AutoX Wheel/Tire Setup

[Animate]

I'm looking at the following wheel tire combination for Autocross. If there's anyone else here running this combo please post your thoughts...or even if you're not running it.

Front:
Wheel: SSR Competitions 16 x 7.5 42mm offset
Tire: Hoosier A3S03 215 40 16

Rear:
Wheel: SSR Competition 17 x 8.5 42mm offset
Tire: Hoosier A3S03 245 40 17

The tires can be optionally heat cycled. Is that a worthwhile option? The cost is approx $15 extra per tire.

TIA

 

[Animate]

Here's the tire...

 

[Nimbus]

Looks good, but if you're planning on keeping in stock class, your front rim width is too wide to be legal. You'll need 16x7 front and 17x8.5 rear to remain in stock class.

 

[Animate]

Nimbus: thanks for the heads up on the rules. I just took a look at the rules for stock and it looks like I've already broken out with my Eibach lowering springs. I actually wanted to get 16x7 fronts but I don't think the SSR comps are available in that size... from Tirerack anyway.

In addition to the rim width it looks like we're only allowed +/- .25 inch deviation from stock wheel offset so I'd be guilty on that count as well.

 

[Tank]

IMO, unless you're driving a Zanardi edition, stock class is not a good place for the NSX. Do the suspension, do the wheels and tires, and race in ASP. It's a lot more fun and a lot more competition.

 

[Viper Driver]

......or get the short gears and r&p and go to SM2................

 

[Animate]

Viper Driver: Why the frown? Did the short gears/R&P not help as much as you'd hoped, or was the class change unexpected?

 

[Viper Driver]

This is my first season Auto-X'ing, so I can't really say whether or not the short gears & r&p help or not. I'm sure the r&p does help some. I didn't take Auto-X into consideration when I got these installed, but in retrospect I wouldn't change a thing, anyway.

My "frown" is because if the NSX here in the USA had these genuine HONDA options available (ie, NSX-R and/or the RIGHT transmission gearing,) then my car would be legal to run in ASP. But, because of the genuine Honda parts in my transmission, I am running against a limited production Dinan supercharged BMW Z3 and a supercharged Miata. I'll put it in perspective on how low I am on the totem pole......I can supercharge my car and still be in the same class.

Like I said, though, I enjoy my car a lot more now that I have the r&p/short gears done..........sorry to take this thread off-topic.

Chuck

 

[Animate]

Ok, I understand... It's my first season too. So far it's just great just to be out there. I haven't given much regard to the classes, and in fact am just beginning to understand the distinction between them.

One consolation for you is that you now have the freedom to modify at will without jumping out of class again.

And with respect to the wheel/tire issue. I'm still contemplating the setup I posted. The main hangup is that I can't determine if those Comp wheels will fit on the front of my 94. Based on other models Tirerack sells I'm pretty sure the rear will fit.

If anyone is aware of someone successfully running the SSR Comp in 16 x7.5 on the front please let me know.

 

[NSXT]

C'mon Chuck, SM2 ain't so bad. Just wait for Mike to show up with his SM2 modded C5.

As for Animate's very pretty tires/wheels, I can't tell you if the SSRs fit, but the combo is expensive. Also, the A3S03 wears out much faster than the R3S03, for a minor cold grip increase. Unless you are serious enough to go to Nationals, my recommendation is to find a set of used 15/16 wheels (cheap!), and run Kumho Victoracers, at least for the first couple of seasons. Scrub and heat cycle them by driving them on the street 50 miles or so. It will be a weak heat cycle, but they will get better after a few autocrosses.

1) Learn the line, 2) learn the car, 3) figure out tire pressure 4) camber and 5) toe. You'll be running 95% overall pax just by getting to (3). It took me almost a year before I could routinely beat the faster stock Miatas. Its easy to blame the car/tires for not doing well, but, in reality, a good driver can make even a bad car take top ten. If you don't think this is true, I dare you to hand your key to a top pax driver. In any case, most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!!

 

[Tank]

1) Learn the line, 2) learn the car, 3) figure out tire pressure 4) camber and 5) toe. You'll be running 95% overall pax just by getting to (3). It took me almost a year before I could routinely beat the faster stock Miatas. Its easy to blame the car/tires for not doing well, but, in reality, a good driver can make even a bad car take top ten. If you don't think this is true, I dare you to hand your key to a top pax driver. In any case, most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!!

I couldn't agree more, assuming you're on R compund tires. Although here in SoCal you'll need to get to #5 to be up there in PAX. Too many national champions and way too many cars that show up on trailers. SM2 here is absolute murder. You'd have to spend some serious money as well as be a great driver to mix it up in that class. Outside a BBSC, I'd still say do whatever you have to do (wink-wink, nudge-nudge, know-what-I-mean) to stay in at least ASP.

At this point - before I did a much more aggressive camber/toe -I've let 6 of the fastest drivers in the country take my car out. I beat all 6. This comes back to #2 above. The NSX is not an easy car to learn for anyone that doesn't have a lot of time in a mid-engine, long wheel-base car. OTOH, their input told me the kind of suspension mods I needed to do. Which have really paid off. I highly recommend letting really fast guys drive your car. Half of the ones that drove mine spun it on the first run. Now when they see the times I'm getting, they have a real appreciation for my skill level. If they learned my car, it'd be a different story.

But as NSXT says, the only important thing is to have fun. And what better car to do that in.