I think that's very a very smart thing to do.

The widest reasonable size I've seen in R comps is 225-45-15. However, it's available only on the expensive Hoosiers as far as I know. Going to 225-50-15 is cheaper but there are other sacrifices involved, and I've noticed that Honda Challenge racers eschew 225-50-15 as undesirable.

If you go with 225-45-15 you will have to be careful of your wheel offset. Hoosiers in that size are really quite wide.

A reasonable alternative that many of us prefer (assuming it's track days and not all out racing) is 205-50-15 on 15x7 or 15x7.5 wheels on offsets in the +35 to +38 range.

I have a set of 205-50-15 Victoracers on SSR Type C 15x7.5 +38 and a set of 205-50-15 RA-1 on Kosei 15x7 +38, and they both fit perfectly on a car with a reasonable ride height.

It looks like the Victoracers will be a little stickier than the RA-1, but at the cost of an evidently vastly reduced tyre life.

 

Is the problem with the 225-50-15's the gearing (larger tire diameter) or handling stability due to the taller wall height?

I was going to go with RA-1 over Victoracers (track days only for now)to start with for sure because of the $$ and tire life. They will be on 15x7 43 offset but it sounds like I better bring the 5mm spacers I am using on the stock rims with the 225's. I am still at stock ride height (still in D-stock), but was wondering if you have rolled your fender lips to go with the 38 offset.

 

How wide are the RA-1's compared to the Azenis, both in 205/50/15 size. I recently switched my Azenis from stock wheels to Enkei ES Tarmacs in 15x7.5 f and 15x7r. The Azenis fit the wheel width very nicely and turn-in was definately improved. I noticed a 205/50/15 RA-1 on an competitor's tire mounted on a 15x6.5 Slipstream and it seemed to look almost like my Azenis on stock wheels, bulging out at the shoulder. Or was it just me? I didn't take a really good look.

 

Both. You can adjust your ride height to make for better handling, but most of us would say the tyre's still just too high.

Most of us would agree with that decision.

One rear fender required a tiny bit of attention w/the baseball bat. Nothing severe...certainly nothing that would be called a "flare" under any ruleset I'm aware of.

 

Not sure how much this helps, 'cause I don't have 205 Azenis.

Ran out to the garage w/a tape measure.

Azenis 215-45-6 = 7 7/8" tread

RA1 205-50-15 = 8" tread

 

Well that should help me out some, thanks George. Obviously if the 205/50/15 RA is wider than i 215/45/16 Azenis, they must also be wider than a 205 Azenis. I'm thinking i'll just go with 205/50/15 RA1's all around.

 

You can't go wrong w/RA1 as your first R compound IMHO.

They last a long time, and they're less prone to maladies associated with heat cycling and scrubbing.

Don't even bother shaving them if it's your first time.

In the picture below, my ITR still had 500# springs in the rear.

You can see from the car's set in the rear that +38 with 205 RA's is about as much as you can do.



The car's higher now, w/the heavier springs and the corner weighting. I doubt it'll look like that in that corner next time.

 

I want to know how much for the T1-S in 205-50-15 that make it a screaming deal.

 

Picture? What picture?

 

Are you being serious?

It shows up here, but it might be cached.

I'll change from the HT server to the AOL server to be safe.