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I've been wanting to get a proper separate set of wheels and tires for the warm months (April-October). Mainly going to be driving a lot of backroads and probably one autocross a month during that time span.
Because I'll be running the stock wheels with all season tires in Nov-Mar, I won't be messing around with the fenders or the suspension because I want my car to still look decent when the stock wheels are on it. This is also due to my small budget. That said, I'll need a wheel/tire combination that will not rub when going over bumps or taking hard turns.
I took a guess last summer and bought some 16x7 konig controls with 225/50 vents rs3s. The fronts stuck out a bit too far out from under the fender which hindered my cornering. Also, the combined wheel and tire weight seemed heavier than stock. Really hoping for some solid suggestions. Also would prefer same weight as stock wheel/tire weight, or lighter if possible. Thanks!
Any and all ideas appreciated. Here's a photo of her on the stock wheels & tires.
Here she is on the wheels & tires I tried out last summer that ended up being too big.
probably one autocross a month during that time span.
200TW autocross tires don't last very many miles. Maybe 15K on a set of Bridgestone RE-71R which has been the standard for the last two years. Other possible tires might be the new Ventus R-S4 or the BF Goodrich Rival S 1.5 The Rival S 1.5 seem to be the tire in STR or on the CAM cars. Looking at the Dixie Tour results and other early autocross results the RE-71R still look like the tire to have?
For whatever reason comparisons or tests against the RE-71R don't seem to be allowed?
Personally, I'd either have 3 sets of wheels and tires or drive on the stock with the all seasons and just put the wheels with the autocross tires on for autocross or maybe weekends?
This is also due to my small budget.
How small of a budget? RE-71R will probably run $600 alone and another $600-1000 for wheels
That said, I'll need a wheel/tire combination that will not rub when going over bumps or taking hard turns.
Tire Rack is usually pretty good about knowing what will fit properly. If you know the specs of the Konig wheels you can use this tool to give you a better understanding of your current wheels in relation to what you're interested in
I took a guess last summer and bought some 16x7 konig controls with 225/50 vents rs3s. The fronts stuck out a bit too far out from under the fender which hindered my cornering. Also, the combined wheel and tire weight seemed heavier than stock. Really hoping for some solid suggestions. Also would prefer same weight as stock wheel/tire weight, or lighter if possible. Thanks!
The cheapest wheel in the lightweight category is the Enkei RPF1 around $215 per wheel and weigh 13.5# each for a 16X7
If you don't mind going to a 15# wheel then there's the Tire Rack house brand TR's at $135 per wheel.
If going to 17" wheels then again the Enkei RPF1 @ $220 per wheel and 14.6# each. You can also go with Kosei for $196 each and weigh 15#
The reason the OEM wheels might weigh less is because they're 6" wide or less? You're not comparing apples to apples.
I would not get too hung up on combined weight to reduce unsprung weight. Sure, buy the cheapest and lightest wheel you can afford but buy the stickiest tire especially if you autocross. I'd take a tire that was 1-2 pounds heavier and had more grip then the lighter one with less grip. You will go faster with more grip than reduction in unsprung weight.
200TW autocross tires don't last very many miles. Maybe 15K on a set of Bridgestone RE-71R which has been the standard for the last two years. Other possible tires might be the new Ventus R-S4 or the BF Goodrich Rival S 1.5 The Rival S 1.5 seem to be the tire in STR or on the CAM cars. Looking at the Dixie Tour results and other early autocross results the RE-71R still look like the tire to have?
For whatever reason comparisons or tests against the RE-71R don't seem to be allowed?
Personally, I'd either have 3 sets of wheels and tires or drive on the stock with the all seasons and just put the wheels with the autocross tires on for autocross or maybe weekends?
How small of a budget? RE-71R will probably run $600 alone and another $600-1000 for wheels
Tire Rack is usually pretty good about knowing what will fit properly. If you know the specs of the Konig wheels you can use this tool to give you a better understanding of your current wheels in relation to what you're interested in
The cheapest wheel in the lightweight category is the Enkei RPF1 around $215 per wheel and weigh 13.5# each for a 16X7
If you don't mind going to a 15# wheel then there's the Tire Rack house brand TR's at $135 per wheel.
