Nitto NT05s not a good road course tire... or are they?

[SIXGUN]

Hey, if you were wondering, this tire seriously lacks in lateral grip on track. Straight line seems pretty grippy, but corners are loose!

 

[vortecd]

Hey, if you were wondering, this tire seriously lacks in lateral grip on track. Straight line seems pretty grippy, but corners are loose!

What is a better tire?

 

[MiHiHemi]

I went from the stock Pirelli to Conti. Extreme Contact Sports and shaved nearly 5 seconds off my personal best. Did bump up to 285/35 x 4 on the stock 9.5" wheels though.

 

[DGatzby]

Hey, if you were wondering, this tire seriously lacks in lateral grip on track. Straight line seems pretty grippy, but corners are loose!

I spun mine out on a set of those the first time I had my RE out.

Going to stay a Michelin Man. Cup 2’s or thinking about the Cup 2 R’s 335/30’s. I am just not sure if that 335 will work up front (front liner rub on turning). I think it may work just barely.

 

[SIXGUN]

I do recommend the summer (if your weather supports it) Michelin PS4S in 315/30. I recently confirmed the PS4S heat cycle out at around 6000-7000 miles, but that included several hard driving track weekends. I checked this weekend, a weekend driving to Sebring, tracking the car, and driving home is 500-600 exceptionally enjoyable miles!! I got out of shape in T1 at Sebring after passing a Rush and entering the turn on the inside, but to their credit the NT05 is very predictable and controllable, if exceptionally loose. But hey, I had a blast anyway! I have not tried new Cup 2s, so I'll defer to DGatzby on those, but I mounted a used set with plenty of tread and they were past their grippy beginnings, so didn't work for me. Tried to buy Toyota RRs to see how they work and they are on a nationwide backorder lately.

 

[SIXGUN]

I have also had good results with the Conti Extreme Contact, but haven't tried them on this car.

 

[Bobo]

Everybody talking about tire sizes but no one is mentioning rim size. I am assuming these are all 20” rims?? Mine is stock with 18” rims so it has 315-40-18 and came stock with Nitto N05r tires all around. I’ve currently switched up to 315-40-18 Nitto G2s all around for better general traction on real roads, saving the N05Rs for future use or may find a second set of rims.
Doesn’t seem to be anyone making a really good track (road course) use tire in 18” diameter?☹️

 

[DGatzby]

Everybody talking about tire sizes but no one is mentioning rim size. I am assuming these are all 20” rims?? Mine is stock with 18” rims so it has 315-40-18 and came stock with Nitto N05r tires all around. I’ve currently switched up to 315-40-18 Nitto G2s all around for better general traction on real roads, saving the N05Rs for future use or may find a second set of rims.
Doesn’t seem to be anyone making a really good track (road course) use tire in 18” diameter?☹️

Not many sizes available with enough rubber width in that overall diameter. Compare the 12-14” tire widths available, in 18“ and 20”. You see why we talk from 315-345’s in the 20” diameter.

 

[16GoManGoHC2]

I went from the stock Pirelli to Conti. Extreme Contact Sports and shaved nearly 5 seconds off my personal best. Did bump up to 285/35 x 4 on the stock 9.5" wheels though.

I have also had good results with the Conti Extreme Contact, but haven't tried them on this car.

The Conti Extreme Contact Sport 02 is an even better tire, beats a NT05R or the 555R2, did my best 60-130 (5.24 seconds) on the Sport 02, DR best was 5.50.

 

[SIXGUN]

Many more great track tires available in 18", and much less expensive.

 

[SIXGUN]

Update - the NT05s did finally gain more grip after two track weekends, and are wearing well. They talk to you and the car moves around alot, but they are very predictable so I am using them as a learning tool. I am driving better, so was able to set a PB on Sebring a couple weekends ago, finally breaking into a 2:29. Had an absolute blast, but my buddies say the car moves around alot! So, if I set a PB on them, they don't suck as bad as they did at first! Cannot explain them taking two full, hard weekends to generate grip... but it is what it is!

