FooBag said:I don't know your rear end ratio nor the gearing in your trans to do any worthwhile math, but you could also consider a 205/65R16 snow tire for the rallycross use. This size is 0.2" short than the factory 225 size. Narrower is almost always better on loose material, as it is less likely to float on top.
4speed auto with od. 1st: 2.84, 2nd: 1.56, 3rd 1, 4th 0.70
Rear end will be either 3.27 or 3.55.
In reply to MrChaos :
What's redline? Seems like there's a bunch of differences over the years.
Assuming a 6000 rpm rev limiter, if you have the 3.27 rear end, I'd lean towards the 205/65 size, especially if your region sets up tight technical courses. This puts max speed for first gear at 51 mph. If you have the 3.55, the 215/65 would be better suited, as max speed for first would be 48 mph.
Redline is like 5500-5600. Also region runs long and fast courses.
In reply to MrChaos :
Can't comment on rallyX use but i decided on General over the BFGs to put on my porsche 911 Safari build for a few reasons. First and foremost was weight of tire. General's were 9.5 lbs lighter on each corner than BFG. 6 ply vs. 10 ply. Not quite as agressive tread as BFG but fine for my use. Additionally, I am running a staggered set up with 205s on 7 inch front and 225 on 8 inch rear wheels. Finally was price...saved about $650 on eight (have 2 sets of wheels). Still haven't turned a wheel in anger. Still building. Sigh.
Plus Pete Gossett highly recommended them. He got great mileage, good wet/dry grip and relatively low road noise from a set .
MrChaos said:Redline is like 5500-5600. Also region runs long and fast courses.
Whew, that's a low redline. With the long & fast comment, I'd definitely go taller, with the 215/65/16 being the minimum size. I'd see if one of the rallycross regulars can let you know the speeds they're hitting regularly. If it's close to 50 mph, I'd actually look at going taller, with either a 215/70R16 (27.8" tall) or 225/65R16 (27.5" tall), especially if you have the 3.55 rear. You might run into some clearance issues with these sizes, but I suspect you aren't the first who has tried to fit taller tires on these cars.
These seems to be a pretty good deal for snows in the 215/70 size. The load index is relatively high too, so they may have decent sidewalls.
30s fit in the rear with no rubbing, 29.5s fit in the front with some trimming and persuasion. Spacers let 30s clear in the front.
I don't really get all this worry about driving to the event anyhow. Just get a dedicated set for rallycross, and drive there on whatever tires you usually drive the car around on. It's not like you're short on space to throw tires inside a Crown Vic.
For our local stock class, very few people actually arrive on the tires they compete in. They mostly arrive with snow tires in the trunk, hatch, or on a little tire trailer. I mean, what if you somehow debead and ruin a tire or wheel or get a sidewall puncture or something? What will you drive home 150 miles on then? Not that it happens much, but it does happen.
there are so many dirt-cheap wheels floating around CL and Marketplace, just find some that fit and use them, get some cheap Altimaxes, and put aside any concerns with the actual trip to and from the venue.
true, i am likely just overthinking things.
MrChaos said:true, i am likely just overthinking things.
it's ok, I'm out in the garage with my welder building a roof rack for my e30 that can hold four tires, even though I can stuff like 6 tires in the car as it is and also have a little tire trailer (and I tow the car to most events anyhow!). Becauee I'm overthinking ways to make things more convenient, which probably actually won't :D
Just don't want you to compromise for the sake of convenience and then realize at A/Ts suck for both rallycross and street driving, but now you're stuck with them because you dropped $1k on them........
In reply to irish44j :
Even if he does that it doesn't hurt for the street set to be something reasonable to rallycross on. That gives more choices for tires based on course conditions that day. And the extra set means plenty of spares if anything happens.
rslifkin said:In reply to irish44j :
Even if he does that it doesn't hurt for the street set to be something reasonable to rallycross on. That gives more choices for tires based on course conditions that day. And the extra set means plenty of spares if anything happens.
Oh, for sure. I show up to events with like 6-8 tires plus the ones on the car.. But that still requires two sets of something....and a set of A/Ts AND a set of snow tires/wheels costs twice as much.
That surface in the pic looks like a deep-tread all-season would probably do just fine in a pinch, if that's what his street set is. Now, if he drives around on Star Specs, maybe not :D
Plus, he'll probably want a 5th snow tires as a competition spare (or buy two extras and groove them for mud traction, which I did).
I rallycrossed in Wisconsin, Nebraska, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri (plus a run in a friend's car in Northern California.)
Snows worked best in only half the event locations. The other locations would have been better with an all season tire with a focus on choosing one with good tread pattern. I found a Continental tire back in 2007 that was prefect. It had tight outer tread bands but the bulk of the tread pattern was open. That worked great on a packed dirt with gravel. I didn't mount the snows that morning as the surface seemed too packed, tarmac like, even with the gravel on top. I was luckily right as others had to swap back to their street tires during the break.
I would say run your street tires and then decide.
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