Wheel / Tire Combo's....AutoX
 

Just a general thread to find out what everybody is running and their thoughts on performance, price, value, etc....



Wheels: Focal R3 16x7 40mm offset

Nice looking, a bit on the heavy side, actual weight is unknown, i've never weighed them. Got them a few months before i started autoxing. A good balance between looks and performance. But i also have a set of Rodeo's 15x7 35mm, that i will soon use for racing. Price was good, got them used from a friend, $350 w/tires :D

Tires: Kumho Ecsta 712 205/45/ZR16

Good tire, not great, but good. Again, got these a few months before i started and did not find out about the Azenis until after the fact. After 6 days of racing and regular daily driving, the fronts have worn the outer edges. (Also due to me being a Novice and getting in too hot my first 2 days) Wet grip is very good. I have since gotten quite used to the feel of the tires and can keep them at their limits with minimal breakout. Price was $80 per tire (i know too much, but i desperately needed tires, and this is the best they had in stock) Once these get worn down, a set of 205/50/15 Azenis will go on my 15" wheels and be used only for autoX.

It's late, actually quite early, i can't sleep, so i came up with this thread idea....

Jesse's right
 

I think Jesse's about right on the STS setup
15x7's with the Falken tires.

I run 15x6 Miata wheels with 225 or 205 Hoosiers on my H-stock car. The combination is very light, and the wheels are cheap from Mazda Motorsports.

However, If you are not running in a stock class, go as wide as you can - 7"or 8"

LAter,

As of last season, in STS, i had my stock R/T wheels, 14x6 (or 5.5...can't remember offhand), which were incredibly light, with Pirelli P4000's. Decent tires, but not incredibly sticky. Gotta get race rubber for this year, will either go Hoosier's or Kuhmo's.

I can get the Kumho 712s for half the price of anything else around here... I've heard mixed reviews of them..

I need new tires 'cause after 2 and a half years, my Parada Spec1s are worn because of camber in the front.

Will the Kuhmos last a while? I don't AutoX, but I drag race every so often... nowhere near as hard on the tires tho...

What do you guys think of 205/40R17 Kumho Ecsta Supra 712s?

Oh yeah, and what's the speed rating?

Well, since this old thread has been bumped, I might as well post.

Currently I'm running a set of factory steels (I think they're made of lead) with Kumho VictoRacers (205/55/14). If, and when, more money becomes available, I'll be purchasing an additional set of factory Miata wheels (the ones with the rounded spokes). Years down the road when I become rich, I'll buy a set of Hoosiers for the car. Nothing like light wheels on an underpowered car.

Hey, this information is helpful!! I want to start AutoX's, but I know nothing!! Absolutely nothing!! So any and all help would be greatly appreciated! Anyways, I was thinking about getting 5 zigen 5NO1R-C rims and I was wondering if I'd be better off getting the 15', 16's, 17's, or 18's. The problem is that because I'm new, I'd probably be using the wheels for both race and show. Thanks!

Think about this before buying racing wheels. Functionally you want a lightweight wheel that fits the right size tire on it.
Practically speaking- you have to change the wheels alot when you are racing alot- which means they might get banged up or scratched while hauling around in the car, mounting/dismounting tires, or just the slip of a lug wrench. I wouldn't reccommend getting something very expensive- and be carefull buying used cause they might have a bend or warp in 'em.
Wheels that use different lugs than your street wheels can be a pain- it sucks to get all the way to an event and you for got your lug nuts and can't change tires!
Usually smaller is better- lightweight and gearing. For the Protege 15" seems to be the ideal size (tires are cheaper too)-16's wouldn't be bad for STS if you found a really light wheel.

Later

speaking of tires... anyone have any experience with Yokohama AVS ES100s. A few folks here rave that they are a great all around summer tire with excellent wet traction that can also hold it's own for the occasional autocross.

I would be looking for something that I might be able to autocross but needs to be able to stay on the car all the time (other than winter of course).

thanks.
-JJB

I run in HS with my Pro5. I use the stock wheels and stock Dunlops. I've fantasized about upsizing my wheels, in both diameter and width, but the 16" stockers are tough to beat in terms of weight. 15-16lbs is really pretty good. Because I don't auto-x competatively (I just do it for fun) I wouldn't mind running 17"x7" wheels, even if it put me in STS (assuming I had upgraded suspension as well). To be competative though, I would run with 15"x7".

On a side note, my Dunlops have held up well over three auto-xes. I run 50psi f/r and you'd never know how hard I use them. Azenis would be nice though...;)

None of you have tried The 712s?

Thanks for the input Jas00x!! For now I just want to autox for fun and maybe someday I'll be able to really go at it!!

I am leaning towards Toyo RA-1 205/50/15 as far as tires go. We have the Toyo R-Group team support program in Canada, and they are the same price as the Kumho V70A (Ecsta V700) and from all reports tend to last longer. The new soft-compound Yokohama A032R is interesting but no one seems to know much about it, or if it is even available here yet.

