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[norMcal]

I see that a lot of track guys are using dedicated track wheels & tires and in many case go down a size or two and get 17" wheels in order to save money on the tires. It is pretty amazing how much cheaper 17" rubber is, compared to 19", so I can see how that makes sense. Maybe the weight is another benefit?

Anyway, I'm doing an auto-x about every month and so far I have just used my 19" wheels and tires (Hankook V12's). They are shot now and I would like to get something that works better, like Hankook R-S3's, or maybe a Toyo tire, on some dedicated wheels. I have the stock 18" sports package wheels, but usually use those for the few winter months we have here, as we get occasional snow. So I'm not sure if I should get 18" auto-x tires and use my stock wheels (would have to mount and dismount them in the winter) or buy another set of 17" wheels?

I'm also wondering if the stock 18"s are wide enough for competitive tires? Should I go square or staggered?

I don't necessarily have too much understeer. I mean any car will plow if you go too fast in to a corner, but being that I have 500 ft/lbs of torque (335d) and lots of negative camber up front, I don't seem to have problem creating oversteer. My problem is getting on the power out of the turns and just grip in general. The Hankook's v12 are pretty useless on a hot day, but maybe it's because they are at the end of their live cycle.

I would gladly get some input on what more experienced autox's are using as far as wheels and tires go.

Thanks,
Norm

[VMRWheels]

Yeah, most guys bump down in size mainly for the weight savings more so than the price difference. If you're having traction problems coming out of turns, go with a staggered setup. Wider tires in the rear will help you power out of corners. If money is a huge concern, you can simply mount some sticky tires onto your stock 18's for the track and keep your 19's for the street. However, since they're stock wheels which is only a 7.5 to 8inch width, you won't be able to use wide tires without squeezing them in. A lot of guys actually track on our VMR's and I can set you up with an affordable set of 18x8.5 square or staggered 18x8.5, 18x9.5. The weight is comparable to your stock wheels but since they're wider, you'll have more options for tires.