hey guys post up you tire size and wheel for track days!! from 225/45/15 to 245/40/17 , bfgoodrich to dunlop post them all up on da.
Hey Anthony
On my db2 I’m on 16x8 +38 the front sits good no fender rolling at all and the rear needs a roll because it sits really flush.
I’m on 215/45 on all four. Camber kit is at full + but I’m thinking about getting +5mm spacer for the front.
I said stick with 16 and get 225/45 tires for your front, I know you’re a k series so you’ll need all the grip you can get.
For track use, 15’s are the way to go due to the fact that they’re much more affordable than larger sizes. I’ve used:
195-55-15 Dunlop Star Spec
205-50-15 Bridgestone Potenza RE-11
225-45-15 Hankook RS3 (borrowed from a friend)
But that’s not much help because the first two are discontinued and the third is back ordered almost everywhere and possibly discontinued and soon to be replaced with a new compound. I will be in need of a new set of tires really soon and not sure what to get, but I’m trying to decide between:
225-45-14 Hankook RS3
225-45-15 BFG Rival
205-50-15 Bridgestone Potenza RE-11A
Toyo r1r is also well liked. And the federal RSR is a cheap option that seems to keep some happy.
205-50-15 Kumho Xs on 94-95 Gs-r 5 spokes. I have limited track experience, so can’t say how good they are compared to other track tires. They definitely grip better then any street tires I have used. May try the toyo proxes r888 next
Kumho XS are great tires, but they aren’t going to be as good as some of the newer offerings (RS3, Rival, and RE11A). Proxes R888 will be a HUGE improvement over any of these street tires. Although, the RS3’s are reported to have near R-compound levels of grip when they are brand new but pretty much immediately fall off to being just a fantastic DOT track day tire.
Colin, I haven’t been able to locate the hankook rs3 in the 14 inch size. The price for the 205-50-15 are about $10 cheaper than the toyo proxes r888. I need more grip for this
I am getting very close to putting on the turbo kit I got from you. I have to break in the clutch and am waiting for the hondata s300 to come in
I would recommend NOT getting the r888, it’s a race tire. You should get a good street tire until you have a lot more experience. I’m still running street tires and have around 20 track days. Although, with that said I think it’s pretty much time for me to move to R-compound tires.
As far as I know the RS3’s are all sold out, back ordered, or discontinued - or maybe that’s only the 225-45-15 size (which is all I’m interested in). My current tires are SHOT so I need to buy new ones and I’m still unsure if I’ll be getting a street tire (RE11A or Rival) or if I’ll be moving to the NT01’s.
225-45-14 Hankook RS3 is what I use on my track wheels. Good stuff… not looking forward to replacing them when im done with them.
The new hankook rs3 should be a good contender with the bfg rival. The toyo r1r is good for autocross and wet tracks, but may quickly overheat and wear quickly due to its softer compound.
I got five track weekends of my kumho xs which tollerated heat very well and were actually decent in the wet. I’m now on Nitto NT01, but i’m a time trial racer and instructor, so i’d definitely agree with Colin to stick with street tires until you have significant experience behind the wheel - it’s cheaper and you will learn more!
on my new 15x8 i’ll be getting the rs3
225/45/15
To the point of learning on street tires… I am running 195/55 15 Yokohama S drives. They are definitely decent street tires for autocross. Next year I’m leaning toward getting the NT01’s in 205/50.
Most of my track friends run the NT01 and really love them. I haven’t made the switch to rcomps yet. The difference between S Drives adn NT01 is gonna be HUGE since the S Drives are basically all season tires. They’re marketed as “ultra high performance summer” tires but that’s not a very accurate description since it sounds sportier than it really is. Just looking at the tread pattern is a dead giveaway. They’ve added new tire categories so “ultra high performance” isn’t the top - now it’s “extreme” performance. Honestly I’m surprised you liked them for autox, I think you’d be blown away just switching to something like an RS3, Rival or Star Spec - hell, even Azenis. Especially since you’re boosted and they’re only 195’s. One thing to beware with the NT01’s is that the lifespan is going to be 1/2 to 1/3 that of the “extreme performance” tires and they fall off pretty quick after the initial break in. My friend just made the switch from RS3’s to NT01’s and was pretty disappointed in the lifespan and the fact that they’re really only at their best for the first day of use. They can be used right down to the cords but performance gets subpar pretty quick after the initial track day.
Jon, with your power I’d really consider stepping up to as wide of a tire as you can and a wider wheel as well. The difference will be huge. I’m assuming you are on 15x7’s now, and even then I think you’d see a benefit of a 225-45 vs a 205-50. But really to maximize a 225 you’ll want an 8" wheel.
