Better Track Tire Than PSS?
03-26-2014, 04:42 PM
#1
Better Track Tire Than PSS?
I've tracked my C63 with Michelin Pilot Super Sports. I wore out one of the front tires in about three hours. (It didn't have a lot of life left, but slinging around a 4,000 pound car didn't help it much, heh, heh.)
I'd like to keep tracking my car, but buying a new tire every few trips to the track will keep me at home.
I've heard that some guys get a second set of wheels for tracking their car. Anyone have any experience with that? Which tire do you use when tracking your C63?
I'd like to keep tracking my car, but buying a new tire every few trips to the track will keep me at home.
I've heard that some guys get a second set of wheels for tracking their car. Anyone have any experience with that? Which tire do you use when tracking your C63?
03-26-2014, 04:45 PM
#2
Administrator
Its the alignment you have to worry about when tracking. Thats what is causing your tires to wear out faster. So, you are asking the wrong questions regarding preserving tire life.
03-26-2014, 04:49 PM
#4
MBWorld Fanatic!
I haven't tracked my 63 yet bc I haven't really seen any reason to, personally, but I have the re11. they have a wear rating lower then the pss tho.
03-26-2014, 05:51 PM
#5
MBWorld Fanatic!
The PSS is a great tire for max performance daily driving. It is also certainly track capable.
However, you can get dedicated "cup" tires for the track that will deliver better performance there (although you wouldn't necessarily want to use them for DD purposes).
Michelin makes several track-oriented tires. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup/Cup 2: http://www.michelinman.com/tire-sele...2/tire-details
Dunlop offers some fantastic track tires as well.
However, you can get dedicated "cup" tires for the track that will deliver better performance there (although you wouldn't necessarily want to use them for DD purposes).
Michelin makes several track-oriented tires. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup/Cup 2: http://www.michelinman.com/tire-sele...2/tire-details
Dunlop offers some fantastic track tires as well.
03-26-2014, 06:11 PM
#6
I thought this might be the case, but I got an alignment done at the dealership last Friday, and there wasn't much to do. Only the back right needed an adjustment. Perhaps the back right being out of alignment was pushing the front right harder?
03-26-2014, 06:20 PM
#7
Michelin makes several track-oriented tires. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup/Cup 2: http://www.michelinman.com/tire-sele...2/tire-details
Trending Topics
03-26-2014, 07:12 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 386
Received 36 Likes
on
31 Posts
2010 C63
Past experience tells me hard track use will tear up your street tyres quickly no matter how good your alignment. When I upgraded to new 19" wheels I kept the factory 18s specifically for fitting a set of semi comp tyres on.
Go the second set of wheels and get a set of semi track tyres from any of the big names - Bridgestone, Dunlop, Toyo etc - there are any number of track tyre threads with information as to what works well. Use them only to drive to and from the track and actual track use. Down side is storing and changing wheels and you need to be careful in the wet with them.
New tyres may be a modest cost in the USA however here in Australia the cost can be double. I have friends in the US who regularly track their Porsches and the cost of new PSS on a more frequent basis is something they are happy to wear rather than swapping wheels over.
Go the second set of wheels and get a set of semi track tyres from any of the big names - Bridgestone, Dunlop, Toyo etc - there are any number of track tyre threads with information as to what works well. Use them only to drive to and from the track and actual track use. Down side is storing and changing wheels and you need to be careful in the wet with them.
New tyres may be a modest cost in the USA however here in Australia the cost can be double. I have friends in the US who regularly track their Porsches and the cost of new PSS on a more frequent basis is something they are happy to wear rather than swapping wheels over.
03-26-2014, 08:51 PM
#10
Administrator
At a minimum you need to introduce a lot more negative camber and open up your toe. The issue you'll face that street and track alignments are inherently incompatible with each other. There will be a trade off either way.
03-28-2014, 04:49 AM
#12
Senior Member
A buddy of mine is running the the BFG Rivals and their grip is amazing. They have lasted through several track days and are still going strong. They are in a entirely different league than his past PS2s.
I recommend you look at the Tire Rack test of their best street/ track day tires. Make sure to click all the tabs at the top to review all the data.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=172
If you do a search on the Rival you will get lots of feedback on its track and street manners.
I recommend you look at the Tire Rack test of their best street/ track day tires. Make sure to click all the tabs at the top to review all the data.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=172
If you do a search on the Rival you will get lots of feedback on its track and street manners.
03-28-2014, 06:09 AM
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Fla. Snowbird.
Posts: 815
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Porsche 911 Turbo S 2014! E63S 14, Audi S8 13, CLS63 12, E550 12, C63 09, all tuned
I track my car at least once a month.
The best street able tires are Dunlop 255 35/ 285 30 x19 race MAXX .
Same tires on. C63 black.
EXPENSIVE
Or to save some money run 265 35 19 R6 Hoosiers on all four.
Good luck wait till you pay for brakes and rotors.
The best street able tires are Dunlop 255 35/ 285 30 x19 race MAXX .
Same tires on. C63 black.
EXPENSIVE
Or to save some money run 265 35 19 R6 Hoosiers on all four.
Good luck wait till you pay for brakes and rotors.
