Which rota's are that light? i thought they were about 24lbs?

 

+1, with all the questions you're asking it seems you are new to tracking (which is totally fine).

Post up what you are currently using now in regards to wheel/tire and the we can make a suggestion whether to use what you have now or move up.

Because i don't think it's a good idea to start tracking on 275's since you'll be relying more on the grip and not focused on improving your car control / weight transfer skills.

FYI my first HPDE was on 225/245 RE040's and it was more than enough for me. Even now I'm on 265/40/18's all around on 18x8.5 rays track wheels (18 lbs each) and it's all that I need. Heck there's tons of guys on 255's that are a lot faster than me

 

good idea, ill list what i have now and you guys can maybe give me some suggestions. and, yes i have never tracked before. but i have a feeling i will be addicted quick because i love canyon runs.

06 g35 auto, with transgo shift kit, considering paddles
md plen spacer, hfc, hr ypipe, utec, tune
non-brembo brakes, but would get a bbk before i track, leaning towards the akebonos
stance gr+pro coils, set pretty low but not on the ground
hotchkis sways, front is second from stiffest, rear is medium
whiteline endlinks, put blocks under the tires and put the endlinks to no load with weight on the wheels.

front
oem rays 19x8 +30, +10 with a 20mm spacer
245/35 toyo proxyes4
about -2 camber

rear
oem rays 19x8.5 +33, +8 with a 25mm spacer
285/30 mich pilot sports
probably about -1 to -.5 camber

i realize these tires are not ideal for tracking or for anything considering the rear is shorter than the front, but i got them used and for a really good deal and its just meant to get me by for now. i want to have 2 sets of wheels, one for track and one for street.

need to know anything else just ask.

 

im also planning on doing a mild build with springs and cams and bumping the rev limit to 7500 or so. will also be getting 3.9FD

 

Honestly, I wouldnt even worry about tires/wheels if you've never been. Yet.

 

There are higher offset options that simply aren't as popular with the general RPF1 crowd. The 18x9 comes in a +35, the 9.5" RPF1 comes in a +38 and +45, and the 10" RPF1 comes in a +38 - all allowing wider tires especially the latter.

Absolutely agreed. Get at least 5 events under your belt before worrying about upgrading anything. Spend that money on a good pre-track inspection, fluid change, brake bleed, etc.

OP - you may also find yourself hating the auto and wanting to ditch it.

 

i can really feel the 285s on the 8.5" rim rolling some as it is now. doesnt handle as good as when i had 255s on the back. maybe ill just get some 255s for the rear and then get some laps under my belt. and a lot of people bust on the auto, but believe me, they shutup pretty quick when they feel the difference the transgo kit made. shifting is now to my advantage with an auto, where before i lost ground. the only reason for me to want a manual would be to drift, but im not into that, i want traction.

 

and thanks for the advice so far

 

Shifting up maybe, but not down.

 

i can go from 5th to 3rd very quick

 

I have a pair of Bridgestone RE01R tires that I've been looking to get rid of. I also have some 265 Falken RT615 tires. I'd stick to 18s, as 19" tires are less available and more expensive. Get a set of used stockers.

 

ok, so should i go to 18s before or after i get some track experience? some say go and get experience, but should i get 18s or stay with the 19s before i go out for the first time?

 

I would recomend keeping everything exactly the same other than fresh brake fluids and making sure you have decent brake pad amount left unless you have a safety issue of some sort.

try it out and get a feel of your driving style and the car itself. Then you can make the changes you want to match what you are looking for. This will take a few events to get a feel of things.

As far as the Auto vs Manual, it's not about shifting speed but full control of when and where the shifts occur. There are some places where you want to wind thign out more than usual, and other places you want to stay in the lower gear even with the throttle full depressed (no downshift).

 

I just pick up a set of 5Zigen FN01rc 9.5 +12 all around, what tire size would you guys recommend. They were not my first chance but got them on clearance. I was thinking of a 265/35 all around. I want to be able to rotate them. Thanks for the help.

 

pretty sure i can do that with my auto, it will hit the fuel cutoff before shifting and holds the gear unless im going very slow. either way, ill find out when i get out there but ive had good luck with it in the canyons so far.

ill probably try to get some rear tires, because the 285s on a 8.5" wheel is not great. i dont like the feel of it when cornering hard. is a 245 too wide for a 8" wheel?

 

how does having a taller tire in the rear affect the handling vs. a square setup? and is there a rule of thumb for what width tires will work with a certain rim width? like this?


245 7.5-8.5
255 8-9
265 8.5-9.5
275 9-10
285 9.5-10.5
295 10-11
305 10.5-11.5
315 11-12

i realize it will depend on the tire, but im just looking for a ballpark estimate on where to start.

and, i just took off a 275/35 off of my rear 8.5" wheel and it was a very even wear pattern from street use.

 

That is a pretty good chart for general track use. Autocrossers will run much wider tires on small wheels, but for track use, I do like your list.

 

I'm not sure about the taller vs shorter tire, but I do know if you have a wider tire in the rear then you'll have some understeer.

As a beginner, having some understeer gave me a bit more comfortability to push the car. When I then switched to a square setup, the neutral feeling of the car was pretty scary, it felt like the rear could kick-out at any time. I'm more used to it now, even though I've dialed in a bit of understeering using my swaybars and shocks.

 

i think id rather get used to oversteer with a square setup than get used to understeer stagger, seems like it would be easier to make the transition from over to under when i make adjustments

 

so another question, will a 275/35 on a 9.5" wheel fit ok in the front wheel well for tracking, given body roll when turning?

and, off topic more but, whats better for track use, open differential or a limited slip? initially i would think lsd, but i dont want to be having a ton of oversteer because of it. i understand that for oversteer, you give it more gas to shift weight to the back, and for understeer you lift throttle/lightly brake to shift weight forward.