No direct experience with them but the Hoosier STREET TD's look like they'd
be awful in the rain -- too little open tread. The Hoosier VINTAGE TD's are
probably better, as they have more open tread area. Given a choice, I'd
prefer a skinnier tire with more open tread pattern for the wet, and softer
compound if you have it available.
Whatever tire you decide to use, remember to ADD a couple pounds of air
pressure for rain. Being a rookie, you probably have no baseline of tire
pressures for the dry, but ask around for advice. You generally want to add
2 psi or so for rain, it helps maintain tire contact in the center of the
tread & helps force water out the sides to reduce hydroplaning.
If your suspension is adjustable (again, I understand -- rookie, no data
yet) you should SOFTEN the suspension a bit for rain. But don't be
confused, as many people are -- SOFTEN the suspension but put MORE air
(harder) in the tires. And don't forget the Rain-X (on the windscreen ...
haven't tried it on tires myself).
Regards,
Mark Palmer
>From: S800Racer@aol.com
>Reply-To: S800Racer@aol.com
>To: chkangmd@qnis.net, vintage-race@autox.team.net
>Subject: Re: Rookie Question-rain tires?
>Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 09:09:35 EST
>
>In a message dated 3/5/00 11:51:10 PM, chkangmd@qnis.net writes:
>
><< So what
>is done for tires in "wet" conditions? I have the Hoosier TD's now>>
>
> My experience is that the Hoosier TD's are awful, if not outright
>dangerous, in the wet. I don't know if it is the compound or the tread
>pattern or both, but they are not good in anything more than a damp
>condition. The really trick wet set-up is to use Hoosier "dirt track"
>tires.
> They are the tires that the midget racers us on the front of their cars.
>They are super soft with a very open tread pattern. Another option is to
>mount a set of high performance street radials with good wet weather
>performance and full tread depth (not shaved for racing).
>
> And like they used to say on "Hill Street Blues" -- Be careful out
>there!
>
> Doug Meis
> '67 Honda S800
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