want to use the stock 01 rims looking at 275/40/17
so far I am leaning towards nitto nt05's
so far I am leaning towards nitto nt05's
tire recommendations...throw them out there
- Thread starter cobraetti
- Start date
Correct me if I am wrong but your stock wheels are 8 inches wide. A 275 NT05 will NOT be happy on there. 255/45 17 Hoosier A6.
street car still? or dedicated autox?
I have 275's on there now I like the wide look
street for sure/maybe 5 auto x's a year
That is ok. just know that this drastically negatively impacts the performance of the tire.
I have driven continental DWs and liked them.
you are stretching the tire to fit it onto the wheel like that. why not buy some 17x9in cobra wheels off American Muscle for super cheap and then you will be fine? as for street use and barely any autox...nt05's should be fine. I would ask the guys in different sections though. especially seeing as you are street driving more than anything and barely autocrossing. if you're just autocrossing for fun a few times a year...it really doesn't matter what tire you have on the car. get something streetable.
No worries buddy. I did not take it that way. It is good to ask questions. So there a couple of things you need to think about. 1) section width (which is the width of the tire that is actually contacting the ground. When you put a big tire on a little rim the tire bulges. When it does this the tread section curves forcing some of the tread to bend and it is almost like the treat starts to become side wall. Take a look at this link from tire rack. Tire Tech Information - Tire Specs Explained
2) side wall stability. When you bulge out the side wall there is less lateral support for the tire. When you turn the car in the side wall flexs. When the tire is bulged out the side wall moves from side to side with weight transfer. The result is that your steering inputs feel like mush because the side will is essentially flopping around like a fish out of water. When you have a proper size tire for the wheel then the side wall has more support from the wheel and does not flex as much. The result is crisper turn in. This is important when you are driving a 3500lb mustang.
Now having said that, I am speaking from a hardcore autocrossers perspective. If you like to go out and have fun, which is totally awesome, buy what you prefer. Autocross is awesome because local events are typically low key and you can just go out and have fun with the car.
If you like to autocross to go out and have fun and that is your main goal then buy the size tires you like for the car. Also, like someone mentioned get a tire that you like to run on the street. A good autocross tire is soft, sticky and has a pretty stiff side wall. Those characteristics do not really make a good street tire.
Let me know if that helps. Feel free to PM me or just post up a thread if you have any questions. I like seeing more people get into autocross. It is my favorite motorsport and I love to see it grow.
makes sense I appreciate the info.
AMWill
Active Member
OP,
With whichever tire size you decide to go with, you'll be glad you went with a NT05. They're killer tires for auto X racing, plus they're more affordable and last longer than other road race tires. I think you're going down the right route as far as tire selection.
If you're interested in tires or even new rims for your Cobra, let me know. I'll be happy to hook you up with our active forum member discount code. It will help take some of the edge off the pricing!
Shane
With whichever tire size you decide to go with, you'll be glad you went with a NT05. They're killer tires for auto X racing, plus they're more affordable and last longer than other road race tires. I think you're going down the right route as far as tire selection.
If you're interested in tires or even new rims for your Cobra, let me know. I'll be happy to hook you up with our active forum member discount code. It will help take some of the edge off the pricing!
Shane
pm'd
I didnt see the NT05's online
I didnt see the NT05's online
they may not have nt05's on american muscle but if he can get you a deal on some decent street tires that have a little performance to them plus some 17x9in cobra wheels...definitely the way to go. good luck.
Hoosier A6 are awesome, heat up suuuper quick. But if you are driving on the street go with somthing like Hankook RS3 or Toyo R1R. Or Hankook V12/Nitto NT05 will last longer still with regular street use. +1 on going with either a 245-255 tire or getting a wider rim. Putting that fat a tire on a skinny rim just scares me. If you want some wide rims I will have a set of Ford Y2k Cobra R's 18x9.5's for sale sometime this year... once the NT01's are gone 
I love the y2k's
Well I'm guessing the tires will be gone about mid season, and the replacements are some Hoosiers on rpf1s. So I'll be sure to let you know when they are up for grabs, they're in just about perfect condition, only used them at the track.
I LOVE my Yokohama AD08s. Laser precise steering response and they stick like glue when warmed. Theyre good for cars that are like 3200+ LBs because they have stiff sidewalls and help nicely in tight transitions. DO NOT put a 275 on an 8 inch rim.
When I used to Autocross my old 65 Mustang, and it did become a more or less autocrass dedicated car, I used to run qualifying tires. A qualifying tire is a very soft compound slick used on a road racing car in SCCA classes. As the name suggests they are generally used one time for track qualifying times and then discarded. These tires are still perfectly good for autocross though. I mounted them on just plain 14 X 7 steel wheels for autocrossing. To me it didnt matter what the wheel looked like while I was competing. On the 65 Mustang my street wheels were 14 X 7 Magnum 500's. Now my car was fully race modified and the slicks gripped like nothing else. Having said all this, I am not sure where you might find a set of tires like this. Last time I went this route with my 65 was 1992. You might want to sign onto the SCCA Forum and post a question with them to see if someone knows. I was the South Carolina region SCCA C/P class champion in my 65 Mustang in 1989.
The Snake
The Snake
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Absolutely!
I'd run the stickiest tire imaginable, maybe even find some road race wets, the reason is that autocross never lets the tires warm up to a decent operating temp, so find some stickies and baste them in traction enhancer.
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