Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport cold grip

J

JSz4

Member
My current set of Eagle F1 Supersport tyres are a year or so old and still have between 4 and 5mm tread depth. However when it's cold (eg 4 degrees or under) and the road is damp they don't feel progressive in losing grip on either the front or rear axle. I appreciate this is likely outside the designed optimum use of the tyre so I drive accordingly but has anyone else experience of this and recommend different tyre pressures this time of year? I've always run 33/36 on road all year round.

Cheers for any advice
 
Summer tyres harden at 5c and lose grip, research has proven the reducing tyre pressure helps but not to the point of being safe. If you watch tyre reviews.com you see a summer tyres decimated in cold conditions. We mostly gamble it's a short winter and will get through till it warms up again. Sadly I can't as I live at the top of a hill and my house is even higher and steeper. We have been locked in for a week more than once so I replaced the tyres with 3 peaks tyres.
 
JSz4 said:
My current set of Eagle F1 Supersport tyres are a year or so old and still have between 4 and 5mm tread depth. However when it's cold (eg 4 degrees or under) and the road is damp they don't feel progressive in losing grip on either the front or rear axle. I appreciate this is likely outside the designed optimum use of the tyre so I drive accordingly but has anyone else experience of this and recommend different tyre pressures this time of year? I've always run 33/36 on road all year round.

Cheers for any advice
Click to expand...

Pressure drop won't make a massive difference, its the compound and design of Supersports

Goodyear Supersports are a great road tyre that can also handle some of the heat produced from multiple laps of a track day. They are one of the best road tyres (before you talk about Cup 2's or semi slicks) for track work that can resist overheating and maintain lap times. That means they don't work as well when cold or in greasy conditions. It's just the compound, you either need to take it easier or warm them up.

If the car is driven on summer track days then stick with them as the pay off is worth it.

If the car is purely a road car then F1 Asy 6 or PS5 are a better bet as you won't notice the small increase in dry grip as you aren't close to the limit like when on track, but you will notice the increase in wet and cold performance

Or if you want both dry and wet grip but also don't mind replacing your tyres every 5000 miles, go for Bridgestone Potenza Sports, the purchase they achieve is incredible.
 
Pressure drop won't make a massive difference, its the compound and design of Supersports,
Sorry your wrong.
The question was, does it help to drop air pressure in cold conditions.
The answer is yes. As I suggested watch tyre reviews.com for proof.

I don't want to start a war here, I'm just saying I took the trouble to find the proof. I don't care what folk believe, and anyway I have 3 peaks tyres so I have nothing to prove but it seems to be true., also proved by Clarkson on his way to the pole a few years ago. I very much doubt he thought of it himself after acquiring a professionally built truck to do it in.
 
I know the website well, use it alot and have read what you are talking about, however the OP is asking specifically about the transition from grip to slip.

I'm not using others info, I'm using my own experience of running GY F1 SS's. They are spikey when cold and in damp conditions, I know exactly what the OP is talking about and I've played with tyre pressures on them too in an effort to make them more progressive.

For the record, I've also ran Bridgestone Potenza Sports, PS4, PS4S, Asy 6 and a variety of semi slicks on the road. I currently daily my Z4 even in this weather on NS2r track tyres and we fit winters every winter to the wifes car.

But no worries mate, you tell me I'm wrong by reading a website, I'll use experience :P
 
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the advice.

I don't use the car for commuting, just weekends and longer drives in summer so about 5k miles a year. I do track days all seasons with the aim of building experience so typically 50+ laps so the tyres sustained performance really suit what I want and can't afford a separate winter set. However I'll watch vids and maybe drop pressures a fraction but mainly just go more steadily when I do occasionally drive when cold.

I was accelerating round a large oval roundabout when it was 4.5 degrees and damp tarmac and as I changed lanes and the road camber altered the front broke away without warning, I backed off too much which caused the rear to break away and given speed was lucky not to hit anything but good wake up call!
 
JSz4 said:
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the advice.

I don't use the car for commuting, just weekends and longer drives in summer so about 5k miles a year. I do track days all seasons with the aim of building experience so typically 50+ laps so the tyres sustained performance really suit what I want and can't afford a separate winter set. However I'll watch vids and maybe drop pressures a fraction but mainly just go more steadily when I do occasionally drive when cold.

I was accelerating round a large oval roundabout when it was 4.5 degrees and damp tarmac and as I changed lanes and the road camber altered the front broke away without warning, I backed off too much which caused the rear to break away and given speed was lucky not to hit anything but good wake up call!
Click to expand...

They're a cracking tyre, especially if you take them on track. I was lapping on mine as quick as a previous session in the same car on a Accellera 651 Xtra semi-slick. But the Goodyear is miles ahead on wet weather performance. Plus their wear rate is impressive. But, like you, I just found them to not be that progressive on breaking grip and transitioning to slip in damp/cold conditions.
 
road warrior said:
I don't want to start a war here, I'm just saying I took the trouble to find the proof. I don't care what folk believe, and anyway I have 3 peaks tyres so I have nothing to prove but it seems to be true., also proved by Clarkson on his way to the pole a few years ago. I very much doubt he thought of it himself after acquiring a professionally built truck to do it in.
Click to expand...

Just to answer your edit mate

You aren't starting a war, I genuinely don't mind what people write on the internet about me and the opinions they have. But, the info you have taken the trouble to find is not relevant to the original question. Plus citing Clarkson on a trip to the arctic isn't even close to the conditions stated as he was in subzero temps and on snow. If you think dropping road tyres to single digit pressures like Clarkson did will help your car handle better on a trip to Tesco then please be my guest and give it a go. I also never said you were wrong, I also didn't say dropping pressures a little would make no difference. Having "3 Peaks" (meaning M&S tyres) is great but the tyres in question are UUHP summer tyre that can be used on track, which are a totally different compound and behave in a massively different manner to M&S tyres.

If the question was, how can I maximise grip on snow or mud then yes, dropping tyre pressures would be very appropriate and the logical answer.

The original question was actually quite specific and is "I have GY F1 SS tyres, will dropping the pressures make them less spiky when understeering and oversteering"

I stand by my answer, didn't actually disagree with you at any point, but I defo think you misread the actual question and then misread my actual answer :thumbsup:
 
My current Z4 had MPSS tyres when I bought it in December 2019, and they were hopeless on cold, damp roads. :o

I swapped wheels and had the new ones fitted with Kumho Ecstas that work all year round, even if they aren't quite as grippy when we have a dry summer day every now and then!

But if it is icy or the roads are salted it stays at home as I've got a 3 Series with winters for days like that.
 
Summer tires are horrible under 10* and can be dangerous depending on road conditions. One patch of black ice and even DSC won’t save you. I’d invest in proper set snows or all-seasons at very least.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom