The official "what works in the wet" thread (Pocono XV event veterans please comment)

[Damn True]

So for those of you who:

a) Have driven on a track in the wet...

b) Routinely drive your PT ride in all weather conditions...

Let's hear your wet weather tire experience.

What works, what does not work?

(I'm guessing there were no Hoosiers at the XV event.)

[Vinz68]

I have BFG KDW's on my car. I'v autocrossed,drag raced,and the XV event in the rain. I can't complain at all. They worked better than I thought in the rain.Great in autocross and good for street tires drag racing. I also do a ton of burnouts. (can't help myself)

[Chad-1stGen]

How many sets of rear tires have you gone through lol?

[Smock67]

I too will have to second the KDW's when i had them on my tiburon they gripped like no other. wet weather it didnt even really matter at all felt just about the same as dry. these really were superb tires.

Damn i really wish that car wasn't stolen and burned. :(

[dqhemi]

I agree, KDW's are a really good all around tire AND it's a wet tire (as opposed to the KD). They are generally what we are putting on the cars we build.

I prefer Michelin's, but KDW's are at a much better price point.
I also happen to know that the KDW's have benefitted from some of the Michelin technology...

We chose them some time ago, very purposely and haven't had a compelling reason to reconsider.

[cubes]

Any bod try the Toyo Proxes R888
http://www.toyo.com.au/Proxes%20R888%20Page.htm

Provides competitive performance for a wide range of motor sport disciplines, from hill-climbs to endurance racing.Fast warm-up & predictable behaviour when cold. Progressive brake-away. Size range growing . The Proxes R888 is also highly effective for drag racing classes where street-legal tyres are mandatory.

.

[Steve Chryssos]

DON'T go out there on a set of six year old Nitto NT555's!! No matter what I do, I can't seem to wear these tires out. They have been heat cycled a bunch of times. Combine that with their age and the tires are now rock hard and fairly useless. So now it is time to change them even though they still have a ton of tire tread left. Tires are everything. The right set of tires can make any car or driver look good.

[ProBell]

I had a nice new set of Hoosiers at the XV event, They just never left the trailer. I to was on a set of old street tires so they were just OK in the rain. Eagle GT in the front and KDW,s in the back. Randy

[NOT A TA]

I've driven in the rain (not on track) with my Yokohama AO 32's. These tires were offered in either a hard or soft compound depending on weight and intended use. http://www.yokohamatire.com/TireIntro.asp?TireID=2 I bought the hard compound because my cars about 3500 lbs and I use them on the street as well as tracks. If the roads are just wet and the tire can get warm they're ok but standing through water at speed I get hydroplaning. At the XV event they never would have gotten warm and those puddles would have been sketchy.

The width of the tire and weight of the car can have a big effect on wet weather driving. A heaver car with narrower tires will squish the water out the rain grooves easier providing better adhesion.

[fishtail8]

Anyone have comments about Michelin Pilot Sports for all around driving?

[jy211]

Anyone have comments about Michelin Pilot Sports for all around driving?

I had them on my BMW M3....I raced that car every where I went and never lost control....

[jvike]

Anyone have comments about Michelin Pilot Sports for all around driving?

My brother has them on his 69 Mustang (http://www.fquick.com/fvike) and they are really good! In the wet they are vary good also. In the rain on a road race track he overtook alot of faster more modern cars when the rain came down. Maybe the jap drivers where scared, but anyways They grip good in the rain! Reason he got Michelin Pilot Sport was that he used them on his Taxicab (a Mercedes Benz E220 CDI at the time) and where thrilled with the performance.

Personaly I got to ride with an Rx-7 FD in the rain that got Toyo Proxes T1-R. They where amazing on wet. This was also on a roadrace track. You could not detect that the track in fact was wet!

[WS6]

I never got the chance to compete in any solo2 events in the rain with my Good year GSD3s, but on the street, it had to be my sole intention to break the tires loose. When I first bought my Formula the owner had the GSD1 tires which were the same type as the car came with from the factory. Those tires suck. I could simply blip the throttle and kick the back end around in the wet. This is in first gear from a roll obviously. I put the D3s on there and could not believe how well they worked. Wet grip was excellent. Even once I did get them to spin they would grab again quickly. Since then I have had Firestone Wide Ovals and I am now on Kuhmo Ecsta MXs. I can't afford to autox any more. The WideOvals gripped very well autoxing the one time I did get the chance and rain driving all three of these tires have been very good. The D3s were the best still though.

I've only heard good things about the BFG KDWs.

[2MCHPWR]

v710's work good in the wet. but not in standing water
now you see me:


now you don't


fastest car that day was a boxster on full tread toyo RA1's