Which tire will give more grip?

[v8killer]

Front wheels are 17x8 and I am currently running 215/40/17 Dunlop Star Specs (200 tread wear) and they have been great.

Would a smaller 205/40/17 100 tread wear tire (R888 or NT01)give me more grip?

Would my 8" wheel be a little too wide for the 205 on the track?

My car is lowered an inch, street driven and I am really trying to avoid any rubbing issues or cracked fenders from running a 235 size tire.

 

[CL65 Captain]

Front wheels are 17x8 and I am currently running 215/40/17 Dunlop Star Specs (200 tread wear) and they have been great.

Would a smaller 205/40/17 100 tread wear tire (R888 or NT01)give me more grip?

Would my 8" wheel be a little too wide for the 205 on the track?

My car is lowered an inch, street driven and I am really trying to avoid any rubbing issues or cracked fenders from running a 235 size tire.

According to Nitto's website, a 205 will fit on a 8". Their recommended rim size is 7-8".

Having run NT01s and Toyo R888 and then switching to a Dunlop Z1 SS, I can tell you that yes there is slightly more grip but there is A LOT more wear. I was going through Nittos every 4-6 track days. It got to the point where I thought it was crazy to buy new tires every other month so I switched to the Dunlop and couldn't be happier. The Dunlop is a hell of a tire and I think that unless you are made of $$$ the slight increase in grip isn't worth the tradeoff in wear.

I went from 17x8 (235/40/17) & 17x9.5 (275/40/17) Nitto NT01s to 02+ wheels with 215/40/17 & 255/40/17 Dunlop SS and I matched my fastest lap time at the track. I'm sure there were lots of other variables, but I don't think the Dunlop is holding me back or the R-comps are magic rubber good for 2 secs.

Also for street driving, the Dunlop will give you more grip as both the R888 and NT01 need to be warmed up for full grip.

 

[v8killer]

Thanks, I think I'm gonna stick with the Star Specs. Any experience with the Yokohama AD07 or 08's? This looks like a good street/track tire too.

 

[Feffman]

V8 Killer:

Have you looked at the Bridgestone RE-11? May be to your liking.

Feff

 

[angus]

The difference in grip between the star spec and the 888 is huge , I prefer the old ra-1 since it is quieter and lasts longer without sacrificing grip . The 888 is better in rain though. I have 205/40/17 888's on my advan RZ 17x8's

 

[Blackoutz]

I have tracked my last 4 sessions with the Dunlop SS and could not be happier!!! They last a long time and are fairly priced. I might try the Ad08 next time though.

 

[NSXDreamer2]

Are you serious when you telling me that Dunlop Z1 star spec runs same lap time with NT01?? and somehow they even last longer
Either I'm too relying on tires or you have god like skills. it's just doesn't make sense to me.

If you don't change tires, and daily drive your nsx with the same set, that result's understandable.

my experience of the Z1 star spec is it warms up very fast. quite a weapon in the rain, don't think R888 is any good in the rain. (Full tread RA1 would be better choice in rain)

According to Nitto's website, a 205 will fit on a 8". Their recommended rim size is 7-8".

Having run NT01s and Toyo R888 and then switching to a Dunlop Z1 SS, I can tell you that yes there is slightly more grip but there is A LOT more wear. I was going through Nittos every 4-6 track days. It got to the point where I thought it was crazy to buy new tires every other month so I switched to the Dunlop and couldn't be happier. The Dunlop is a hell of a tire and I think that unless you are made of $$$ the slight increase in grip isn't worth the tradeoff in wear.

I went from 17x8 (235/40/17) & 17x9.5 (275/40/17) Nitto NT01s to 02+ wheels with 215/40/17 & 255/40/17 Dunlop SS and I matched my fastest lap time at the track. I'm sure there were lots of other variables, but I don't think the Dunlop is holding me back or the R-comps are magic rubber good for 2 secs.

Also for street driving, the Dunlop will give you more grip as both the R888 and NT01 need to be warmed up for full grip.

 

[CL65 Captain]

Are you serious when you telling me that Dunlop Z1 star spec runs same lap time with NT01?? and somehow they even last longer
Either I'm too relying on tires or you have god like skills. it's just doesn't make sense to me.

If you don't change tires, and daily drive your nsx with the same set, that result's understandable.

my experience of the Z1 star spec is it warms up very fast. quite a weapon in the rain, don't think R888 is any good in the rain. (Full tread RA1 would be better choice in rain)

I'm saying that I have run a 120.0 lap time with both the NT01 and the Dunlops. My personal all time best was a 1:19.7 on the Nittos, which isn't much faster than my 120.0 best on the Dunlops. I think it came from the more progressive break away on the Dunlops, so I was pushing A LOT harder.

I can say this.... after driving on the Dunlops I won't go back to an R-compound as I am getting 99% of the fun and not going though the tires like I was with the NT01. I tried R-comps and realized I wasn't missing anything. I have no problem keeping up with comparable cars (Cayman S, M3, 911s, etc) running R-comps - I feel my tires are not holding me back.

 

[FXMDBilly]

Just go with a longer lasting street tire.

FWIW:

A FWD Speed World Challenge Touring Car was testing with shaved 235/40-17" Toyo R888 (as per WC rules) and then tested back to back against the Yokohama Advan AD07 Street tire (shaved to the same depth) and was ~1.0 seconds slower than the R888 at Buttonwillow Config 13 CW (~1:57 laptime).

The AD07 has a 'squarer' carcass than the rounder R888 which greatly improved its transitional grip from braking-apex and from apex-exit but didn't have the peak grip of the R888 in braking or cornering.

The New Yokohama Advan AD08 is a suppose to be a second faster than the AD07 but have not been back to back tested against the R888 under the same testing conditions. I'm not making any claims for the AD08 vs. R888 but the above AD07 vs. R888 were tested with said results.

The new street class tires have very high performance. The Dunlop is a heck of a bang/buck. Just stick with street tires for your app.

 

[pgilliam1]

Call me crazy, but I like BF Goodrich G-Force SuperSport A/S for the street and track. They have a 280 treadwear rating, warm up quickly, are very predictable and wear better than any I've tried. There are no doubt stickier tires available, but my track days are for fun and so is my daily driving. Happy Motoring!