J.Yo

You guys have any recommendations on the optimal road course hot tire pressure for the stock Z51 F1 Supercars? I've looked around on the forum and couldn't find anything definitive. I don't know if Goodyear has a recommendation that's been passed around by word of mouth through the community. Thanks in advance.

redazz

i ran an hpde at tws a few weeks ago on supercars i had good luck starting each session at 29 lbs all around ,after a 25-30 min session i had 35lbs rear and 37 front. i just reset to 29 at the beginning of each session
john

Bill Dearborn

29 lbs isn't a bad cold starting pressure as the hot pressures he mentioned were pretty good. However, don't reset to the lower pressure after the sessions. That is a good way to have a tire failure. The lower the pressure the more heat and the more pressure buildup. The Ford Explorers had tire failure from too little pressure not too much.

Bill

CHJ In Virginia

Before I got R compound tires I ran the supercars regularly. I usually would run 32 front and 30 rear, which gave very neutral handling on my Z06. If the day was very warm 90 Deg + I would drop the pressure a pound or two. Just experiment a little to see what suits your car the best.

Short-Throw

Track conditions, driving abilities, etc will dictate how much psi you pick up. The important thing is too monitor the pressure and see where you fit in. Tire pressures over 40 tend to get 'greasy'. AS a few have said, start at 28-29 and go from there.

Cobra4B

With a street tire you want 37-39 psi hot. Start with 32-30 and go from there.

When you get off track check the pressures and lower then to about 1 lb less than what you want them to be hot.

Do not lower them back to the cold pressures before each session as the tires are never that cold again.

This past weekend w/ my V710s I started at 26f and 24 rears as 32-35ish psi hot is desirable. After each session I'd lower them to 33 f and 32 r, worked very well.

davidfarmer

I agree, high 30's hot....start cold low 30's and bleed at HIGH temp, not cold temp.

If you have a track alignment, you don't need quite as much pressure, but with a street alignment, you'll destroy the outside tire edge if the pressures are too low.

bobmoore2

I would like to add one more thing to all the above posts.

After you have worn out your Supercars, do not buy another set of Supercars. There are several other tires that are better street/track compromises at equal or lower prices.

davidfarmer

boobmoore2, don't just leave everyone hanging....make some recommendations. I have a friend that just spent a fortune on tires for his C5Z51.

Obviously the runflat issue complicates things as well!

VetteDrmr

Why didn't I think of that????? That's an excellent technique! Interestingly, I don't think I've ever seen that done at the track. It's one I'll start using from here on out.

Thanks for the tip, and have a good one,
Mike

Cobra4B

Every now and then a blind squirll...

willhaveC6

VIR Grand East this past weekend -- 07 C6 with F1 Supercars.

Saturday - Cold temps 28 all around - HOT temps were 36 front, 35 rear and the car had massive understeer - kept removing 1 lb from all fours to get hot pressures equal... on Sunday started the day at 25 cold in the front, 27 cold in the rear -- HOT they went to 32 front and 32 back and understeer (mostly) went away. (By the way using a tire chaulk, at these pressures, the fronts wore perfectly to the top of the triangle on the tire, the rears never got closer than 1/4" -- It was clear the sidewalls of these tires are VERY hard...I wasn't comfortable taking out more air in the rears and the handling was good enough for me.)

I have to say, I was less than impressed with them but considering all that they bring e.g. runflat safety, I guess they performed okay but for the $$$$.

They seemed better in the heat of the day on Sunday (95F) after two laps than when they were slightly colder...

Already looking for what to do next with the tires. Tire trailer...?

Cobra4B

^ That's what I did for a few years... hitch wasn't even noticable until I pointed it out to people.

bobmoore2

When I wore out my first set of C5 run-flats, I never bought another set, because they SUCK on the track and they are very expensive too.

I also tried one set of F1 Supercars. Their grip wasn't that good. They got VERY greasy when they got hot. I had to throw them away long before the tread was worn out, because the tread started SEPARATING from the core. And they were quite expensive too.

Here are some tires I would recommend if you're looking for a dual use tire. Before I get FLAMED, I'm talking about street tires that also work well on the track. I'm also relating my experiences, yours may vary.

Kumho MX - very good on the track, VERY low price
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 - I haven't used them personally, but their specs look like a great track tire. Very expensive though.
Goodyear GS-D3 - Pretty good on the track, but the thin tread pattern squirms a bit. Very good in the rain. Reasonably priced.
Nitto R II - I know a few people who have gone through several sets and love them, but I've never tried them. Reasonably priced.

And several more. Go to tirerack.com and look for max performance tires.

Also don't flame me for only talking about street tires. I started trailering Toyo RA1s to the track a few months ago and I can confirm that R compound tires are the way to go, if your skill level has progressed to the point where you can safely get the added speed from them.

J.Yo

Thanks for all the tips on tire pressure. Now I know where to start.

I've run many street tires on track, and have a special place in my heart for the Bridgestone RE71 and Michelin Pilot MXX3 (most favorite), both of which have been discontinued. I'm pretty fond of Michelin tires right now, but the interesting this is that the PS2's don't show up for the C6 at Tirerack anymore. I noticed this about a month or so ago. I wonder what the reason is.

Thanks again for all the help.