Maizzze

I'm running 245/40-18 RE-01R's front & rear. They seem to be great for the track AND the street. Track wise, they're wearing well and are very consistent / responsive at 40psi f / 38psi r hot. Street wise, they're actually pretty comfortable (my light light light O.Z. Ultraleggera's probably help) and quieter than the stock meats.

laze1

iTrader: (17)

Dunlop's Sport Z1 Star Spec and Other Extreme Performance Tires

http://cl.exct.net/?qs=54ec4de6330f9...68c9d3a529fa71

Shift__Z

iTrader: (1)

So Ive done my research and it seems pretty much most people agree that the 225s up front are to small. And though some people run 275 in the rear many think thats to big.
I was thinking 245/40/18 F and 265/40/18 R would be optimal?
Im looking for the best track combo I can fit on the stock 18inch wheels, I was hoping some of you have tracked your Z with similar sizing that can offer some on hand experience.
Thanks

z-u-later

iTrader: (43)

I'm not sure where you're getting the information about 275/40 tires being too big for the rear. But you'll be hard-pressed to find 265/40/18 tires if that's what you're looking for.

There's a lot of information in this forum about optimum tire sizes for street, track, autocross, etc. You'll need to do a thorough SEARCH to find out what you're looking for.

ke0ki2k

iTrader: (2)

consider running a non-staggered setup as well. what width are your wheels? varies from year to year, model to model.

Shift__Z

iTrader: (1)

Ive read countless threads and yes it was THOROUGH and like I stated in the original post a lot of people say 275 is to big but many people that run it say its fine. Obviously you didnt read my OP THOROUGHLY.

Im not looking for the biggest tire I can fit back there Im looking for the best combination of tire size for the front and back for the track. I have a 35th anniversary Z to my understanding its 18x8 F and 18x8.5 R. So please dont get on here and start with the search **** thing. I'm looking for suggestions based on first hand experience on a track/autox with a stock wheel aftermarket tires...hence why its here and not in the general tire forum.

I was considering a non staggered setup but would probably rather prefer a staggered setup because of the oversteer.

The reason I suggested 245F and 265R is because it keeps about the same stock staggered ratio.

Billhyco

iTrader: (14)

285/35/18 all four corners.

there really is no perfect set up. its what is going to work best on YOUR car with YOUR driving habits, style and experiance. is your car stock as your sig suggest? how much experiance do you have "racing" or at HPDE's? are you talking about a street tire, an r-compound, an intermediate tire, an auto-x tire? There are a lot of variables you left out of the equation. However to get short with someone after they make suggestions on a thread that you are looking for help, probably not the best way to get quality answers. just my .02

Shift__Z

iTrader: (1)

^Well Z u later didnt offer much help. Suggestions? He put search in red and told me to do a more thorough search. And he jumped on me for not searching thoroughly when I did, when obviously he didnt read my OP thoroughly if he would of gave a half decent answer he would of gotten a decent response.

I know that with different driving tendencies different setups are going to be more beneficial than others. My car is stock and this will be my first time on a track though Ive autox many times before and consider myself decent. I was looking at getting a street tire. I was hoping I could get a rough estimate of what other people have used and go from there and try to see what seems to work for others and see what other people like than make my decision.

285 on a 18x8 wheel up front? If that tire even fits on the wheel its going to bulge bad and the front fenders cant even hold that without rolling or being cut. Have you used this setup before and on stock wheels?

ke0ki2k

iTrader: (2)

welcome to my350z.com. everyone here is an ***-hole, myself included.

now that we've cleared that up, alot of autoxers run 285's on 8" wheels, including the B-Stock champion RX-8's. the front fenders can hold that, as they come from the factory rolled (I run 285/30-18 Kumho V710's on 10" wheels with a +28 offset, stock suspension/allignment except sways. You can run upto a 295/30-18 up front with a +23/+25 offset, even dropped a couple inches). If youre going to be using these wheels for TRACK USE ONLY that would be a good way to go with R-comps, if youre just looking to stuff the most meat on your stockers to look aggressive, 245/265 is a good setup.

btw is that rev-up chewing oil?

z-u-later

iTrader: (43)

Thorough!? Why are you looking for 265/40/18 tires then? You obviously didn't do your homework. Find me the source where you found that 265/40/18s are the recommended sizes for stock rear tires.

ke0ki2k

iTrader: (2)

the only recommended size youre gonna find for stock wheels is the OEM size. Regardless, he already posted...so we COULD just go ahead and point him in the right direction instead of chastizing him and telling him to bugger off. At least hes not asking which amp does the best job of bumping his tunes, which exhaust is bestest, or which 19" chromeys he should buy

OP what are you looking to do with this setup anyhow? is it gonna be R-comps for autox/track days or are they gonna be 300 UTQG streety's for getting to/fro work? I would assume the former since you posted in the motorsports section...

Shift__Z

iTrader: (1)

No the revup isnt sucking up oil. O 285 on a 10 inch wheel that makes sense I thought you were talking about stockies. No I need these tires for the stock wheels. I was looking for just a street performance tire, not R compounds. But yes I will be using these on the track. The reason I dont want to go with R compounds is because its going to be my first time on a track and I feel like R compounds are what you use to make yourself a faster driver, not a better driver. I just want a decent setup that will allow me to learn and make mistakes to learn from. From what Ive read it seems like 265 is the largest usable tire you can get away with on the stock 8.5 rear. Is that the best size to go with Idk? Thats why im asking. So again any suggestions for tire sizing is appreciated

Shift__Z

iTrader: (1)

And yes this setup may see a few autox courses as well...though im trying to stay away from autoxing and more towards track events currently. Since Ive already done a decent share of the former.

ke0ki2k

iTrader: (2)

so 8.5 rear 8.0 front wheels right? if I were wanting to keep the stockers and run something around 300 treadwear for street/track i'd run 245 or 255 all the way around. the staggered setup is designed to generate substantial understeer to keep ex-soccer moms from spinning out everytime it rains. a square setup really eliminates most of it. what KIND of tires are you wanting? cause track days will chew up tires, so getting something you think will last 25,000 miles is pointless, cause 50 laps around mid-ohio at speed is going to take off a ton of treadlife. Something like Kumho MX's, G-force sports/KDW's, Azenis? sporty, fun and able to handle track abuse but will last over 7,000 miles?

