Track specific Wheel/Tire setup

[Yomny]

In general an 18 inch combo will lose some of the great steering feel of a low profile 20 but have a better ride quality. OTOH, 200 treadwear track tires give better steering feel with worse ride/noise etc. The lack of steering response is particularly evident when starting out on track at much lower pressures in anticipation of putting a lot of heat into the tires during a track session. My hot pressures are routinely between 8 and 10 PSI higher than cold pressures. Your regular street tire won't normally see this change and if you start on track with really low pressures with 20 inch 30 series tires they will get chewed up very quickly. If you don't start out with lower pressures, with any spirited driving they will get too hot and greasy.

Thanks for that, any bit of experience shared is very useful to me. I left oem tire pressures at 34/32 and went out, tires felt good and when i got back they were at 38/35 so i dropped them a bit back to 35/33 and kept on. The tires didn't seem to take on much damage but i truly don't think they'll last long if i push the car more.

This is what i came out with at the end of my two 16 min sessions.

 

[Yomny]

I went out and got a used set of 18 wheels for the track. I found out after my third weekend that I was rolling and trashing the Conti 20's. Only ran a day and a half on the 18's so far. Got a flat at lunch. Was glad I had a set of track tires, otherwise would have been 300 miles from home on a Sunday with only 3 wheels. Instead limped a couple miles back to the track, changed wheels and was ready for the drive back.

Similar thread; https://www.civicx.com/forum/threads/track-wheel-or-wheel-tire-guide.53688/

I saw that thread just yesterday, great info. Maybe they could move it here but then again it also belongs in the wheel/tire section.
I know if i had pushed the stock setup for the entire track day, Id prob regret it lol.

 

[metal_driver]

I ruined 2 OEM Contis in 2 days at the track. Meanwhile my RS4s are looking great after 5 days. The Michelins might last longer than the Continentals but will not be great in the long run. As you get faster, you will be seriously limited by a decision to stay with 20" rims and likely not better off financially. You may not need the 18s quite yet, but you will.

19" rims are likely just an between compromise. Not as bad as the 20s but not as good as the 18s.

Yomny, I can tell you first hand this is very true. Like you I was reluctant to go to 18's with a lower offset when I started out last year.
Last year I used 19" +55 offset NSX wheels with Cup 2's. Although this was not a bad set up I didn't like the way the Cup 2's handled on a damp track and once you start chewing through tires quicker (which you will do if you keep tracking) the more sense 18" wheels make, as the cost of the tires for those 18's are generally cheaper + you can get a wider rim/tire combo on which gives you more traction in the corners.
I just switched to 18x9.5 +45 wheels this summer and in retrospect I should have just got straight to those in the first place. If you think you are going to keep at the tracking this is the way to go as many others have been saying.

 

[Yomny]

Yomny, I can tell you first hand this is very true. Like you I was reluctant to go to 18's with a lower offset when I started out last year.
Last year I used 19" +55 offset NSX wheels with Cup 2's. Although this was not a bad set up I didn't like the way the Cup 2's handled on a damp track and once you start chewing through tires quicker (which you will do if you keep tracking) the more sense 18" wheels make, as the cost of the tires for those 18's are generally cheaper + you can get a wider rim/tire combo on which gives you more traction in the corners.
I just switched to 18x9.5 +45 wheels this summer and in retrospect I should have just got straight to those in the first place. If you think you are going to keep at the tracking this is the way to go as many others have been saying.

Appreciate your input greatly. My main concern, which seems not to be a rational one given how many people are using 18's, is using a 265/35 or any wider tire with a lower offset would induce rubbing, especially at the track. I've been looking around and have yet to find something I truly like the looks of. I think smaller wheels look a bit odd in the CTR's big body.

 

[metal_driver]

Yomny, definitely a fair number of choices for 18x9.5 +45 rims. I kind of like the looks fo the Titan T-S5's and a few other but at the end of the day the choice is personal and really its just for the track anyway. If you stay with stock suspension you should not have any rubbing issues at all with 265/35 as there are many running these on +45 wheels without issue.

I just went with these - Motegi MR 145 18x9.5 +45 with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3R's in 27/35 R18. I was going to get 265's but the 275's were actually cheaper..

 

[Yomny]

Yomny, definitely a fair number of choices for 18x9.5 +45 rims. I kind of like the looks fo the Titan T-S5's and a few other but at the end of the day the choice is personal and really its just for the track anyway. If you stay with stock suspension you should not have any rubbing issues at all with 265/35 as there are many running these on +45 wheels without issue.

I just went with these - Motegi MR 145 18x9.5 +45 with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3R's in 27/35 R18. I was going to get 265's but the 275's were actually cheaper..

That looks amazing! You’re on stock suspension?

 

[metal_driver]

Thank you. The price wasn’t bad either.

Yes, I’m on stock suspension with the exception that I had Hardrace front lower camber plates installed and the guide pins pulled to increase the front camber a bit (currently -2.7 up front). Unfortunately I haven’t had much time to run the car yet. I think the front tires should be fine (might have to move the fender tab in a bit) and I’m hoping the rears don’t rub. If they do I will simply switch to 265’s on the back and use the 275’s on the front.

 

[Dave B]

So here is another question. I would really like to try the Falken RT660 and wonder if anyone has used the 275/35-18 as opposed to the 265? Interesting that according to Tirerack, the 265 has a higher load capacity than the 275 which makes me wonder if it has a stiffer sidewall.

The 275 is not a lot wider but is taller which will hinder gearing a bit and might be more likely to rub.

BTW, I am using 18 x 9.5 wheels with 45mm offset.

 

[hitch]

Running RAYS 57Xtreme Spec-D 18x9.5 with A050s (255/40/18)

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