Full Slick Racing Tyres

[nismoman]

Hi fellow motorsport guru's,

I'm thinking about getting full slicks for next year's supersprint season and there are so many brands out there, I don't know where to begin.

I've never driven on them before, only driven on various semi slicks so anyone with experience with slicks could give me some advice?

What brands offer best value for money?

Which ones would be best suited to 3-5 lap supersprints?

Any changes I need to make to the car suspension/set up wise?

Special care or air pressure required?

In the supersprint series, I notice people running Avon and Michelin, but haven't noticed others. I believe Kumho, Hoosier and Dunlop offer slicks as well.

I have 17 x 9 inch wheels on all four corners so can run the same size tyres front and rear and car is S13 Silvia.

P.S. On a tight budget so hopefully can find something for under $1500

Regards

Mark

Edited June 17, 2010 by nismoman

[hrd-hr30]

I don't believe slicks really are well suited to 3-5 lap supersprints. But if you do get some, get soft compounds. I bought some medium compound Kumho slicks because they were on special, and it takes the best part of 2 laps just to get them working properly. Any semi I've had has been pretty well good to go after the warm up lap. I think a good semi (DZ03 or A050) would be faster than my medium compound slicks if its a single lap time you want.

[Beer Baron]

my experience on slicks is limited to mostly dunlop and michelien but have used avon and khumo a couple of times too.

micheleins are pretty good and I would rate them over the dunlops. they are the favoured tyre in a number of aus categories which makes them easy to get too. we had to use dunlops a few times as the event sponsor tyre and they were not as fast as the micheleins, didn't last as long as cost a bit more from memory.

set-up wise you will find you can go up a fair way in spring rate as you now have plenty of grip. if you set-up is too soft all that grip will just end with lots of body roll.

like harry said a new semi will not be far off for outright lap pace but the slicks do hold up better to longer stints.

[zebra]

my experience on slicks is limited to mostly dunlop and michelien but have used avon and khumo a couple of times too.

micheleins are pretty good and I would rate them over the dunlops. they are the favoured tyre in a number of aus categories which makes them easy to get too. we had to use dunlops a few times as the event sponsor tyre and they were not as fast as the micheleins, didn't last as long as cost a bit more from memory.

set-up wise you will find you can go up a fair way in spring rate as you now have plenty of grip. if you set-up is too soft all that grip will just end with lots of body roll.

like harry said a new semi will not be far off for outright lap pace but the slicks do hold up better to longer stints.

any idea on what spring rates to go for rich?

ive got some dunlop formula Rs to go on my car.

sorry about the thread jack

[hrd-hr30]

another thing worth mentioning is that slicks apparrently are less tolerant of heat cycling than semis.

I haven't had mine long enough to realy form an opinion on that, but I can say the first time I used the slicks running the same 6/4kg springs I used with the semis I could not break traction in 3rd gear corners at Lakeside where I'm usually sideways... Not even close - no matter how aggressive you were - it would just grip and understeer.. It was like driving an EVO! Second time I used them I changed spring rates to 7/6kg and had traction issues in 4th on straights, let alone 3rd gear corners! Was that solely due to the 50% higher rear spring rate, or was it also due to less tyre grip compared to the previous meeting? I don't know, but I suspect it's at least a little from column B...

[Beer Baron]

any idea on what spring rates to go for rich?

ive got some dunlop formula Rs to go on my car.

sorry about the thread jack

it's really a bit of trial and error with the spring rates. but if you are happy with them now on semis i'd definitely go up at least 20% in rate front and rear for the slicks. best to talk to someone who has a good handle on setting up a big, powerful, RWD car on slicks though. it's not as simple as 1 size fits all.

harry's experience is pretty much what happens. you find a car that felt nice and 'sharp' and 'pointy' on semis suddenly has heaps of rear end grip on slicks and so much mid corner grip the thing rolls like a pig and just wants to push understeer when you are on the power. more spring helps a lot.

[nismoman]

I guess I'm after a tyre that will give me the best lap time but also a bit of longevity. The sprints I'm in consist of 1 warm up lap, then 3 hot ones and 1 warm down.

With that format I thought a full slick could be brought up to temperature and bang out a quicker time than semi's.

I don't like the sound of slicks going off after a handful of heat cycles though... Don't want to be left with hard as nails slicks after two events.

Could it be true that the Advan A050's are the ultimate sprint tyre for quick lap times? Over a slick even?

Edited June 18, 2010 by nismoman

[skyguy61]

Hey Mark,

I'm no expert but i have used a slick tyre for supersprints at Oran park (Avon's) a few yrs back they were off a BMW M3, and they were fine with one warm up lap and then two laps,I guess it all depends on the slick compound,weight of the car and your hp at the wheels. If you are going to compete in a class of racing be sure that using a full slick doesn't put into another category. I would talk to a reputable race tyre reseller on what would suit your vehicle best,oh and yes you do play with tyre pressures a little, if your in Sydney try talking to the guy out at Gordon Levin tyres in Emu Plains, they used to have a separate race tyre division there.Cheers have fun.

Carlo

[Duncan]

I honestly think its a bad idea.

Superlap showed perfectly clearly that soft semi slicks are literally seconds a lap quicker than medium or hard slicks. So don't move to them expecting better performance.

You only get 3 laps and about 5 sessions. Medium or soft semis will last 2 or 3 days, wet or dry and you will go faster. And after all that is the only name of the game in supersprints.

I do run slicks sometimes but I always take spare wheels with treaded tyres. And if you only uses treaded tyres when it rains it will be years before they wear out (ie you will throw them away first).

