Tires!

[Ben 84 RX-7]

I just bought my first set of brand new race tires...EVER!! I got the Toyo's and can't wait to see what my lap times will be on new rubber! I am glad to hear everyone likes the Toyo's. JAKE!!!!! I thought you dropped off the face of the earth! PLEASE contact me so I can finally pay you for that header! 518-966-8713 or email at [email protected]

Thanks!

[x-ring]

Backformore: Try Frisby race tire.

http://www.frisbyracetire.com/hankook_ventus_z211.htm

They don't have prices posted for all the new stuff in Hankook's new catalog, but the new stuff may not be out yet. I'd call and ask if you don't see what you want on their site. 800.798.7201


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Ty Till
#16 ITS
Rocky Mountain Division

[Fastfred92]

Hankook Z211 in 15" sizes around 135 - 140 range shaved... Good tire for the money! They will have some very neat Hoosier / Kuhmo 710 like tires out this summer in select sizes,,,

Call Vilven tire 800-251-0017

[shwah]

Originally posted by Fastfred92:
Hankook Z211 in 15" sizes around 135 - 140 range shaved... Good tire for the money! They will have some very neat Hoosier / Kuhmo 710 like tires out this summer in select sizes,,,

Call Vilven tire 800-251-0017

Vilven Tire - good people.

I happened to be passing through their neck of the woods last year. Called ahead, ordered a set of shaved Toyos, dropped by on Saturday mid-day with wheels in my trunk and they mounted them up at no extra charge.

It was a lot of fun talking to them about developing tire shaving processes back in the days that autocrossers were just starting to notice faster times on worn tires.

Chris

[Spinnetti]

Originally posted by Bob Burns:
Yeah, I was in a black GTI.

I work for Johnson Controls. Our automotive interiors group does a lot of work for Toyota. I work for the controls group and ran the temperature controls installation project for the new seat assembly plant we built in Georgetown about 4 years ago.

If you are an hour north of Georgetown, that puts you closer to Cincinnati. There's an SCCA region there that's pretty active with a lot of racers. You are also probably pretty close to the Koni facility near the Cincinnati airport. One of their marketing/tech guys is Lee Grimes. He has an ITA CRX that he's converting to one of the Production classes.

I'll be at IRP regional in May as a steward. Maybe I'll see you there!

Bob...

Funny how the world turns.. Yep, we do a lot of business with Johnson controls..

I'm in Verona, up by Cinci. and the track day I was referring to is being put on by Lee Lee lives about 7 or so miles from me..

If I can find a cheap place to get Toyos (didn't find anybody quickly so far), I'll get some for that track day, and then just use those for rains..

Probably won't make IRP this year, but I hope to do one or two this year... (time and kinds permitting)

Cheers,

Dave.

[gran racing]

Vilven does the best shaving I've seen so far. Much, much better than tire rack.

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Dave Gran
NER ITB #13
'87 Honda Prelude si

[evanwebb]

Hey which Toyo tire is the right one for IT? Is it the Proxes? I think they have more than one race-type tire. This is for a ITB Volvo, is the appropriate size in the Toyos a 225/50/15 or do they have a 45 aspect ratio, or...? thanks!

[Fastfred92]

Vilven is great to deal with! I wish they were closer to me.....

The guys at Appalachian Tire are also first rate.. They do not handle Hankook yet but they attend most SEDIV events and offer great trackside service!

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Fred Alphin
#92 Hankook Tire SSB VW GTI VR6
BMW 325i ITS ( 2006 ? )

[Bob Burns]

Originally posted by shwah:
Vilven Tire - good people.

I agree.

Back when we were running Rabbits in Showroom Stock (early 1980s), we drove over to Royal, Illinois, a couple of times to get tires mounted and shaved on the spot. Spending a Saturday morning with the Vilvens was always enjoyable and educational. The hot set up in tires back then were 155/80R13 Kleber (a French subsidiary of Michelin) V12's. Vilven would ask you a lot of questions about how the car was set up and how you drove. Then he'd put just the right cut on the tires to make you go faster. The tires may have been skinny, but we still had a pretty good time.

They took real good care of us at the Runoffs one year, too. In the mid-80s when we were running Goodyears on Golf GTIs in SSC, Vilven was running Goodyear's Showroom Stock program. At the '86 Runoffs, Bob Vilven came up to us in the pits after the first practice session, looked at our tires, and told us to bring a set of wheels to the Goodyear tent. We ended up getting a new set of tires everyday and each day we went faster. Finished 4th that year after the first two guys got tossed in Tech.

Bob...

P.S. Back in those days, Bob had one of those chest-type Coke machines where you put your money in and then slide the bottle through the slots to a gate so you can pull it out. The difference was that the Coke machine in the Vilven back shop contained Stroh's long-necks and the gate had been jimmied so you didn't have put put in any money. <grin>

[Knestis]

Originally posted by evanwebb:
Hey which Toyo tire is the right one for IT? Is it the Proxes?...? thanks!

We used the RA-1 on the Golf for the enduro. I don't know what the other options are...

K

[JIgou]

If you're looking for a Toyo for IT, you want the RA-1.

World Challenge used to run on the T1-S, which is a great street tire....but nothing like the RA-1.

On my SM, they take about three good heat cycles (shaved to 4/32nds) to really come into their own....and I go faster every session until the cords are hanging out (not just showing). Maybe that's just a Miata thing or something, but that's my experience.

