oortcloud Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 5th gen Camaro V-8 comes with 20" rims. I'd be interested in hearing advice on rim and tire size recommendations for track days. I've been looking at the hankook V12 evo tire. They interest me because they are not asymmetrical, so I could rotate them. Would like to hear comments on this too. Stock wheels have different size front vs. rear tires. Should I keep this setup but maybe with 18" rims? Or go with the same size tire on all 4 corners? I'd be very interested in hearing pros and cons of doing this. I'm also trying to plan ahead a little. Maybe in a year or so I would be interested in TT. And any new rims I buy I would prefer to be able to use them in TT with something like the R6. Thanks for any advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbow Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 My $0.02 for what its worth I have a 2012 v6 Camaro that came with 18" rims all around. And I usually drive my Corvette in time trials. What is the total diameter of the wheel and tire front? Back? Tall sidewalls tend to roll over even with a lot of air pressure - I've seen this the couple of times I've had mine on the track. very short sidewalls don't allow you to keep the max contact patch, they have a very small slip angle (gonna slide sooner) So you need to come up with a compromise. Find a tire/wheel combination within a few tenths of an inch from stock so the nannies don't freak out. And a reasonable size sidewall, for example I run 275/35 x18" on my Corvette and the Hoosier R6 in this size is 25.5" in diameter. I run those on all 4 corners, the stock wheel,tire combo on my car was 25.5" diameter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n80 Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I'm a beginner at this so take anything I say with a grain of salt. First, track days eat tires. Second, tires are expensive. Third, 19 and 20" tires are even more expensive. I've run the Hankook V12 evos on a couple of cars. Here is what I like about them: they are cheap, they double as an excellent street tire, and for HPDE 1 or 2 they do fine at the track. I have them on my 350Z right now, 18", square set up. Only one track weekend on this set. For the price, I'm happy with them. I wanted Star Specs or Hankook RS-3s but just could not turn down the V12 evos (at the current sale price they were a good 300-$400 less than the RS-3s......that's enough for a track weekend entry fee!) The only issue I had with them is that they got a little 'greasy' on the last session of the last day when the track was very hot and we'd done several sessions close together. I supose this might happen with any street tire if it gots hot enough though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oortcloud Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) Thanks for the feedback jimbow, especially about the sidewall size. I've been wondering what impact the different tire profile size would have on a heavy car. The stock wheel diameters are about 27.8" front and 28.4" rear. And this is part of my problem. It seems impossible to keep these diameters. Most of the tires I look at are going to be about 2" smaller diameter on 19" rims. If I go this route then its going to drop the ride height about 1". (I wasn't planning on lowering it more by changing springs btw.) Will this 1" drop related to the tire size change mess with the nannies? I know it will change the speedo but from what I understand that can be easily fixed. Edited June 21, 2012 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oortcloud Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 I'm a beginner at this so take anything I say with a grain of salt. First, track days eat tires. Second, tires are expensive. Third, 19 and 20" tires are even more expensive. I've run the Hankook V12 evos on a couple of cars. Here is what I like about them: they are cheap, they double as an excellent street tire, and for HPDE 1 or 2 they do fine at the track. I have them on my 350Z right now, 18", square set up. Only one track weekend on this set. For the price, I'm happy with them. I wanted Star Specs or Hankook RS-3s but just could not turn down the V12 evos (at the current sale price they were a good 300-$400 less than the RS-3s......that's enough for a track weekend entry fee!) The only issue I had with them is that they got a little 'greasy' on the last session of the last day when the track was very hot and we'd done several sessions close together. I supose this might happen with any street tire if it gots hot enough though. Thanks for the feedback on the hankooks. It sounds like they'll be a good compromise while I learn and get more experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phat ralph Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Stock wheels have different size front vs. rear tires. Should I keep this setup but maybe with 18" rims? Or go with the same size tire on all 4 corners? I'd be very interested in hearing pros and cons of doing this. I as well have a 5th genration camaro. Currently running 18x9.5 TSW wheels on Nitto NT-01 275/40ZR18 on all four corners. The car performs great and now has minimal understeer. Much more agile and provides a higher gear ratio. All nanny's perform the same as with the stock wheels. The only issue is the speedo is off, so it shows you are going faster than you really are. Any questions please let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philstireservice Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Stock wheels have different size front vs. rear tires. Should I keep this setup but maybe with 18" rims? Or go with the same size tire on all 4 corners? I'd be very interested in hearing pros and cons of doing this. I as well