Novice roadcourse wheel/tire setup

[Todd15Fastback]

Hello - I have tracked my previous cars but in a very mild fashion. More or less just a casual run around the track and not pushing the car at all.

With all the suspension upgrades I have done on my '15GTPP, I am ready to buy a dedicated wheel/tire setup over the next 2-3 months.

I would love to run an 18x9" or 18x10" square setup but not sure if there are any cheap wheels that will clear the 6 pot brembo's upfront? I don't want a crazy, expensive setup as I spend a small fortune on my everyday WORK wheel setup.

Anyone have recommendation on an 18" setup that will work? I can also go 19" setup, too. I like the RTR wheels that have come out and they are in the high $200 range and would like something even cheaper. Those wheels only weigh about 22-23lbs a piece.


Tires - I have no idea on what tires to go with. I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination but would like to buy something that will allow me to grow with the tire and be able to push it as I become more comfortable with my car and the correct lines on the track.

Do I buy a tire like a BFG G-force sport comp2 which is an ultimate performance summer tire with a 340 treadwear or get something with 50-100 treadwear like a Pirelli Trofeo? I would like a 275/35 or 285/35 tire size unless someone recommends a different size.

I plan on running 2-4 track events a year in the Atlanta area for reference. This could be in Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, etc.


Thanks for any help on this as it will be much appreciated. I don't really have a budget but would like to stay at 2k and below for this dedicated track setup.

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[Todd15Fastback]

Well...after searching the HPDE section over here. I have found some 18x10's that will clear the 6 piston Brembo brakes, light weight and are $264 a wheel. They look sweet, too.

http://www.apexraceparts.com/apex-p...T43-APEX-EC-7-Mustang-Wheel.html#.Vsy7LuYb3OA


Now to find some tires.

 

[CrazedAntelope]

I'd recommend 275/40R18 or 295/35R18 for tires. A 295mm section is slightly oversized for a 10" wide rim, but it should fit with no issues.

Hardly anybody makes tires in 285/40R18 and 285/35R18 makes the entire wheel look a little small.

 

[Brian V]

You may also give some consideration to Carbotech Brake Pads and upgrade the brake fluid for your Track Days .

 

[FlowForm_Wheels]

I would be very cautious of using cheap wheels on the track. I can understand the idea that you want to spend more of your budget on wheels that look good for the street, but the issue is on the track, if you have a wheel that's cheaper, it's going to have a much higher susceptibility to bending, cracking or being completely destroyed. From years of tracking myself, I've seen plenty of cheap wheels causing crashes on the track (which remember, insurance wont pay for unless you have specialty track insurance), so the risks are substantially higher with insurance, with you driving at higher speeds, and the other people driving at high speeds which may or may not be as well trained as you are.

Just my 2 cents, obviously I can't convince everyone, but from seeing it time and time again it's depressing seeing someone spend $1000 or less for a set of wheels, and buying 3-5 replacement wheels every single year because at that point you might as well have just gone with the higher quality set the first time around.

Since the FlowForm FF15's are on sale until the 29th, I'd at least look into the idea, and if you're interested I can send you some more info, but they are track tested and approved. They come with a lifetime structural warranty, 2 year finish warranty, and are TUV approved, so you get the highest level of safety certification you can get.

 

[Clink]

Thanks for posting Todd, I'm in the exact same boat. After 2 outings in my Vossen wheels I'd prefer a dedicated track set.

I looked at the same set of 18's you posted, what did you do/ are doing with your PP wheels?

 

[NWFreerider]

OP, you could always run what ya brung! Looks like your current wheel/tire setup is track ready. And your track pics will represent your everyday setup!

 

[Todd15Fastback]

Thanks for posting Todd, I'm in the exact same boat. After 2 outings in my Vossen wheels I'd prefer a dedicated track set.

I looked at the same set of 18's you posted, what did you do/ are doing with your PP wheels?

I sold those 3 months before my WORK wheels arrived.

I would love to buy some HRE wheels for track duty but I am not serious enough nor am I running my car competitively. These will be club track days to get out and get better with my driving skills, car control, car setup with my sway bars. Plus not to ruin my $5k+ street setup. That would make me sick

If the trend continues and I have more time, I can see me upgrading to the HRE wheels.

