Mark Andy said:
> Wheels & Tires: same $300 for wheels, plus $xxx for tires, after research
> into what tires to buy. Eagle NCT-II's or Eagle RSA's (stock tires on
> neons) wouldn't have been the tires no matter what. Even at $50/each, we
> still total out to $500. Given the amount of wear my street tires took at
> one event, I wasn't willing to run my daily driver tires autoxing, 'cause
> it would destroy 'em and I actually care how the car goes in rain & snow.
I've seen several people state the pros of autoxing on street tires this
week, so I won't go in depth and restate what they've said. I'll just
add that I run street tires myself. They last a full season of
autocross and a fully year (8-10k miles) of street driving (could get
more, but I don't like street driving without tread or autoxing on old
hard tires). The most I've spent on a set of tires is $448, I usually
get by with around $350 or less.
Now, what prompted my reply was Andy's comment about the
performance/wear of his street tires at one event. You can't judge the
performance of ALL street tires based on the performance of crappy OE
Neon (or Saturn) tires at an autocross! OE tires on an economy car
(yes, even an ACR) are chosen with the average American driver in mind.
The average American driver doesn't worry too much about ultimate
cornering grip, they just want tires that will last a few years.
Put a set of REAL street tires on your Neon, inflate them properly, get
a decent alignment (we all know Neons can do that), and you'll find that
your street tires will not be shredded after one event. They will very
likely outlast your expensive R-tires... PLUS give you many safer and
more fun street miles. The only thing you stated that might be a valid
concern is winter driving. I've found that high-quality street tires
are very good in the rain, but leave a bit to be desired in the snow.
Of course, if you've got the money, like to change tires all the time,
and are having FUN... run the R tires. Just don't misinform the rest of
the world about the virtues of a good street tire.
--
Loren Williams | Homepage - http://www2.southwind.net/~lsw
'94 Saturn SC2 | Wichita Region SCCA - http://www2.southwind.net/~scca
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