have a 5th genration camaro. Currently running 18x9.5 TSW wheels on Nitto NT-01 275/40ZR18 on all four corners. The car performs great and now has minimal understeer. Much more agile and provides a higher gear ratio. All nanny's perform the same as with the stock wheels. The only issue is the speedo is off, so it shows you are going faster than you really are. Any questions please let me know. Ralph, I'm a TSW wheel dealer. What is the bolt circle and offset for those TSW wheels? What wheels are they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phat ralph Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Ralph, I'm a TSW wheel dealer. What is the bolt circle and offset for those TSW wheels? What wheels are they? Phil, They are TSW Interlagos 18x9.5" wheels in a 5x120mm bolt pattern & a 40mm offset. You do need to modify the upper spindle near the stut mount though. Also I run a 5mm shim in the front as the tire gets close to the Pedders Coilovers with 2.5 degrees of camber. Also replaced the wheels studs with Chevrolet 2500 truck studs that provide 8mm more thread engagement. So, do you carry Nitto's? If not what would you recomend for a camparable tire? Might need a set and pick them up from you at NASA-MA, VIR event in July. PM me some prices. Take care! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oortcloud Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 Ralph, Very nice setup. That trailer rocks! Which hitch is that? That would certainly solve some logistics problems. And it's lowered right? I'd be interested to find out which springs and how much lower it is with stock wheels. I've been trying not to lower mine, but its looking more and more like I'l need to. The difference in track wheels vs. stock wheels will be too much I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phat ralph Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Ralph, Very nice setup. That trailer rocks! Which hitch is that? That would certainly solve some logistics problems. And it's lowered right? I'd be interested to find out which springs and how much lower it is with stock wheels. I've been trying not to lower mine, but its looking more and more like I'l need to. The difference in track wheels vs. stock wheels will be too much I think. http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/Chevrolet/Camaro/2011/60266.html?vehicleid=2011302252 I had to get a custom receiver made to get the heigh and added a 2" extension ball. Works out really good. As you will see they do not fit Camaro's with ground effects but mine has ground effects! Go Figure! Raises the diffuser a little in the center. Yes, I have Pedders Xa Coilovers and set as low as Pedders seggests. Then add the 18" wheels and you are just driving the car on the track! You will not make it far around town. The front chin guard is 3" off the ground. I play hell getting ramps or a jack under the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philstireservice Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Ralph, I'm a TSW wheel dealer. What is the bolt circle and offset for those TSW wheels? What wheels are they? Phil, They are TSW Interlagos 18x9.5" wheels in a 5x120mm bolt pattern & a 40mm offset. You do need to modify the upper spindle near the stut mount though. Also I run a 5mm shim in the front as the tire gets close to the Pedders Coilovers with 2.5 degrees of camber. Also replaced the wheels studs with Chevrolet 2500 truck studs that provide 8mm more thread engagement. So, do you carry Nitto's? If not what would you recomend for a camparable tire? Might need a set and pick them up from you at NASA-MA, VIR event in July. PM me some prices. Take care! The Toyo R888 is a great DE tire. You can run in the dry or the rain with it. When you say modify the upper spindle, is it a ball joint or tire rod end, that needs modifying? How did you modify it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n80 Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I've done several DE events with Ralph. He passes me like I'm standing still! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phat ralph Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 When you say modify the upper spindle, is it a ball joint or tire rod end, that needs modifying? How did you modify it? You need to take a die grinder or machine file to the upper end of the spindle as shown in the picture below. You do not need to remove much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phat ralph Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I've done several DE events with Ralph. He passes me like I'm standing still! George I do not know about all that! But we have a lot of fun! When is your next event? I will be at CMP June 30-July 1 with Turn1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t500hps Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 That trailer looks awesome. I too have a car that came with 20's but just put a set of 18's on it with slicks.......picked up 8 seconds at Summit last weekend compared to all my previous events on street tires!!!! Ralph, We met at VIR back in March. I drive the red Charger. I'll be back there with NASA in July but have moved to HPDE3. I'll keep an eye out for that mean green machine!!!! Russ C. Stock wheels have different size front vs. rear tires. Should I keep this setup but maybe with 18" rims? Or go with the same size tire on all 4 corners? I'd be very interested in hearing pros and cons of doing this. I as well have a 5th genration camaro. Currently running 18x9.5 TSW wheels on Nitto NT-01 275/40ZR18 on all four corners. The car performs great and now has minimal understeer. Much more agile and provides a higher gear ratio. All nanny's perform the same as with the stock wheels. The only issue is the speedo is off, so it shows you are going faster than you really are. Any questions please let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phat ralph Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 That trailer looks awesome. I too have a car that came with 20's but just put a set of 18's on it with slicks.......picked up 8 seconds at Summit last weekend compared to all my previous events on street tires!!!! Ralph, We met at VIR back in March. I drive the red Charger. I'll be back there with NASA in July but have moved to HPDE3. I'll keep an eye out for that mean green machine!!!! Russ C. Yes, you save so much weight with 18" wheels and that reduction in rotating mass shows up in performance! Russ, I will be at VIR in July and looking foward to it. Congrats on the HPDE move! Hope to be there soon. See you in July! