Rally gravel tires?

[VickyST]

Hi all!
Are there any rally gravel tires for a 2019 Fiesta ST that fits on stock rims?
If not, then what rim/tire would you recommend for off-road/gravel roads?

 

[The Cuzi]

I do not believe there are dedicated rally tires that would fit on the OEM 17"s. However, you could put snow tires for additional traction in dirt/gravel. If you're open to changing rim size, there should be quite a few options available for dedicated rally tires.

 

[Pablo Pistoffo]

Most gravel rally tires are 15 inch- you'd be better off getting a wheel in that size. A lot of beginners and rallycross folks use studless winter tires rather than dedicated competition grade rally tires, because those aren't cheap...

 

[VickyST]

Yes, I am willing with changing the rims. Is there any option that you have a good experience with?

 

[VickyST]

Most gravel rally tires are 15 inch- you'd be better off getting a wheel in that size. A lot of beginners and rallycross folks use studless winter tires rather than dedicated competition grade rally tires, because those aren't cheap...

Thanks for the great advise! Good to know

 

[M-Sport fan]

Most gravel rally tires are 15 inch- you'd be better off getting a wheel in that size. A lot of beginners and rallycross folks use studless winter tires rather than dedicated competition grade rally tires, because those aren't cheap...

Some even cut big blocks/chunks out of those winter tires to get even more of a 'sea' over 'land' tread ratio, to prevent the packing of the tread, and to get some 'bite' through the soft/muddy parts of SCCA Rallycross courses.

But I would NOT suggest that if you must also daily drive on these tires, and yes, the same applies to actual gravel rally tires.

This not only because of their co$t, but they will also wear VERY VERY quickly on any pavement, be somewhat 'squirmy' and quite ill handling on pavement (more so than even 'soft' winter tires), and utterly USELESS on any ice or snow you might encounter, due to their compounds (even though the tread patterns 'look like'/similar to winter tires).

I use General Altimax Arctic 12 winter tires (195/60-15s on a 15x7 Method wheel) to WORK/volunteer on gravel stage rallies, and they are just FINE as long as you do not try to set stage records on them, and go no more than HALF (at best!) the speed of the actual gravel tire equipped, rally cars.

 

[oddracing]

If you are looking for a set of rally tires for rallycross, going used is your best bet. Make friends with your local stage rally team! We sell off nearly 100 tires a year that we use for stage rally. Though we take them off the car, there is still plenty of life left for a rallycrosser and can be had to less than half the price.

However, as others mentioned, you will need to change your wheels. All proper gravel tires come in a maximum of 15" diameter.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Yes, I am willing with changing the rims. Is there any option that you have a good experience with?

IF you are looking for actual strength over the zero gravity/feather weight that most on here seek, the top (and STILL available in our bolt pattern) choices are; Speedline 2118, Braid Acropolis, and Team Dynamics Pro Rally, but these are NOT cheap options!

A much more affordable option (like less than half or in some cases, a third less $$$$ than the 'true' gravel spec rally wheels!), albeit definitely not as strong as those above, is the Sparco Terra in 15x7.

 

[DoomsdayMelody]

IF you are looking for actual strength over the zero gravity/feather weight that most on here seek, the top (and STILL available in our bolt pattern) choices are; Speedline 2118, Braid Acropolis, and Team Dynamics Pro Rally, but these are NOT cheap options!

A much more affordable option (like less than half or in some cases, a third less $$$$ than the 'true' gravel spec rally wheels!), albeit definitely not as strong as those above, is the Sparco Terra in 15x7.

Also, plain Jane Steelies would probably suffice in both being cheap and strong, they are relatively heavy however.

Interesting that people run snow tires for rally, I’ve a bit of experience in tire shops and while we didn’t sell a lot of off road stuff I have to imagine that you’d be better suited finding the meatiest all season you can... unless your talking about completing stages this winter. Rubber compounds are optimized for specific temp ranges, and even though I assume you aren’t relying on the tire for traction as much (because loosely packed gravel and dirt may as well be slick) I’d be more concerned about how my tire was communicating with me, winter tires in warm temps will feel super washy and vague, I’d have to imagine that for sidewall strength and communication in above freezing temps it’s got to be bette to go with the meatiest all season you can find, no?


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[M-Sport fan]

^^^Winter tires are a TOTAL compromise, for any ambient temp gravel use any way you look at it, over temperature correct compound, actual gravel rally tires to begin with, so nothing is going to even come close to those.

IF I were competing in SCCA Rallycross I would spring for actual gravel tires, whether the take offs O.D.D has mentioned above, or the less expensive brands new, (than the premium Michelin, Pirelli, and DMack ones), on dedicated wheels which I would install at the events, and then take off for the trip home.

Since I must drive many hundreds of miles to work/volunteer on the ARA events I do, (and then hundreds more getting out to the actual stages on paved roads once there), I absolutely CANNOT do so on gravel tires, since they would be slicks by the time I got to the event.

ANY mud at all would render even the 'treadiest'/'blockiest' all seasons useless, and since they are harder to find in XL ratings (which indicates much stronger side walls, which may be even more important than compounding, IF you've ever seen some of stage roads on which these gravel rallies are held ), I just go with the (NON spongy/overly micro 'sipey' tread compound, NOT 'studless ice'), i.e.; NOT the X-Ice3/Blizzak, etc., winter tires.

ONLY the pure 'studdable' (but we run them without studs of course) winter tires have anything even close to the paddle-like tread blocks found on REAL gravel rally tires, NO all seasons' tread patterns even come close at all.

 

[kevinatfms]

Stock 00-06 Focus wheels in 15x6 with a set of 195/60R15 snow tires would be a nice little setup. Also would be quite cheap since they are plentiful in the junkyards right now. They fit the hub bore, use stock lug nuts and are probably lighter than the steel wheels in the same size.

Not on my FiST but i did run an old Hyundai Elantra in rally-x for a few events and found the snow tires worked great on steelies. Didnt have to worry about scuffing anything up and the steel wheels were cheap as hell. Steel wheels at the time were like $55 bucks shipped per wheel so it was a no brainer.