Sesame chicken Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Hi, I am in the market for new wheels and unfortunatly the more i spend ont he tires/wheels this year the less track time i get... yes i know it sucks and i should get more seat time, but the big issue is that without atleast tires i cannot get out there anyways... So... Questions. Since i could pick up a set of 17" ap2 wheels and run staggered for the season for dirt cheap. what would the big consequences be of running a staggered set-up of the rx8? plus, if i run 235's or 245's all around does the wheel width matter outside of where the offset places it on the car? What about the thought of placement from outside of the car. say both wheels place the tires exactly at the same distance from each other (measuring by width of the car, so front outside L-R is the same distance as rear L-R) but you have a smaller tire upfront? does that promote under steer because of the tire, but give a more balanced feel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnRails Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I wouldn't run a staggered setup if it were me. For one thing you won't be able to rotate the tires around between events. Look into a 17X8 inch wheel and a 225 Hoosier tire. That's plenty of grip on our cars and only puts you down 6 points. That's if you're doing Time Trial. Not sure what your experience level is. If doing HPDE, I would still stick with the 17 inch rims and go with a 245 street tire. Either way a staggered setup is not doing you any favors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sesame chicken Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 That is what i was thinking... i always was hesitant about staggered, but it is one of those things i have never been that fully informed about it... i mean why was the s2000 designed to have staggered, and what happens if you run staggered wheels but same size tires... different scenarios like that. The only benefit here is more seat time for next to nothing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbrew8991 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 weight balance, spring rates, swaybars, suspension designs, etc, etc, etc could all be factors into how much of a split it tire sizes you see on a car (if there is a split at all). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sesame chicken Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 How do u know when to start factoring that information in... trial and error or ..."o i think my car needs more of this"? Because i always know (from first hand experience) that building from scratch for parts to work is sometimes the better/cheaper option than trying to bandage an issue with something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obzezzed350 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I run a square setup on my Z and its very predictable and balanced...I would think the RX8 would be very similar. Plus, you can rotate tires! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbrew8991 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 does the car oversteer currently? in what phase(s) of the corner? There are lots of articles and books out there on chassis tuning. I'm still learning ALOT myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I am most familiar with drivers going the opposite direction of what you propose, from factory staggered to square. Many S2000 drivers are fast and competitive on "square" setups. The RX8 is a very nicely balanced car, so I suspect it would not benefit from staggered tires unless you've done something funky with spring rates or anti-sway bars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sesame chicken Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 Well, not having any issues with over steer at the moment. In fact due to the worst tires ever last season i found myself over driving the fronts too much (also coming from fwd lsd b20 civic for the past 5 years). My main concern is getting out there for as cheap as possible to get the most seat time i can. That why when s2k wheels are offered or other staggered wheels on the cheap to meet my needs with good tires... i have to consider what are some alternatives to trying to find a "square" set-up and benefits/real problems with it... and would it just be a waste to do that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 If you can't find the sq setup you want, buy 2 sets of staggered and make 2 square sets. Put rain tires or scuffs or sell the smaller set. We run a sq setup and I'd never go back just because of the aggravation factor of having all my wheels/tires fit on any corner at any time. I would and did put the tires on first, then tune the suspension to work with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedengineer Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Square setup here. All the s2000 drivers I know of in TT run square setups. I like the idea of buying two staggered sets and combining them. Could always sell the set you don't use and recoup that money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sesame chicken Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 I like that idea.... hrm 2 sets of staggered = 2 sets of squared.... never really thought of it in that way lol. kind of makes a lot of sense though depending on the offset/width difference to have the wet/dry combo or street/track combo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 That's a creative approach, just be mindful that offsets on S2000 wheels are different front to rear. That means you'll have different track and scrub radii when switching between the matched front an rear sets. I don't think that will be a big issue, just something to think about. AP2 Front: 17" x 7.0", +55 offset AP2 Rear: 17" x 8.5", +65 offset If you really want to be competitive, 17"x9" or 17"x10" 6ULRs (+48 or +63 offset) from 949 racing offer additional rim width at a pretty decent price point, though I imagine you could buy 2 sets of S2000 take-offs for less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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