AutoX Setup and Tire Recommendations..... Toyo, Falken, Kumho?
 

Hey all,

Sorry for the double post, but I think I will get a better responce in this section. I posted earlier in the Gen. 2 specific area....


I have an '87 - 13B N/A that I use just for Autocross (Rarely gets driven on the street). I wanna stay in the stock class. I've done the following.....
*K&N air intake
*New Catback
*Replaced stock front sway bar w/ TII sway bar (since they are a little more beefier).
*other basic tune up stuff

I am looking to get some decent tires and keep the price reasonable. I have a set of the 15" BBS rims that I am gonna use at the track (since they only weigh about 11 lbs or so).

What tires have you guys used, heard good/bad about? Specifically, I am interested in, mostly cause of the price except the Kumhos 710s:

*Toyo T1R (195/50/15) - they are about $60 ea (a Miata guy runs these and likes them)
*Falken RT 615 (205/50/15) - I have heard nothing about these.... about $65 ea
*Kumho V710 - I know these are really good but cost about $140 ea.

Do you think the 195/50/15 will be to small a sidewall?

Also, what type of setups or modifications have any of you done that have worked, or not worked? Camber angles, etc?

Thanks in advance.

Keep an eye on Hoosiertire.com as they add tires to their discontinued list all the time. You may be able to find some A3SO4s or A3S05s(when the A6s come out). Also look at Kumho Victoracers. You already answered your tire question by putting up the 710s. Right now they are the best DOT race tire for the price and wear. The 205/50s will be fine the 225s rub on the struts but you can use them if you want.
Get as much caster as you can and camber at 1.25-2.75 degrees camber(if you can get it) depending on how much you drive on the street. I would start out with 0-1/8" toe out frt 0 rear and you can play with it at the course.

Also, get a 4 or 5 point harness. You will be amazed at how much it helps when you can stay put.

Personally, I don't like changing my tires at events, nor do I think I want to shell out the extra cash for V710s. I just run in my region's stock street tire class.

If you dont mind changing tires and paying a little extra. You can be seconds faster on R-compounds.

A compromise that I've considered are Toyo RA1s (not T1R).

If you can afford them, there is no current R-compound tire faster than the Kumho V710, IMO. The Falken Azenis RT-615 would make a great daily-driven and autocross tire if you could only have one set of wheels, but would still set you whole seconds back from the V710's. Wiiiide. 225's if they'll fit. Anything you'll lose in transitional sharpness and rolling diameter is regained by leaps and bounds in overall mechanical grip....heck, we used to run 235/45-13's on the Honda 13x5" wheels in Stock.

Most people out here in CA get about 120-190 runs on a set of V710's, and some (a certain '05 B-Stock national champion) and his lovely codriver have been known to drive back and forth to local events on them as well (not recommended! they pick up everything....rocks, glass, nails, etc).

I ran them on my Porsche 931 and loved them. Now I'm running Hankook street tires on my '89 RX-7 and like them as well, though after a local practice running on the Yokohama AD07/Neova, that is one great street tire.....but wow look at that price! Yikes!

EDIT-- run more front bar! I have the big Eibach 27mm front bar and it's still not enough, and that's with a full race suspension. In hindsight, if I had purchased the Eibach bar before I modified the car for STS2 I might well have stayed in E-Stock, and I miss the handling of the stock GTUs.

-JW

Jabberwocky - Why not the Toyo T1Rs ???

DaveTurner - Yes, they will strictly be for AutoX. I have a street set I drive on to and from the track.

I I have raced on the V710's, the V700's, the old Victoracers, the Kumho MX, the Hankook R-S2 Z212, the Hoosier A3S03/A3S04/A3S05, Avon Tech R, the Falken Azenis RT-215 and RT-615, Bridgestone S03, Toyo T1-S/T1-R/RA-1 and more all-season tires than I'd like to admit.

I still believe that the V710 is the very best Stock class legal tire. The Toyo T1-R is a true street tire (not a race tire) and the weight of your car would affect its peformance....even on a 1700lb autocross car, we were severely chunking and feathering the T1-R's and even when they were shaved, their performance fell steadily after only a few heat cycles.....they are still very good street tires for street use or in a street tire class (if you take care of them), but definitely a step below the Falken RT-615 for a street tire and several seconds slower (course-depenedent) than the Kumho V710.

Dave-

Thanks for you insight. The more I read, the more I think I am going to shy away from the T1Rs. I really like the 710s, but dont think I wanna fork out the extra bucks for them right now. Maybe next season after I get some more seat time. As for now, I am thinking Falkens 615s.

for a street/auto-x tire u can't beat the 615's. If you really want r-comps, you can get away with driving to and from events on Kumho Victoracers. I use them but I trailer the tires and change them at the event. Also, I would stay away from the RA-1's for auto-x because they don't seem to heat up fast enough. By the time your tires and nice and warm your already done with the run.

Also, not to discourage you, but you said you wanted to stay in stock class and your intake bumps you into ST* or *SP. In stock you can replace the filter element, not the intake system.

Most of the guys in ST class run either Falken Azenis or Hankook RS-2.
I used RS-2 on street and track days. They very well.

JP-

I stand corrected. I changed just the filter element, not the whole intake (manifold).

Thanks, wrong termanolgy.

thats cool, wan't trying to call u out just informing