My APS kit is in transit, and I've read it's really easy to smoke the tires with the additional horsepower. I think the answer is dropping from 20-inch to 18-inch wheels, and going with wider wheels and wider tires with slightly taller sidewalls to get the best traction. (Not to mention shedding some unsprung weight & rotational mass) Am I wrong?

How much wheel & tire can I stuff under the fenders without degrading handling? I'm looking at 18X9.5 +28 & 18X10.5 +28. Anybody have experience? I couldn't find any posts for this combination. Advice?

Thanks for your opinions.

Bruce

 

the yellow widebody wald 350z is on 345/30/19's...michellin of course...

 

yea, and that is with a shitload of custom widebody work

most ive heard of is 285-295 on the norm. whether you would have to roll your fenders for that i dont know.

 

Wouldn't it be great to own a shop or have sponsorship and just go nuts? Now, back to reality........ There isn't a widebody kit in my future. I'm running 20X10s (275/35/20s)on the rear with plenty of clearance. But my rims have 37/38 offsets,
and I haven't lowered the suspension yet. Hasn't anybody run 18-inch 10.5 inch rears with +28 offsets? Is my assumption correct that smaller diameter rims with 45-series sidewalls would yield better grip?

 

its all about the surface area of contact patch that sticks to the pavement. tread type, sidewall height, and tread width all contribute to the total number. Actually the 20s should be better for traction, unless the 18's have significantly greater sidewalls or you run lower PSI in the tires. Less rotational mass means the wheels will want to spin more There are several variables that contribute to pros and cons to each. Your handling will improve with the 18's though.

 

I will see if I can find an article that will explain better than I can.

 

How is it so easy to smoke tires? So normal street driving will cause you to start melting some rubber?

 

I've read some posts by TT owners and talked to Julian at MRC and I guess it's pretty easy to break them loose in 1st and 2nd gear. With the 20-inch rims and a 35-series sidewall, there isn't much flex, and you can't really drop the tire pressure like the guys at the dragstrip have been doing. I have this picture stuck in my mind of a funny-car with the "wrinkle-wall" slicks on. My car is just the opposite. I don't want to drag, but I want a really quick street car.

 

youll be fine with what you have
relax, just dont floor it from a stop everywhere you go.