theres a big thread on the first gen section about fender flares and i allways kinda liked em so heres the big question

the two sizes i chose to talk about here are only 2% differnt on the spedo. they are nearly the same diameter.

I can get 205 series victo racers for my stock wheels and run about 110 bucks each and have awsome traction but relativly short tire life.

What if I stick a set of these fender flares on and put some 255/40/17 kumo sports car tires for the same price as the victo racers.


Can the wider hard compound tires offer the same amount of traction and the smaller soft tires?

 

Absolutely!

 

https://www.rx7club.com/suspension-wheels-tires-brakes-20/ecsta-v700-265-45-16-racing-tire-469565/

 

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/street-vs-track-tires-478041/

i have conflicting replys.

just to clarify my question

using same same diameter tire
can a 205 series R compound tire
and a 255 series street compound tire

can the street compound tire compare the the R compound tire in traction
at a race track.

 

That's a big difference in width but I think the R will still win if it's a good race tire and is warmed up. When cold I would expect the street tire to be at least as good.

That said running R compound tires on the street is completely pointless. You never get them hot, they ride rough, don't work well in the cold, don't work at all in the rain and they'll turn into bricks before you ever use up the tread.

 

anything less than an r compound is useless on my car in smaller tire sizes unforunately.
i got a full summer out of kumo victo racers which was very acceptable
mixed street and track time but mostly street.

but if i could get a full year out of some big street compound tires that would just be awsome and cost effective.

i might mention ride quality doesnt matter. this is a race prepped car.
comfort doesnt matter.

 

I would say the 255's would do better all around. And if you wanted to go more extreme you could move to Falken Azenis or Hankook Ventus tires that are in a class sort of 'inbetween' the p[erformance street tires and R-compound tires. I would much rather have 245 or 255 width in one of those than with a R compound 205, on the track AND the street.

 

As a point of comparison, I ran Watkins Glen last year on 18" 255/275 street tires (T1S), and ran again this year with the same exact car set up, except for a set of 274/40/17 Khumo Victoracers, and shaved 10 seconds off my best time. Now, some of that was probably experience, but a good portion HAD to be the tires, and I don't think I could put big enough street tires on it to match that grip.

 

Yes, but isn't that a much wider tire than what we're talking about here? I mean if you had the same size tire, certainly a R-compund would be MUCH superior...but that's not the guy's question.

 

I don't know if my 2 cents can help, but my 235 Yoko Advans (R-comp Soft) took off 5 seconds my auto-x time from a set of 245 streets.