The Apex wheels have a large following across many different car brands used on race tracks. I think they will fit my needs perfectly at this point in my racing development ;)

 

[DoingOK]

From somebody that has 25+ years of real track time (VIR, Summit Point, etc).....the Apex wheels are a fantastic affordable choice. I've seen them run for several years on GTS winning cars and have talked to owners running those wheels. Personally, I'd never run a cheap cast wheel (Rota, etc) at the speeds you see at VIR. Others may disagree. I consider myself VERY well versed in the wheels out there for the market. I've run everything from Enkei, OZ Racing, Advan, Forgeline, HRE, Volks, and CCWs (I hate to think of the money I've spent) and am more than comfortable with going 150+mph on a set of Apex wheels. "Flow Formed" manufactured wheels (sweeping generalization since there are crappy ones out there as well as decent ones) would be preferred over a simple cast wheel. If engineered properly, they will normally be stronger and lighter. If given a choice, my top three choices for a track wheel would be the CCW Corsair series, Forgeline monoblocks or Finspeed wheels. I'm sorry hard parkers.....you just don't see Forgiatos tearing up the track.

Like you OP.....my daily wheels are relatively expensive. Even though they would perform well, I don't want to take $6,000+ wheels/tires on the track. I tell all my students that ask for simple track wheel recommendations......look at RPF1 equivalents first and go up from there. We are lucky to have a nice fitment for the S550 from Apex. If you had your original wheels.....I'd just recommend to run those until you got some seat time and then upgrade from there. Since you don't, you still have a few good options out there.

 

[Grintch]

The Apex wheels have a large following across many different car brands used on race tracks. I think they will fit my needs perfectly at this point in my racing development ;)

Right. I have seen American Iron race cars run them. Racers often have 3 or more sets of wheels, so pricey wheels can eat up your race budget in no time.

For tire choice, I would start with the Nitto NT-01 275/40-18. The downside of 18's is most are very short compared the the factory s550 tire. 275/40-18 and 305/35-18 are decent diameter matches, but 305's are iffy in terms of fitting up front without extra work.

 

[Todd15Fastback]

Thanks, DoingOK and Grintch for the feedback. Very much appreciated!!

 

[MrMike]

I'd recommend 275/40R18 or 295/35R18 for tires. A 295mm section is slightly oversized for a 10" wide rim, but it should fit with no issues.

Hardly anybody makes tires in 285/40R18 and 285/35R18 makes the entire wheel look a little small.

I'm familiar with Apex as I'm coming from an E92, and a lot of BMW guys run these and beat on them hard.

I didn't realize Apex made wheels for the S550 until seeing this thread and when reading their fitment guide I ran into what you're noting, there really isn't a lot of selection in their recommended tire sizes.

275/40R18 has a decent selection, but 265/45R18, 275/45R18, and 285/40R18 are rough. 285/35R18 looks to have a decent selection, but might be too much of a departure from stock diameter.

I wish Apex would make a 19x9.5 wheel for the S550 considering that the selection of 275/40R19 tires is huge. Maybe next year.

 

[Clink]

[MENTION=7398]Todd15Fastback[/MENTION] what are you doing about driving to the track(s) on your race setup? I'm a few hundred miles away from my track and wish I could stuff them in the car and swap there but not sure it will work.

 

[kkakonn]

Apex wheels + hankook rs3 in 285/35/18 would be a very decent track set up that will allow you to progress the best way possible. Jumping straight into an Rcomp tire would hinder your learning process.

 

[Todd15Fastback]

[MENTION=7398]Todd15Fastback[/MENTION] what are you doing about driving to the track(s) on your race setup? I'm a few hundred miles away from my track and wish I could stuff them in the car and swap there but not sure it will work.

Well....since I will go with 18''s, 2 will fit in the trunk with my impact wrench, etc. The other tire will go in the back seat, actually both will fit in the back being 18's. At least I think they will. If not, 1 in the front seat and 1 in the back.

For the wheels that go in the car, they will be wrapped in heavy moving blankets that I have. At some point I am going to buy me a Ford truck and a trailer to haul it around. Truck will be bought this year.

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