Circuit Semi Slicks

[fatz]

great info to know

almost bought a set!

mind you with a fat r33 gtr the hard compund may be a winner

[sweefu]

Hey guys,

I need some advice. I am going to start doing some track days for fun, maybe the NSW Super Sprint series next year.
I have a set of 16" wheels which would be suitable to use, but I'd be restricted to a 225/45 or 225/50 r16 tyre size.

Is this a disadvantage at all compared to using a 235/45r17 tyre? This would mean I would need to buy new wheels as well as tyres.

The 16" tyres are generally a little bit cheaper too, in Kumho V70A or similar as discussed in this thread.

Is it OK to stick with my 16" wheels and buy some tyres, or am I better moving to a 17" and bigger tyre from the start?
Thanks very much.

Edit:
Car is S14 Silvia with stock engine/power. At best I will have coilovers, that's about all.

[260DET]

Not trying to be a bitch but talk of tyres is pretty useless without mentioning the compound too eg soft, medium.....

[evil_weevil]

I'd keep the 16s unless you get a second set of wheels. One set for street, one for track.

I had 16s on my r33 for years.

[sweefu]

Sorry, compound will be medium or hard I think.
I think the 16" will be fine, only a 10mm narrower tyre, but wanted to see if it would be better to just start with a 17" wheel and a 235 tyre off the bat.

[Duncan]

the most important thing about a tyre is....can you afford to buy it

wider tyres in the same brand and compound would almost always be faster. but the difference may not be worth the money.

even weirder is that same width tyres for larger rims are more expensive. (eg 235/16 vs 235/18) despite there being less rubber.

As "the checkout" would say......SCAM!

[PN-Mad]

It may well be a scam, but consider this. The 18 inch option will out sell the 16 inch option say for arguments sake 20:1. The cost of the 16 inch is higher therefore becaus the factory has to stop production of the 18, retool the machines to cast 16s in a small amount. Therefore the costs are higher. Economy of scale.

The exact same thing happens with brake pads. Do a set of racing pads have triple the cost of materials in it than a set of boggo stocks? Nup, but the producer has to stop production of the pads that sell 98% of the market, and start making "Motorsport" pads.

[JimmyRickard]

So what's the best bang for buck semi if the fed's are shithouse?

[hrd-hr30]

The best bang for buck atm imo is the Hankook Z214 2 groove tyres. Not a true semi though, so it depends if what you do allows them to be used.

They're cheap (similar to the FZ201s were in 17" sizes) and extremely quick.

Otherwise, in true semi slicks, there is probably no standout bang for buck options. The cheap options like Toyo and Nitto are lower performance than the FZ201s were, and the fast rubber like Hankook, Yokohama and Dunlop are more expensive. The Hankook Z221 is probably the fastest true semi available now, and its cheaper than the Yokohama and Dunlop rivals so it's probably the best value.

I didn't mention Kumho because they seem a bit hit and miss - on cars they suit they are really fast, on cars they don't suit they're just average, and on some cars they tend to delaminate or blowout - like my 180SX using the same geometry that the R888 and FZ201 didn't have any dramas with.

[JimmyRickard]

So far I only be doing track days and the odd super sprint. Would I get knocked back with the Z214's at a supersprint?

And where are you buying your tyres from?

And would these be ok for competition?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Sport+Cup&partnum=635YR8SPORTCUP&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

[hrd-hr30]

Track days are unlikely to have any problem with them.

Supersprints - depends. NSW supersprints have their own rules which are very different to the rest of the country.

the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tyres... I don't know anyone who buys them for motorsport here. Can't say what they'd actually be like. I think they're OE on some Porsches though. Maybe talk to someone in a Porsche Club at sprints?

[evil_weevil]

My v70a's have 1 last day left. Time to start saving!

[sweefu]

My v70a's have 1 last day left. Time to start saving!

How were they?

[evil_weevil]

I liked them. Were on my mx5 and tyres before we're r888s

Best I could do with r888s was a 1.13.7 at wakie then with same mods a 1.12.3 on the v70s

Lasted over a year (bought them around may 2012) and did 9 race meets

[a20089]

the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tyres... I don't know anyone who buys them for motorsport here. Can't say what they'd actually be like.

I can. Don't bother, worked better then the Federal RS-R but not that much better.

[JimmyRickard]

Any ideas on where I can find some semi's used?

Any categories running 18/265's+?

[a20089]

Sure you can have mine Why would you want used?

[JimmyRickard]

Not competitive enough to warrant new rubber. What have you got?

[hrd-hr30]

I've got a set of 245/40 R18 Nitto NT01's tracked once on my Soarer. And by once I mean one 5 lap session before the car had a problem and I had to park it. I'll sell them for $950 the set of 4 + freight. Can get pics tonight. Happy to drop them at an e-go depot.

I'm building a Datsun track car now and have no real need or desire to track the Soarer anymore, and 18s aren't going to be any good for my 120Y!

[JimmyRickard]

They need to go on 18x10's, 245's would be stretched too much no?