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Widest Tire You Can Stuff on a Fiesta?
- Thread starter Phreak
- Start date
Thread Starter
#4
Most likely a 215/40/17 or 45/16
I am running 225/45/15 on 15x9 but it was a very serious effort to fit them including adding more rear camber which I was going to do anyway.
Do a search, lots of stuff posted on this as well
I am running 225/45/15 on 15x9 but it was a very serious effort to fit them including adding more rear camber which I was going to do anyway.
Do a search, lots of stuff posted on this as well
I did read through the meaty tires thread; the problem is there is a lot of focus on visual and aesthetics. I need a combination using the OEM offset that I can use for racing.
There is really only 3 tires I am considering, so I need to work within that set of sizes as well:
BFGoodrich g-Force Rival
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11
Dunlop Direzza ZII
Not a fan of the Ventus or Ecsta XS from past experience
By racing if you mean autocrossing sometimes faster is the widest tire you can fit even on rims a bit narrow for full support but still end up with sloppier handling.
A slightly taller tire can be faster for that use since it allows you to go just fast enough to not have to shift to 3rd gear, just stay in second and not bounce off the rev limiter.
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If HPDE, TT, then you want the widest wheel with the tire not as wide so you get the best sidewall support.
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Make sure to check the real width on the tires you are looking at, not always the published width or what is printed on the tiers is the actual width. NASA has at least one if not more tires they know are way wider than spec and they compensate for that in the rules.
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Front has more clearance than the rear, you might want wider tires there for your use but that means rotations can only be left to right.
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I like the Rival and Dizerra better than the BS-11, at least from the last reviews, I have read. I used to run all the latest summer only tires but now only use DOT race tires for my fun days which sometimes is on the street to events.
A slightly taller tire can be faster for that use since it allows you to go just fast enough to not have to shift to 3rd gear, just stay in second and not bounce off the rev limiter.
---------------
If HPDE, TT, then you want the widest wheel with the tire not as wide so you get the best sidewall support.
-----------------
Make sure to check the real width on the tires you are looking at, not always the published width or what is printed on the tiers is the actual width. NASA has at least one if not more tires they know are way wider than spec and they compensate for that in the rules.
-----------------
Front has more clearance than the rear, you might want wider tires there for your use but that means rotations can only be left to right.
----------------
I like the Rival and Dizerra better than the BS-11, at least from the last reviews, I have read. I used to run all the latest summer only tires but now only use DOT race tires for my fun days which sometimes is on the street to events.
Tire Rack has performance reviews of these tires and all the data including weight which is important as well.
Unless I was going to mod the car for the widest wheels and then tires to work right on those wheels I would probably be looking at an 8" wide wheel and maybe just 215 wide tires, the 225 tires are getting quite tall and heavier.
The Rival is wider than the Dizerra, the Bridgestone is better in the wet but slower in the dry.
Widest is not always fastest or even as fun to drive
Unless I was going to mod the car for the widest wheels and then tires to work right on those wheels I would probably be looking at an 8" wide wheel and maybe just 215 wide tires, the 225 tires are getting quite tall and heavier.
The Rival is wider than the Dizerra, the Bridgestone is better in the wet but slower in the dry.
Widest is not always fastest or even as fun to drive
Thread Starter
#10
^^ Thanks for all the info!
I do plan to do a few track days on a larger track, but primarily I am looking for a tire that is going to be effective for autocross. Our main local venues vary by quite a bit... one is an airport, which has very long straights and you can hit some higher speeds; the second is a much tighter course at an exhibition centre lot. Our weather is almost always warm and sunny, we get a some of the highest number of sunny days anywhere in Canada.
I may also travel a little bit this upcoming year now that I have a reliable car to try some other events that are nearby, my guess is most of those will be higher speed courses. Weather over in Vancouver is more rainy, and South & East of us is similar.
I ran Direzza Zii's this year, and I really quite liked them overall. I think my favorite tire of all time though is the RE-11. I am leaning towards the Rival because of the lower price and good reviews... that said, I am very weary of unknowns.
All that said, I am looking for the fastest tire with the most grip. I should also note that the tires will be mounted and dismounted at the event.
I do plan to do a few track days on a larger track, but primarily I am looking for a tire that is going to be effective for autocross. Our main local venues vary by quite a bit... one is an airport, which has very long straights and you can hit some higher speeds; the second is a much tighter course at an exhibition centre lot. Our weather is almost always warm and sunny, we get a some of the highest number of sunny days anywhere in Canada.
I may also travel a little bit this upcoming year now that I have a reliable car to try some other events that are nearby, my guess is most of those will be higher speed courses. Weather over in Vancouver is more rainy, and South & East of us is similar.
I ran Direzza Zii's this year, and I really quite liked them overall. I think my favorite tire of all time though is the RE-11. I am leaning towards the Rival because of the lower price and good reviews... that said, I am very weary of unknowns.
