Tracking my "new" Cayman with Michelin Pilot Sports - what to expect?

[steved0x]

I tried doing some searching but my skills are weak I've been tracking my Boxster since 2013, and except for the first few times on HTR Z III summer tires, the rest of it has been on Hankook R-S3/4 with occasional 100 TW r-comp like Nitto NT-01 and Maxxis RC-1. One time I went back to my HTR Z III at the end of the day and ran a session before the drive home, and I was sliding the backend around like crazy.

I am going to Roebling this weekend and I am trying to decide if I should take my Boxster or my "new" 2009 base Cayman.

The Cayman is stock with 19" wheels and stock 235/265 Michelin Pilot Super Sports, that still have some life left in them, but if they get thrashed around at the track, that is OK, as I am selling these wheels once these tires are done.

I kind of want to check out the Cayman on track, to get a baseline before I do anything to it, but I'm not sure how the Pilot Super Sports are going to do on track, because I don't have any experience with them. I'm afraid I have been spoiled by the Hankook R-S4, and I'm worried I am going to try and ask too much from the PSS and overdrive them. Or do I just need to be aware of the softer sidewalls, and respect that they might get greasy at the end of a longer session? I do see a lot of folks at track on the PSS, and I know some folks here run them as their dry track tire as well.

What air pressures do folks like to run with the PSS? Do I need to go a little higher to account for the softer sidewall (and also to account for lack of neg camber? In fact I have no idea of the current alignment so I probably better find out and get that front maxxed out for now

Thanks.

PS Here is a pic taken by the previous owner, I don't have any good ones yet on my computer.

[NewArt]

Do you have a hitch yet for the Cayman? You could swap over the wheels/tires from the Boxster as well as trying out the Michelin street tires. Are you running 17s or 18s on the Boxster?

[husker boxster]

I ran PSSs several yrs ago. I was early in my DE adventures (yrs 2 & 3) so all I did was set my pressures to factory specs at the start of the day and never bothered adjusting them during the day. I also had a stock alignment. I got almost 2 yrs out of them, but that was partly because I didn't drive very hard until the last half of the 2nd (3rd) yr on the PSSs. Here was the result:



Others in my region have had similar results with PSSs. I replaced the PSSs with Conti Extreme Contacts b/c Michelin was having trouble keeping production up to demand. I needed a set of tires immediately and couldn't wait for the promise date from Michelin.

Now I monitor my pressures throughout the day. Here's what I do with my Conti's... At the start of the 1st session, I set the pressures 3lbs below factory specs. By the end of the session, my car is pushing which means too much air. After the session, I drop my pressures to 3lbs over factory specs and then use that as my benchmark for the rest of the day. The PSS is a better track tire than the Conti, so you may need to go 4lbs rather than 3, but this should get you into the ballpark.

Once you go 4lbs less than specs, you'll start a dance with the devil (TPMS). Depending on how much time is between sessions, your TPMS may not like you. At Indy, there is 2.5 hrs between sessions. It was hot last yr, so I was adjusting down all afternoon. At the start of the last session, I est I was 7lbs low. I was sitting on the grid and my TPMS said I had a flat left rear. Luckily I could open my door and look - it was low but not flat.

Good luck. I've been waiting for your "new" Cayman intro thread.

[steved0x]

Originally Posted by NewArt

Do you have a hitch yet for the Cayman? You could swap over the wheels/tires from the Boxster as well as trying out the Michelin street tires. Are you running 17s or 18s on the Boxster?

Haven't moved over the hitch yet and not sure if I want to... It looks so nice I don't want to change the look..

I actually do have 17" Cayman wheels (the 2009-2012 17" wheel is the same width and offset in front as 986, back is same width with with 10mm more offest pushing the wheel out per side), and have been running them on my Boxster, and since the weather is dry I may go on them, but I am worried about tearing up the edges of my fronts since the camber is not optimized in the fronts. I do have a set of camber plates so maybe I could slap them over to the Cayman... hmmm now that I think about that, that actually makes the most sense as the fronts are pretty easy to get to... That might get me close to -2 which would probably be good for the PSS.

Here is a picture of my Boxster with the 17" Cayman wheel... If anybody made a decent 17" tire with a 25.5-26 diameter and 255 width I would be on it.



There are some good 245/45/17 tires out there, Maxxis RC-1, RE-71R, or Azenis 615TK+, paired with a 225/45/17 front might be a good fit. I just hate to give up any width in the back...

[steved0x]

Originally Posted by husker boxster

Good luck. I've been waiting for your "new" Cayman intro thread.

Thank you for the info, if I take the Cayman I will use your method. I had thought that you were one of the ones that had some good experience with the PSS.

There's going to be a lot of cars this weekend, most run groups are sold out, and it's going to be pretty crowded, so I might want to take the Boxster since I am more familiar with it, and save the Cayman for my next PCA event.

I really want to take the Cayman out though dang it...

[The Radium King]

will 17" fit over the cayman rotors?

*** ah, re-read your post. they will. just put the boxster wheels on the cayman. you can do an alignment - push the strut tops in as far as they will go and go for it. if you have time for the camber plates then do that too (or hey, don't you have a spare set of adjustable lca's?). -2 no problem on street tires. or just re-alight afterwards.

[Burg Boxster]

Originally Posted by steved0x

I really want to take the Cayman out though dang it...

Take your Cayman... the 987 stock suspension let alone nannies will more than offset the suspension set-up you're used to in the Boxster.

I run Sport Cup 2 and start a bit lower but HB's guidance will get you where you need to be for the first few sessions.

Good luck and have fun

[steved0x]

Originally Posted by The Radium King

will 17" fit over the cayman rotors?

Yeah it is an OEM Cayman wheel for 2009-2012, at least on the base version. My car originally had this wheel style but was sold by a prior owner when they got the Lobster claws.

[Sveach756]

I ran a set of older PSS tires on my boxster for two auto-x events and they were so unusable, I even spun while going at like 50%, the lower tread depth and heat cycles were NOT kind to that tire. If you have better tires or wheels available use them, don’t waste time or money and possibly have suboptimal traction.
Shawn

[steved0x]

I do have an extra set of LCA but the center bushing is sized for 986, 987 has a fatter bushing and Tarett does sell shims, the timing is tight.

Tentative plan: Camber plates, and then i will run my "good tires"

[steved0x]

OK haven't even had time to get down there to the garage so will be taking the Boxster tomorrow evening to Savannah. 3 986 Boxsters and 1 981 Boxster there, and 16 Porsches altogether, pretty good for a non-PCA event (Just Track It).

I've been running my PSS9 on setting 5 which is in the middle between comfort and sport:



Since Roebling is pretty smooth, I may adjust down to 3 and see how that feels. I've only driven them on setting 5 since I installed it (3 days at VIR, 4 days at Sebring, 1 day at The FIRM, and 2 days at Roebling) so I'm looking forward to seeing what (if any) measurable difference I can feel in moving from 5 to 3. I am scouring the various PSS9 settings threads to see what I can learn....

[AZ986S]

Congrats Steve!
I know you've been wanting a Cayman for a while. Good pick 9A1 motor no IMS.
Is it 6 speed?

Id go with the Cayman but dont expect the same performance as your Boxster until you mod it... PSS are great just wont last long...

[steved0x]

Originally Posted by AZ986S

Congrats Steve!
I know you've been wanting a Cayman for a while. Good pick 9A1 motor no IMS.
Is it 6 speed?

Id go with the Cayman but dont expect the same performance as your Boxster until you mod it... PSS are great just wont last long...

It is a 6 speed

I will take the Cayman next time for sure (although that is what I said this time )