Mixing with old Pilot Sport Cups

[Michael-NoLa]

Ok I know I'm going to get some flames for this! But here we go anyway ... I'm looking for some experienced feedback on different tires for me to possibly mix and match.

I'm looking to regularly run SCCA and am generally unhappy with our tire choices on the market at the moment. Reviews on the corsas and track day wear is not glowing. The R888R's look great. I have the Super Sports now, but their racing traction is garbage. Everyone knows our options are limited at the moment and I've been researching tires for the past 3 days!

Additionally, I am trying to remain as cost effective as possible. Even if I have to give up some performance for the affordability of racing more often, that is certainly acceptable to me. Unfortunately, I am not made out of monies.

That all said, I have a friend willing to sell me 2 old, unused pairs of 345/30/19 Pilot Sport Cups for next to nothing (version 1, not 2). Obviously they're going to be 5-7 years old, but they've been stored inside his air-conditioned house. The price is too convenient to pass up, even with age and possibly less-than-original traction.

The question is: what can I put up front that will behave similarly, predictably, and safely? I'm thinking to stay as close in composition as possible - I'm also not concerned about wet traction as the car isn't going to be in the wet.

R888R? Proxes? PS2? Advan AD08? There are more options for the front than the back at 295/30/R18

Due to the ratings and reviews, I'm speculating that the R888R would behave the closest. They would probably run a little sticker than the PSC's and last a little longer. I'm hoping this would create a predictable and safe situation for a non-professional like myself. It would also allow me to move into a full set of R888's once I'm through the 2 sets of PSC rears. Obviously the goal here is comparable hot traction and consistency throughout the day. I can't have one brand getting slick in half the time/temp of the PSC's.

Thoughts? What about the Advans? Those are on closeout and are often compared to the R888's. Usually considered slightly less sticky but more resistant to heat cycles and general wear.

Thanks in advance for your opinions and experience.

[bluesrt]

no no on mixing tread desin. they need to match front and rear/ very dangerous on a viper- grannys car going to church or bubbas 4x4 is ok

[06SRTCoupe]

Tons of info on this topic here, in the VCA archives, and over on the Viper Alley. You sort of answered your own question with your opening sentence. Do not mix and match! Don't cheap out on tires. Look on those Cups and see what the manufacturer date is. If you are on a budget, I'd recommend you wait to run until you can get four of the same tires. You aren't supposed to mix and match tires for Vipers that just normally drive on the street...why on earth would you want to mix and match for the track?

[ViperSRT]

I don't see such a big issue for track usage. That is the one situation where the driver is fully engaged and should get a feel for how it transitions. It is on the street where an unexpected maneuver can get disasterous results.

Note I never hear all the bad vibes when someone mentions installing drag tires, which are most obviously mismatched.

[GTS Dean]

If you have extensive track experience, and know without question what the type, vintage and inflation pressure of the mismatched tires you plan to run are, then run them. JUST BE EVER-MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT THEY WON'T HAVE THE SAME TRACTION, OR SLIP ANGLES. DO NOT MIX TIRES ACROSS THE CAR - ONLY FRONT TO REAR.

[13COBRA]

Go with the R888R's. Mine came in last week. Unfortunately I'm not running again until the end of the month, so I will post my feedback then.

They're supposed to be better than the R888's, and I used to run those on my Mustangs with no complaints.

[Michael-NoLa]

I appreciate the input. Yes I understand the general rule of "no mixing" and have extensively used the search feature ... however I've found most previous questions regarding this topic are limited to "can I mix tires??". Well no, if that's as far as you've dove into the subject then you cannot! However I was asking more along the lines of ViperSRT's statement = this will be for track use. I am going to feel out the tires over laps and attempt to correctly learn their limits. My goal is to see if an expected acceptable level of compatibility can be achieved.

Definitely only mixing front to rear, and no, I do not have extensive track experience.

I may meet everyone's consensus somewhere in the middle and test it out anyway since the PSC's are so cheap. If under careful consideration they are not acceptable, I'll get a set of rears to match the fronts.
At least then I can report back with some real world results - I haven't seen much in the way of real evidence with planned matching anywhere online. Just loose guesswork and questions about mixing tires that are obviously vastly different.

The real question is, what would be the best test subject. Again I'm debating between the R888, Advan AD08, Potenza 71. I think the R888's will best match the performance and hot traction of the PSC's.

Regardless, I am filled with disdain at my lack of options. I could just get a set of 18" rears and run Rival's all around. Problem solved.
Sigh.

[06SRTCoupe]

Note I never hear all the bad vibes when someone mentions installing drag tires, which are most obviously mismatched.

Haha, I literally laughed out loud when I read this sentence. Why would you even bring this up? Going in a straight line for 1320 feet is no where near the same thing as driving around a road course. :smilielol:

[bluesrt]

SO IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE ON SMACKING A WALL ON THE TRACK, GO AHEAD AND RUN MISMATCHED OLD TIRES, one wrong terrain and odd grip on the track, goodby Charlie, don't try to save a dime on the track, and end up costing you your car

[bluesrt]

haha, i literally laughed out loud when i read this sentence. Why would you even bring this up? Going in a straight line for 1320 feet is no where near the same thing as driving around a road course. :smilielol:

bingo!

[bluesrt]

if you have extensive track experience, and know without question what the type, vintage and inflation pressure of the mismatched tires you plan to run are, then run them. Just be ever-mindful of the fact that they won't have the same traction, or slip angles. Do not mix tires across the car - only front to rear.

i would like to see that happen on a viper, rotate front to rear,lol

[ViperSRT]

Haha, I literally laughed out loud when I read this sentence. Why would you even bring this up? Going in a straight line for 1320 feet is no where near the same thing as driving around a road course. :smilielol:

I was referring to the guys that drive with drag radials on the street as their primary tires. So laugh out loud if you wish.

[ViperSRT]

i would like to see that happen on a viper, rotate front to rear,lol

Reading comprehension problem?

[bluesrt]

lol,lol,lol

[mackzilla]

Is this autocross or road course duty? What class are you running?

I wouldn't mix match tread designs either. It's never proven to be effective.

[GTS Dean]

<<SO IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE ON SMACKING A WALL ON THE TRACK, GO AHEAD AND RUN MISMATCHED OLD TIRES, one wrong terrain and odd grip on the track, goodby Charlie, don't try to save a dime on the track, and end up costing you your car>>

I've done it before, numerous times. Tires are made to be used up. If you aren't in competition, what difference does it make?

[stevensonjr]

I have A set of Pilot sport tires on my 2005 vert. On it when I bought the car 3 1/2 years ago.. Where do I find the Mfg date on the tires? Is it a code or just a date? They slap on every joint and hunt all over the road. Are these run flat tires? They have about 3000 miles on them with plenty of tread left, 7/32" in middle of rear tires. Thanks, Bill

[ViperSRT]

Please confirm if Sport Cup or Pilot Sport tires. Big difference between them. I used Sport Cups primarily as track tires so have no basis for how they act when old. Pilots were the production tires for many years. Several generations of them as well.

[stevensonjr]

Just went out in the shop and looked. They say, pilot Sport , Radial X, (PS2)

[mackzilla]

Why did we dig this turd out of the shitbox

[stevensonjr]

Because unlike you, I don't know it all. Looking for a little help for a problem. Someone else might be willing to share a little knowledge. Thanks, Bill

[Sam Goldfarb]

How to determine the age of your tires

If you look closely at the side of each of your tires, you'll see a bunch of letters and numbers. Look for a number that starts with the letters “DOT,” followed by a series of 10-12 characters.

For tires manufactured in the year 2000 – present

The date of manufacture is the last four digits of the DOT code. The first two digits are the week of manufacture, and the last two digits are the year. For example, if the last four digits of the DOT code are 0203, that means that the tire was manufactured during the second week of the year 2003.

For tires manufactured before the year 2000

The date of manufacture is the last three digits of the code. The first two digits refer to the week within that year. For example, if the last 3 digits are 022, it means that the tire was manufactured in the second week of the year, and the year is the second year of the decade. But, is it 92 or 02? Some tires have a small triangle following the DOT code to indicate the 1990s.

Seeing an incomplete DOT number?

If you look at the tires sidewall and see a DOT number that appears to be incomplete, that's because the DOT's current regulations require the entire number to be branded on only one sidewall, while the opposite sidewall is branded with just the first few digits. To see the entire DOT number, just look on the other sidewall.

[mackzilla]

Because unlike you, I don't know it all. Looking for a little help for a problem. Someone else might be willing to share a little knowledge. Thanks, Bill

I know a little about a lot...

Your build date of the tire will be on the outside tire wall. Take a careful look and you'll find "DOT". When you've found that there will be a 4 digit code to the right and the last 2 digits are the year that tire was made.

[Bill Pemberton]

Please make sure you cut two holes in your footwell , so when you try to stop on the race course from 110 mph, and those 8-10 yr old Flintstones on the front give up and only your new rears grab , you will be able to stick your feet through the floor and brake as well as Fred or Barney.

[mackzilla]

Please make sure you cut two holes in your footwell , so when you try to stop on the race course from 110 mph, and those 8-10 yr old Flintstones on the front give up and only your new rears grab , you will be able to stick your feet through the floor and brake as well as Fred or Barney.

:smilielol:

Bill is right, it pains me to say this but I ran my car at Mid-Ohio this year on old build date MPS tires and I was braking at the 500 marker into CB and barely making it. Ended up losing traction in 3rd gear and wiping out performing a pass. Lost a headlight, nicked my hood and scraped up my door. Could have lost the whole car. I also had the tires bagged in goat piss 48 hours before I took them out.

Never again.

[Leslie]

Please make sure you cut two holes in your footwell , so when you try to stop on the race course from 110 mph, and those 8-10 yr old Flintstones on the front give up and only your new rears grab , you will be able to stick your feet through the floor and brake as well as Fred or Barney.





Hahaha!

[City]

Michael, I'm guessing by now that you are picking up a theme here. The point is that "cheap is EXTREMELY dear" when it come to tires. Sorry for the sarcasm, but others have paid that price and don't want to see it happen to you.