Zeke5550@aol.com writes:
<< am looking at some std. road radials
made by Kelly Springfield. The are 175/80/13's and have an "A" rating for
street traction. This is the lowest profile stock radial tire I can find.
I
use 175/60 Yokahamas on the car for normal race conditions. Am I on the
right track? >>
You might or might not be on the right track. The first concern is that of
80 series aspect ratio to 60 series. The 80 series tire will be a lot taller
than your normal tire, does that completely mess up your gearing?
As far as traction ratings are concerned, the UTQG traction rating is based
on a special traction trailer test. It is purely a longitudinal measurement.
It may not give a good picture of lateral grip. And just recently they
added a AA rating for traction. The best wet tire for racing is a real,
racing rain tire. They have super compounds for the wet stuff. If your
going with a street tire, summer tires often, but not always have better wet
performance than all-season tires. Also the higher end products from major
makers are likely to be better in the wet as they benefit from better
compounds. The big names use a lot of silica compounds that give even
all-season tires very good wet performance.
Tread pattern also matters if you race on tracks with significant puddles and
need to worry about hydroplaning. Look for good size longitudinal grooves.
Happy puddle jumping
Ken P.
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