after 5 years of tracking on street tires (last two years rt-615s) it's time for me to get some race tires, i know people had similar questions before, but i wanted to get some fresh input on that, i do not want to spend money on something that i may not like, i've never been in a stock AP2 w/ race tires so i really dont know what to expect, all i know is that i'm kinda tired of being literally the only guy on street tires against people on race tires, even my buddies are telling me it's time to switch, i'm on a really tight budget and cannot afford light rims w/ wide tires so, i've narrowed it down to two combos and sadly both are kida heavy:

1. AP1 rims (17.5lbs front, 18.6lbs rear) with 225s front & 245s rear (or whatever tires will fit on it)

2. Rota slipstreams (17x7.5 19.0lbs & 17x8.5 21.1lbs) or AP2 rims (17.6lbs front, 20.5lbs rear) which are not that much lighter than the rotas with 225/235s front and 255s rear

my car is an AP2 with all stock suspension, i know if i go with my 1st option i will save a few pounds on the total wheel/tire weight as opposed to option number two, but then (i think) the side wall on the 16s will have more flex than the 17s and with my stock suspensioin i'm not sure if it's going to be a good thing (correct me if i'm wrong) and if i will like the way my car is going to feel, i know both combos will be 40+lbs, so i'm not sure if additional 3-5lbs on 17s is going to kill my lap times, so yeah...

... help me decide, reasonable suggestions as far as wheels or minor suspension mods that will help me with either combo are also welcome, thx

thanks for reading my essay

 

If you're strapped for cash then go for the overall cheapest package of wheels and tires. The extra few pounds saved using the AP1 wheels is not going mean much to you on the track unless you're looking for those last few tenths.

That being said, I bet the cheapest set of wheels you can get is a set of AP1 wheels. But then you have to look at the tires, what kind of tires did you want to run? NT01? Yoko AO48? RA1s? Some of those tires don't have compatible AP1 wheel sizes. Just look for a cheap set of OEM wheels (AP1 or 2) and go from there. Good luck.

 

Based on what I've read on this board, I suggest 4 rear AP1 wheels with a bigger front sway bar. That's the route I'll be taking in the future. I already bought 2 sets of AP1 wheels to make this combo myself. R compound tires have a stiffer sidewall than street tires, so I wouldn't worry about the flex too much.

If you want a ready to go set, here is one For Sale

 

ap1s w hoosier 225/245 16s

 

i have the same delemma as commagnet82. what is the benefit going oem rear 16s all around for track? would this apply for autox applications as well?

 

Eww, no. Slipstreams (or rather, the original Regamaster Evos) where not designed to be 17" wheels. I would guess all the FEA was done on 16" wheels. Check out the 16" Slipstreams, very cheap and very light.

 

Not to mention the general sub-par quality you get with Rotas.

OEM > Rota

 

How so? The Slipstreams are much lighter. What exactly makes them sub-par?

 

i recommend you try out a non-staggered setup and try 245 all around. oh and btw..i have a set for sale

 

I ran on both 16" and 17" this past season. I ran 225/50-16 245/45-16 and 225/45-17 245/40-17. These are the sizes available from Hankook in the Z214. I was faster on the 17" tires. This was done on the same weekend at Watkins Glen in July for the SCCA National. Weather conditions were similar. Track conditions were the same.
Just my .02. I run Advan RS and Volk Re30 in 17" and ran Volk Ce28 in 16"(which I may be selling in the near future at a considerable discount over new).