VR6 Tyre size

[kebabman 0]

My VR is running on standard wheels with standard size tyres currently, 205/50/R15s. I've got a spare set of speedlines I'm planning on using as track wheels, and, after seeing my mates results with them, want to get a set of cut slicks fitted....thing is they seem to be much cheaper in 205/55/R15. Would using this size noticably affect the handling of my VR? :?

[samm_cvr6 0]

Probably ever so slightly, I'd probably go for them tho because it should make the ride slightly better, we're only talking about 5mm here.

[kebabman 0]

10.25mm, the profile is a percentage of the width. ;)

 

I'm not really worried about ride quality as they will be for track use only...just wondered if it would have a noticeable affect on the handling of the car.

[dr_mat 0]

Well they'll have MORE sidewall, so are likely to be less direct and more squishy .. Might be better to go for 195/50/15s if you can get them.

[NickVR6 0]

Matt's right, but surpose it comes down to how big the cost diff is vs how much you will use them mate. I'd say thats enough of a profile change to be noticeable for sure.

 

Might help you find the limits more easily, which could be a good thing!

[kebabman 0]

Having double checked unfortunately the only 15" sizes available for the tyre I'm looking at (Maxsport RB5 dry) are 205/55 or 185/55. 185 sounds too narrow.

 

I've done quite a few trackdays in the VR now so I feel quite confident finding it's limits, just don't want to have the opposite affect to what I'm looking for by buying trackday tyres and actually ending up slower becuase of squishier sidewalls. I'm currently running Bridgestone RE720s in 205/55/15.

 

These are the tyres, they're only £42/each in 205/55, but not available in 205/50....

 

 

I did want Yokohama A048Rs in 205/50, but at over £450/set I can't justify the cost. :(

[kebabman 0]

So no one has experience of running 205/55 tyres? Just looking for an explanation on the difference in feel it will give really....

[Joe M 0]

For the track you really want as low a profile as possible to get a bit more acceleration, and you dont need the cushioning as the surface is generally smoother.

Tbh, I would go for a set of uprated arb's before track tyres (iirc your running decent springs and dampers). If you try running track tyres on the standard arb's, yeah, you will get lots more grip but thats going to give you excessive body roll.

My eibachs were £220 fitted (or was it £320 :? ) so not much difference in price between them and track tyres.

 

Didnt you buy an astra for the track?

[kebabman 0]

Yeah I did buy and Astra for the track, but whilst it's engine+box is in sound order, the rest of the car is a rusty heap o' shite. Vauxhalls.

 

Have a new plan now to put the engine + box into another car, but that's gonna take a while. I'll look into uprating the ARBs cheers, only thing is I still want to use the car on the road, so I don't want to make it too track focused. I figured by going the tyre route I can easily swap between track/road setup.

 

Tis a shame they don't do the tyres in 205/50, after going in my mates 306 fitted with Yoko A048Rs I realised just how much difference they make! He was carrying about 15mph more corner speed through every fast corner with them on! 8) Shame they're so expensive :(

[Joe M 0]

Suppose, you can always swap them over to the track car as well once its ready.

ARB's are good on the road as well though, ive considered track tyres but was put off after managing oil starvation with the car set up as it is. The more grip in the corners the more chances of that happening again, id definately at least get a baffled sump if you go for the slicks.

[kebabman 0]

Do they do baffled sumps in cast iron as well as alloy? Don't like the idea of a crackable alloy sump.

 

Was your bottom end failure just down to oil starvation from cornering? The oil pump wasn't knackered? :?

[Joe M 0]

Oil pump was fine, it was a mixture of high oil temps, hard cornering, and the oil not being up to max on the dipstick. (Though it was above minimum.)

Its also possible the big ends werent in the best condition anyway as there was a bit of a knock from cold that I had just put down to piston slap. Ill probably never know exactly why it died.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Its also possible the big ends werent in the best condition anyway as there was a bit of a knock from cold that I had just put down to piston slap. Ill probably never know exactly why it died.

 

Interesting.... was the engine quite harsh at high revs? Just wondering if mine are knackered cause it's very harsh past 5000rpm....so much so I hate go up that far in the rev range. I get the piston slap noise in the mornings too.

[kebabman 0]

You're making me nervous now man :lol: at Snetterton a couple of weeks back I was hitting 132-136deg oil temps....not quite your 146, but still got me worried. Maybe I should invest in a Mocal as well. Money money money. :roll:

 

Kev - Joe's car was so loud I'm surprised he can hear anything at all anymore. :lol: mine doesn't sound harsh above 5000rpm though...

[Joe M 0]

Wasnt really harsh at all, in fact, it was flying that day as kebabman and H100VW will confirm.

kebabman, contact this guy if your serious about a Mocal: http://the-corrado.net/.archive/forum/profile.ph ... ile&u=2486

[Joe M 0]

Kev - Joe's car was so loud I'm surprised he can hear anything at all anymore. :lol: mine doesn't sound harsh above 5000rpm though...

 

Thats my special reasonating airbox. :lol:

Its just as loud with the new engine.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Asim (moonlightVR) drove my car today and didn't notice the harshness, so I reckon I'm paranoid!