For wheels ... it's not such an easy choice.
I want 15x7 and as close to +45 as possible, and being hubcentric is a nice bonus.

I had a set of Black Racing Pro-N1 on order for the last two months but no one will say when they are arriving and the season starts in three weeks! eek! So now I am frantically running around trying to see what shops have in stock locally, or what is at least on the continent at the distributors.

Most of the wheels that will fit correctly are forged which is good and bad. Although a local rally shop ( fourstarmotorsports.com ) has a couple sets of 15x6.5 Compomotive HT2 wheels from their LanEvo for sale at a good price so I may end up with those although they don't really suit the look of curcuit driving ;)

Wheels that would be nice but not all of them are available or affordable:
RealRacing R2 (perfect fit, unsure of center bore)
5Zigen FN01R / FN01R-C (only +42 offset)
TeamDynamics Pro-Race-1 (no 5-bolt 15x7 in stock)
BlackRacing Pro-N1
Volk TE37 / CE28N
Compomotive HT2 / HT3 (rally wheels a little on the heavy side but bulletproof)

wow, this is an old thread!!! i still have the 712s on the focal 16x7 (actually 42mm) for street, pretty worn, but a decent tire. Run the Azenis on 15x7 35mm wheels. Street or Race, i'd still go with the Azenis. Which is what is going on as soon as the 712s run out. They are a fantastic tire for the price value.

Jason, what cha gonna run for STS?

So you guys are saying I should stay away from the Khumos I take it?



How can I find this out and how can I fix it???

Well, you are not going to autocross are you? I have the Khumo 712's (205/40R17) on my car and so far I've been pleased with them. The only thing you might want to consider is road noise. I think that the tires are a little noisy, but excellent for the price.

Well, I'm going to build up slowly- probably run FSP until my Victoracers wear out. Ultimately, I'd like a set of 15x7 SSR competition wheels in dark grey :) with Falken Azenis.
However, I noticed the 215-45-16 tires are only .2 lbs heavier than the 205-50-15's. So if I could happen upon a 16x7 set of SSR's for a good price, I wouldn't pass them up!

+42 should be plenty for my sedan. Especially running only a 205 tire. The cast version is also a fairly reasonable price so I might end up with those if they are in stock.

FWIW, I have seen +35 offse 15x7 wheels with a 225/50/15 tire fit on a Protege5 and it barely sits inside the rear fender but doesn't rub strangely enough.

Nice, I have a local shop that will give me cost on some R1 wheels (i forget the manufacturer name, but it's not a great one, Aerospeed maybe) anyway, they come in gray and black and are only like 12-13lbs each and at $75-80 each, pretty hard to pass up. They look like the Kosie's or Enkei's.

I bet the price difference betwewen the 15 and 16 is a bit more than .2 :D but that's probably gonna be my choice for a street tire for my 16's.

and FWIW on offset, the wider the track the better, so get the widest offset possible. 35mm is probably max for a Protege, about 42mm the other way.

I am running in HS in a 02.5 ES A/T (I know :( ) with stock 16x6 wheels. Can I run the 17x7 wheels, which is an option for the ES? What would be a good combination of wheels and tires and still run HS? The AZENIS 205/55VR16 might be too tall and might loss to much HP and might be a stretch for the 6”. The AZENIS 215/45ZR16 are too wide for the 6” wheels. The sizes for the 17” are still no help to me. Only if a can run 15x7 or 16x7 I would be OK. Any suggestion?:shift:

When was a 17" wheel ever an option on the ES?

If you're running in a stock class, go with an 'R' compound tire that will fit your stock rim; use a Hoosier if you can afford it. There's no point in running Falken Azenis when you're allowed to run a race compound tire.

if you don't race, then why excessive negative camber?

Because my car is lowered and I did'nt want to bother with a camber kit (don't even know if it's available for the 1st gen Pro) and my camber did'nt look all that bad.... Besides, it had'nt cause me problems until now....

But like Jesse said, the wear is probably due to an alignement issue... I have'nt done one in a while and I just remembered that I smacked a curb while sliding on ice this winter which may have caused the problem....20/20 hindsight, right?

Anyways, all that to say I don't think my camber is all that bad.




So I think I'm going to go with the Kumhos afterall... If they wear out, they're half the price of anything else that size around here, so I've got nothing to lose.... Besides, they're probably alot better than my Paradas in the rain....those things were death traps!!

It wasn't. They were available on the MSP and MP3, but never the 01+ ES or P5, which all come with 16x6 wheels.

BTW this is a SCCA Solo II rule that is commonly misunderstood by newbies. In order to run a certain part or option on a Stock-class car, the car must have been available from the factory with that EXACT combination of parts. Cars can be "converted" from one option combination to another, but only when the resulting car is an EXACT duplicate of a factory combination from the same model year.