Personally, I would grab soft or medium/soft semis for competition. Then a set of second wheels that fit a common second hand slick size for practice and open days.

[LSX-438]

I guess I'm after a tyre that will give me the best lap time but also a bit of longevity. The sprints I'm in consist of 1 warm up lap, then 3 hot ones and 1 warm down.

With that format I thought a full slick could be brought up to temperature and bang out a quicker time than semi's.

I don't like the sound of slicks going off after a handful of heat cycles though... Don't want to be left with hard as nails slicks after two events.

Could it be true that the Advan A050's are the ultimate sprint tyre for quick lap times? Over a slick even?

Mark the r35's go well on the 2nd hand michelin gt series slicks (they are s9's - hard compound) they take a lap or to to come on. They are very exxy new but very cheap 2nd hand (we usually get about two sprints from a 2nd hand set) anyway we run the 270/68's but you may be looking at the 240's to fit your car (do you run 18's?) They have worked for us and are faster than semi's on our cars. A certain someone will be running softer michelins this weekend (s7's) i am sure it means i will be pipped by my good mate, he'll run a 1:01.xx - if you end up running michelins talk to marek and i we have some advice re pressures and heat cycles for these.

[wrxkilla]

beat me to it, but that's exactly what I will be trying on my R32 GTR soon. Used Porsche Cup tires. The porka rears should go well on a GTR.

Cheap as chips!

Mick

[FineLine]

What is it with you guys and full slicks.

The basic ethos of time attack is built solely around mad lap dashes on SEMI SLICKS.

Its what sets it apart from circuit racing. Am i missing something or are you all going door to door circuit racing ?

[Neil]

What is it with you guys and full slicks.

The basic ethos of time attack is built solely around mad lap dashes on SEMI SLICKS.

Its what sets it apart from circuit racing. Am i missing something or are you all going door to door circuit racing ?

Noel,,,we are not running time attack we are running State supersprints and the rules allow you to run slicks. Actually i think time attack organizers should go along to a meeting and see how its run and the rules we run under. They may well learn how to run an event properly.

Cheers

Neil.

[wrxkilla]

What is it with you guys and full slicks.

The basic ethos of time attack is built solely around mad lap dashes on SEMI SLICKS.

Its what sets it apart from circuit racing. Am i missing something or are you all going door to door circuit racing ?

If we had a proper Timeattack event here in QLD I would stay on the semis for that. I will continue to use RE55s or whatver I can get my hands on seems they have dissapeared but plan on moving to slicks for a little bit of circuit racing in the Top Gear racing series at QR...

[LSX-438]

What is it with you guys and full slicks.

The basic ethos of time attack is built solely around mad lap dashes on SEMI SLICKS.

Its what sets it apart from circuit racing. Am i missing something or are you all going door to door circuit racing ?

err, i just want to go fast and have fun. i didnt realise there was an 'ethos' we had to adhere to

sorry!

btw, lighten up they are just tyres

i have a garage full of semi's too so hopefully i am not too wicked!

Edited June 19, 2010 by LSX-438

[hrd-hr30]

What is it with you guys and full slicks.

The basic ethos of time attack is built solely around mad lap dashes on SEMI SLICKS.

Its what sets it apart from circuit racing. Am i missing something or are you all going door to door circuit racing ?

you're missing something. plenty of circuit racing categories mandate semi slick tyres as a control tyre. And there is alot of other forms of club level motorsport than just time attack such as sprints, supersprints, hillclimbs etc. Time Attack is really just a johnny-come-lately marketing spin on sprints anyway, but with a whole lot less rules.

I was doing the hillclimb series in Marque Sports which is a slick tyre category. Combine that with the Kumho slicks being on special and hundreds of dollars cheaper than semis, and that was my decision made.

[FineLine]

Hey, i wasnt being heavy guys, Just asking the question. It would appear more people actually do door to door racing than I realised.

If I could afford to swap paint I would be in like a rat up a rope but the risks are too high for me.

[Duncan]

afaik I'm the only one doing door to door racing on here, and we aren't allowed to run slicks (and neither are ipra, saloon cars or any other basic category). I only run slicks for fun when I get them cheap. Irace is the only place I am allowed to race on slicks.

But for super sprints on an s13, don't expect slicks to be quicker.

Duncan is running good second handies on a 1700kg car.

Neil is running good, soft, new slicks on 400kg car.

But your average second hand slick is second hand for a reason. And ex-race tyres are almost always Medium/Hard or Hard. Neither of which is necessarily going to make a 1100kg s13 go faster in a 3 lap session.

[handbrake]

Hey Noel,

I was running the same second hand Michelin slicks in the Ruzic Time attack that Duncan and Marek have been using (68/27/18 porsche cup rears).

Was a bit dubious about them (looked fairly chewed out with only 1-1.5mm treadmarker depth and god-only-knows how many heat cycles in them).

anyway they went very well.

The 55.6 sprint lap compares to another R35 (bill's black one) running 58.1 with new Hoosier 19 inch grooved slicks (R6's I think they are called) and about 50awkw less power.

They transform the car and are now allowing me to be competitive in the 'race' class.

Apart from being exciting to drive on they are dirt cheap. RE55's are about 6-8 x the price.

[handbrake]

I should add that the first session of the morning (ambient's below 20) was a rollercoaster ride of sliding through corners and fishtailing down the straights! so yes this needs to be kept in mind when using them. once they got up to temp though it was happy days. I think my best laps had them at about 80 degrees celsius up front and 70's on the rears