Track Tire + Wheel "Square" Set-up Help

VinceThe1

So you run a staggered offset, with same width wheel, and square tire setup? Interesting, however the only reason I can see to run a square tire setup is for cost, so you can buy sets of four and rotate them as you like, and you can have spares to put wherever needed. However, for that it'll be nice to have the same size wheels as well so you can mix and match quickly and easily.

As you know, nearly all RWD sports sedans, coupes, and sports cars in general have a staggered setup from the factory. This is because the front wheels have to turn so they cannot be as large unless the suspension is really made for it...and in general is not needed for a front tire to be that wide.

clintfocus

my offsets are staggered to fit the shape of the body, my offsets dont allow me to rotate front to back, even though it would be nice and i could do so if i got Enkei NT03s which come in 18x10.5 et30 and just spacer the rear.

Running square setup though needs to have a chassis tune to match, which is what i have done with my setup. yeah most front engine, rwd cars have stagger from theh factory, but like i said i dont feel its because its optimal, i feel its to make the car have a understeer bias for a safer at the limit behavior for the common driver. Most of the Front engine RWD cars on track setup around square sizes (S2ks, Miatas, Z's, mustangs, etc) as to give the front more heat capacity and grip. instead of tuning rear traction with wide tire width, i like to do it with suspension setup and LSD tuning.

VinceThe1

I agree that it is better to run a wider tire in the front, especially on the track, but also why not run an even wider tire in the rear because the car allows it. I have always liked fully square setups because of cost effectiveness and ease of use, especially if you track the car, you just have spare tires and wheels that can go anywhere on the car, doesn't matter...that's a huge plus. All 4 same wheels with a thick spacer in the rear does make a lot of sense, especially because it'll be so easy to swap wheels and tires around. Only problem is I want my 325s and I sure won't be able to fit that in the front without being ridiculous lol, the car is just designed to take bigger wheels and tires in the rear.

However, I don't completely agree that the staggered setup necessarily gives you safer handling characteristics because a wider tire doesn't give you more traction, it does however build heat slower and lasts longer, partly because of less heat and less heat means less stress per square area of tire compound, so after a few laps you do end up with more traction overall, but not initially. On the track that is important, but I believe that most FR cars run staggered setups because the fronts have to turn, so the wheel arches have to be really big for wide tires, as well as possible suspension rubbing issues have to be accounted for. Also, they are not as necessary for street use because the rears drive the car and therefore wear out much faster, especially when burning rubber off of lights and on corners. This is why wide rear tires are needed and front are not on a RWD car, and in any case the rears still go before the fronts even in a street use RWD car, but the wide rear tire sort of balances that out to some extent. I think my 285s are plenty wide at the front, and with the 325s in the back, I'm laying more rubber on the road than a Lamborghini Aventador

ResIpsa

I suggest approaching your question from a different direction. First choose what tire you want to run and then see what is available and fits. You will see that this will quickly limit your available choices.

When it comes to non-slick R-compounds you do not have many choices. I suspect that you will eventually find that all roads keep leading you back to the Nitto NT01 (assuming you have 18 inch wheels). If you have factory 19’s you will be really stuck with Toyo’s R888 (which is fine but they should be shaved for dry use).

Although, I have not seen any real world comparisons of the new breed of ultra high performance street tires such as the Rival compared to the Nitto NT01 & Toyo R888.

You may end up doing what I did and trading your precious Sport Rays for some lesser 18x10 wheels.

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