Perfect Protege example: you cannot run the 17x7 MP3 wheels, bigger rear swaybar or better ECU on an ES unless the car is a 2001 model that also has the strutbar, ground effects kit, big round foglights, subwoofer box, rear wing, short shifter, and non-VTCS intake manifold and every other part that makes an MP3 what it is. This also means that you can't create an "MP3 hatchback" from a P5 because the car wasn't available from the factory that way. The car must also run in the correct MP3 class (GS) rather than HS. In other words, 17x7 wheels on a P5 is a BIG NO-NO. :(

For more information: Unofficial SCCA Rules Site

Ok I have been reading this thread and I am now very confused, wait maybe the thread had nothing to do with the, went to the SOLO II Divisionals this weekend and had lot's of fun and learned a lot. But, everyone laughed cuz i was running on my factory tires. I want to compete really for fun but don't want to be left behind too much. Some of the people in my class HS were using the Falken Azen's, what size should I go with on my Pro 5?

Thanks

Likewise, 16x6 wheels on an MP3 is not allowed.
Too bad Mazda didn't ship the cars with an extra set of ES wheels like Subaru does with the Impreza R1 edition.



As far as putting race tires on the stock P5 wheels, you have only a few choices at the moment.
1 - Kumho V700 205/45 16
2 - Hoosier Race compound 205/45 16
3 - Hoosier Autocross compound 215/40 16

I don't think Toyo or Yokohama have any r-compounds in 16" that are even close to being a good fit for our cars. I think Hankook has a new r-compound but not sure what sizes.

whoa!! the V700 in the 225/50/16 size will fit???
This would be awesome...!

I also want to comment on why people have mixed reviews on the Kumho 712. Different sizes have different speed ratings and treadware... I assume that means different rubber compounds. SO if you get 205/55/16's they may not be the same as the 205/45/16's.

I had the 712's in 205/55/16's on a Contour SVT (crap car) and hated them they felt hard and sloppy... I have them 205/45/16 on the MP5 and love them.

Just try and hydroplane! while they are not race rubber, but they are a hell of a lot better than say Nitto 450's or the Stock Dunlops. and then when you factor in the cost element and wear they are just about as good as you can get for daily drivers.

just my .02

I have the Supra 712s. A great tire for the price(probably the best tire for pure price:performance ratio), but not a great tire at any price. Mine are 205/40/17s, and handling, grip and traction are amazing in optimal conditions, but I find they slip easily in wet/slippery conditions, and traction is crap in the wet also. I think I'm going to get the Ecsta MXs next, in a 215/40. They're supposed to be a great tire, as good as most max-performance tires.

I had heard the 712s were pretty good in wet conditions.....:rolleyes:

My Paradas are crap in the wet, and that's why I wanted some that were a bit better....

Whatever, I guess I'll buy them anyways 'cause they're much cheaper than all the others...

they area good tire. I raced them twice in the rain(one was a total downpour) i felt they did very well in the wet.

whats the price difference in the Azenis and 712's in the size your looking at.....i bet the Azenis are a bit cheaper. The Azenis beat the 712s on dry hands down. I've never had a chance to race them in the rain, but from what i've heard they are about equal to or just a hair above the 712s in the wet.

Ya, the 712s are AWESOME during heavy rain. ie when there's enough water on the road for the tires to push away. It's during light rain/slick conditions that they suck-ass. It's almost like the compound is made of polyurathane....

OK, then, I guess I'll see about the Azenis before I buy the Kumhos... but I don't know of any Falken dealers in my area.....

Thanks for the info though guys!

why don't you just save up some extra coinage, and get some good tires? Tires ARE the single most important thing you can get for your car....

Both the 712s and the Azenis ARE good tires.

If you can find a better tire than the Azenis ( a PROVEN better tire) for the same price, just say so.

What are your thoughts on what good tires are?

My opinion of good tires:
Pilot Sports
Potenza S-03s
G-Force KDs

I've read that the Ecsta MX
and PZero Rosso are good
tires, but haven't heard about
them first hand...

But .. just because +35 mm offset does fit, doesn't mean that I should run it right? Wouldn't there be lots of extra torque steer?

hmmm ... if +35 then there just might be some Team Dynamics wheels available ...

Has anyone ever tried Federal tires? I don't know the name, but I hear good things...

Click here for more info

No? Nobody has heard of them?

Oh well, I hope they're good, 'cause I got an awesome deal on some and like I said, I've heard good things... The guy told me he would sell me Kumhos for close to the same price, but that he was worried I would come back to kick his ass after sliding off the road, and that these were much better... So I got the point pretty clearly.

Anyways, my mags are sold for 1000$ for the set. The buyer will pick them up on Monday morning and I will have my new set by the middle of the week.

It will be refreshing to have a new look.. I've had the same mags for 3 years now.

I'm getting MAK Hyper rims, I don't know if any of you have heard of them, but they're gorgeous. I can't find a pic of them on the Net tho.

There. Found them. Mine will be a slightly different color called hyper silver, though....
http://www.liveupdater.com/magandtur...rary/Sting.jpg

LOL@"Mags" ...talk about old school muscle car word. Actually a shortened version of Magnesium...which makes it an inappropriate term anywho :P