I recently moved from 205-50-15 RE11’s on 15x7’s to 225-45-15 Rivals on 15x8’s. It’s dangerous to compare an old tire to a new once since it’s not an apples to apples comparison. And the car now has more power too. But Overall I’m quite happy with the switch. Between tires and the powerplant I took 2 seconds off my previous PB @ Buttonwillow CW#13.
225-45 Rivals on 15x8 vs 225-45 NT01 on 15x7:
205-50 RE11 on 15x7 vs 225-45 Rival on 15x8:
Pro racing teams and autocrossers alike acknowledge that a tire is maximized when the wheel width is around the same as the tread width. Grassroot motorsports (GRM) ran an article recently where they found a 205/50-15 to be fastest on an 15x8 wheel, and they found that going to 225/45-15 on a 15x8 made no improvement, but putting the same 225/45-15 on a 15x9 wheel took off another 0.5 second. This was road course data.
The theories are that the sidewall is more stable when it’s stretched slightly so you get better transitional performance, and the contact patch is fatter and more square (i’ve heard for every 0.5" or wheel width increase you get an extra 0.3" of rubber to the road, but take that as you will). I’m running a 205/50-15 on 15x8 Konig flatout and the setup is very crisp and precise and i get very little sidewall rollover, meaning i can run less pressure than if i pinched the 205/50-15 down on say a 15x6.
The rule of thumb is if the tire manufacturer reccomends a range of say 6.0-7.5" for a given tire, you should go with 7.5" (or even 8.0") to maximize it’s potential. Now, stretching to the extent of the stanced crowd is not recommended and was not shown to provide any performance advantage, so we’re talking a very small stretch here 
Apparently I need to re-read that article, I was thinking that the difference was a 15x7 vs 15x8 - not 15x8 vs 15x9. It’s good to point that out though and that article is a really good read to prove that wheel width is very important.
can a 245 40 17 on a 17x8 25 offset fit ???
[QUOTE=hufflepuff;2314634]Pro racing teams and autocrossers alike acknowledge that a tire is maximized when the wheel width is around the same as the tread width. Grassroot motorsports (GRM) ran an article recently where they found a 205/50-15 to be fastest on an 15x8 wheel, and they found that going to 225/45-15 on a 15x8 made no improvement, but putting the same 225/45-15 on a 15x9 wheel took off another 0.5 second. This was road course data.
The theories are that the sidewall is more stable when it’s stretched slightly so you get better transitional performance, and the contact patch is fatter and more square (i’ve heard for every 0.5" or wheel width increase you get an extra 0.3" of rubber to the road, but take that as you will). I’m running a 205/50-15 on 15x8 Konig flatout and the setup is very crisp and precise and i get very little sidewall rollover, meaning i can run less pressure than if i pinched the 205/50-15 down on say a 15x6.
The rule of thumb is if the tire manufacturer reccomends a range of say 6.0-7.5" for a given tire, you should go with 7.5" (or even 8.0") to maximize it’s potential. Now, stretching to the extent of the stanced crowd is not recommended and was not shown to provide any performance advantage, so we’re talking a very small stretch here ;-)[/QUOTE]
what offset do u use with 15x9???
Well, i’m running 15x8 ET25 Konig Flatout with 5mm spacers in the front. They fit fine without the spacers, i just need the spacers for my street wheels so i leave them on. Check “www.willtheyfit.com” for fitment issues.
Colin, just saw your response. You know what, I have been doing a ton of research lately about this and right now I’m shooting for the 225/45 15 NT01’s. I may get the RS3’s if I can find them. My Sprint Hart’s are 7 inch and the rear is 6.5 I believe. I would run 8 but I really want to keep these wheels. Yeah with the 195… I have to say the car performs well. I am always up top for times at auto-x, however I really regret getting them. I was honestly cheaping out at the time and just didnt do enough research. They aren’t bad tires by any means but now with the new brakes, lsd, clutch etc the tires are definitely the limitation. Hopefully learning on these will help when I switch over.
In 225/45/15 I am look for a good second Set of tires I have nt-01,but I know it’s rare but happens we get wet track days what would be good for a second set??
Bfgoodrich rivals
Toyo r888
Toyo r1r
Toyo ra1
Hankook rs3
Or
Do I go down to 205 50 15 ???
205/50/15 works well for me so I can run the same front and rear wheels without rubbing. my car is pretty low so if I ran 225 on 15x9 I might run into issues on the rear.