 

[DGatzby]

Update - the NT05s did finally gain more grip after two track weekends, and are wearing well. They talk to you and the car moves around alot, but they are very predictable so I am using them as a learning tool. I am driving better, so was able to set a PB on Sebring a couple weekends ago, finally breaking into a 2:29. Had an absolute blast, but my buddies say the car moves around alot! So, if I set a PB on them, they don't suck as bad as they did at first! Cannot explain them taking two full, hard weekends to generate grip... but it is what it is!

I watched some TA racers close at BIR a few years ago and I was amazed at how much they moved around. So you are probably good. I will drive it hard next month and see if I detect any of that extra “movement” myself. It is the short track config, so it has a couple of real interesting tight spots.

 

[GNBRETT]

NT05 was one of ther worst tires ive ever used. I spun them on my Redeye like I was driving in oil they were utterly worthless and my Redeye was stock at the time smh! Atleast get the 555R2 as it replaces those but the Conti Extreme Contact Sport 02 is bettter than both by a long shot especially in the corners at higher speeds!

 

[SIXGUN]

Thanks for the input on the Conti Extreme Contact tires. Just changed the heat-cycled-out Nittos on another of my cars for the Sport 02 max perf summer tire and the grip difference is stunning. Will be driving that junk at Sebring mid-Oct, although that is about the only thing updated on the C5 coupe. Having to shelve the Redeye for track duty after the last 75 day stint at the dealership to diagnose P0420/0430 codes and an $11,000 tab (for the extended warranty to cover, not me). After all that, they diagnosed melted cats and O2 sensors messed up. Bone stock engine... just cannot handle spirited HPDE driving and they will not make it work. It was good while it lasted, but back to absolutely ripping with fresh cats and sensors!

 

[DGatzby]

The only thing that will work driving like you on a road course, sounds good too, you heard it.…..

 

[EricG]

The only thing that will work driving like you on a road course, sounds good too, you heard it.…..
View attachment 145853

Spoken by someone who KNOWS about this sort of thing...

 

[covidcommander]

The Conti Extreme Contact Sport 02 is an even better tire, beats a NT05R or the 555R2, did my best 60-130 (5.24 seconds) on the Sport 02, DR best was 5.50.

Idk my car feels way faster and better with the nt05s than the extreme contacts

 

[16GoManGoHC2]

Idk my car feels way faster and better with the nt05s than the extreme contacts

Seat of the pants can be misleading at times. Only way to reall know is with data, like from a Draggy. My 60-130 times where definitely faster with the Conti’s verse the NT05R’s, real world draggy data on the same strip of concrete at same temps within a few days of each other the Conti’s gave me at least a better number. Road surface has allot to do with traction, on asphalt I break loose, on the laterally grooved like being on a file concrete I for the most part grip. I’ll be testing again soon, my test area has been closed down to one lane last summer and now this summer again and looks like they’re getting ready to wrap it up for the year soon.

 

[DGatzby]

Spoken by someone who KNOWS about this sort of thing...

What is not good is that they denied @SIXGUN warranty on the Cats after he tried hard as anyone to retain that warranty and never mod it.

 

[SIXGUN]

What is not good is that they denied @SIXGUN warranty on the Cats after he tried hard as anyone to retain that warranty and never mod it.

Actually, my extended warranty covered the cats and O2 sensors for the second time (that last bill almost $11,000 after 75 days at the dealership, no additional cost to me after the $4500 extended warranty for an add'l 70,000 miles and 7 years, getting me to 2027 and 84,000 miles or so), but Dodge's answer is remove the cats and get a tune, otherwise it will happen again. Dodge also said "I am almost out of money on my extended warranty", which I didn't know there was a limit. This is the only time in my life I have ever bought an extended warranty,but figured there was plenty that could go wrong that I couldn't fix myself.