Recommendations for Tires for GTM?

[dreabrown]

There have been some great posts in the past with good information and specs on tires. I'm wondering if anyone can comment on a few more specifics about tire choices. I'm considering 245/40's on the front & 335/30's on the rear. Any cons to choosing a tire this big? What brands have people liked - Toyo? Kuhmo? BFGoodrich? What grade tire is needed for mostly street/occasional track use? Lastly, when do you use the spacer that came with the kit? Thanks for any info you can provide.

First time builder - only a few months in.

[spytech]

Spacers are used for narrower tires, don't need or want them for 335's. How much power do you plan on pushing? This will be a big tell for what type of grip you need. If you are sticking with a 'stock' ls motor 305s would be fine. On the flip-side, if you are running a lot of power there won't be such a thing as too much grip. I run 335/30 bfg gforce r1 dot legal slicks and break em loose like nothing with 625hp.

[dreabrown]

Thanks for reply and good question. I'll be running a modified LS3 with hp rating just north of 500hp. Are 335's needed at that hp rating?

[spytech]

Certainly couldn't hurt! This car is LIGHT and loses grip easy, and when it does, it's easy to get away from you. I'd rather plunk a bit more $$ down and err on the side of being overly aggressive with grip, rather than sitting wishing you had more.

[dreabrown]

My feeling as well. You're happy with the BFG rubber? What do you know about other brands? Toyo & Kuhmo have been prominently mentioned in other sources.

[The Stig]

Pirellis and Michelins are really solid choices as well. They are more expensive, but they're really good tires.

I went with Michellin Pilot-Sport II's, mainly because I've always used them on all of my cars for as long as I can remember.

Like you, I went with 245/40 ZR18 fronts, and 335/30 ZR18 rear. I also decided on a set of CCW "Corsair" wheels. CCW makes each set of wheels individually, and they have the correct backspacing measurments, because they were the original supplier of wheels for the GTM. I think they look great, and they are priced reasonably. This helped me to justify the extra expense of the Michelins. Personally, I would have bought the Michelins anyway because I just like the look of them on a nice set of wheels.

Also, if you're planning to upgrade from the C5 brakes, to the C6 (Z06) big brake kit, they'll fit fine with the CCW wheels. (But you have to make sure to tell them that you're planning to use them).

I actually bought my tires through CCW as a package deal. They came mounted, ballanced, and ready to put on the car. As a package deal, they do their best to extend an even better price.

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb94/jmichaelbaskin/DSC_0563-1.jpg

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb94/jmichaelbaskin/DSC_0566-1.jpg

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb94/jmichaelbaskin/DSC_0574-1.jpg

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb94/jmichaelbaskin/DSC_0577-1.jpg
They even made a set of custom "GTM" center caps for me.

It's something to add to your list of choices.

Good luck.

[spytech]

My feeling as well. You're happy with the BFG rubber? What do you know about other brands? Toyo & Kuhmo have been prominently mentioned in other sources.
The gforce R1's are a great tire - very durable for a slick, and when warm have awesome grip - better than any standard treaded street tire will provide. The downside is that, being slicks, they have the negative characteristics inherent in slicks. No tread means they should not be used in the rain, and road debris (loose rocks, gravel scattered on pavement, etc) can break traction much more easily than a street tire. They need to be warm to be optimal - have to be cautious when its cooler out. They don't have nearly the same life as a normal street tire.

All that being said, these tires are great at doing what they are designed to do.

[sasha]

Check out http://gtmwiki.com/index.php/Tires

[GTMsomeday]

I had Sumotomo donor tires to start with. They were hard and had a flat spot on each tire from sitting. Terrible vibration at 60mph. I bought the wheels offered by FFR and Toyo proxes as recommended. They are great. Of course anything would be better. The 335s are really great looking in the rear. And the 18" fronts look great as well. The thing that struck me was how soft the Toyos are. Will be interesting to see how they wear. That alone makes for a smother ride. Quiter too. They balanced out perfectly. That along with the cross weighting and alignment tips from the forums made for a great ride. Super smooth at 100 - no fear anymore. Before scared at 50. Very stable now.:cool:

[dreabrown]

Are we talking about the Toyo Proxes R888 or the RA1's? Again, I've seen both mentioned in other posts/sources. Also curious if anyone out there has experience with the BFG g-force TA KDW's. Good looking all around tire for mostly street use/occasional track?

[spytech]

Are we talking about the Toyo Proxes R888 or the RA1's? Again, I've seen both mentioned in other posts/sources. Also curious if anyone out there has experience with the BFG g-force TA KDW's. Good looking all around tire for mostly street use/occasional track?
I used the BFG TA KDW and KDW2's on my 600hp z06, and some other vehicles as well. I never had any complaints.

[Made_In_America]

Are we talking about the Toyo Proxes R888 or the RA1's? Again, I've seen both mentioned in other posts/sources. Also curious if anyone out there has experience with the BFG g-force TA KDW's. Good looking all around tire for mostly street use/occasional track?

I have been using them for a while and they are top notch. I use the 315/35/ZR18's when I road race my mustang and it gives you unbelievable grip wet or dry. I can only assume that the 335 would perform even better. Another bonus is it is an exelent tire on the street as well and they last a long time if your not smoking the tires or running autoX all the time.

[GTMsomeday]

Are we talking about the Toyo Proxes R888 or the RA1's? Again, I've seen both mentioned in other posts/sources. Also curious if anyone out there has experience with the BFG g-force TA KDW's. Good looking all around tire for mostly street use/occasional track?

They are RA1s.

[dreabrown]

Here's a great article from Car & Driver with an overview of 11 of the top brands in performance tires. Link: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparisons/05q4/tire_test_the_quick_and_the_tread-comparison_tests
It's somewhat dated but a great overview of what's out there. The Eagle F1 doesn't come in 335's so its out. Can't bring myself to buy the Continental despite its #2 ranking - too many soft reviews in this article. The Yokohama is a W rated tire and doesn't come in 335's either. SO....I think the Michelin PS2's are the tire of choice.