All that said, I am looking for the fastest tire with the most grip. I should also note that the tires will be mounted and dismounted at the event.
If your spending big $ on a tire, I wouldn't do the 235. I got the 235 because the tires were $76 a piece, I value straight line traction greatly, and despite the crappy compound it hooks on the street and should last much longer.
On the flipside , if your spending $200+ per tire and looking for some of the best response/ handling for compation, then all those big dollar tires at a slightly smaller size would be better.
Like I said, between the friction and tire size ( height ) you give up a little bit of that rolling power in exchange for 1st/2nd gear straight line traction.
On the flipside , if your spending $200+ per tire and looking for some of the best response/ handling for compation, then all those big dollar tires at a slightly smaller size would be better.
Like I said, between the friction and tire size ( height ) you give up a little bit of that rolling power in exchange for 1st/2nd gear straight line traction.
Tires are always a tradeoff, we want it all but that seldom happens. The supper stick summer only tires that are barely more than longer lasting race tires these days give up rain and cold weather grip but do grab pretty well for straight line use and superb cornering.
As mentioned a tire a bit taller than stock will help in autocross due to not having to shift to 3rd gear except on some fast courses and some still might not need it, far better to give up a little lower end and not have to shift as often.
Also a taller tire will have more contact patch than a smaller diameter tire so it helps offset any reduced tread width, not completely but it helps, it is why many race cars run tall tires.
Since autocross and track events as well as fun mountain driving focus more on cornering than off the line grip I would fit the widest properly supported tire you can fit on the widest wheels you can find.
Also keeping the weight down will help a huge amount on all aspects of performance.
The RE-11 is the better tire for the rain for sure but gives up quite a bit of grip when it gets very warm so not a great track tire. From what I recall reading as I was intently looking at all these tires last spring was the Rival seemed the way to go but I would look into this more as you may want the best overall grip but still good in the wet or at least safely drivable.
Take a look at the Rival specs, it is wider than probably any other tire size per size, a 215 is probably as wide as some 225's, a 225 as wide as a 235, etc...... I believe the 215 was 2lbs lighter than the 225 as well, 8 lbs is a bunch of weight where located.
Find a wheel as wide and fairly close to factory offset but compensate for the added rim width, I run 15x9 +35mm and they stick out a bit but rolled fenders and 225 race tires tuck them back in though I had to change the rear camber to make them fit back there.
A tire like the 215 Rival which is taller than stock, wider than other 215decent weight, on a 17x8 an offset of 40-42mm would probably be a good fitment but a bit more looking into it would be the way to go, the 225 would not have as much support and might not even clear in the rear and adds that extra weight as well as even taller and might be to tall for your gearing needs forcing to shift to 1st gear which is not fun for autocross. I have ran events in many states, many types of cars, getting one single setup to do all you wish is sometimes a serious effort but the closer it is the better.
-------------------
I love your area, I was there for the World's Fair and originally from WA state, I have shipped a few hundred packages to Blaine and another town in the area for pickup from CA as well. You are from a great place, a very progressive city in an incredibly beautiful area with great weather.
As mentioned a tire a bit taller than stock will help in autocross due to not having to shift to 3rd gear except on some fast courses and some still might not need it, far better to give up a little lower end and not have to shift as often.
Also a taller tire will have more contact patch than a smaller diameter tire so it helps offset any reduced tread width, not completely but it helps, it is why many race cars run tall tires.
Since autocross and track events as well as fun mountain driving focus more on cornering than off the line grip I would fit the widest properly supported tire you can fit on the widest wheels you can find.
Also keeping the weight down will help a huge amount on all aspects of performance.
The RE-11 is the better tire for the rain for sure but gives up quite a bit of grip when it gets very warm so not a great track tire. From what I recall reading as I was intently looking at all these tires last spring was the Rival seemed the way to go but I would look into this more as you may want the best overall grip but still good in the wet or at least safely drivable.
Take a look at the Rival specs, it is wider than probably any other tire size per size, a 215 is probably as wide as some 225's, a 225 as wide as a 235, etc...... I believe the 215 was 2lbs lighter than the 225 as well, 8 lbs is a bunch of weight where located.
Find a wheel as wide and fairly close to factory offset but compensate for the added rim width, I run 15x9 +35mm and they stick out a bit but rolled fenders and 225 race tires tuck them back in though I had to change the rear camber to make them fit back there.
A tire like the 215 Rival which is taller than stock, wider than other 215decent weight, on a 17x8 an offset of 40-42mm would probably be a good fitment but a bit more looking into it would be the way to go, the 225 would not have as much support and might not even clear in the rear and adds that extra weight as well as even taller and might be to tall for your gearing needs forcing to shift to 1st gear which is not fun for autocross. I have ran events in many states, many types of cars, getting one single setup to do all you wish is sometimes a serious effort but the closer it is the better.
