Love for $20 tires
 

I have decided I love my $20 used tires. There is still a good bit of tread on all of them, and they are hard as a rock. Strange enough, the grip level is entirely predictable. Slight flick of the wrist, touch of the gas and the back end goes right where I want it and around the corner I go. Sure I am not the fastest around corners, but I sure have fun doing it.

Who else here loves the cheep hockey pucks?

I DOOOOOO *that was said in a musical oncore sort of way*

i don't. I like my car to stick until the last possible moment, and then progressively slide. I dont' want to come into a corner hot and immiedately have my ass end sliding around on me. I have some semi-dry-rotted tires on the back of my car right now, and they still stick pretty well, but not well enough for my liking. Around quick corners in second, a little provocation and they start to slide. They are very controllable, but I can't wait until I get down to the wear bars so I can replace them with some Potenza RE910's.

I love the grip my ES100's are giving me, I can leave stuff in the dust when the road gets windy. When I have my winter wheels and tires on I also see the fun of having hard tires.

Why not have both right?

I used to like hockey pucks until I drove on proper R tires and then I never looked back. The level of grip is insane compared to street tires and the ability to carry speed through corners cured me of my desire to drift my car ever again.

I have a set of race tires for my CRX. The thing is, I don't aways want a ton of grip. :)

I have generic something or other tires. I'm guessing they are $20 tires. They like to hop cause they suck... and the rear end has gone bad.
The fronts are dry rotted and slide everywhere in the rain if I oversteer.

Plus they're 150 a piece ;)

hockey pucks
 

I like that term!! but I hate my "hockey pucks" I corded one at the last autox so that is one down 4 to go.
These tires are old enough that only one of the remaining tires has the UTQG on the sidewall. One from Chile, one from Brazil, two from Japan (same brand different model). All are all season MS rated. They are hard as rock and Slippery as snot. (or slipperier than cat shit on a linoleum floor). Hopefully some r tires will be good for at least 4 seconds. Any suggestions for R tires? Stay with 13 inch 60 series or go 15 with 50 series?

i got those tires on my ride. they are good affordable sporty tires and handle good. very predictable when drifting and whatnot

If you have a set of 15" wheels, there is a little better selection of R compounds in the 205/50-15, thanks to the Miata and it's popularity.
Just make sure that the rules will allow you to jump from the stock 13" to a 15" without bumping you into a far more competitve class. SCCA class rules will allow 13" R compounds in stock class, but going to a 15 is not allowed. The minimum class the SCCA will allow wheel diameter change in, is the STS class, in which R compounds are NOT allowed.
Therefore, if you are required to follow SCCA class rules, going with a 15" R compound would put you into street prepared, even with an otherwise totally stock car. If you are already running in the street prepared class, the 15" would give less sidewall flex, and generally a larger footprint, even at the same width tire overall.

No offense, but for all the wanna be drifters, yeah I know you're lurking out there, or those that are not too experienced in car control and wish to practice, 'hockey puck' tires, pump 'em up tp 40-45 psi, and find a parking lot, are a safer way to begin learning car control, imho. A nice hard, overinflated tire will break loose at much lower speeds, thereby reducing some of the danger due to inexperience. Bring spares and be prepared for blow outs. They also make good burn out tires.

I didn't really type the previous statement and take no responsibility for it. LOL Have fun.

What brand/model are they??

I bought a set for my GXL and I'm loving them! :D

I convinced a friend to replace the bald tires on his Miata with a set, too. :)

Cheap all season tires suck :mad:

20 tires cost me a rearend from screwing around too much , but hey it was really fun untill it broke.

i've got the old radial gt's in a 205 50 13 on stock rim, and they have some decent grip.... still brake loose with a little coaxing, but overall a decent tire

I got a set of falken azenis for about $300 installed....

tell me those tires don't have grip :D

i still have the original tires on my car...they are prolly 50%too

luckily through my job i can get all the used tyres i want for free, and good tyres for cheap (4x 205/50 15 S-03 p.p. for $320) its one of the upsides of being a tire monkey ;)

Cheap tires have their place. Last year, my son and I autocrossed on used, hard tires. He was just beginning, and so I saw no reason to spend bucks on R type tires, or even good street tires.

To go fast on any tire, you can't exceed their limits. You need to learn how to gradually load up the tire without breaking it loose. To go really fast, you need to anticipate when the tire will break loose and adjust your driving style so that you can use the loss of adhesion to your benefit. With cheap tires the limits are so low that they force you to develop discipline and feel for the tire and car.

Now drifting is another matter, and an area I do not have experience in. However, I suspect the same is true with drifting in that you have to develop a feel for what is happening with the car.

31rx7: This is VERY true. I learned how to Autocross on a set of old school dunlops. They were a great learning tool!