Which TD tyres best in the wet?
Discussion
Looking for a set of tyres for my MX5 - its main purpose is as a track day car.
However I tend to do a lot of track days in the winter and at the Nurburgring, where the weather can be unpredictable. Don't have the capacity to take a 2nd set of wheels/tyres to these events so they need to cover all the bases.
Options are:
Toyo R1R
Yokohama AD08R
Federal 595 RSR
Nankang NS-2R
Basically, which of these give the best wet weather performace?
However I tend to do a lot of track days in the winter and at the Nurburgring, where the weather can be unpredictable. Don't have the capacity to take a 2nd set of wheels/tyres to these events so they need to cover all the bases.
Options are:
Toyo R1R
Yokohama AD08R
Federal 595 RSR
Nankang NS-2R
Basically, which of these give the best wet weather performace?
Problem is you'll kill the Uniroyals on a dry track day pretty easily, depending on how hard you push them. AD08R's would be a better compromise for a track focussed machine. They can't clear large amounts of standing water like a road tyre can, but most TDO's won't open the track if there's large amounts of standing water anyway.
Hmm.. Don't have specific experience of the uniroyals, but an MX5 is very easy on tyres. It's light. It's also not over endowed with power in relation to grip, my pick would definitely be a road tyre given the OP's mandate.
Mine was on kumho ecsta hm, did just fine on track wet or dry and barely any wear, would go that way quite happily again.
Mine was on kumho ecsta hm, did just fine on track wet or dry and barely any wear, would go that way quite happily again.
Edited by upsidedownmark on Wednesday 16th December 10:04
I'd agree if it was a road car that OP sometimes wants to track. As it's main purpose is as a track car, I'd rather run a more track oriented tyre. I would wager than an AD08R will still perform better in the wet than most summer road tyres, up to the point where it cannot clear the standing water.
Uniroyal Rainsport 3 are about as far away from a performance tyre as you can possibly get.
Nearly everyone who tries them have never had decent tyres before and have come from Nankang NS2s or Nexens or other budgets, and think "bugger me, these are good!" when they aren't any better than say a Goodyear Eagle F1 in the wet.
I would go with the AD08Rs in the wet.
Problems with the nankang/federals these are OK in the dry but in the wet they show their budget heritage.
Nearly everyone who tries them have never had decent tyres before and have come from Nankang NS2s or Nexens or other budgets, and think "bugger me, these are good!" when they aren't any better than say a Goodyear Eagle F1 in the wet.
I would go with the AD08Rs in the wet.
Problems with the nankang/federals these are OK in the dry but in the wet they show their budget heritage.
xjay1337 said:
Uniroyal Rainsport 3 are about as far away from a performance tyre as you can possibly get.
Nearly everyone who tries them have never had decent tyres before and have come from Nankang NS2s or Nexens or other budgets, and think "bugger me, these are good!" when they aren't any better than say a Goodyear Eagle F1 in the wet.
I would go with the AD08Rs in the wet.
Problems with the nankang/federals these are OK in the dry but in the wet they show their budget heritage.
Haha, horsesNearly everyone who tries them have never had decent tyres before and have come from Nankang NS2s or Nexens or other budgets, and think "bugger me, these are good!" when they aren't any better than say a Goodyear Eagle F1 in the wet.
I would go with the AD08Rs in the wet.
Problems with the nankang/federals these are OK in the dry but in the wet they show their budget heritage.
t.The friend im talking about races in the trackday trophy. After his first race with them which resulted in first in class and second overall (iirc) he had the scrutineers come and look at his car because other racers had questioned which tyres he was using.
For road legal it has to be uniroyal rainsport 3.
I also have goodyear eagle F1 Assy 2 (on my 3rd set) which are a awesome tyre in the wet BUT the uniroyal kill these back to back on the same wet track.
They are not far off my racing wets.
I have a video on my youtube account running these at Bedford SEN with rivers across the track on BMW M3.
Then in the dry run Cup 1, 03G or slicks.
I also have goodyear eagle F1 Assy 2 (on my 3rd set) which are a awesome tyre in the wet BUT the uniroyal kill these back to back on the same wet track.
They are not far off my racing wets.
I have a video on my youtube account running these at Bedford SEN with rivers across the track on BMW M3.
Then in the dry run Cup 1, 03G or slicks.
I probably didn't explain myself very well. I need a tyre that's good in the dry too. Rather than have to have two sets of wheels/tyres, I want a tyre that's as good in the wet as it is in the dry, even if it isn't the outright best in either scenario.
I've currently got Uniroyal Rainexperts on, which at a wet track day on Sunday I overtook 20 cars in as many minutes while not getting overtake once, and I'm not even a particularly good driver! However, I've heard bad things about Uniroyals on dry TDs, like that they overheat and go off (e.g. they were recently criticised in the CarThrottle MX-5 video).
Let me put it another way. When I take the MX5 to the Nurburgring in April I won't have space for a second set of tyres. When I went last April it was pretty torrential, but its so unpredictable there that I didn't know it would be when I left home. So my tyre choice needs to cope as well on if its hot and sunny as if its cold and wet.
I've currently got Uniroyal Rainexperts on, which at a wet track day on Sunday I overtook 20 cars in as many minutes while not getting overtake once, and I'm not even a particularly good driver! However, I've heard bad things about Uniroyals on dry TDs, like that they overheat and go off (e.g. they were recently criticised in the CarThrottle MX-5 video).
Let me put it another way. When I take the MX5 to the Nurburgring in April I won't have space for a second set of tyres. When I went last April it was pretty torrential, but its so unpredictable there that I didn't know it would be when I left home. So my tyre choice needs to cope as well on if its hot and sunny as if its cold and wet.
Of that list & for an mx5 R1R, best in wet, but will need to be careful not murder the tyres in the dry, but the lighter the car better that will be.
A cup2 would be perhaps the best all rounder, but not available in regular mx5 sizes, so doubt would suit.
Pal of mine running the ad08 on a gt86 is far happier with them in wet than his previous rsrs, in your shoes I'd most likely go that route.
A cup2 would be perhaps the best all rounder, but not available in regular mx5 sizes, so doubt would suit.
Pal of mine running the ad08 on a gt86 is far happier with them in wet than his previous rsrs, in your shoes I'd most likely go that route.
I like Rainsports, but only for totally wet.
I recently ran R1Rs on the back of a lightweight hatch, and they seemed to marble/peel and become skittish after a very short session, so I would question relying on them for a full dry trackday. That and they're very soft, so can't imagine them lasting too long.
I recently ran R1Rs on the back of a lightweight hatch, and they seemed to marble/peel and become skittish after a very short session, so I would question relying on them for a full dry trackday. That and they're very soft, so can't imagine them lasting too long.
Out of the list you've given I'd probably try the AD08s. Not tried them myself but heard good things about them wet and dry.
Don't know if they're available in your size but michelin pilot supersports are worth a mention as a good all rounder, got them on my car now. Coped well with a trackday and nurburgring trip (all in the dry) but not concerned about driving with them in the wet.
Don't know if they're available in your size but michelin pilot supersports are worth a mention as a good all rounder, got them on my car now. Coped well with a trackday and nurburgring trip (all in the dry) but not concerned about driving with them in the wet.
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