If going to 17" wheels then again the Enkei RPF1 @ $220 per wheel and 14.6# each. You can also go with Kosei for $196 each and weigh 15#
The reason the OEM wheels might weigh less is because they're 6" wide or less? You're not comparing apples to apples.
I would not get too hung up on combined weight to reduce unsprung weight. Sure, buy the cheapest and lightest wheel you can afford but buy the stickiest tire especially if you autocross. I'd take a tire that was 1-2 pounds heavier and had more grip then the lighter one with less grip. You will go faster with more grip than reduction in unsprung weight.
200TW autocross tires don't last very many miles. Maybe 15K on a set of Bridgestone RE-71R which has been the standard for the last two years. Other possible tires might be the new Ventus R-S4 or the BF Goodrich Rival S 1.5 The Rival S 1.5 seem to be the tire in STR or on the CAM cars. Looking at the Dixie Tour results and other early autocross results the RE-71R still look like the tire to have?
For whatever reason comparisons or tests against the RE-71R don't seem to be allowed?
Personally, I'd either have 3 sets of wheels and tires or drive on the stock with the all seasons and just put the wheels with the autocross tires on for autocross or maybe weekends?
How small of a budget? RE-71R will probably run $600 alone and another $600-1000 for wheels
Tire Rack is usually pretty good about knowing what will fit properly. If you know the specs of the Konig wheels you can use this tool to give you a better understanding of your current wheels in relation to what you're interested in
The cheapest wheel in the lightweight category is the Enkei RPF1 around $215 per wheel and weigh 13.5# each for a 16X7
If you don't mind going to a 15# wheel then there's the Tire Rack house brand TR's at $135 per wheel.
If going to 17" wheels then again the Enkei RPF1 @ $220 per wheel and 14.6# each. You can also go with Kosei for $196 each and weigh 15#
The reason the OEM wheels might weigh less is because they're 6" wide or less? You're not comparing apples to apples.
I would not get too hung up on combined weight to reduce unsprung weight. Sure, buy the cheapest and lightest wheel you can afford but buy the stickiest tire especially if you autocross. I'd take a tire that was 1-2 pounds heavier and had more grip then the lighter one with less grip. You will go faster with more grip than reduction in unsprung weight.
My uncle is a mechanical engineer and a big time into tracking his '97 NSX (and soon to be new NSX). He has always told me I should stay as close to stock offset as possible if I am staying with stock suspension because the rest of the entire car is set up to work with that offset. The stock rims on my car are +53 which is very difficult to find on the aftermarket. How much smaller of an offset do you think I could go and not have noticeable change in handling?
My uncle is a mechanical engineer and a big time into tracking his '97 NSX (and soon to be new NSX). He has always told me I should stay as close to stock offset as possible if I am staying with stock suspension because the rest of the entire car is set up to work with that offset. The stock rims on my car are +53 which is very difficult to find on the aftermarket. How much smaller of an offset do you think I could go and not have noticeable change in handling?
My uncle is a mechanical engineer and a big time into tracking his '97 NSX (and soon to be new NSX). He has always told me I should stay as close to stock offset as possible if I am staying with stock suspension because the rest of the entire car is set up to work with that offset. The stock rims on my car are +53 which is very difficult to find on the aftermarket. How much smaller of an offset do you think I could go and not have noticeable change in handling?
I'm guessing you're not grasping how all this works in relation to offset and wheels fitting your car?
Offset is the distance from the centerline of the wheel. If your car had 6" wide wheels and a 53mm offset and you put 7" wide wheels with a 53mm offset then the wheel will poke out 1/2" more and be 1/2" closer the the strut. Maybe that will work, maybe then the tire will rub the strut?
If you go to a 7" wide wheel and have a 43mm offset then the inside of the tire will still be in the same location or distance to the strut and stick out 1" more.
If you are trying to achieve something different than recommended you need to check tire clearances yourself and make your own calculations or just go with say Tire Rack recommends.
Again use the Will they Fit calculator in the link I provided to visually see what I'm trying to explain.
BTW: for sake of discussion you have the same width wheel and from a 53mm to 43mm offset the car will handle better but put more stress or wear on the hubs. The handling advantage is why the SCCA limits the offset change to 7mm on the stock street classes.
03-23-2017, 09:51 PM
