Tire Opinion

[sfzobie]

These cup 2 have 4k miles and one track day. What is the opinion of this group for one more track day with a 200 miles round trip on highway.

 

[bnight]

by the look of it not a good idea. Find cheaper and more lasting tires than the Cup 2's lot's of suggestions in the forum. Hope this helps. And ask yourself do you want to crash a 50 000$ Mustang for a 1000$ tires ?

 

[Bill Pemberton]

There are so many variables that could determine your usage of those tires, with the abrasiveness of the track you are running, weather concerns ( rain or cool damp roads ), even ability to drive back home if one has a minor failure - say a flat. So I would agree with bnight and you have a good reason to save up, spend a bit more in the future by getting a second set of tires for the track. This is a practice I have had for decades, with an extra set of wheels ( Apex has a group buy right now ), some fresh rubber, plus the tires will fit in the car. Three in the back seat and one in the trunk , or as we have seen by another member a nice trailer hooked up to carry an extra set. Just a thought, but since tires are your best mod, sometimes putting a few other things on the back burner, will give you more safety, more track time, and less worry, imho.

 

[sfzobie]

Thanks, I guess I just figured it would be nice to have one more day on them but safety is first. In terms of second wheels, I don’t want them, I bought an R for the carbon wheels and I really like how they handle on the track. This car is barely used outside of track use so Cup2s are my best option in my opinion, plus there aren’t many tire options in stock sizing. Thanks

 

[TMSBOSS]

I have the cup2's on my 350R also. They "Appear" to wear quickly. I suspected 2-3 days and done. I am at day 4 on a set I have mounted on Apex 11x19's. I will cord them the next time out. No worries, I have another set of wheels and tires ready to go. Yours look much better than the set I will be running next weekend at NOLA....until they cord. You "Should" be OK.
Bill was with me at ACC when I was running the original wheels and tires. A screw which "Fell Off" someone's car took out the right front tire. When It went flat, the sidewall was tore up on the inside. And yes, I drove the car to the track on the original stock wheels and tires. A quick call and a "Rescue Mission" by my brother brought my spare set of wheels with Pirelli takeoff to the track. Without them I would have had to trailer the car home. Something to thing about since there is no spare in the trunk. At $400+ for a tire, it soon apparent to me that the ability to rotate and swap out wheels and tires will pay for it self if you track your car much. NOLA wears the left rear, Barber the right front. I rotate often side to side and front to rear to keep the wear even and avoid wearing a single tire. Not sure I would want to drive 100+ miles on a corded tire. Had I lost the right front at speed, the $500.00 repair may have been $5000.00 if the wheel had been damaged.

 

[sfzobie]

It would be nice if we had more options tire wise in the stock size. I know we can probably run 325s without issue, but if that is what the engineers wanted, they would have spec’d it.

 

[TMSBOSS]

if that is what the engineers wanted, they would have spec’d it.

I have met a few of the engineers. They are true car guys. They also have to work within the restrictions placed on them by the market.

Totally agree regarding tire options. Youi can open up a whole lot of possibilities by simply dropping $4-8k on brakes and then move to a 18" tire. OUCH!!!

I have a set of GY 3R's mounted that will go on once the Cup2's are done. They were cheaper and have as good of write ups as the cup2's. We Shall see.

 

[honeybadger]

That tire has 2 days on it easy assuming your alignment is good. Could be less if you don't have enough camber.

I've run through about 10 sets of Cup2s on track and I'd go a whole weekend on that no problem.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Actually, having been in the Automotive Business for a total of over 30 years I can unequivocally state that what Engineers want is often not done or allowed. I could spend a ridiculous amount of time discussing a myriad of situations, but I will use just one example many on this Forum are aware of. When the Boss 302 was built the Engineers wanted and lobbied for the Tremec T6060, but the bean counters gave them the lovely MT-82. Like TMS I have been lucky to know many Ford and Dodge/SRT Engineers and we both know a couple of ( Engineer ) TrackRats on this Forum who run a square set-up on their track GT 350s, using lightweight forged or flow formed wheels. The average driver who buys a performance car never takes it to the track and in fact Corporate estimates often use 10-15% to represent the number of drivers who will autocross or track their machine. We are all just making suggestions to give you a safer situation, and we are not being argumentative, but trying to give examples of situations that can occur and hoping to help you and others avoid problems many of us have encountered. I can tell you when working at one of the largest Ford Stores in the Nation, CF wheels were on constant backorder even before the Pandemic. It is worse now, so a damaged wheel could not only hit your wallet , it could sideline you for a period of time. The irony is you could buy a set of wheels and tires for less than one CF wheel would cost , so it becomes an alternative also to make sure you get to the track as much as you are able. Hopefully some of our comments are helpful.

