RallyX tire sizing question.

[Rutschpartie]

My suspension setup is a little higher than stock fiesta height. I can get cheap 15 inch rally tires with dimensions 195/50. Before that I drove 16 inch 195/50 tires BUT without reinforced sidewalls (so essentially street tires) and ride hide was ok on mixed gravel/ashphalt track! So if theoretically radius is decreased by 0.5 inch: will ride height rly be affected by 0.5 inch or will the the stiffer sidewalls result in less lowering during actual driving on gravel?

 

[M-Sport fan]

WHO makes 195/50-15 GRAVEL tires?!?!
(Or are these heavily siped/treaded tarmac tires you are going to use on gravel/mixed surface autocrosses, what we call SCCA Rallycross here in the states??)

I always try to buy XL rated street tires, especially the ones I am going to use for working on rallies, or winter driving, as even though they lack those crazy strong, almost indestructible ribbed sidewalls of real gravel donuts, they are much stronger sidewalls than just regular old SL rated tires.

The car's subframes/control arms/unibody will sit (at static height) yes about a half inch lower overall, all else being the same (suspension, tire pressure, etc.).

 

[Rutschpartie]

WHO makes 195/50-15 GRAVEL tires?!?!
(Or are these heavily siped/treaded tarmac tires you are going to use on gravel/mixed surface autocrosses, what we call SCCA Rallycross here in the states??)

I always try to buy XL rated street tires, especially the ones I am going to use for working on rallies, or winter driving, as even though they lack those crazy strong, almost indestructible ribbed sidewalls of real gravel donuts, they are much stronger sidewalls than just regular old SL rated tires.

The car's subframes/control arms/unibody will sit (at static height) yes about a half inch lower overall, all else being the same (suspension, tire pressure, etc.).

I also found 185/65, this is what i will buy, I cannot rly go 1/2 inch lower, i was already at the limit before. The brand is german I think: indy sport, they make a lot of different sizes of what I call gravel tires and yes, people use them here for national rallycross (not what you call scaa rallycross i think but mixed surface or pure gravel tracks with "joker" laps) and national stage rally but as a low budget option, i think some of them are retreaded.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Oh, OK so the 195/50-15s are actual WORLD/Euro Rallycross tread pattern/construction style donuts, like the ones Cooper makes, and not ribbed sidewall, narrower, gravel rally type rubber (albeit retreads), correct?

 

[Rutschpartie]

Oh, OK so the 195/50-15s are actual WORLD/Euro Rallycross tread pattern/construction style donuts, like the ones Cooper makes, and not ribbed sidewall, narrower, gravel rally type rubber (albeit retreads), correct?

i am not rly familiar with the cooper tires but here is a picture of the 195/50 indy sports profile

 

[M-Sport fan]

I cannot see the full sidewall in that pic, but those are 195/50s?

It is amazing that anyone built (even on a retread!) a 50 series sidewall, but FULL gravel rally tread pattern tire, replete with 3 rib reinforced sidewalls (I did not think that they even existed, anywhere!).

But, COOL!

 

[Rutschpartie]

I cannot see the full sidewall in that pic, but those are 195/50s?

It is amazing that anyone built (even on a retread!) a 50 series sidewall, but FULL gravel rally tread pattern tire, replete with 3 rib reinforced sidewalls (I did not think that they even existed, anywhere!).

But, COOL!

yes, 195/50, there are many other sizes of exactly this tire, like 155/70R13 or even 225/45R17!

 

[M-Sport fan]

Ironically, Rally Germany, and even the latest Monte, have so much dirt, mud, rocks, debris, etc. chucked onto the paved stage roads in the corners from all of the drivers cutting them on hard apex clipping 'racing lines', that they almost could use a low profile, gravel treaded, medium to hard compound tire like those. LOL

 

[Rutschpartie]

Ironically, Rally Germany, and even the latest Monte, have so much dirt, mud, rocks, debris, etc. chucked onto the paved stage roads in the corners from all of the drivers cutting them on hard apex clipping 'racing lines', that they almost could use a low profile, gravel treaded, medium to hard compound tire like those. LOL

Yes 2 weeks ago I went to "Jännerrallye" here in Austria, and watched Fourmaux (WRC2 msport) win it, there where >90 starters I think! It consists of some of the stages that WRC will drive later this year, rly looking forward to it, will be the first time I see WRC live. Most stages are pure asphalt but some of them with a lot of snow (this year not so much) and mud/gravel sections, tire choice was/will be difficult and crucial, some local small teams maybe used/could use the tires we talk about on some stages, I did not rly pay attention to that.

 

[M-Sport fan]

^^^YES, that was also the rally I was thinking about (I've watched all of the videos) where even more than this year's Monte, there was tons of mud, rocks, etc, flung out onto the roads in/around, and out of the corners!!

I wish that Fourmaux could have done better in the R5/Rally 2 (Mk8) Fiesta on this year's Monte.

COOL that you will get to see the 'Central Euro' round of the WRC, I AM JEALOUS!!!

There is a really good chance for snow/ice on those roads at the end of October??
(If so, it sounds like another 'tricky tire choice' WRC round, LOVE IT!)

 

[Rutschpartie]

^^^YES, that was also the rally I was thinking about (I've watched all of the videos) where even more than this year's Monte, there was tons of mud, rocks, etc, flung out onto the roads in/around, and out of the corners!!

I wish that Fourmaux could have done better in the R5/Rally 2 (Mk8) Fiesta on this year's Monte.

COOL that you will get to see the 'Central Euro' round of the WRC, I AM JEALOUS!!!

There is a really good chance for snow/ice on those roads at the end of October??
(If so, it sounds like another 'tricky tire choice' WRC round, LOVE IT!)

I think in october there will be no snow at all, but who knows, anything is possible with weather