sccsiouxland

Ok so I basically Have A Lot of Questions.

I have decided to just purchase new rims and tires to just swap out with my street tires at the race.

First, How do you guys swap out your tires? Do you just use a hand wrench and a jack? no torque wrench or anything?

Second, what brand of tires do you all recommend and name some specific tires? And obviously how much per tire? (And yes I know it will be a lot of cash but I have a lot saved up).

Third, My stock rim size is 15 inch...should I go larger to fill more of the wheel well?

Fourth, Tire pressure ratio...do you generally run your front tires with more pressure than your rear tires or the other way around?

Fifth, How long does a pair of tires like Nitto NT01s generally last? Like how many seasons (if more than one)?

Sixth, anything else you guys can think of, thanks.

I was looking at some Nitto NT01s...Also wondering how much is it per tire for true racing slicks like say a pair of Hoosiers? (just curious about the racing slicks because eventually I would buy em in maybe a few years when I get more experience).

hey rich, i would recommend right now since this is your first year running, maybe start with some falken azenis. Going on full out race rubber will hide alot of errors that you could be making on the track. Second set 15's will do you just fine dont do anything bigger, get some lowering springs if you want to lesson the wheel gap.

autocrossing is all about seat time and practice, you can buy the best stuff out there, but then you wont be perfecting your driving technique. i would run street tires the rest of the season and then next year pick up a set of nto1 or something of the sort.

Ya i was looking at some Falken Azenis rt-615s in 205/50R15, I like the price too lol only $74 per tire.

So if I were to get a set of Falken Azenis with some new 15 inch rims...how exactly do you guys switch out your wheels at the race? just a jack and a hand wrench?

And how long do they usually last? (how many seasons if more than one)

I agree with Matt. get some good street tire this year. Discount tire direct will have a good price for you. Expect 2 seasons for the 615s and between one and one and a half seasons out of nto1s. Harborfreight.com has some cheap torque wrenches and breaker bars. I also got a tool shop brand cordless impact from menards. I bought a low profile jack from sears. You should be ok with any jack on your car.

Ok so I know this probably is a stupid question and probably has a really obvious answer, but do I really need an Impact Wrench? Would a torque wrench and a breaker bar be enough?

If you are using a tire like the Azenis (or any extreme performance street tire) you shouldn't need to be changing tires at the track. You can put them on and leave them on the car from Spring to Fall. No need to lug around a jack and tools. You WILL need to change to other tires for the Winter as none of those tires will work AT ALL in the cold and snow. You can mount the Winter tires on your current wheels. The nice thing about most every tire in this catagory is that they are a no points tire unlike the competition tires (the Nitto NT01 is a +7 tire)

To answer your questions:
1. I carry a lightweight aluminum jack ($99 at Harbor Freight) I can lift either one side of the car up at a time or either the front or back wheels at the same time. I also use a cordless impact gun (wife bought it at Harbor Freight for me as a gift) and a torque wrench. VERY IMPORTANT TO PROPERLY TORQUE YOUR WHEELS!! I can change all 4 wheels in 5 minutes if I'm in a real hurry including torquing the lug nuts. (I usually take my time and it's 10 minutes or so)

2. See first paragraph. If you are fairly new, I would stay with a performance street tire and run them as your daily use tires. Falken Azenis, Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec, Bridgestone RE-01R, Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD07, Kumho MX.

3. I don't know what car you are running... but usually wider is better for performance. It also will depend on what tires are available in each size wheel you are looking for.

4. For AutoX, you can adjust handling by adjusting pressure. Generally speaking, I would run more pressure in the fronts compared to the rear. Tires won't get to full race tempuratures over the short runs at an AutoX so you have to find what works. Different cars will need different things (FWD vs RWD vs AWD) as will differnt tires need or want more/less pressure to work well. I run 38/34 in the Victoracers on my Civic for AutoX. Note: I start with opposite cold pressures (34/38 ) when I go to the track as they WILL get to full race temps after 2-3 laps (5-7 miles) Then I try to get my hot pressures to 40-42 lbs at each corner of the car. Like I said, we don't get our tires up to full temps over a short AutoX run.

5. No clue on the NT01. I've heard that it's pretty decent compared to Hoosiers but I have no personal experience with it.

6. Spend your $$ on entry fees for experience. Modify the driver before the car. When you do make upgrades to the car, make sure you look at the points you are adding so you don't accidentally move your car up into a class you don't want to be in.

No, you don't "need" one... but they are nice to have. Before I got my cordless impact I used a 4way tire iron. (I still bring it with in case my battery dies) Break the lugs loose while the car is on the ground. Lift the tire in the air and then the 4 way will let you "spin" the lugs off like a propeller. Not as fast as an impact, but much quicker than a normal lug wrench!! Much cheaper than an impact or even a drill as well.

Ok well that saves a lot of trouble lol

Alright I will just get some azenis on my car and leave em on till winter.

FYI I have a 2000 Subaru Impreza AWD, stock pressure is 32/29, I run em at 40/37...I know it seems high but the side walls on my cheapo tires were flexing so much I was rolling over my tires, I tried 38/35 and I still rolled over a bit...my tires have like zero tread left too so that is not exactly good.

Ok so if my stock size is 195/60-15, then 205/50/R15 should fit right?

should be no problem.

That was a lot of good info from Jan. From my experience, when autocorssing on street tires you want to run more pressure at the race then you would on the street. When I was running on RT215's I would run between 40 and 42 PSI. Get the feel for street tires first. They tend to make more noise when your close to the limit, and will tell you when you have gone to far.

I will also restate what Jan said. Before you mod the car, fix the loose nut behind the wheel. Improve your driving skills. Become a better driver and then worry about moding the car.

That size sounds about right. You might even be able to to 225's depending on your wheel width.

One other point I have to make about rolling side walls and understeering with new drivers. Not all understeer is due to not enough air. It could also be a poor alignment... but most of the time it's driver induced. Too much speed or steering for the turn will make most any car understeer and roll tires.

Definately good info from Jan- Well said.

My suggestion. Pickup either Azenis or the Bridgestones that Jan suggested. Great tires, last well on the streets and you wont have to swap them everyday before the race.

Nittos when compared to Hoosiers or Kuhmo V710's I can tell you that the Nittos are awesome tires and would suggest them to anybody. Especially people concerned with tire wear. I would put them closer to a Kuhmo V700, but down a little on the performance from the V710's and Hoosiers. I love the Nittos dont get me wrong. Great feedback and awesome grip and way better than any tire in its price range and tread wear range.

As Jan stated pick up a good street tire.

I really like my Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Specs that I have on my Mustang. Good grip for a street tire and it also doesn't get as greasy as the Azenis did when they get hot. I'll probably go with them on my Civic when my street tires need replacing (currently using Kumho MX) for when I run in STS. I think they are the best blend of performance/cost/wet going.

I have heard alot of good about those as well Jan. I have never personally looked into them, but know a few people running them. Honestly best way to learn a tire is to get info from someone driving on them or pick up a set.

That's what I'm running as well on my evo. I love them so far, and most evo owners prefer them to the stock advan A046's interms of grip (which are very sticky and pricey!).

The other evo owner that was there at the last event stated that I could brake much harder and later into the turns than his evo (he was running the Azenis). I rode with him as well and I'd have to agree.

Rich, maybe at the next event I can catch a ride with ya and see how you are doing. Looks like you were improving even more from the first event you ran! Good job man!