Jorlain

iTrader: (4)

I'm trying to decide what the best course of action is. Not quite at the tire\wheel point of my build, since I have to finish blocking and then paint the car, reassemble, etc...

But after driving my buddy's RX8 the other day, I'm concerned about keeping up with him. That thing sticks to the road. As far as I could find, the only upgrades I could find were adjustable coil overs (they didn't look like a stock component, more like weight jacks with a damper inside of it).

That being said, I'd like to look at my tire plans. I was planning on running the 245/50/16 BFG Comp IIs. I'm now wondering if I should invest in taller rims to open up my options. Would moving to a 17" or larger rim be worth it? Since this car will see the strip occasionally, it'd be nice to be able to launch half-way decent on the street tires also, but I can do two sets if its necessary. I'd like to stay in the 25.5-26" tire height if possible.

Thoughts?

paul_huryk

245-50-16 is a dying size - although you can substitute 225-55-16 in their place to get a better tire.

A 275 or wider tire is a great way to add grip in all 4 directions - of course you need to move up to a 17" or 18" to mount that size these days. They won't help all that much in straight line traction vs. 245s, but there are some good drag radials you could use on the rears.

Sizes to consider:
275-40-17 on a 9.5" wheel
275-35-18 on a 9.5" or 10" wheel.

I know the RX8 is no slouch in the turns, but a 3rd gen on koni yellows and a set of 275-40-17 tires should maul it in the turns - not even counting any other parts to help it any further.

Jorlain

iTrader: (4)

How much rub are people getting on the front with 275s?

*****. Rims are expensive. Are there any 17-18" rims in production that work with our cars that don't blow everything out of whack?

paul_huryk

They rub at full lock, but so do many 3rd gens on 245-50-16 on OEM wheels. Not an issue honestly.

17" wheels that work:

CTW Motorsports 17" x 9.5" $1,125 a set
Hawks GTA 17" x 9" $940/set
Ronal Firehawk repro 17" x 9.5" $1,200ish/set

All 3 fit without spacers.

Jorlain

iTrader: (4)

After looking into a crap ton of posts, here's what I'm thinking.

18x10, +25 Offset (or 6.48" backspacing) with 275/35 rubbers on all four corners. Might need 1/8-1/2" spacer in the rear if I'm reading everything right.

These don't look terrible as far as treads go. Good reviews.
https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tir...#/read-reviews

And then there's the tried and true Comp IIs.
https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tir...comp-2/p/37079

Anything else in that price range to look out for as far as mostly street tires go? Straight line performance is important, too. I don't want to burn the tires every time I try to take off.

Beater79TA

We paid a magician to do the measuring for our wheels and run a 315/30/18 on a 18x10.5 wheel on all 4 corners with no rubbing. This is not a bargain setup though since there just aren't that many tire options in this size and the less expensive street tire options will run you about $1500 a set.

We won the autocross portion of FBody Nationals this year and with another pass or two would have had the drag times into the 12s running a 255/40/17 BFG Rival S on the Year One 17x9 Snowflakes. You could use these wheels with a 275/40/17 Comp II or a Falken 615K+ to go wider on the rubber and get longer tire life.

paul_huryk

I'm going to say that while those wheels are quality, they are heavy, have limited brake clearance, and are only 9" wide - you really want to use a 9.5" or 10" wheels with a 275 tire. But the Falken 615K+ are excellent tires - I have a set of 275-40-17 and they are as good as advertised.

Beater79TA

I agree, those wheels are very heavy. With the abuse we've put them through, they're practically indestructible too. A 275 fits fine but wider would be better. And I never noticed brake clearance issues but the Wilwood setup we run was sized to fit under factory GTA wheels.