker heating, or go for the wider tire, which has better over all grip, but takes longer to come up.
The harder tire, can possibly be of the 100tw variety (R888, RA1, NT-01)... Or it could be a V710's or R6..
Thoughts on the matter are appreciated.
For those not keeping score, the car is a 93 ITA/ST4 Miata on coil overs, cross balanced exactly 50/50 with driver, and weighing #2370.
