Running On Slicks?

[Guest PacMan]

I've got the opportunity of buying four 15" slicks for £40 and was just wondering what benefits i might gain should i ever take the GTi onto a track? I know its highly illegal, but would they be any good for the road? Hypothetical question of course...

[Alan_M 66 1 Cars]

Err, Slicks on the public road are very illegal!

 

Unless you buy some road-legal ones like yoko A048's (I think thats the number of them!)

 

Would'nt like to be caught in typical British weather with a set of slicks on anyway!

[Guest PacMan]

Yeah i know they are illegal for the road , but i was interested in what the benefits would be on a track.

[red 0]

As I understand it talking to the lads who run in mod prods it's like chalk and cheese if you've only ever run a rd tyre as I have, I think you need to watch things if the suspension is standardish as well, they reckon they are worth 5-10%

on times around a track dependant on how you drive but be careful ! they have so many heat cycles and do need a warm up dependant on the type and grade you have, hard /medium/soft compound.

 

Regards Russ......

[cybernck 402 1 Cars]

yeah they are an improvement over standard tyres... IF:

 

1) you heat them up properly

2) you can settle driving the "lines"

3) you're not afraid of loosing all the grip all of a sudden

4) you have uprated brakes (puts a great deal of strain on the brakes)

5) as 4) but suspension related (the car body will roll like mad)

 

 

but you've found yourself a deal (if they're not knackered) so buy them and try them .

 

though give me the dimension info first, and i'll tell you if they're adequate for the 205.

[Guest PacMan]

Oh i'm all excited now, i like the idea of running a 205 on F1 style rubber.

 

Trying to find out the exact size, all i know at the minute is they are 15" Bridgestones and are full on slicks. He says two are good and two are reasonable. Can't be bad for £40 as i'm sure these cost a bit more than normal road tyres would they not?

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

The other thing you need to take into account if you get to the limit is oil surge, The quicker you go round the beds = more surge. So at least a sump baffle is needed or go Dry Sumped.

[Guest cookiemonster]

i used slicks for a few track days on my old integra type-r. First time out was stunning - grip was amazing and i was lapping far faster than ever before; overtaking all sorts of exotic stuff.

 

However, the novelty very quickly wears off so be replaced with a feeling of pointlessness. Slicks on a road car is a daft idea - your suspension, brakes & engine aren't up to the forces slicks provide, so you end up driving way under the tyres abilities. At Donnington, on road tyres craners was a challenge to try and get down as fast as possible - with a lift or brake in the middle. On slicks its flat in fifth and the car isnt moving around at all. Fun first time, but not challenging and very boring afterwards.

 

Finally 3 trackdays on slicks and my suspension bushes were knackered and brake disks warped on a 9000 mile honda...

 

Depends on what you want really - if you want to have fun finding the limits of yourself and your car, then stick to decent road tyres. If you just want to go faster than the next person then have a look at slicks, and be prepared to shell out for new suspension componants, brakes and engine bits

 

As for slicks on the road, forget it. You'll never be able to generate enough force to get the things up to temperature (and then it's 12 points - 3 per corner, if you get caught)

[Guest sicknote]

Also, some trackday companies insist that the car has a roll-cage if you are running on slicks.

 

Trackday at Kirkistown next Sunday, mate!

 

 

Simon

[Guest PacMan]

Thanks for all the advice, think its covered all i need to know! I'm gonna guy them anyway since they are only £40, and stick them on a spare set of rims so at least i'll have them should i ever want to experiment!

 

The other thing you need to take into account if you get to the limit is oil surge, The quicker you go round the beds = more surge. So at least a sump baffle is needed or go Dry Sumped.

Is it a big job to convert an engine to go dry sumped? Its something i've never thought about or know much about to be honest?

 

Also, some trackday companies insist that the car has a roll-cage if you are running on slicks.

 

Trackday at Kirkistown next Sunday, mate!

Rollcage is next on my list. As for Kirkistown on Sunday, i knew about it but i don't think i'll be able to make it. Theres been a recent regular gathering up at Nutts Corner racetrack nearly every week for the past while now where a group have been renting out the track for an hour in the evening, so i'm going to look into that instead cos its pretty local to me. Heres a sample pic from last weeks :

 

[red 0]

You can always use them for 1/4 miles as a lot of the lads/lasses running today were using them, won't worry the suspension as much or the engine, don't know about the drive shafts and box etc

Nice pick by the way was it WELL HELD or taken a the correct moment

 

Regards Russ.........

Edited October 5, 2003 by red

[Guest PacMan]

hehe, unfortunately i can't claim credit for that photo cos a mate took it. But i have a sneaking suspicion that its had its diff welded and thats why it gets sideways so easily.

[Guest sicknote]

If there's any more Nutts Corner meetings, I'd be up for it, I can't make this Sunday's Kirkistown, as I'm working, and it's the last of the season.

 

Would be good to have a few laps with yourself and Chief, perhaps I can get my new LSD in by then!

 

Cheers,

 

Simon

[Guest PacMan]

Yeah i think Nutts Corner its pretty much open to anyone if you got the right contacts. I was told it was £42 for the hour on the track, so that between a few people is for nothing. I'll have a word and see what the score is.

[Guest PacMan]

Simon, just been doing a bit of checking, and apparently Kirkistown is having a track day on the 19th October for the Club GTi (NI), £40 per car for the day.