my friend's corvette club is having an autox on saturday. It's a pretty good size course, one car that comes out there hits 100mph several times.. I don't really consider it an autox course.. more like a REALLY short road course. Anyhow. I just got my 2nd 3rd gen. 92 RS. T5, t-tops. It's got a K&N and 3chamber flowmaster cat-back, that's it(needs a shifter, stock one sux.)

Anyway, I'm thinking about bringing the car out there, but I don't want to screw up my tires(all the vettes that run with non-race tires leave with serious wear.) My car has new tires, so I'd like to keep as much tread on them as possible.

I still have the wheels from the Ragin'87.. the 15x7's w/ Firehawk SS10's. I could put them on the car and race it like that. They always gave me suprisingly great traction with the 87(had MUCH more power than the L03 does.) If I put on the 15's(The tires are 235/60's), and put in like 43psi front 39psi rear, would that work well if I kept the tires hot? Thanks.

Anthony

 

Anthony,

Just go out and have fun. If you are a beginner, chances are that you won't wear much off of your tires. The Vettes that have the high tire wear, are they the fast drivers? Of course, it could have to do with suspension settings or tire pressures. Or, they like to smoke the tires at all times.

Anyways, just go out and have fun and don't worry about the tires too much. If you really want, you can use a second set of wheels and mount some tires for track use only - not meaning race compound tires! That way, you can save your street tires.

Good luck!

Jack ****
95 Eagle Talon TSi AWD

 

this won't be the first time I've gone out there. It will be the first time i've raced MY car. Acutually pretty much all the people that push their cars out there(slow or not) end up w/ visble tire wear. It's actually the test course at the police acadmey, and the "race" involves 3 different laps around it. most of the time spent turning, and there's always a chicane in middle lap, b/c that has the fastest section and "The Beast" could easily brake 115mph in that section if it wasn't there. Everyone out there has 17's, so all the tire talk I know is with 17's and low-pros(my friend has 16's on his Vette, and he ALWAYS places 1st in class, 3rd overall, a little M3 w/ a euro-pro driver gets 2nd, and the Beast always wins.) I think I'll just put on the 15's and go have fun, if I think the car does well enough(or I do well enough) to justify it, next race i'll run with the 16's, see if there's any difference. Thanks.

Anthony

note: The Beast refers to a certain black 92 ZR1, which Reeves Callaway has extensively modified the ever living hell out of. Last time I rode in it, it had 512hp to the ground, the most beautiful sounding exhaust in the world, and had a 0-60 in 3.3sec, 1/4 in 11.7@134.. and straightline isn't what it's made for, it could probably do a 1/4mile squiggly line faster.. lol. it has more power now, but it's an undisclosed #.. so now i REALLY want to ride again.

 

Tire wear is proportional to how hard you push your car. Actually, oversteer (front end plow or push) will eat tires faster than anything. If you drive like you care about your tires, you will probably learn to be a better driver in the end because you will be smooth. Go out Saturday and have fun. Ease into it and always try to brake early rather than late. You can still have a blast and not hurt your tires. So what if you are a couple seconds slower than a comperable driver pushing it to the edge.

------------------
87 Formula 350 13.94@96.67
98 Z28 1LE 13.15@107.59
1LE Owners Association

 

I believe you meant to say Understeer, push is understeer.

 

Yes I did. Thanks for the correction I left the brain at the office

------------------
87 Formula 350 13.94@96.67
98 Z28 1LE 13.15@107.59
1LE Owners Association

 

Man
I took out my 88 IROC to a Autocross and it munched my street tires. Partly due to my crappy driving skills. I was getting alot of push in the hard turns. On one lap my power steering decided to pass an air bubble(recenly replaced steering unit), causing loss of power assistance. I must say that it was a blast, but race tires($$$) make the whole experience much more exciting. That was my first AutoX.

 

I will be having fun tomorrow. I'm just gonna leave the 16's on.. can't be bothered to go out unstack all the crap my parents have stacked on top of the 15's, and put them on my car. I have driven other cars(3series BMW's, my old Nissan..lol, and a 79 Vette) and am a "smooth driver" and need to work on "heel toe shifting"(which I think I have down now" according to an ex-Formula 1 driver that races with the Corvette Club. I guess I shouldn't worry that much about my tires.

Anthony

 

Well I went, but they had already done the last run.. I got to do one practice run, and one timed run. I put on the brakes before the finish line tho, so I screwed myself there a little. The 1st place time(Bill's car, either The Beast, or his other race car.) was 1:12.18, my friend's vette ran a 1:14.78, and I got a 1:23.38. There were a couple of places where I could have held 2nd, but shifted to third, and I should have entered the two longest turns wider and apexed later. It was fun as hell though.. so much for "I'll keep it stock till I graduate college." She needs a strut tower brace, springs, struts/shocks, and poly bushings. lol.

Anthony

 

Don't take this wrong, but your times will improve much more from a driving school or two than the same money spent on suspension mods Start with a class or two.

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87 Formula 350 13.94@96.67
98 Z28 1LE 13.15@107.59
1LE Owners Association

 

dude.. no takin it wrong here. Constructive critisism is what keeps us ticking man. I would have done better had I gotten to go around the track a few more times. I was just shooting from the hip so-to-speak. It had been almost 2 years since the last time I had been there. When I raced an M3 around the track I pulled a 1:18 my first run, 1:15 my second, and then the guy took his keys back. I was just joking about the suspension mods, it's all getting done at the same time, and that's when I graduate college. Anyway, I notice you're in Texas too, check the SW board sometime soon, I'm thinkin about organizing a 3rd gen(or other GM muscle) run down a certain twisty road near Austin I know of.

Anthony