Brakes Wheels 1st Gen Tires Most liked posts in thread: Thoughts on next wheel/tire setup for the track

And once you've run 15 's, you'll never run anything else!

 

It's not a stupid question at all I once asked the same thing. Smaller wheels and tires equal less unsprung weight. Less weight equals more speed. That's why if I don't eat for a week I gain 10 hp. :lol:

It's all about the power to weight ratio and where the weight can be reduced.
Sometime is from sections of the car, sometimes it's the driver.

 

How could you use up 2/3rds in a few days only going 30 mph. :devil:

 

I am totally addicted to the 15" wheel kool-aid, the acceleration difference is repeatable and measurable. I just sold the last of my 16s, like you said tires were getting tough to find, I know 225-45-16 on a 16x8 would rub for me and 225-50-16 had no chance of fitting so I stuck with 205-50 and 205-45 on 16x7 but the extra 20mm I got going to 15s meant overheating the tires was much harder, I am lowered though so fitment will vary.

My recommendation for the on a budget method would be 15x8 and 225/45/15 nt-01s which is what I run I agree 9/8 will be faster but I rotate my tires front/rear and left/right once a day because the wear is uneven and it lets me get the most out of the tires. If I was trying harder I would run A7s on 9/8 and do 3-lap stints but I wouldn't have as much fun despite dropping seconds off my times and importantly for my budget the $$$ adds up.

You can keep the 16x7s and have them as your back-up rain/drive to the track set. That is what I did with mine (I ran 205-50-16 Z1*) And 'taller' gearing means the drive to the track is at slightly lower rpm.

 

LMAO--it's for people like that that the "Darwin Awards" exist.

 

Great... Now everybody knows.

 

Discount Tire has the occasional $100 off a set of 4 which makes them even more hilariously cheap. I have bought 2 sets at a time myself

 

^^That.

I have KWV2's on for coil overs at the moment, springs clear but it's tight, but will switch to JRZ as soon as I can.

On the nine inch rim, the tire is stretched, so there is no overhang at all--the rim hits the ground before the tire when you take them off, so you learn very quick to set them down on the inside rather than the outside unless you want to scratch them. Moral of the story is that with the 9's, it'll be the rim rubbing before the tire. With 8's, there is a little tire hanging over the edge of the rim so the tire would rub before the rim.

 

If you take tire temps that can help you extend the life of them, at some tracks I run asymmetrical pressures in order to get even temps. The real racers even run asymmetrical alignments! I am not quite that hardcore yet. With my local tracks being Summit/Shenandoah/VIR/CMP I get ~10-12 days, but I usually go to Shenandoah as it is the one I find to be the most fun and is the closest to my house and it isn't too bad on tires.
If nt-01s can't be found when i next need some I might try the 205 SM7 (they run wide for a 205 and I trip over 20+ spec miatas every event lol)

 

I have to run asymmetrical pressures--starting cold, left front is lowest, then right front, then left rear, then right rear (although I can usually run the rear tires pretty close). Depends on the track and ambient temps, but I usually shoot for 35-36 hot on the Nittos on the fronts, and 34-35 on the rears, seems to work best for me. Some people like a little more pressure, some a little less. I'd like to try the Nittos at a little higher pressure, up to 38, now that I can check segment and lap times accurately--I've had many people tell me a given tire pressure may feel slower, but the lap times may be faster, it felt slower to me at higher pressures on the nittos before I was measuring times but the telemetry won't lie.

I cooked the RA1s last Friday, never got them consistent--I hit 42 psi at one point, the extra tread really makes a difference, came in early to check them once it felt like I was on an ice rink. Dropped them down and they were much better, I should be able to choose a better cold temp next time. But each time out the temps were all over the place; I can usually start the Nittos around 27-28 cold and get pretty consistent temps and pressures all day.