Hoosier Tires

Clois Harlan · #1 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 05:45 AM

Have any of you tried these DOT approved Hoosier Tires?

Summit has them for about $100 less per tire than Roger Krause gets for his Billboard Goodyears:

http://store.summitracing.com/egnsea...view=sku&RC=25

Tread pattern seems identical.

Clois Harlan

bmwdb10 · #2 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 06:01 AM

I called Hoosier support about these before I bought the GY's. These quick times are for the rear only and are drag compound. Infact, they gave me a pretty stern warning about using them on the front of any car. Unfortunate as they are nicely priced, sized right and nice looking.

Hotfingrs · #3 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 09:28 AM

I've used that tire. It's got a wrinkle wall sidewall. So you have to keep em aired up. Don't use with a radial front tire, or car will vibrate like crazy... Most of all, don't get caught in the rain or on a wet road. They start to hydroplane around 20 mph. It's a long ride home from the track with no top, not being able to drive over 20 mph, and a downpour, with 35 miles to drive....

bmwdb10 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 09:58 AM

Did you have them on the fronts? Curious too how they would work out....

Clois Harlan · #5 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 10:29 AM

Well I guess that is enough said. I am always looking for a good 15" street tire. Thanks I knew someone had given them a try.

Clois

Hotfingrs · #6 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 10:31 AM

Nope, only had them on the rear, that's why I said they vibrate like crazy when you mix and match,,,,

Hotfingrs · #7 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 10:35 AM

I've also used the ET Streets, and think for a bias tire, the Hooisers were a better tire, for my purpose, which was to hook up at the track. I now use ET Street Radial, which has a softer compound then the ET Street, and about the same as the Hoosiers, and is much more friendly on the street.

Cobra #42 · #8 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 10:43 AM

Clois, Don't think they come in your sizes but the Hoosier Road Race tire are great, they come in 17's if you have some rims. Great track tire not good on wet surface at all. LOL, db

Clois Harlan · #9 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 01:23 PM

I know they are pretty nice. I drove on a set at Run n Gun a year ago and they are pretty darn wonderful. Sooner or later I will need to dump my 15" tires and go with the flow.

Clois

Thieleng · #10 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 03:03 PM

I just bought a set of Hoosier A6 tires for my SPF, went with 335x35x17's for the rear on some wheels I had widened to 12.5" from Stockton Wheel, the tires in the front are 245x45x17 on the standart 8" wide wheel. If evreything gets done on the car, like the motor back in I will be running these at track day at the WSCB, after then I will form an opinion on how they work, they came fairly highly rated.

RICK LAKE · #11 (**permalink**) 04-11-2008, 04:08 AM

Clois Harlan Clois I talked to Dick Smith in depth about why he didn't run a 17" or 18" wheel on his cobra. He said that because he was sliding the car in the turns alot the 15" where better for this. He tryed 17" wheels and found that there was no warning about 17" wheels loosing contact on the track and spinning out. If you can learn how to slide you car and control it, on some turns you are faster than the ones who are hooked up. No brakes are needed doing this also. Loosing brakes or boiling the fluid was a problem in the early years of racing. By drifting or sliding this saved the brakes till the end of the race when needed the most. The other thing with the 15" wheels was for the historic races the car had to be orginial looking. The motor was only allowed to be a 433 for a cobra. At times Dick said there where more Smithy rules than for any other class. Go figure. I think this was the only way they could slow him down.

Rick L. Ps Clois I like the 17" wheel on the car but agree with Smith about there is no warning about coming loose. I went 3 seconds faster at R&G with just a wheel change on the road course. Unless you want to get crazy about this, or change your car to a Morris special, You might be happier to stay old school unless you are adding power steering to the car. IMO

Clois Harlan · #12 (**permalink**) 04-11-2008, 06:08 AM

Right now my Goodyear Billboards are junk but my rear tires are still pretty good but I will probably replace them too. I bought a set of BFG Radial T/A from Dean for the rear (295 50 x 15) and I ordered a set of 245-60 x 15 for the fronts. I plan on staying with the good ole fashion Hoosier and Goodyear slicks for the track. The last time I did any drifting was at Hallett and I found that I could do 3 full three sixties coming out of the corner going down the straight away ant 90 mph. I gathered everything up and kept going until they black flagged me for not coming into the pits after an "Incident on the track". I need to practice that move again without the spins!

Clois

SPF1061 · #13 (**permalink**) 04-11-2008, 06:30 AM

Hi Clois -
I know spend a lot of time on the Avon soapbox, but have you had a chance to try them. I rolled over 7000 miles on the odo yesterday on a set and they look like they're good for another 500 to 1000 miles. There's a lot of hard track time mixed in with those miles, as you know. If you're looking for the ULTIMATE track tire, they aren't going to be it. If you're looking for a GREAT street tire and REALLY GOOD track tire, they're hard to beat.
See you at Run 'n Gun! (The changes and improvements you guys are putting in place look fantastic!)
Steve Payne

Kim Sigman · #14 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 08:21 AM

Any good suggestions for the best size and tire in a 15"? Looking for something stickier and a higher perfromance rating than a BFG TA but would like to get maximum mileage. I'm not using the car for racing just for everyday street driving thus the higher mileage.
Thanks, Kim

CHRIS DAMSCH · #15 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 09:45 AM

Kim,

Unfortunately it's a trade off. High mileage and stickier don't go hand in hand. If your not doing rain driving, I think the Drag radials are the best bang for the buck. I wouldn't road race them, But street driving, drag racing, they can't be beat. You should get a couple of years out of a set. Probably about 7000-10,000 miles.

I think the cars are pretty dangerous on the BFG radial T/A's. They will break loose at almost any speed. The drag radials will stop this from happening.

Jamo · #16 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 12:37 PM

When all is said and done...for the bestest all-round combo of price-road/rain-track tire that looks right and is 15"...

...Billboards.

Just my opinion, of course, but there it is.

Jac Mac · #17 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 01:25 PM

I raised an idea on another forum about building tyres that have a 15" bead dia on the outer sidewall & 17"-18"- or whatever takes you fancy on the inner. This would allow larger dia brakes etc and a short sidewall on the inner which takes most of the lateral load forces anyway. Tyre fitment would be quicker/simpler since only the outer would have to be fitted over the 15" rim flange & obviously the 15" dia high outer sidewall would give the 'period' look that you all desire. The higher outer sidewall would be more 'kerb' friendly as well! Sent Hoosier an email on this about 18mths back, probably went in the junk bin. Wheels wouldnt really be a problem with the spinning equipment available today. Then you could have the 'Bill Board of your choice' on the sidewall in 'BIG' letters for ultimate pose value. I dont own a Tire Co but if someone like Hoosier did it & it could also be sanctioned for racing it would make life simpler for guys like me so that we could get brakes to match the power we now obtain out of some of this stuff!

Throw all the 'Rocks' you like in my direction- since most of you are in the US & I am a Kiwi, if nothing else you might create a 'new' island for people to live on!

:

Jac Mac