Proxes Opinions.

[y5e06]

I'm looking for opinions on using Toyo Proxes RA-1 for track day, time trial, and lapping days. No, this wouldn't be on a CMC car (yet!). However, since you guys run them as a spec tire I thought I'd as for feedback. I plan on using them on my mostly stock '94 Z28.

How long do these tires last? What is their usable life? I realize an answer to this is subject to car, driving style, and track. What are the opinions of the tires performance? How good is the turn in? lateral grip? How well do they work when you're driving "on the edge" and when you go a bit over? Do they work well w/ camber challenged cars? I'm shopping for a good, long lasting R-compound tire for these purposes. I have experience using Victoracers, A3S03, R3S03, and RE730R's. I auto-x very often and am trying to do more track day/TT type of events.

 

CMC is a VERY interesting series. I really do plan on eventually buying a built 3rd gen to use for NASA TX events. But for now I want to get the HPDE and TT's done in my current car.

 

Thanks!

Morgan

[bsim]

The Toyos are great tires.

 

If you run a track at 2:00 on Hoosiers, you'll be around 2:01 on the Kumhos, and 2:01.5 - 2:02 on the Toyos. They're slightly slower. HOWEVER, they last forever. The Hoosiers are one weekend tires, the Kumho's are about 2-3 weekend tires.

 

We can run a season plus on one set - figure 8 weekends, 3 sessions per day, plus a few Fridays thrown in (unless you're Al of course). Heck, the two spares I kept after swaping out for new ones at the beginning of the year are still good - and they're more than 2 years old. I cut a tire at Buttonwillow early this year, and had to swap a 2 year old tire for a new one with 2 weekends on it, and saw no change in the car's handling.

 

They need a couple of heat cycles to get nice and stable, but once you have a session or two, they're going to pretty much not drop off in performance over the season, and may even get better as the tread goes away. We can run these things down to the cords before we have to switch them out.

 

In my opinion, they're very forgiving tires too. They give you good feedback about the traction they have, and if you do go past the limit, they slide nicely, they don't drop away all at once.

 

Now, if all you want to do is go for FTD at an auto-x, you'll get more 'grip' from one of the race tires, but put the car on the track, and you'll get more 'mileage' from the benefits of the Toyos...

[y5e06]

thanks for the reply.

Do you typically have these tires shaved for dry track conditions? Or can you run them 'full' tread without chunking or too much squirm?

 

I already have 710's for auto-x use so these would be primarily for open track use.

[bsim]

Mine are shaved (5/32").

 

I've actually never run full treads, so I can't speak from experience there...

[Adam Ginsberg]

Full tread Toyos are a bit squirrley compared to a shave set. Not dangerous ( IMO ), but there is a difference.

[Lady in Nomex]

I always pick up a set of full tread Toyos to use as rain or emergency tires each season. If you run them for a couple sessions or so and let them rest overnight they are always fine from then on in my experience. The advantage of using these on your street ride doing HPDEs is to get used to the characteristics of them. They are pretty long wearing for the type of tire they are, a good choice for your intentions.