Shift__Z

iTrader: (1)

I'm not sure yet which brand I'm going to go with. Ive been looking at the new Dunlop tires, Goodyear eagles, Hankook RS2s. I would kind of would prefer the staggered setup for my driving needs though. What would you recommend for a good staggered setup to go with?

ke0ki2k

iTrader: (2)

RS2's are good tires according to some of my friends that run STS2 Miatas, dont know how they would handle a heavier car. the new Dunlop Z1's are supposed to be great for heavier cars (like ours) in Street Touring classes so i would opt for those, though I would suggest looking into Azenis if youre not competing, theyre much cheaper.. 275/265 rear and 245 front. You dont want huge tires on those narrow 8" fronts, otherwise that bulge will translate into sidewall deflection and your steering response/feel will go down the gutter. You wont notice the deflection out back, if anything the softer bulged sidewall will help traction, and the wider footprint will help ya put power down sooner. Just check the tire pressures as the deflection also generates more heat and the tire pressure will rise faster than the front.

Shift__Z

iTrader: (1)

Ya i ran rs2s on my miata as well so Im familar with that tire...Ya I heard those new Dunlops are really decent tires. Ok thanks for the imput, Ill probably end up running the 245F and 265R. Since it keeps about the same staggered setup as stock. If anyone else has any other opinnions they are more than welcome

Fooshe

iTrader: (42)

After reading the thread and seeing what you are going to do with the car, I think a few things are clear:
1) You are new to track events
2) You realize that an R compound tire is a no-no for you at this point in your driving.
3) You want to use stock rims and have a pretty sticky tire, but not something that is too close to approaching an R compound.
4) You want to try to use stagger to compensate for some possible oversteer issues you seem to see in your future.

First off, congrats on looking in the mirror and being realistic. Most guys who want to get on the track work a ton on the car and very little on the driver. Your state of mind is the first thing to get right. Remember that when you get in to track events and the speeds pick way up from autocross events....in short, welcome to addiction.

Now, let's get to tire sizes and brands. I find the that 245 f & 265 r works great for mid-speed tracks and newer drivers to speed events. In that size and for what you want to do, I would look at the the Falken RT-615's. I like them a lot and they are not very expensive. However, you may want to look at the BF Goodrich G-force KD. Tirerack is closing them out. GREAT tire and they give you great feedback. I would encourage you to stay away from the Dunlops...they just don't work on Z's that well (in my opinion). If you can affored them, also look at the Pilot PS2's. Good road feel and feedback. Just don't be tempted by the Pilot Sports. The potenza RE050A Pole Pos. is also a good tire to look at for all around use. If you are looking at goodyear, try the F1 Asym.

That being said, if you are a fast learner and have skills, you will want to think about this combo. I like a 255/40/18 in front and a 275/35/18 in the rear. The REV's are almost identical and they will help with higher speed turns. With your stock rims, that is the absolute biggest I would go to.

Make sure whatever tire you get, dial in the pressures! I find more people at the track with great set ups and lots of $ in rubber on their cars and not a clue what pressure they are running. They get pissed at the tires saying "they suck and have no grip." Nevermind that they are up at 45-46 lbs of PSI after 3 laps!

I hope this helps and shows that not all of the my350z community are a-holes as someone stated earlier. Good luck and remember these tips:
1) Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up.
2) Get your eyes way up and give yourself time to address what is ahead of you.
3) If you can't shake the 3 cars behind you....there's a race goin' on and you're not in it!

Shift__Z

iTrader: (1)

^ wow thanks a lot yea your pretty much correct on your assumptions made in the beginning. I dont think everyone on here is an ***, but I do see a lot of search newb posts made. And I can see how it can become a PITA reading the same things over and over...but I just figure if your going to post might as well post something useful. But ya thanks again for the suggestions. Ya the course is small and I probably wont reach that high of speed. So the 245/265 combo might be exactly what im looking for and I will for sure look into the falkens and Gforces

Fooshe

iTrader: (42)

Great! Remember, bigger tires require more of the car, weigh more and bind the car up faster. Don't get me wrong, they have their place. I used to run 265 in front and 295 in the rear. At a track like willowsprings, it was great due to the high speeds and corner grip needed. However, at buttonwillow and the streets of willow, they slowed me down due to the lower speed corners and technical turning done there. When I went down to a 245/265 set up, my times were jsut under 1.63 sec faster because the car was lighter and did not bind up as fast. My turn in was easier and faster. I know it sounds like a small amount, but some people spend thousands of $ and months trying to make up that kind of time. Another point to make is count the corners on the track you will be at. Loose 1/10th of a second at each corner on each lap and tell me how much faster you would be if you didn't. Now do the same thing but remove 1/10th. It should all make a litte more sense now. Small advantages add up corner after corner.

Oh, one more thing...study the course carefully. I do this before any event, even tracks I know. I also make sure I know what may have changed since I was there last. If you can, walk the track before the event. LOTS of good info out there if you look for it.

The falkens are cheapest at www.vulcantire.com. The G-forces are at www.tirerack.com. Once you come up to speed, look into the Toyo R888 and Nitto NTO1 tires. A couple of the best "almost R compound" tires around.

Good Luck!