autox rain tires - Kumho MX?

[landho]

I have to replace my autox rain tires...currently I have the K victo and ecsta 700...

Instead of new kumho or hoosier (really big $$ for as little as I use them) I was thinking of getting Kumho MX and shave them to 6/32...I would also use these for some local autox that have street tire class (no R)

I use rain tires only when there is lots of standing water...

what do you think?

[UstaB-GS549]

I ran brand new full depth Firestone Wide Ovals at GingerMan a few weeks ago and was impressed with them. I normally run R-compound tires, but for a lot of reasons ended up on my new street tires that evening. They felt squirmy, but I was able to keep pace with a friend in his Z06 running on Toyo RA1's.

[mikahb]

I run MX's in the rain, but as soon as this set is worn out, I'm planning to try out the Wide Ovals. The MX's do okay, but they struggle in the cold - I guess because they get hard. I've never run them in any kind of standing water either, just wet concrete/pavement and have been neither impressed nor disappointed. Wide Ovals seem to last longer and the one pass I did on them (this was in the dry, though) they felt more grippy than the MXs.

[acrace]

landho:

It all depends on how competitive you want to be in the wet. I wouldn't run my "rain tires" in the street tire stock classes in the dry. You want to keep the "edges" of the tread blocks as sharp as possible for best wet weather performance.

In my opinion, I think that you need to decide which category (street tire stock or stock [with sticky tires]) and stick to it. It's hard to swap back and forth and drive to the limit of the car.

[landho]

Al,
can MX be used as rain tires? shaved to 6/32?

The street tire idea was a remote possibility...but I understand your point about keeping the tread blocks sharp.

[gonzalezfj]

Originally Posted by landho

I have to replace my autox rain tires...currently I have the K victo and ecsta 700...

Instead of new kumho or hoosier (really big $$ for as little as I use them) I was thinking of getting Kumho MX and shave them to 6/32...I would also use these for some local autox that have street tire class (no R)

I use rain tires only when there is lots of standing water...

what do you think?

If you want to be competitive with the big boys (I do), then you have no choice. Call Hoosier Tom and order a set of Hoosier Rains in your size(s). Nothing else out there comes even close. Some people get away with dirt track tires, but they do not hold a candle to the Rains.

Can't run Rains in dry, or even drying surfaces without ruining the tread.

Frank Gonzalez

[jjm]

Wide Ovals will run better in the rain than the MXs. Especially if you decide to shave them.

Might as well run a slick in the rain if the MXs are down to 4/32...

[acrace]

Originally Posted by landho

Al,
can MX be used as rain tires? shaved to 6/32?

The street tire idea was a remote possibility...but I understand your point about keeping the tread blocks sharp.

landho:

I've seen the MXs used as rain tires, but they're really a compromise. Those folks tend to use them as their daily driver tire as well. The Kumho guys will run the Victoracer/Ecsta V700 combo. The guys with the deep wallets will run the Hoosier Wets.

All depends on how big a priority having a good set of rains are.

[abreakey]

Frank is right - hoosier wets are the only way to go to be competitive. Now, if you are talking about just local events where the competition isn't that strong, go with the MXs, as they are good for the $$s. There are better choices, but they do pretty well.

adamb

[JiminVirginia]

I've never run MXs on my ZO6, but I have them on my MINI S STX autox car. They're pretty middle of the pack in the rain. I find that my old Falken Azenis are better in the wet.

You can get something better.

[JasonI]

Any "new" street tire is going to be good in the rain.

[Z06Fix]

I ran my first event in the rain last weekend. My MX's did pretty well.

[JasonI]

Originally Posted by Z06Fix

I ran my first event in the rain last weekend. My MX's did pretty well.

You in for Atlanta on the 15th?

[rsquared]

ok, so what tire would be the best 19 inch tire if youre stuck on the 19s....