I seriously doubt that R888s will even last that long; 16 track days, 4 sessions/heat cycles a day, Nah

 

I get about 25 heat cycles for a set of 888's.

 

OK, but some posts on this and other sitestate that unshaved R888 heat cycles out after 30-50 cycles while half threaddept is still left.
Are they corded after 6 DE days? Thanks

 

OK, but some posts on this and other sitestate that unshaved R888 heat cycles out after 30-50 cycles while half threaddept is still left.
Are they corded after 6 DE days? Thanks

There is no blanket yes/no answer. A lot of it depends on smoothness of driver, track surface, etc. And yes, a tire can heat cycle out before the tread is gone and vice versa.

Anyway, IRRC last year summer you were running in the novice group. You shouldn't be trying to use those tires just yet IMHO. They will mask driving skills that you are still trying to improve. Your question indicates that you are still learning. Listen to your instructor, pay attention and remember.

 

Right.

I still have no trailer to haul either car or tires.
What I could have asked is: would driving to and from track (500 mi away) ruin R888 beyond recovery? I guess I will have to find that out myself, hopefully I will have enough tire to get back home.

 

Hello dovia,

Please forgive me for changing the subject however have you considered using DOT street legal Nitto NT01? Nitto uses a proprietary rubber formulation that resists the normal cross-linking of the rubber molecules due to heat-cycles.

A cross-link is a bond that links one polymer chain to another. They can be covalent bonds or ionic bonds. "Polymer chains" can refer to synthetic polymers or natural polymers (such as proteins). When the term "cross-linking" is used in the synthetic polymer science field, it usually refers to the use of cross-links to promote a difference in the polymers' physical properties. When cross links are added to long rubber molecules, the flexibility decreases, the hardness increases and the melting point increases as well.

Used on my 2007 Cayman S, I've found Nitto's claim to be true as my NT01s always continued to improve, even after about 90 heat cycles (each 25 minute runs, advanced run group) and driving the tires to and fro most of the events, improving in performance with each successive run until they corded. Beginning with 6.3/32" tread depth, I would run them in the indicated direction until 3/32" of the rubber was worn away (this is when the rain grooving disappears and only the two radial grooves remain). Then I flip the tire on the wheel to allow the original inner shoulder to serve as the outer shoulder. Nitto approves of this and says the directional indication is only significant when the rain-tread is remaining.

I hope this is helpful!

Joe

Joseph S. DeSimone
Owner
Central Optional Products
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Ph: 724-339-7555
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To order the 2006-2008 Cayman LED Spars with Radiator Guards:

50 U.S., Canada and PR: Panjo Marketplace

All other destinations: Panjo Marketplace

 

.....even after about 90 heat cycles (each 25 minute runs, advanced run group) ....

Either you are very smooth and/or your track is very easy on tires. Easiest track on tires that I've run is COTA. I have as yet to see a set of those last that long prior to cording. And that is with others in my advanced group or in the instructor group.

 

Hi Joe, thank you, your post was very helpful - you convinced me to go with 18" NT01 instead of 19" R888.
I am going to have more wheels now (20",19", 18") than I have shoes

Years ago, I did like Toyo RA1 on my G35, and if rumors that NT01 uses the same compound as RA1 are true, NT01 should suit me well.
Too bad I passed Nitto NT01s on sale that amdeutsch told us about recently.

BTW, your explanation of tire heat cycle is much, much better than email that Toyo sent me while inquiring about R888.

Now with NT01, about that camber ...

 

......rumors that NT01 uses the same compound as RA1 are true, ...

From older ******** and 6-speed online forum posts:

Toyo T1R = Nitto NT555
Toyo RA1 = Nitto NT555R
Toyo R888 = Nitto NT01

 

OK - I have a very strong opinion on this...... R comp or similar track tires have no place on a novice DE drivers car. Period.

This is part of DEs getting way out of balance for what they are suppose to be. If you want a set of track only tires and street tires, I get that. But just get something like Michelin Super Sports for your track tires. I ran RA1s on my BMW once I got to the advanced levels since I decided to get a separate set of track tires so my wife did not have to drive on chewed up tires on the street.

But I never ran anything other than regular street tires on my CS simple because there is no reason too. Yes, I have brand new A08Rs on my car right now for an autoX tomorrow but that is a timed event, and I will still be at a disadvantage to the guys on Hoosiers but I refuse to deal with trailer and changing tires for autoX.

And btw, I did heat cycle out a set of Pilot Sports before the tread was gone. They were fine, then they weren't. It was like an on off switch. I thought some was wierd at the DE, then at an autoX a week or so later my relative times to the best guys on Hoosiers went from 2-3 seconds to 7+. I talked to the guys that run the Michelin racing program, and they about fell out of their chair when I told them how many DE sessions / heat cycles they had on them.......

I'll stop now before I go off on my DEs are out of control soap box.

 

.... I have brand new A08Rs on my car right now ... I did heat cycle out a set of Pilot Sports before the tread was gone. They were fine, then they weren't. ...

I heat cycled out my AD08s prior to the tread being gone as well. In my case the MPSS I used previously lasted longer than the AD08s in regards to heat cycling and tread. But then again both of these tires are in different classifications.