-------------------
I love your area, I was there for the World's Fair and originally from WA state, I have shipped a few hundred packages to Blaine and another town in the area for pickup from CA as well. You are from a great place, a very progressive city in an incredibly beautiful area with great weather.
Please take a look at my last post as more info added
Make sure to look over the class rules for things like max wheel width, offset changes, and if you can roll the fenders in case you need to as well as trim anything under the wheel wells as the front bumper cover to fender mount has 3 bolts and the lower section can be a rub issue but can be ground down to clear, two bolts hold the parts together just fine.
Make sure to look over the class rules for things like max wheel width, offset changes, and if you can roll the fenders in case you need to as well as trim anything under the wheel wells as the front bumper cover to fender mount has 3 bolts and the lower section can be a rub issue but can be ground down to clear, two bolts hold the parts together just fine.
From this link and other reviews I have read, as well as posts on racing forums, etc, far better than one persons opinion in most cases and I have had those tires.
http://http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/chartDisplay.jsp?ttid=172
Since tires are the most important aspect, besides the driver, I take a great deal of time researching my tire choices and have had hundreds of sets of tires and used a great number of them on the street, autocross, track...
http://http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/chartDisplay.jsp?ttid=172
Since tires are the most important aspect, besides the driver, I take a great deal of time researching my tire choices and have had hundreds of sets of tires and used a great number of them on the street, autocross, track...
Thread Starter
#18
The rules for next year are a bit different, but I need to stick with the OEM rim width and be within +/-6mm (1/4") of the OEM offset. So no playing with the offset or rim widths. Actually I'd even like to use the OEM rims for Autocross and then get something nicer for when I am off the track.
They do allow to +1 or -1 the rim size, the only thing about that I am unsure about is if they consider the entire Fiesta lineup (which would allow for 15" rims), or just ST OEM rims which would limit me to 16".
I am surprised you don't think the RE-11 is a good track tire RAAMaudio, they have been one of the best Autocross tires I've ever used to date. They are heavier, but the sidewalls on those tires are ridiculously stiff to prevent them from rolling over.
They do allow to +1 or -1 the rim size, the only thing about that I am unsure about is if they consider the entire Fiesta lineup (which would allow for 15" rims), or just ST OEM rims which would limit me to 16".
I am surprised you don't think the RE-11 is a good track tire RAAMaudio, they have been one of the best Autocross tires I've ever used to date. They are heavier, but the sidewalls on those tires are ridiculously stiff to prevent them from rolling over.
Since you have to stay with 7" wide rims you could end up with wider tires than optimum for other events but faster in autocross as the speeds are far lower than a track or some more open mountain roads, etc.......
To bad the OEM rims are so heavy as they really hurt all things in performance. It might be a good idea to consider using them on the street then something lighter for racing as it can help a great deal. You could plastic dip the OEM wheels to make them a bit more to your liking, etc....
I would imagine you are stuck with 16-18" choices for your class and 18's are sure not the way to go. 16's would be great if you can find the right setup to save as much weight as possible and get as much contact patch and control over it....often times I have seen the wheels lighter but the tires heavier in 16's and not many things made in that size now so it might be better to stick to 17's.
The RE-11 is a great tire but just not the fastest you can get, I did not check the price but it might cost more as well, look at the nuts price for the OEM BG tires.
My posts have not said it is not a good autocross tire, just not the best and I posted a link showing what pro testers had to say which is pretty important info to pay attention to.
But, it could be the best for your particular needs though I would really read up on reports on tires, Grassrootsmotorsports, Tire Rack, face forums, clubs, etc........real experience is a valuable tool to help make the right choice.
Also if you are a member of a race club, even if not, see what you can dig up from championship level drivers to get their opinion and experiences, very valuable info.
Sometimes the best tire also depends on the specific vehicle but also can depend on a specific driving style.
To bad the OEM rims are so heavy as they really hurt all things in performance. It might be a good idea to consider using them on the street then something lighter for racing as it can help a great deal. You could plastic dip the OEM wheels to make them a bit more to your liking, etc....
I would imagine you are stuck with 16-18" choices for your class and 18's are sure not the way to go. 16's would be great if you can find the right setup to save as much weight as possible and get as much contact patch and control over it....often times I have seen the wheels lighter but the tires heavier in 16's and not many things made in that size now so it might be better to stick to 17's.
The RE-11 is a great tire but just not the fastest you can get, I did not check the price but it might cost more as well, look at the nuts price for the OEM BG tires.
My posts have not said it is not a good autocross tire, just not the best and I posted a link showing what pro testers had to say which is pretty important info to pay attention to.
But, it could be the best for your particular needs though I would really read up on reports on tires, Grassrootsmotorsports, Tire Rack, face forums, clubs, etc........real experience is a valuable tool to help make the right choice.
Also if you are a member of a race club, even if not, see what you can dig up from championship level drivers to get their opinion and experiences, very valuable info.
Sometimes the best tire also depends on the specific vehicle but also can depend on a specific driving style.
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