are R compound tires ok for street use? i am in so cal so we never ger rain so i want the most aggresive tire for my stock wheels and was thinking an r compound tire would be best.
anyone know if that would work? or any better suggestions?

 

If you have no rain, then you are okay. Your tire budget will go up. lol. If its a daily car you are going to be replacing tires twice a year probably.

Two good R compound tires to check out are Falken RT615 and Advan A048s

There is also a good article on R compound tires in the January issue of Modified Mag

 

right on. i was thinking of going with the Falkens. they are cheap compared to the others.

 

wow, very good prices on them.

 

If R-compound tires are OK on the street, why do racers change tires after they get to the track.

 

LOL @ david, I seem to remember a near identical thread posted a few weeks back...

 

i dont know why?

because they can?
because they use slicks?

please enlighten me.

 

They will typically not last very long, the performance increase on the street will not justify the amount of extra money you will be spending on replacing them, and the compound is specifically meant to be operated at specific temperature ranges.

It is very doubtful you'd even be getting the tire up to proper operating temperatures by daily driving. Even if you did, you would increase your chances that the tires would pick up debris and other items that could cause structural/integrity damage to the vehicle and tire setup...

 

hhhmmm that makes sense. didnt think of that

 

but what about the guys that roll around with drag radials for rear tires? i have seen them in action and it makes a huge difference.

 

skidmarq beat me to the answer.

 

the rt615's are not r-compound.

 

DOT-R tires like the Kumho V710, Hoosier A06/R06, Toyo Proxes RA1, etc. have a limited number of heat cycles before they become as sticky as regular street tires. Typically the number is around 20. One heat cycle is when you get the tires up to temp (140 degrees or more) and then let them cool. For autocross its typically one day of autocrossing (3 or 4 runs). For track events its typically one session on the track.

DOT-R tires used on the street normally don't get hot enough to heat cycle. They kind of live their lives in a perpetual "cold" state, never getting broken in, never getting as sticky as they can, and they just wear out like regular tires - only in about 3,000 miles instead of 20,000.

You might want to find a used set from a racer and try it out first before spending real money on these tires.

 

thanks for the info. so it sounds like i am best off with a really good street tire.
Michelin PS2
BFG g-Force T/A KD
ADVAN Neova AD07

 

Falken Azenis RT-615 are street tires you should consider.

 

Toyo RA1

and coming this April TOyo R888

 

My sentence:

isn't very clear. What I meant was that after the limited number of heat cycles, DOT-R tires become less sticky and are just like regular street tires (or worse).

 

You don't want to run R-comps on the street. It's pretty much been covered, but it'll be a waste of your money. They won't get hot enough to be as sticky as they're meant to be, and they'll wear out amazingly quickly. You want something that's more of an in-between, so I think the RT-615 is a good option, or maybe BFG KD...something like that perhaps.

 

One thing to keep in mind when using R-compounds on the street is the noise. They are so sticky, they constantly throw up every stone and pebble against the inner fenders. You don't notice it much at speed, but when going slower, its very annoying.

I'd say go with the KD's. I have them and the grip is fantastic.

 

Falken RT-615 FTW! I have them for street tires and they are AWESOME. They are not R compound, but they are about as close as you can get to a race tire designed for the street.