Discussion
I went for hard spec Kumhos Ecsta V700 (like the Tasmin challenge spec)
Nice and sticky on the track (after a couple of laps) and just about legal on the road.
Check them in paddock though - people do leave all sorts of crap lying around - picked up a small bolt at Goodwood, which spoilt my day (it went a bit flat !)
Nice and sticky on the track (after a couple of laps) and just about legal on the road.
Check them in paddock though - people do leave all sorts of crap lying around - picked up a small bolt at Goodwood, which spoilt my day (it went a bit flat !)
yup go with steve. yokohama AO32R. i reckon soft compound is best compromise. super softs are grippier but last about 43 seconds.
the mediums take a bit longer to heat up but will alst a bit longer than softs do.
the actual water disserpation is good but traction will be a bit less than you're used to in the wet.
on my hillclimb car i run them at 24-25psi (would run road tyres at 28-29psi)
definitely worth buying. you'll be stunned at the difference in dry weather grip.
in the wet just rememeber to be super-smooth and they'll be fine.
dunlop formula-Rs are dearer and not sure if they're significantly better.
the mediums take a bit longer to heat up but will alst a bit longer than softs do.
the actual water disserpation is good but traction will be a bit less than you're used to in the wet.
on my hillclimb car i run them at 24-25psi (would run road tyres at 28-29psi)
definitely worth buying. you'll be stunned at the difference in dry weather grip.
in the wet just rememeber to be super-smooth and they'll be fine.
dunlop formula-Rs are dearer and not sure if they're significantly better.
If you run slicks you might find that the suspension may need modding to get the best out of them. The better grip means that the car will roll more and this can cause camber issues. The normal trick is to stiffen the suspension to counteract the roll and then reduce the camber to about -1 degree so that the tyre contact is preserved. Using standard suspension will get benefit from slicks but you can get more with a specific set up.
I basically had to reset the whole suspension to get the best out of the slicks on the 520 when I switched over last year. ALso worth chceking that the additional strain is not wearing out suspension components. Tyre spin will prevent too much strain. With sticky slicks, that strain has to be handled by the suspension/transmission.
Having said that, using slicks is unbelievable!
I basically had to reset the whole suspension to get the best out of the slicks on the 520 when I switched over last year. ALso worth chceking that the additional strain is not wearing out suspension components. Tyre spin will prevent too much strain. With sticky slicks, that strain has to be handled by the suspension/transmission.
Having said that, using slicks is unbelievable!
now its getting interesting...
joospeed, where and how much. can u recommend a set up?
steve also interesting and logical (as ever) which tyre have you plumped for?
BTW specs are Nitrons (around 17 clicks), all polys, adjustable upper w/bones currently on -2degrees, standard f/r anti roll bars again poly'd. ride height 3.5"f/4.5"r
ta
joospeed, where and how much. can u recommend a set up?
steve also interesting and logical (as ever) which tyre have you plumped for?
BTW specs are Nitrons (around 17 clicks), all polys, adjustable upper w/bones currently on -2degrees, standard f/r anti roll bars again poly'd. ride height 3.5"f/4.5"r
ta
Looked at road legal slicks but while they are an improvement, they won't touch the real thing so to speak.
I'm using Avon 9/23.5/16 cross ply slicks with an A38 compound for competition but that is so soft it will only last about 20 mins on a track. On test days, I use either ex Tuscan racer slicks or some Dunlop 225/620R16 hard slicks. These are part worns which cost around £25 ish each. New there are around £200-250 a corner... All of these are pure slicks. Have a set of Dunlop cut slicks 225/620R16 with an X21 compound which is so soft you can move the tread blocks with your fingers. Great in the wet but will shred in a couple of laps in the dry.
Suspension mods have involved increasing spring rates by about 70%, reducing camber to about - 0.5 degree, custom rear shocks and springs to control the suspension movement, strengthened front suspension mounts with the top mount moved to make the front shock more perpendicular. Shocks clicked up quite a bit. Custom rose jointed replacements for bushes and ARB drop links. Apart from that absolutely standard....
The hard suspension is to get the slicks working and get some heat in them as the hard ones are lethel until they warm up. The back end will twitch and breakaway with the least provocation. Stiffening everything up stops the rolling and therefore you need less camber. Basiaclly the tyre sidewall flex provides most of the suspension give. Having said that, the car does squat down under power and will roll a couple of degrees but that does mean pushing it quite hard.
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