should I get another set of 555RII's? need advice

ok, my nittos are on thier last mile, and I need to order tires early this week. I planned on getting another set of 555Rii's, but Todd isnt easy to get ahold of, and now I am thinking about trying something else.

here is my situation, mods in sig, I do 2 autocrosses a month, 1 or 2 OT weekends planned this year, and I daily drive on the tires I will be using. It would be nice if they last past September, but i've only been getting 4 or 5(max) months of use out of the tires. I run -2.0 camber, no toe.

I love the nitto's, but i'm willing to give up a little grip to have a tire last longer (i'm getting cheap, need to start saving on a home also).

I also do not think too kindly on running a regular street tire, and I am too lazy to haul around race tires (do have another set of rims that i still have kumho 712's on for the cold months).

So what does everyone think? Kumho MX has crossed my mind, but I havent seen enough direct comparisons to the nittos as I would like, I think the ao32r's are a very similar tire to what i have? Anyone think its worth switching tires? I have to say i'm happy with what I have, just would like to have the tires last longer (i guess i'm willing to give up 1/3rd of the grip if i could find a tire that lasts alot longer).

all comments appreciated,
miki

98 trans am ws-6 6M black/taupe
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The other compromise tire you didn't mention was the Toyo race tire.

My Firehawk SZ50's have one season of lots of autocrosses and daily driving, plus another year of daily driving, and aren't dead yet.

I know somebody who seems to like the MX on his RX7TT for autocross, but I'm not sure if they're going to last much longer than the Nittos.

It does sound like you are wearing out the Nittos pretty fast, though. I used mine for a lot of autocrosses last year, some daily driving (when events were on consecutive weekends, just left them on), and Evolution this year, and still haven't hit the tread wear indicators. Either you drive on a much more abrasive surface than I do, or you're overdriving the tires.

You are talking about giving up grip to get more tire life, so one easy alternative would be to just back off a little during autocross. You probably won't be any slower than you would by giving up grip, and you might even be faster

First off, what kind of mileage are you getting out of the Nittos? That would help determine if they are wearing out prematurely compared to everyone else. I personally love the Nittos, and use them for a street and track tire. I haven't worn out any on my Firehawk yet, but the set I had on my Vette lasted about 10K miles before the tread was gone (no longer good for wet street use). This was with about 10K street miles, and probably 10-15 20 minute open track sessions.

If you really feel like you need longer treadlife, go with the Kumho MX. A lot of the Z06 guys switch to them instead of the Goodyear Supercar tires, and are very happy with them. The dry traction is equivalent to the Supercars, but they have better wet traction, treadlife and ride quality. One thing to keep in mind though, the Kumho MXs and Goodyear Supercars only last about 15-20K when combined with track/autox use (or even just aggressive street use). If you've got a spare set of wheels, I'd recommend seriously considering running Kumho MXs for street only use, and the Nittos or another race tire for dedicated autox/track use. I just got a spare set of wheels and will probably be doing this, even though I love having the grip of the Nittos on the street.

I don't think the Toyo's will last as long as the RII's.

If you want a tire that lasts longer than the RII, and are willing to sacrifice soem grip, I would look at the MX.

I looked into the toyo's last year, and had trouble finding someone that sold them, and I think they were over 200 a piece?

and as far as my nittos go, i thiknk i average 10k out of them, and thats till they are totally bald (like have to drive under 40mph when it rains), and it includes autocrosses twice a month, and at least an OT weekend. What sucks is that i wear them so much on the street, I now drive 75 miles a day, but i refuse to change tires at events (eventually the car will be dedicated, but not for another couple years).

I'm down to MX's or 555r2's, i'll figure it out tomarrow when i place the order,

thanks guys,
Miki