I'm looking for new rear tires and plan on getting 275/35/19. Do stopping distances correlate with how well a tire hooks up on launch? So, if I look for the tire with the shortest stopping distance which is a straight line test that depends purely on straight line gripping force will the best tire in braking distance also be the best "launcher"? I will not be racing this car, so I feel that any of the UHP summer tires would be excellent in other performance areas such as wet handling and noise etc. What I'd really like is the superstar for launch traction to limit slip/wheel spin in my SRT6 without having to install a limited slip differential. thanks guys!

 

I have that size on the roadster....they work fine for me. Stopping power usually comes from the front more than the rear. Putting more area of tire to the surface of the pavement, will always help with launching and stopping...good luck with your search.

 

launch is controlled by air pressure and tire patch contact along with sidewall flex. the less grooves in the tread allow more contact with the pavement but less than ideal control in the wet. sidewall fles allows the torque to reach the ground rather than spin the tire off the pavement but this means a soft sidewall doesnt handle well in the turns and wears much faster.
in short if you want a drag style tire you buy one. if you want a all season road tire you buy that. theres very few if any tire that meets all criteria

 

Thanks for your help. So then all other things being equal, a 35 aspect ratio will launch better than a 30 series tire due to more sidewall flex area. Makes sense.

The physics question though is still open. Is dry braking distance a direct indicator of launch prowess? I find it very odd that an extensive google search has as of yet, turned up nothing on this topic. It seems logically so straightforward to me... I guess I could explore whether any research looks at the affect of sidewall flex on braking distance. Thanks for the research lead!

 

in theory a 35 sidewall would launch better but you have to consider the treadwear rating as well. a 35 sidewall tire that has a 400 rating will spin all day over a 30 tire that has a 100 rating. the higher the # the harder the tire and thus less flex.

as for stopping distance its hard to say because g force lifts the rear and larger front calipers do the braking. it has more to do with the ability to keep the grip and not slide and thats not tested for braking much

 

yes, I bought 225/40/19 Hankook Noble2 S1 for the fronts as an all season UHP tire. I chose this hard tread because of the great weight, turning and braking forces the front tires must bear and the need to conserve tread depth for wet braking/handling. I am looking for a much softer rating for the rears to promote launch traction. Hankook just announced a second generation V12 evo2 that might be worth waiting for. Here's a link...

http://www.tdwonline.net/vendors2013...K120-FINAL.PDF

Otherwise, I might go with Hankook R-S3's for the rear just to keep the same manufacturer at all corners of the car...