this is what YOU don't seem to get.

noone in drifting that stretches their tires is trying to say its better for performance.
we do it for LOOKS ONLY.

the people that are really serious about setting up their car to perform its best don't do any crazy stretches, in fact most now don't really stretch tires at all.

while I believe that my wheel/tire combo is much better suited (performance wise) to my car than your 15x8's would be, it is not even close to the 'ideal' setup for maximum performance, and I'm not trying to say it is.
my car is honestly setup more as a 'show' car than anything else.
only difference is my car gets driven like its a race car.

 

[QUOTE=unicorn_squad;8224197]...noone in drifting that stretches their tires is trying to say its better for performance.
we do it for LOOKS ONLY...

...I believe that my wheel/tire combo is much better suited (performance wise) to my car than your 15x8's would be...QUOTE]

Maybe YOU don't, but others try to.

I wouldn't count on 255 T1R's giving you more grip than a 225 R comp tire, maybe not my hard compound Hankooks, but others for sure.

 

Actually Mahjik, it's OK to have a "slightly" stretched performace tire (slightly as in 1/4 to 1/2 AT MOST) your tires' shoulders would stay relatively cooler compared to the recommended fitment BUT you ride will suffer!!!

Black, I'm not quite sure, IIRC, I believe that the construction of the R1 is very close to being the same as the original R1, which they stopped making over 10 years ago! The compound is the only thing that's changed. If that is in fact the case, it's still considered a drive to the track tire. I'll find out for sure next week.

I'll agree with you guys in that the stretch that's going on now, coupled with the high pressures that some of the drift guys are using is scary. Imagine the centrifical forces that that tire is making while spinning, basically trying to expand like a drag racing tire and no way for the carcass (read: sidewalls) of the tire to "grow". Well, you can imagine where the rupture is going to occur-on the sidewall!

~Mike

 

I'm not saying it's not ok. Like I said above, I don't care what people do with their cars. If they want to be VIP, have at it. However, I was clarifying a few things as people who didn't actually read your post, will use it as their reasoning for doing it.

 

OK. Totally understand

 

You need to read more closely.

Just as I said in my previous post, *SOME* stretch is fine... but note the recommended specs, right from Michelin, on the Pilot Sport Cup that is apparently made for stretching. Even the low end of the range is still way off what some of the people in these threads are talking about, i.e.: 235's on 10.5" wheels.


http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.j...irePageLocQty=

 

Nope, just an ultra high performance tire - used on stuff like Countachs. I think they'd be great on my Miata, as long as I run 37 degrees of camber.

 

what about 255 on 10 inch rim? is that considered aggressive?

 

No.

 

if you go to tire rack you can see the specs of each tire and some tires are allowed to be stretched.. some are iffy.. its your car, your tires, your wheels, your life..

 

More details on the BFG R1. Looks like the carcass (let's call it the tires skeleton) is based on-get this, an older Michelin racing slick! The current compound formulation is exclusive to BFG. I can't say any more on that or the old boss may get mad.

 

I would think that the drifters would argue stretch as a performance mod for drifting......makes the transitions a lot easier.

 

That's actually some good info. I've been looking at those but haven't seen many people here use them. Most people here go for Kumho's or Hoosiers. I may give them a shot on my next round of tires as they have a sizes which I plan to use.

 

That's some good info and has just reinforced what I've always thought to be true, that there's two very distinct types of tire within the R compound class, those that are basically really, really high performance street tires, and those that are slicks in disguise.

 

What most people are forgetting is wheel alignment.......you just can't run a decent alignment setup with wheels that large. -3/-3 doesn't count as a decent camber setup.....that's horrible straight-line braking and acceleration, and probably over-cambered in the turns in the rear at least.

Though for drifting, you can throw all of that out the window as drifting alignment is completely different than street or track alignment.

 

Not true. Most competition drift cars are running setups that are close if not exactly the same as their grip setup.

 

I remember reading about some pro drifters Solstice in SCC and they were commenting about it's very odd alignment settings. Maybe the amateurs don't, but the pros (at least some of them) do run some very strange settings from a road racer or autocrosser point of view.

 

If you look at Rhys Millen's setup, he's got so much caster to help his transition and so much more camber than any sane person would run in their track cars.

Caster helps transitioning through faster self-centering. He's also got a lot more toe to control the car while sideways. I believe it was 1/2" of toe-in?

I would never want to run that much toe-in on the track that my turn-in is compromised to the degree that I would have to initiate a weight shift to turn in and swing the rear out.......unless of course.......get it?

 

It's the opposite (in most cases). Amateurs use weird setting to fit rims or because of lack of knowledge, pros use track setups.

Maybe it had to do with the Solstice. I bet their supension geometry isn't stock (Millen completely changed his GTO front suspension so I wouldn't be surprised if he did it on the Solstice too). Or, more likely, since short wheel base cars are hard to keep in a slide (ie Solstive, S2000, Miata) it would take a different suspension setup than grip. Very few people use said cars to drift, so the article cannot generalize drift suspension setups.

But, in the case of most other "normal" drift cars (ie S13, S14, 350z, FC), the pro setups are very similar to grip. This is because at the pro level the drivers need as much grip as possible for a few reasons 1) not get passed 2) more control at high speeds. For comparison's sake, look at an amateur'sS13, normally its slammed beyond reason for looks. Then look at a pro's S13, wheel gap is obvious. This is because the pros have hit a level where they need grip and suspension travel to win. Pros are about winning, that keeps sponsors, and keep the paychecks coming in.

As an amateur you don't need the best suspension setup to slide a car, but it definitely will help as you get better.

 

Well that whole super camber for wheel and tire "fittment" is a whole different issue IMHO, one that's borne out of ignorance and the desire for looks. Those guys really are just wannabes anyway, so they don't count.

The explanation about the alignment on the Solstice makes a whole lot of sense when you think about it, and you realise that of course they don't use traditional alignments for the reasons stated.

 

lots of camber in the rear is just for looks. its obvious when you change your tires when the inside half is gone and the outside looks brand new still. haha.
the top guys in drifting are running pretty much 0 camber in back. although I think most guys are still running a lot of camber in front as it helps with countersteering as the rear starts to slide.

the cars you see in FD and nopi are pretty much race cars these days. they're designed almost purely around function, and pay little attention to style, although there are a few acceptions.

 

drifting is the most rediculous motor sport (if u can call it a motor sport) that i have ever seen. just f'ing dumb.

 

No, that would be "Flip A B*itch".

 

Almost as "rediculous" as getting from point A to point B as fast as you can?

 

Nothing ridiculous about that....that's usually called men's ego and evolved into racing.