One comment I am always afraid to mention is how long a tire will last. Honeybadger says he could go on your tires for a whole day, and I do not doubt him one bit, but he knows the track he will be running the tire on. I know of one track in particular that you would have found it difficult to even make it one day. I have been very fortunate in my 41 years of autocrossing and tracking to go to over 20 tracks and I am always amazed at how different they can be on tires and consumables. That is the main reason I go to almost any track with two sets of tires and also why I am hesitant to say you can or cannot make another event on that tire. What track are you running on, some experienced drivers on TMO may be able to give you a better assessment if they run on said road course, often.

 

[sfzobie]

Totally understand per restrictions and spec, I am far from a pro, and just enjoy driving the car on track. I have looked at a few options in terms of rim/tire combos and maybe when the apex forged line is available I will consider taThe SC3R is a great tire for the price. I ran them on my ZL1 but they corded after 3 days, granted those days were in mid summer and it was hot which had to increase the wear. I actually really liked the normal SC3s. Good price point and while not as fast as the cup2, if they made in our size I would buy without hesitation.

 

[JAJ]

These cup 2 have 4k miles and one track day. What is the opinion of this group for one more track day with a 200 miles round trip on highway.

View attachment 72612

As @honeybadger said, there's lots of life left in those - they look great! The Cup2's have minimal tread to start with, so they don't look worn until the little grooves on the outer edge are gone completely. Until then, you're fine. If it rains, slow down.

 

[sfzobie]

Actually, having been in the Automotive Business for a total of over 30 years I can unequivocally state that what Engineers want is often not done or allowed. I could spend a ridiculous amount of time discussing a myriad of situations, but I will use just one example many on this Forum are aware of. When the Boss 302 was built the Engineers wanted and lobbied for the Tremec T6060, but the bean counters gave them the lovely MT-82. Like TMS I have been lucky to know many Ford and Dodge/SRT Engineers and we both know a couple of ( Engineer ) TrackRats on this Forum who run a square set-up on their track GT 350s, using lightweight forged or flow formed wheels. The average driver who buys a performance car never takes it to the track and in fact Corporate estimates often use 10-15% to represent the number of drivers who will autocross or track their machine. We are all just making suggestions to give you a safer situation, and we are not being argumentative, but trying to give examples of situations that can occur and hoping to help you and others avoid problems many of us have encountered. I can tell you when working at one of the largest Ford Stores in the Nation, CF wheels were on constant backorder even before the Pandemic. It is worse now, so a damaged wheel could not only hit your wallet , it could sideline you for a period of time. The irony is you could buy a set of wheels and tires for less than one CF wheel would cost , so it becomes an alternative also to make sure you get to the track as much as you are able. Hopefully some of our comments are helpful.

One comment I am always afraid to mention is how long a tire will last. Honeybadger says he could go on your tires for a whole day, and I do not doubt him one bit, but he knows the track he will be running the tire on. I know of one track in particular that you would have found it difficult to even make it one day. I have been very fortunate in my 41 years of autocrossing and tracking to go to over 20 tracks and I am always amazed at how different they can be on tires and consumables. That is the main reason I go to almost any track with two sets of tires and also why I am hesitant to say you can or cannot make another event on that tire. What track are you running on, some experienced drivers on TMO may be able to give you a better assessment if they run on said road course, often.

I really appreciate all the feedback, and while tire longevity is always a tough question, I was just looking for some different opinions. My friend who is a former racer just said it simply, it’s a safety issue therefore there is no question, just replace them.

I will look closer at a second set of wheels/tires probably in a square setup. I have seen many aftermarket wheel failures on the track and would be hesitant to run anything but a forged wheel. I like Apex’s new line coming out, so maybe that or a set of forgelines will make the most sense. What really pisses me off is how poor Ford has been with service. Oil filter is one issue, but when I called about tire replacement they said they don’t change tires on Rs and subcontract them out for $300 a wheel! Madness. How can you sell a car and basically say good luck with basic service. I was able to find a BigO locally that has the hunter machine, but they are still charging $75 a wheel to mount and balance. I usually use Americas Tire co but they said they won’t touch the R wheels and they don’t have the hunter machine.

Anyway, thanks for the opinions. I appreciate it

 

[sfzobie]

That tire has 2 days on it easy assuming your alignment is good. Could be less if you don't have enough camber.

I've run through about 10 sets of Cup2s on track and I'd go a whole weekend on that no problem.

Car was setup by Trent at Sonoma with front and rear camber brackets, rear subframe connection and front brace and alignment so it should be pretty set.

 

[TMSBOSS]

Bummer. Sounds like a dealer issues over a Ford Issue. I can understand a dealer wanting to protect itself....to a point. They sold you the car. They should service it without requiring a premium because their tire changer, both machine and person, are substandard.

I LOVE my GT350R!! I ran it the way I bought it and only swapped out pads, wheels and tires as they wore. I just bought the extended warranty for an additional 5 years. If she pops, Ford pops for a new engine. I am on my fourth set of tires at 3600 miles. I trailer her to the track and then use her as intended. Lot's O Fun!!