I've heard that these have the same tread compound, and only differ in construction and tread pattern. Is this true? Do the R888s handle tons of heat cycles like the RA1s? Anybody check with a durometer?

 

not yet, they are really new. 2 events maybe?

again, when only 1-2 cars are running em, its a little early to say, but it seems like the r888's are a little faster

 

I know my size just showed up recently (275/40-17), but I thought some sizes were available last season. What size are you running?

 

The early rumors are that the R888 are durable like the RA1's.

The Speed world challenge is running mandatory on R888s this year. If you can get in touch with one of them you might learn a lot. Post what you find, please.

Dave

 

Well I just got a set of R888s mounted today, and I'll get a chance to try them out this week. I was able to look at them side-by-side with RA1s at the shop. The tread pattern has way less void area than the RA1s, and I could swear the R888 tread rubber felt softer with the fingernail but I didn't have a durometer with me so maybe that was my imagination.

I'm running them full tread depth, not shaved. I'm guessing they will be much less squirmy than the RA1s at full tread due to the absence of blocks. Anyone who's used them care to comment on that?

Can't wait to try them. I'm driving them to and from VIR, which is about 5 hours each way for me. I'll be interested to see how much this trip wears them down.

 

which brakes are guys running with these(ra1's, r888's, and similar)? thanks

 

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...highlight=r888

 

Interesting info on the BMW forum. Glad to hear they don't experience squirm with unshaved R888s vs the RA1s. I'll probably start at about 28/26psi cold pressures and go from there. I'm at about 2deg camber front, 1.5deg rear. Not going to bother with adjustments yet, just want to get familiar with the tire and see how it wears.

 

M2 AP setup. Very similar to the N-Tech AP kit.

 

we're running a spec e30, so its a 245/45/15?

 

The R888s worked well for this last event, and got me there and back safely. I tried a few different combinations of pressures and they seem to like around 36-38 psi hot for my setup. Just a couple pounds more and they didn't stick very well. Full tread depth and they didn't really feel squirmy at all, just like others have said. These are 275/40 on 17x9.5.

Anybody else have comments on pressures?

I'll be running them again in 2 weeks and I'm daily driving them in the meantime.

 

Any recent feedback? Considering these over my current RA1s.

How are they in the rain? I don't drive in the wet often, but sometimes get caught in it. On the way back from this past year's Deals Gap event I was able to cruise at 75mph with no problems with the RA1s. Are the R888s similar wrt durability?

Would be using these on the street (weekend car) as well as road race duty.

 

Rich, you might to ask Kenny (Zonblitz). He's been running the R888's for a couple of years now. I haven't heard him complain about performance in the rain. I was considering get them for my Volk wheels but they have no rim protector.

Jack

 

I ran that first set of 888s at 8 track events last season, plus street driving in between and over the winter. They held up well, but towards the end of the season, camber wear on the inner shoulders of the fronts made them sketchy in standing water (running over -2 deg so go figure). I just got a new set, and the fronts were near the cords on the inner shoulder. Both outer/left tires (especially the rear) developed a deep "valley of death" in the outer 3rd of the tread. When you first get to the track after driving them on the street for a while, they're greasy for the first session or so until you have scrubbed the tread surface and cycled them, then you can feel them soften up and grip and they're good for the whole weekend.