slammed_93_hatch

Ron probably has more time with the R888 then any other single person out there.

He has been testing and working with teams running them since early to mid 07.

Every car is different, but he does have merit in his 40 PSI cold.

dirty19

iTrader: (1)

Ok now that we are all talking pressures for the 888 and its going the way of the Do Do bird
Everyone fess up and discuss your cold pressures and the hot pressures you have experienced after a run.

JW racing

I can do that Compa,but then I have to disclose everything I am keeping secret, and I am not quite ready to let the world know about the pending approval of my IDTEC 2.2L swap..

dirty19

iTrader: (1)

The tires man.. the tires...
If your building one of those grey area engines like Bernardo had..
Keep that secret like the Skunkworks.
I just want to know more about the tires.LOL

realride

the entire country bitch about the new r888 before they even really try it. ( I was one of them, but did change my mind pretty fast)
So NASA did the right thing to get the RA1 back, the problem is that all the bitches did not realized that the R888 with lower pressures and a better setup, is a much better tire is far more cheaper.
You can do a full season on 2 set of R888 versus one set for 1.5 weekend on RA1's.


Maybe the RA1 guys still used beta VHS tape and use an 8tradck instead of an IPOD

dirty19

iTrader: (1)

Maybe the RA1 guys still used beta VHS tape and use an 8tradck instead of an IPOD [/QUOTE]


They probably are using ancient rice cookers too Benny.
BTW where in the heck are those MFactory cookers at?
Renan your reputation is at stake here. I'll take a beta version with electrical tape on the cord, and missing feet.

jaje

Spec Miata went back to RA1s - the reason we were told is b/c Toyo had a huge inventory left. However now 944 Spec is looking to make the switch. I think they are back in production b/c of the dissatisfaction of the R888s amongst the SM drivers. SM runs a 205 and us 944 guys run a 225 - we are even looking to go down to a 205 (we'll get better acceleration out of smaller size tire). We've been testing R888s (225) to RA1s (205) back to back - last week at Blackhawk and found that the speed was negligible between the two. We shaved both down to 4/32nds to be equal and the 2 fastest cars ran them consistently throughout the weekend.

slammed_93_hatch

Renan,

I agree that many many people bitched with very little knowledge, rummor is the catalyst was one person throwing a HUGE hissy fit after driving on the R888 for less then one day.

We have had good luck with the Ra1 last 15 to 20 heat cycles. And R888, with less setup time, were lasting 12 to 15 heat cycles.

Andrie, and others have gotton both to last much longer.

I completly agree with you though too many people bitching with little to know time on the R888.

Johnny Mac

I'm not sure about why NASA or Toyo wanted to go back to the RA1. I had a problem with one my R888's tread splitting across the tire. I even had the Toyo tire engineer who happens to live three minutes from my house come over and spend an hour talking about tires when he came over to pick up my defective tire. That's why I'm not so sure about why the decision was made. Could the problem be in the manufacturing of the R888 tire and not because everyone is complaining about the wear?

dirty19

iTrader: (1)

Noooooooooo... not another goodyear tire controversy?
I have heard of this before.. Someone else had a bad tire up here, I cant remember who.

slammed_93_hatch

BrianZ had a similar issue, AIM said they had never seen it happen on an R888.

But according to them a very similar issue was happening with the NT01, fairly frequently too they said.

JW racing

You are so right Benny,I am on my second set of the season of unshaved r888 now and have 2 weekends left to race.I would be on my 4th shaved ra1 set. Hey,we need to petition to your boy to be able to use both tires in HC if we want. I dont want to go back to ra1....its just like buying your favorite french opera casette tapes again.

No sir,no grey,google i-DTEC 2.2L, thats what I will be running next season at the nats.

The tires,we run exactly what toyo recommends in the link in post 25.

E-AT_me

sweet. us HPDE'ers will be walking the pits for some used R888's soon. "Hey buddy, you know you can't run those 888's next year.. I'll take 'em off your hands real cheap..."

JW racing

Good luck with that in our region! All us so cal guys use em till they cord...

0philstireservice

I'm not so sure of that...

Well maybe on the West Coast

BrianZ

Wow how are you two going through RA1's so fast? are you shaving them to 2/32?

Last year I only used 8 RA'1 and this year I'm still on my race R888's (ok, minus one, that I corded the first day I used it because I thought I could abuse it like a RA1)

JW racing

Do not take my word as the answer,only a nugget.I am pretty new being in my first complete race season,but I used ra1 all last year for RTA and NASA TT.The only thing I can pin point is the RA-1 with less cornering force in design,requires more slip angle to achieve the same grip as R888 with the same air pressure.In leighmans terms they require more toe angle than R888,and thus one has more scrub from increased slip angle and then tires wear more in a straight line.
This is just my observation on my tire usage.This is 4/32nd on RA-1 vs unshaved 6/32 R888 though.So obviously more tread = more life.

Downey

completly dissagree. More tread does not equal more tire life. Last year, we used two sets of shaved RA1's for the whole season. This year, ive already bought 6 sets of R888's and ive completly used up 2 sets.

My full tread tires get worn down to 4-6/32's pretty quick, but never seem to be as fast as a freshly shaved 4/32 set. My shaved tires are always faster, wear better and seem to last longer.

My H1 ek still runs 235/40-17 RA1's from 2006 and 2007! I only bought 2 sets for 2008 which are still good too!

nsxtasy

There's a question that's been bugging me (for obvious reasons), so here it is.

When they previously switched from the RA-1 to the R888 for the spec tire, did they give a reason? More specifically, did they claim the R888 is better (faster)?

slammed_93_hatch

Toyo wanted to do the switch because they wanted to discontinue the Ra1, IIRC the US is the only market that gets the Ra1, every other country gets and has gotten the R888 for several years.

JOE BD-0

Yeah, they also get the better compound rubber as well.....

JamesL

Right... which begs the question, if this "soft compound" R888 is working so well overseas, why not bring it here to the US?

slammed_93_hatch

They sell both the GG (what we get in the US) and the G(x) don't know the letter of the softer compound.

The Nippon challenge and several other "spec tire series" on the other side of the pond have to run the GG compound.

I think both compounds are even sold in Canada

JW racing

Hmm,You slide the car more. The R888 do not like sliding one bit. When we go back to RA-1 though,you will be fine because they require more slip angle.

577HondaPrelude

The nice thing about the RA1's is they almost never heat cycle out, they even seem to get faster the older and balder they are! You can run them over and over down to nothing. The R888 fall off as they get more heat cycles in them. Thus they don't last as long for a competion standpoint.