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t500hps Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 That trailer looks awesome. I too have a car that came with 20's but just put a set of 18's on it with slicks.......picked up 8 seconds at Summit last weekend compared to all my previous events on street tires!!!! Ralph, We met at VIR back in March. I drive the red Charger. I'll be back there with NASA in July but have moved to HPDE3. I'll keep an eye out for that mean green machine!!!! Russ C. Yes, you save so much weight with 18" wheels and that reduction in rotating mass shows up in performance! Russ, I will be at VIR in July and looking foward to it. Congrats on the HPDE move! Hope to be there soon. See you in July! Actually I think it's the fact that the tires are "slicks". At Summit I was carrying 65mph out of turn 10 on street tires and now I'm carrying low 80's. That translated into front stretch speeds from high 130's to an occasional hit at 150. Spread those results across the entire course and 8 seconds appeared!!!! See ya next month!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philstireservice Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 That trailer looks awesome. I too have a car that came with 20's but just put a set of 18's on it with slicks.......picked up 8 seconds at Summit last weekend compared to all my previous events on street tires!!!! Ralph, We met at VIR back in March. I drive the red Charger. I'll be back there with NASA in July but have moved to HPDE3. I'll keep an eye out for that mean green machine!!!! Russ C. Yes, you save so much weight with 18" wheels and that reduction in rotating mass shows up in performance! Russ, I will be at VIR in July and looking foward to it. Congrats on the HPDE move! Hope to be there soon. See you in July! Actually I think it's the fact that the tires are "slicks". At Summit I was carrying 65mph out of turn 10 on street tires and now I'm carrying low 80's. That translated into front stretch speeds from high 130's to an occasional hit at 150. Spread those results across the entire course and 8 seconds appeared!!!! See ya next month!!! What slicks did you run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t500hps Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 What slicks did you run? Was running 275/40/20 Vredesteins on 20 x 9 stock wheels. Last week I ran a set of Continental (Hoosier) 275/35/18 on 18 x 9 front/18 x 10 rears. The 1:37 previous time was taken by someone standing at the start/finish while the 1:29 was recorded by a lap timer in the car so they difference could be a little off.......but it was certainly faster!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n80 Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 I've done several DE events with Ralph. He passes me like I'm standing still! George I do not know about all that! But we have a lot of fun! When is your next event? I will be at CMP June 30-July 1 with Turn1. My next event will probably be CMP in Nov. I may try to go to VIR in Oct with NASA-MA. I think you were there at the Turn-1 event in April and then I was at a NASA event with you, maybe last February? The Turn-1 event was great. I think there were maybe six cars in our run group. Your car seems really hooked up and you drive a good line. I ran with the C group at CMP with the Mustang Club in June so I'll probably run DE-2 next time at CMP. Will probably stay in DE-1 at VIR since I've never been there...or anywhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phat ralph Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Will probably stay in DE-1 at VIR since I've never been there...or anywhere else. You may want to think about DE-2 if you go to VIR. Unlike the NASA-SE everyone gets an instuctor in DE-2. I will be there in October as well, come on out, the track is great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t500hps Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Will probably stay in DE-1 at VIR since I've never been there...or anywhere else. You may want to think about DE-2 if you go to VIR. Unlike the NASA-SE everyone gets an instuctor in DE-2. I will be there in October as well, come on out, the track is great! n80: I was thinking the same thing. If your comfortable with flag colors and point-bys then you would be suited for HPDE-2. Plus I don't know how big your other track is but VIR is 3.3 miles and the cars can spread out. (I will be there in Oct as well) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n80 Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 Thanks guys. I think DE-2 would be appropriate and if NASA mid Atlantic has instructors for DE-2 that would be perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyBoyGeo Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 WOW! Where did you get that trailer? What company/brand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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