Track set-up: staggering sizes with tyres alone
Discussion
Have been trawling the depths of the internet and have noticed a few references to people creating a staggered effect on BMWs using only tyre sizes, i.e. same size wheels front and rear.
For example, I have two sets of wheels; a 17" set with my all-weather tyres on and a 16" set for dry days. Can't afford another set of 17" wheels and tyres this year and need two new tyres on the 16" set.
The two good tyres are 205/55 16, but it seems that 225/50 16 also fit perfectly.
If I put the 225s on the rear and 205s on the front, would I be creating any kind of (good or bad) behavioural issues in the car's handling?
For example, I have two sets of wheels; a 17" set with my all-weather tyres on and a 16" set for dry days. Can't afford another set of 17" wheels and tyres this year and need two new tyres on the 16" set.
The two good tyres are 205/55 16, but it seems that 225/50 16 also fit perfectly.
If I put the 225s on the rear and 205s on the front, would I be creating any kind of (good or bad) behavioural issues in the car's handling?
If your wheels can take them then you won't have problems, but you have to know what you want to achieve. I wouldn't personally put wider wheels tires on the rear in a 323, many M3s run the un-staggred setup. I would also use bigger wheels and lower profile tyres for the dry driving and other for wet in general.
Sour Kraut said:
I certainly want to move to 17" wheels for dry weather but just can't find the cost of four wheels and tyres all in one go this year;
Cheap 17's are out there, I've bought a set of 4 M3 reps with decent road tyres for £100, even got a set of 5 BBS for £60 but they did need a refurb.I don't like staggered setups on an E36, as it makes them understeer even more.
No harm in going wider on the rear, but only if you need it. You need to look at what is happening on your track days first.
You only need to go wider at the rear if the car is telling you it should be, and you'll know this by temperature.
If you don't have a temperature probe, just look at pressures instead. If you find that the rear tyres are getting hotter than the front (i.e. you have to drop more pressure out of them than the fronts), then the rears of the car is working the tyres harder.
You can even out this difference by going slightly wider at the rear.
You only need to go wider at the rear if the car is telling you it should be, and you'll know this by temperature.
If you don't have a temperature probe, just look at pressures instead. If you find that the rear tyres are getting hotter than the front (i.e. you have to drop more pressure out of them than the fronts), then the rears of the car is working the tyres harder.
You can even out this difference by going slightly wider at the rear.
Use what you were going to spend on underdrive pulleys to get some 17" alloys, then pick up some used Kumho V70a tyres from the Kumho racers for a bargain.
Buying new R888s will never make sense financially.
Staggered setup with wider rears will bring on a little more understeer. I used to run 225/45/17 all round on the M3.
Buying new R888s will never make sense financially.
Staggered setup with wider rears will bring on a little more understeer. I used to run 225/45/17 all round on the M3.
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