03-28-2014, 09:56 AM
#15
Super Member
PSS is NOT a track tire, its a great street tire. As mentoned RE-11 or Dunlop Z2 (successor of the Z1 star spec).
If you really want to go pricey then Michelin Cup Sport, Pirelli Corsa or TrofeoRs are basically the best tires money can buy for the street, but they are stupid pricey, and only 60 treadwear, but the grip is as close to r-compounds as you can get.
If you really want to go pricey then Michelin Cup Sport, Pirelli Corsa or TrofeoRs are basically the best tires money can buy for the street, but they are stupid pricey, and only 60 treadwear, but the grip is as close to r-compounds as you can get.
03-28-2014, 10:29 AM
#17
MBWorld Fanatic!
Pilot Cups, but they will not last much longer than a day of hard track use. Unfortunately soft tires = great performance and terrible wear. If you want to stretch a little more life out of your tires invest in good coil-overs and have the car corner balanced and as Amdeutsch stated make sure you have a proper alignment for the ride height, wheels, tires you are running. Proper camber is very important a degree or two off can chew up a set of tires quickly.
03-28-2014, 10:31 AM
#18
MBWorld Fanatic!
The dealer did a street alignment. Those will be detrimental to your tires on a track. Those will cause you to wear your outside edges.
At a minimum you need to introduce a lot more negative camber and open up your toe. The issue you'll face that street and track alignments are inherently incompatible with each other. There will be a trade off either way.
At a minimum you need to introduce a lot more negative camber and open up your toe. The issue you'll face that street and track alignments are inherently incompatible with each other. There will be a trade off either way.
03-29-2014, 11:06 AM
#19
Super Member
03-31-2014, 02:41 AM
#22
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 3,728
Received 798 Likes
on
548 Posts
W204 C63 Coupe, W166 ML350 BlueTEC, 928GT, C5 Z06 & IS300 race cars, EQE 4Matic+ on order
+1. On the track, they grip better in OEM 18" sizes (235/255) than the 19" PSS in 245/275. They will wear out relatively quickly however. The softer the compound the quicker the tire wear.
As for everyone suggesting that it's alignment, pressures and what not, I have some news for you - you're pushing around a 4000 lbs car. If you're driving at the limit you'll wear out the tires in a weekend no matter what. I used to only get two weekends out of a set of R-comp 275s on a 250 whp, 2800 lb car until they were corded. However, if you're wearing out the fronts in 3 hours, you're overdriving the car.
The only tires that are going to last you more than a weekend at a race track would be hard-as-a-hockey-puck all-seasons, but then you will be easily overtaken by Civics, Corollas, pickup trucks and small furry animals. Again, I hate to point this out, but the C63 is probably not the best tool for the job if you're looking for a weekend warrior. Get yourself a used Porsche 944 Turbo or an E36 M3 instead (or an S2000 if you can find one at a decent price). You can find reasonably well sorted, DE track-ready examples for under $15K.
As for everyone suggesting that it's alignment, pressures and what not, I have some news for you - you're pushing around a 4000 lbs car. If you're driving at the limit you'll wear out the tires in a weekend no matter what. I used to only get two weekends out of a set of R-comp 275s on a 250 whp, 2800 lb car until they were corded. However, if you're wearing out the fronts in 3 hours, you're overdriving the car.
The only tires that are going to last you more than a weekend at a race track would be hard-as-a-hockey-puck all-seasons, but then you will be easily overtaken by Civics, Corollas, pickup trucks and small furry animals. Again, I hate to point this out, but the C63 is probably not the best tool for the job if you're looking for a weekend warrior. Get yourself a used Porsche 944 Turbo or an E36 M3 instead (or an S2000 if you can find one at a decent price). You can find reasonably well sorted, DE track-ready examples for under $15K.
03-31-2014, 01:54 PM
#24
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 3,728
Received 798 Likes
on
548 Posts
W204 C63 Coupe, W166 ML350 BlueTEC, 928GT, C5 Z06 & IS300 race cars, EQE 4Matic+ on order
Probably because very few people actually track their C63, and of those even fewer do it often enough to justify buying a set of proper R-comps. If you're really into HPDE track events, chances are that after the first couple of weekends out you'll realize that the C63 is not the ideal tool for the job and you'll end up getting something more suitable. As fun as the C63 is around the track, it is much too heavy and too expensive of a car to beat around on an ongoing basis.
If anyone wants a set of one-track-day-old R888s for the C63 that fit the OEM 18" wheels, I may have a set for sale.
If anyone wants a set of one-track-day-old R888s for the C63 that fit the OEM 18" wheels, I may have a set for sale.
03-31-2014, 01:57 PM
#25
MBWorld Fanatic!
Probably because very few people actually track their C63, and of those even fewer do it often enough to justify buying a set of proper R-comps. If you're really into HPDE track events, chances are that after the first couple of weekends out you'll realize that the C63 is not the ideal tool for the job and you'll end up getting something more suitable. As fun as the C63 is around the track, it is much too heavy and too expensive of a car to beat around on an ongoing basis. If anyone wants a set of one-track-day-old R888s for the C63 that fit the OEM 18" wheels, I may have a set for sale.
