Username 0

Hey guys. What would be the best track tire/wheel setup for the track? Not for looks but for the best grip and cornering performance.
I see some pretty wide wheels some of you are using but putting on 225-235 wide tires.

ssjoeboe9

So I definitely don't know much when it comes to wheels, but there's definitely a science to it.

Stretching the tires to fit a wheel is only so they can fit in the fenders without rubbing, no benefit there. The real benefit is the increased patch size.. say going from an 8.5" wheel to a 9.5".

But also increasing wheel size also increases weight, so some people go for the 8.5" wheel and choose to go for a 245 tire, knowing that the tire is gunna have some "buldge" over the wheel. (actually oem setup already does this). But increasing the tire size while still maintain the same wheel size has disadvantages. Because the tire is not completely supported by the wheel, on hard cornering the tire can (and will) deform irregularly and it can cause some "push" effect.

**EDIT... also wheel offset affects cornering/weight balance too. Not necessarily tire related, but offset can be a factor of whether or not you tire/wheel setup is gunna fit on your car without fender modification.

All the AutoX guys at work talk for days about it.. That's about all I know from my limited experience and conversations with them.

xtcnrice

I say, if you're actually going to "track" it, are there any regulations around these events you're hoping to attend? If there are, definitely take that into consideration. If they say max if a 9" wheel, then well, optimize your tires around a 9" wheel.

Specific size wise.... I had this conversation with ssjoeboe offline not long ago. My advice is to read up on autox forums or even forums where the car/platform is popular in autox/racing (think BRZ/FRS, S2K, Evos, etc.). This forum will give you very little to no help IMO... it's all about stance and bags and stretch here. Admittedly, I have a staggered setup on my FWD I4 TSX as well, which makes zero sense, but I don't really care since it's my 5AT daily that I never intend on tracking. For what it's worth, I upped my tires from 225/40r18 and 245/35r18 to 235/40r18 and 255/35r18 respectively over the weekend

Joe is definitely on the right track (no pun intended I swear!). But for details and the actual answer to your question, you might want to check other forums.

For example:
http://www.evolutionm.net/forums/evo...tire-size.html

Sure, there isn't much science behind the answers here. But I'm sure they're basing their opinions on valid personal experiences. Post 11 might have a bit more justification than the rest.

I wouldn't recommend anything over a 9" wheel on our cars though when talking performance/weight. It's heavy enough as it is, IMO. So maybe a 255/35r18 tire on a 9" wide wheel with maybe a +45 offset or so (any lower offset will likely rub on 255s me thinks).

As for tire choices... are you strictly talking track-, non-road-legal tires? Or do you want a high performance summer tire that's street legal? Toyo Proxes R888 are amazing tires. Hankook RS3s are great tires too. However for these two, I've only ever heard of them being used in dry conditions. RS3s I know for sure are not good in wet conditions. I'm running Michelin Pilot Super Sports and, while they don't compare to those other 2 tires in dry performance, they are amazing tires in the wet. They're still very, very good tires for dry street use too (they come stock on M3s, Ferraris, etc). Yokohama S Drives are decent tires too.

Username 0

Good info. I'm not actually going to track my car. I'm going for a as much traction that I can get for a street setup. I guess I'm looking for offsets, max wide of tire and rim.
Ever since I installed the progress rear sway bar, I've been wanting more cornering fun.

BROlando

Tires for the track and tires for grip on the street are completely different things.

Bridgestone RE71R's are probably the stickiest track oriented street tires out there. But they are effing AWFUL to drive around on. And you'll need a fairly high end suspension to utilize them and to allow them to be bearable in terms of hitting/absorbing bumps.

Michelin Pilot SS's are probably the best all around actual street tires available. I am using them in 225/45/17 on my 1st gen. Our 2nd gen has 245/40/18 Contiental DW's. The DW's are more comfortable, but have less grip.

If you are reaching the ends of grip on either one on the street...you've probably crashed badly.

As far as sizing goes...that's a complex question and will depend on quite a few things. 245/40/18 was my choice for the 2nd gen, as mentioned above. You'll need an 8.0 to 9.0" wide wheel. Use an offset of about +35 to +45. Pilot SS's will give you the best response and grip while still actually being a street tire.

More offset if you plan to "correct" rear camber after lowering it.

ssjoeboe9

My PSS just came in