Jarrod

[emwavey]

I was on the fence about which tire to use until I read this thread... the (shaved) 205/55/14 Toyos arrived today... school is this weekend WDCR.

I ordered Monday and they're here already(Wednesday). Appalician Tire kicks butt.

-dave
8)

[This message has been edited by emwavey (edited March 16, 2005).]

[This message has been edited by emwavey (edited March 16, 2005).]

[lateapex911]

Hey guys... a little off topic here...

I got a very distubing call today from a guy who I not only like, but respect.

He said he read my post above, where I said I wished the Hoosier plant would burn to the ground so we don't have to use the things...and he wanted clarification.

One of the problems with the internet is that comments like that, can be misunderstood, especially when the writer (me) is not thorough enough to re-read, and include a smiley, or a LOL, or something...

I have edited the aforementioned post, but please, if you were offended, or thoght I was in the least way serious, I apologise!

Of course, I would never wish any such thing. My point, which I clearly made poorly, was merely that I wish that an act of God would remove expensive tires (of any brand!) that need constant replacement from our list of choices....and that really, only an act of God can do that!

I know that if Hoosier doesn't make them soft and fast that some other company will. In amatuer racing, is it really vital that we turn laps of 1:32 instead of 1:33?? No...nobody really cares, and I would want to see blind testing to really believe that a driver is getting more kicks from the increased G loading the faster tire provides.

Again, my apologies if I offended anyone in any way. For the record, all of my Hoosier dry tires have performed as advertised, and they have never let me down. And my only win came in Biblical rain conditions, on Hoosier Dirt Stockers....

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[8VITB]

has anyone run the new avons? i think i just bought my last set of hoosiers. $170 a pop for 205/55/14 !?! i have run the toyos on my golf, they wear like iron , but i prefer ithe crisper turn in feeling of the hoosiers. i was thinking of trying the avons out. from what i have read they are fairly similar to hoosiers. anybody?

[bldn10]

I tried a new set of Avons (225-45-15) a couple of weeks ago on an ITS RX-7. I had some old Hoosier 03s on the previous test day and they had no grip so the Avons were like night and day. However, I was unable to do a back-to-back w/ a good set of Hoosiers so the jury is still out until my next event when I will run both. I did 4 sessions on the Avons (heat-cycled by TireRack) and they had good grip and predictability and showed little wear. I would not say they were faster than Hoosiers but if they are just as fast and last at least as long, the $120/set savings would be worth it. FWIW the Midwest Div. ITS Championship was won on Avons.

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Bill Denton
87/89 ITS RX-7
02 Audi TT225QC
95 Tahoe
Memphis

[Rabbit07]

I run an ITB Mustang on Hoosiers, 225 14's and I get around 12-15 heat cycles out of them, they fall off a bit after about 8 cycles, but not that bad. I run in the Central division and at Waterford Hills, so temps maybe cooler than down south. I ran my whole season last year on 3 sets of tires. Don't be affriad of the Hoosiers, it really depends on how you care for them. I rotate my tires after every session ( this also gives you a chance to check brakes and such )I am also always checking alignment and verifing tire temps. Also remember to no drive the tires off the car, keep the Slip angle to optimum and all will be well..... My $.02

[wburstein]

I'm with Rabbit07. We have been running Hoosiers for years and I just smile when I hear someone complain that they are only good for a few heat cycles. With proper care, we run them almost to the cords and I have been as fast or faster on tires with 10+ heat cycles.

Of course, if you don't break them in properly or overheat them, you are not going to get that kind of wear.



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Wayne Burstein
WDC Region, ITS #10, Datsun 240Z
www.mountainmotorsports.net

[bldn10]

The experience I have had w/ Hoosiers, especially the 04s, is that the grip is gone long before the tread. So, I would think it would have nothing to do w/ rotating, flipping, etc. - the tires are not wearing out or wearing unevenly, they have plenty of rubber left and look like good tires. But I go out on them and I'm sliding all over the place. My first set of 04s I heat cycled on a Fri. test day and did not run them until Sun. The first 4 sessions were fine but the 5th was a bust. The next set was better, about 6 good sessions and a few more as they went away, still w/ plenty of rubber.

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Bill Denton
87/89 ITS RX-7
02 Audi TT225QC
95 Tahoe
Memphis

[Knestis]

Reading this, I wonder if that reduced grip - after heat cycles - is actually less than that of, say, a Toyo with the same kind of history.

The Toyos drop off little - if at all - as they age but if the Hosers start out sufficiently faster, it might just be that the complaints we hear are relative to Hosers at their best, vs. other options.

Stick will spoil you.

K

[8VITB]

rabbit 07,i rotate my tires too. i even take the time to measure the tread (or lack of) depth to see if i need to flip the tire on the wheel. i drive an a2 golf with a welded diff. the loaded or outside front corner (lf at memphis and atlanta rf at hallett) obviously wears the most. the other 3 do not wear so bad. but i have noticed that measureing from the outside in, the 3rd ,or inner groove wears alomst as bad as the outside shoulder. the S04s seem to wear funny. i run-3.2 to-3.5 deg. and my temps are perfect. what have you seen on the rabbit vs. the mustang? what has anyone else seen out there? the welded diff probably had something to do with it. just curious. im not bitchin . i really like these tires, but i would like to make them last longer