• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Fiesta ST Forum and Fiesta ST community dedicated to Fiesta ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Fiesta ST Forum today!


Let's talk agressive tire fitment on the Fiesta ST

RAAMaudio

5000 Post Club
Messages
5,268
Likes
925
Location
Carson City
#41
Todd at TCE is great to work with:)

I got my original setup from Joe at 2J with a custom rotor size, to good a deal to pass but but I went with Fastbrakes for the rear total custom DIY setup because I found a caliper they sell with 4 pistons and arms to use them as a parking brake.
 


razorlab

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,207
Likes
127
Location
Bay Area
#42
If you are going to track to track the car then by all means get the GT/spec 37 rotors, they last far longer, cool better, etc....for pads, BP-30 minimum.
I wouldn't run the BP30's on the street. I drove on them back from the track because I was lazy, about 2.5 hours. They wear really fast when not up to track temp and the rotors too.
 


RAAMaudio

5000 Post Club
Messages
5,268
Likes
925
Location
Carson City
#43
Sorry, I meant for track pads, not many pads are good for dual purpose, I have done so with XP pads but still not the best, better to have pads for both.

I happen to have a set of BP-20s that work fine for the street and autocross that have maybe a few blocks use on them, you could order the BBK with track pads and get the ones I have for the street;)
 


razorlab

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,207
Likes
127
Location
Bay Area
#44
Sorry, I meant for track pads, not many pads are good for dual purpose, I have done so with XP pads but still not the best, better to have pads for both.
Yea the interesting thing is that the BP30's did not squeel like I'm used to with race pads. Race pads on my Evo sound like you are ringing a pigs neck every time you put the brakes on. The BP30's just make a low grinding sound.
 


RAAMaudio

5000 Post Club
Messages
5,268
Likes
925
Location
Carson City
#45
Razor,

It sucked for you but I am very much appreciative for posting your results of the BP-20 on the track as I would of had a miserable time and spent a ton of effort and money to go to MMP for two days with the wrong pads.....!!!!!

I was so busy with the car I forgot to order pads and at the last minute spent a fortune on the XP but they did an incredible job and have quite a bit of lift left in them but sure going to try much less costly WW pads next!

I will look them over again and order them to have both sets the next time I track the car.
 


RAAMaudio

5000 Post Club
Messages
5,268
Likes
925
Location
Carson City
#46
OOPS, this is a tire/wheel thread, not brakes though it is important of course for fitment issues.

Back on track.

If you want the absolute best in performance, including how you need the the car to behave in your particular situation, it is about contact patch, more in summer, less in winter, feedback and tread compound. Tires to wide for the rims have the least contact patch, tires to narrow for the rims possibly the most but if too narrow not enough contact patch(too much camber does the same so massive camber and a too little contact patch and then combined with poor suspension geometry is the absolute opposite of performance no matter how cool some may think it looks, those that really know what performance is can tell just by looking;)

Air pressure plays a very critical roll in all this as well, too much, less contact, too little, more contact but less control.

There is one common denominator in all things, balance, get that right and everything else can fall into place.
 


Messages
93
Likes
19
Location
San Diego
#47
15x9, 225 RA1, perfect width, just the right stretch for maximum grip and feedback, I ran 9 sessions at MMP outer loop the last two days, a very fast course.

I tried Hoosier R6 tires I had on hand in 225 but they are a very wide, more like 245, tire and I could fit up front with pulling, rolling and proper camber but on the rears I would of had to cut the inner fender metal liners and moved the fender lips out, fill and weld and still add more negative camber than stock, which I still had to do to clear the 225 RA1 which is more like a normal 225 tire in real width.

The tires are 22.9" diameter before shaved so a bit less than that in height, my 205/45/17 Mich AS/3 street tires are about even with the front fender lips from a side view and the rears slightly above, looks great but these shorty tires make it look like lots of gap.

I now have -2.5 front and -1.5 rear camber and the car handles incredibly well.

I had to work on the rear fenders quite a bit to make them fit as well.

On the front I had to drill new holes in the top of the strut towers to add the camber as the wheels were to close to the struts so could not adjust them down low and still had to add a thin spacer behind the wheels as I was just barely rubbing the struts on some corners, all wheels, bearings, etc have some flex.

15x9, +35mm, 4x100, 13lbs, roll formed, Konig, $126 each, killer deal. There are other 15x9's as well but these had the most room to fit the brakes and it was a tight fit, I will have to have a new set up custom caliper mounts made as the ones I have are still not quite right but would work on a 16" wheel just fine, I had to mod the mounting holes on the knuckles and make fillers to keep them in place. I will get new mounts made and install new knuckles, what I have on is well track proven but I like things perfect, not patched up to work.

They are not as stretched as the pics look, just perfect and well proven in racing to be the proper wheel and tire fitment.

The car sits about as low as possible and still have proper geometry, if you want a car to handle the best then you only go as low as the geometry allows, any lower and things get dramatically worse quickly. I have picked up 2 seconds or lost two seconds in less than a 60 second autocross runs purposely testing this, with just 1/4" height adjustment dipping below the proper height.

I am going to remeasure it all shortly as now have some miles on the suspension and pounded it over the curbs at the track, now fully settled I might have to raise it a tiny bit or may yet be able to lower it a bit more. The rear does not matter as long as low enough to balance the front to rear weight out a bit and mine could be a bit lower in back to bring more weight there but with the zero toe and -1.5 camber it handles about perfectly now as is. I will be testing my custom modded 5-way sway bar there with it lowered a bit more when I can get back to the track, I left it hanging on the shop wall and my coilover tools in a box below it....forgot to pack them up.

