What is everyone using for race wheels on their 2nd gen race cars?

I think the ideal setup for my solo1 rx7 would be Kosei K1 16x8 + 27 mm offset which are no longer available. Any other ideas, other than getting custom kodiak or custom 3 peice.

Budget is definitly a concern as I'll just stick with stock TII meshies. I want to run 245/45/16 on all four corners.

 

15x7 Koseis in the standard (38mm?) offset with 1/4" spacers. You'll need longer wheel studs to fit the spacers. With that we can run 225/45-15 Hoosiers without rubbing.

The latest Tirerack ad in GRM had a new wheel that was the same weight and price as the Koseis. Maybe they're available in different offsets?

 

Note that Chris runs an SCCA Improved Touring car (ITS class) that limits wheel size to 15x7 max. Other classes and other organizations have different size restrictions. YMMV.

What auto-x class are you running in? If you want to run 16x8's you may want to look around for a good set of FD rims (you will have to add spacers).

-b

 

CASC-OR (canadian ontario solo1) - is any wheel and tire combo (DOT-R) that you want as long as...

a.) does not require any modification to fenders
b.) does not protrude past any fender

if a or b is violated you incur a Performance index point. The perfect setup would be 16x8 +27, 245/45/16 on all four corners so I can rotate my wheels around and help increase tire life.

If I had major dollars it would be 16x8 + 27, 245/45/16 on front. And 16x9 + 35 offset on 275 rear hoosiers. And nothing would stick past the fenders still.

The key is finding 16x8 + 27 wheel.

I do not wish to run a FD wheel. FD wheel is 45 mm offset? I would need to run a 18 mm spacer or wheel adapter. I want to try to avoid that if I can.

 

Unless you are a professional racer the 15x6.5" BBS convertible rims with dedicated track tires 225/15's would be a great choice. They weigh only around 12lbs and are priced around $200-300 for a set. Quality track tires are worth more than spending the extra coin on slightly wider rims and less quality tires (lack of budget). 16x7 T2 S5 rims are very light as well and fit 225/16's nicely as well. Probably about the same price but weigh around 16lbs.

As stated with FD 16x8's you can run 245/45/16's at all for corners with coilovers and rolled front fender lips. The additional weight from hubcentric spacers would't be that bad as it is at the center of the wheel. One should be concerned with weight at the outer edge of the rim as it is harder to slow down/accelerate mass in motion in this area. Hoosiers would offset that additional weight gain as they are uber light.

 

Yup. I'm already running Toyo RA1s shaved to 4/32 on S5 TII wheels. Just looking for the last 10th of a second.

 

I think you're overthinking your tires.
To me it doesn't sound like you have too much experience under your belt?
Not to insult you, but the better drivers don't really think about their equipment / tires - they just drive their cars.


-Ted

 

What a helpful comment that was!


Andrew

 

Well, I see the point that he is making. The poster seems to be fixated on 16x8 rims running 245/50/16. FD rims are an excellent choice here as they are decent priced, lighweight and cheap. But if they insist on looking at 3-piece rims or similar then they give the impression off someone looking at getting faster by throwing money at the problem (or at least throwing money at shiney blingy things).

A good, inexpensive and effective solution may not always be the prettiest and best solution. But 9/10's of the time, given decent equipment, the limits are the driver and not the car.

I think that RETed's comments were intended to point out that the original poster may be better off spending his cash improving their driver rather than just trying to improve his tires.

-b

 

Mustang Rims might be a good choice, 17x8 decent offsets and they come with 245's on them.

 

I bought a set of 15" BBS Toyota Camry wheels for $75, all added up they are 12 lbs. lighter than my 17" mustang wheels ($300 for mine). I run 205's for autocross, but the smaller diameter makes a huge difference (acceleration, braking) over the larger mustang setup.

 

i personally think tires/rims are overlooked all the time and the WRONG choice can slow you down in the long run.

he may be new to it but a decent rim and tire can drasticly improve even the newest drivers.

better drivers think about their setup just as much.. you just dont knwo it.. becuase the rarly voice their thoughts...

GT

 

Are you sure that 245/45/16s will fit on the stock S5 rims? I know on my mustang rims with lower offset I would be rubbing the strut if I ran them up front and the ruber would be sticking out beyond the fender.

 

Ted, you are an IDIOT, nuf said...

 

haha I feel trouble brewing..........

 

That's alright...Carl *thinks* he knows how to drives, so his comments don't really mean anything to me...

I'll let Carl finish off the rest of the thread.


-Ted

 

waht exactly does his driving skill have to do with anything?

clearly you dont know very much about racing drivers or their cars if you make a comment such as " experienced drivers dont pay much attention to their equipment/tires"

that makes no sence what so ever.. obviously the faster drivers do pay attention or they wouldnt be fast..

GT

 

Why you sticking your nose into this?
The bitch called me an "IDIOT" - how am I supposed to take that?

You obviously didn't get the gist of what I was trying to say.
I think you're just sticking your 2 cents in here just to get a jab at me, which is really none of your business since it was Carl who initiated the whole thing.

Your comments are almost as useless as Carl calling me an "IDIOT" earlier.

WTF is wrong with your people???


-Ted

 

actually i had commented far before carl had.

id like to know why exactly my comments are useless as well.

GT

 

In my experience the extra inch of rim width maes a real difference in the contact patch profile and the sidewall deflection during hard cornering. I run a 15x8 wheel for a lower gear ratio. The difference in contact patch between a 6.5" rim and an 8" rim running the same width tire is very substantial. The wider rim allows for the effective use of a wider tire. From a budget standpoint, the third gen wheels are very attractive, providing they are the later reinforce wheels and not the early crack prone ones.

-Trent

 

Damn you ladies are funny as hell , hahahha . I have a simple question . I am running an oval track and am using my T II rims with Kumo 235 x 16 . I just ran my 1st race last week with them , and they seem to get bettter with each race . But If I were looking for a stock rim to fit my 90 TII what stock rim gives me the widest tire , with the best offset . Please pm me for any info .


Thanks a ton

 

Perhaps it's not everyone else that has the problem TED.

There is likely more research that needs to be done before a good wheel/tire combination and size decision can be made. How does the car handle for you, do you have understeer, oversteer or neutral handling currently? It's possible different tire sizes and offets may be best for you if you're trying to correct an ill handling car. Your question is somewhat open.

That said, for most average racers, stock TII or BBS Vert wheels can take tires that are plenty capable for 95% of points. Beyond that a properly sized/offset Work or other quality forged wheel will be your best bet, a failed cheap wheel can make for a VERY bad day, I've done it.

 

Don't stock 3rd gen wheels require spacers to fit properly? Dunno if I like the idea of that for racing use...

 

Where can I get a good lightweight (12lbs or less) 15x8 rim for autocross, 5 lug T2 pattern?

 

It'll be expensive to get under 12 lbs 15x8's. Tire rack can sell you Kosei K1's in a 15x8 with about a 35mm offset (I think) and they drill them for your order, so they aren't necessaraly listed on the site, but call them, and they should be able to hook you up. They're about 14 lbs and should be plenty strong for racing.