The only thing I rubbed was the inner liners a tiny bit, which I expected, I had already removed the lower bolt and ground off the mounting area on the fender to bumper mounts, Razor's recommendation. I thought I would rub the main horizontal area of the inner mount but left it alone and never touched it. I had the car up on two wheels pleanty of times and it felt like all four off a few times, I hope a pro photographer contacts me with some pics!

so what does it take for me to get this wheel+tire combo?
 


RAAMaudio

5000 Post Club
Messages
5,268
Likes
925
Location
Carson City
#48
A lot of effort.

Front is easier:
Adjust camber at top of struts instead of at knuckles if you have BC coilovers, others may be different.
Roll and pull fenders
Trim off lower 3rd bolt and flanges on bumper cover to fender mounts.
2-3mm spacers

Rear, gets more fun:
Negative 1.8 or more rear camber(and toe change), I did mine by cutting and rewelding the axle flanges, benefit includes much better high speed track alignment.
Roll and pull fenders as much as you can.

4x100 bolt pattern change.

--------------

I am researching running Maxxix RC-1 DOT slicks in 245 front and 225 rear, the 245 front is better on a 10" wheel but none fit under the car. I will have much more forward and stopping grip, less gain in the turns as a wider wheel would support the tire better but some gain....

Later on when I start running TT events I will likely use the Hoosier A7, an autocross super sticky tire that is fine for a hot lap or two on a road course, between cool downs, when you are chasing the fastest lap time you can get.
 


Messages
46
Likes
29
Location
Miami
#49
A lot of effort.

Front is easier:
Adjust camber at top of struts instead of at knuckles if you have BC coilovers, others may be different.
Roll and pull fenders
Trim off lower 3rd bolt and flanges on bumper cover to fender mounts.
2-3mm spacers

Rear, gets more fun:
Negative 1.8 or more rear camber(and toe change), I did mine by cutting and rewelding the axle flanges, benefit includes much better high speed track alignment.
Roll and pull fenders as much as you can.

4x100 bolt pattern change.

--------------

I am researching running Maxxix RC-1 DOT slicks in 245 front and 225 rear, the 245 front is better on a 10" wheel but none fit under the car. I will have much more forward and stopping grip, less gain in the turns as a wider wheel would support the tire better but some gain....

Later on when I start running TT events I will likely use the Hoosier A7, an autocross super sticky tire that is fine for a hot lap or two on a road course, between cool downs, when you are chasing the fastest lap time you can get.

So shims are out? I saw you mentioned that in your test fit thread
 


D1JL

7000 Post Club
Staff Member
Premium Account
U.S. Navy Veteran
Messages
7,822
Likes
4,060
Location
SFV, So.Cal.
#53
I want shims!!! That way 225/35 or 225/40 is doable in the rear
I am testing shims at this time.
We hope they will be available within another month.
There are multiple problems however.

Some of the problems depend on if you are just going for looks or performance.
Too wide a tire and rim requires more negative camber.
Too much negative camber and you increase tire ware.
You could also rub against the shock.
There also other problems inherent to this car that we are working on now.




Dave
 


RAAMaudio

5000 Post Club
Messages
5,268
Likes
925
Location
Carson City
#54
This might help a bit and might be redundant info as well:)

With 15x9 +35mm wheels, 225 RA1 race ties, -1.9 camber I have a lot of clearance to the shocks.

I did have to really roll the fenders as far as I could make them go without cutting and welding so they are not show car perfect but nobody seems to notice.

I would not go further than -2.0 camber in the rear, just not needed for handling purposes and if you corner like I do the wear is not an issue:)
 


LT Berzerker

Active member
Messages
668
Likes
130
#55
Was thinking Yoko sdrive in 225/35...If 225/40 I'll have to search a bit more, then the 17x8 will be track only ;)
 


RAAMaudio

5000 Post Club
Messages
5,268
Likes
925
Location
Carson City
#56
Unless they have updated it the Sdrive is an old design and might not be the best you can get.
 


LT Berzerker

Active member
Messages
668
Likes
130
#57
Ideally I'd love to good 225/40 on some seriously grippy tires, but odds are I'll settle with a good 215/40...Least for next summer
 


rodmoe

5000 Post Club
Messages
5,810
Likes
580
Location
wausau
#58
If you can fit them 235/40/17 may fit and lots of nice tires in that size at the moment not sure if you could show horn them in but diameter wise they should fit but maybe too wide idk they are 24.4 inch diameter and 9.25 inches wide where as my 225/45/15 are 23 high and 8.86 wide and fit though i am not on stock struts .. that would be a monster grip tire in that size lol
 


RAAMaudio

5000 Post Club
Messages
5,268
Likes
925
Location
Carson City
#59
I would want a 235 on a 9" wide wheel or stay with 225 at the widest on an 8" wheel. I could probably fit the 235/40/17 on a 9" on my car but it took a great deal of work to my 15x9's, work most will not want to do.

On the street or even autocrossing a wider tire on less wheel is generally OK to run, just going all out or on a road race track, not optimal.

Rod has already worked out probably the best solution you can readily buy right now, 15x8 and the 225 sticky tires or even stay with 215's, less weight is always faster given everything else is the same, more sidewall for a better ride, usually, more rim protection, lower cost......

I really wish we could get great stuff in 16" as would look killer on this car to me, 17's look to big and 15's a bit small on some wheels.
 


chou56929

New Member
Messages
1
Likes
0
Location
Pretoria
#60
I have got 17x7.5 wheels with 38ET, is it possible to fit 225/45/17 tyres on to it without rubbing anything? planning to buy bridgestone re11 for drags and for trackdays.
 


Similar threads

Ford Community Posts



Top