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I have been searching for a wheel that I can find at a reasonable price that would be AS legal for a c5 z06 upsize of 18x9.5F and 19x10.5 rear. I have pretty much fallen flat at a somewhat inexpensive setup at these sizes. I have found some inexpensive knock offs at 18x9.5 and 18x10.5 but that really doesn't help with rear tire selection.
The best option I have seen is the Cray Brickards in a 19x10.5 but they do not make a 18x9.5 front.
I am thinking of running the 19x10.5 Cray Brickards out back with a c6z knockoff 18x9.5 up front.
Does anyone else have this setup. The two wheels look pretty similar at first glance, but I can't find a side by side or anyone else running this setup.
Does anyone else have this setup or any other cost effective solutions for trying to find decent tires for running the c5z in AS next year?
with the 18x9.5F / 19x10.5R it looks like I should be good with 285/35r18 305/30r19 RS3 V2's
Thanks,
Last edited by weekendracer; 10-22-2014 at 06:01 PM.
You can also run the 255/40R17 and 285/35R18 R-S3s on stock rims... or grab a set of rear wheels from the base model (18x9.5) and throw those on the front.
Related, why don't people run 17s in the rear and then slightly shorter tires all around? Seems like that would increase mechanical leverage by using a smaller tire (and I don't usually hit the 2nd gear rev limiter anyways) as well as decrease unsprung weight.
You can also run the 255/40R17 and 285/35R18 R-S3s on stock rims... or grab a set of rear wheels from the base model (18x9.5) and throw those on the front.
Related, why don't people run 17s in the rear and then slightly shorter tires all around? Seems like that would increase mechanical leverage by using a smaller tire (and I don't usually hit the 2nd gear rev limiter anyways) as well as decrease unsprung weight.
Yes going up to 19x10.5 is to get some rear tire options. The only tire that is made to even the stock rear width of 295/35r18 is the BFG Rival. which is not the best tire in most occasions. I am not a fan of reducing the tire width from factory 295 to a 285 when rear traction is all ready a problem with the car. and going to a 17" good luck finding a tire to fit a 10.5 in wide rim or even a 17x10.5 in rim to begin with.
This is all true for the front as well, trying to find the stock 265/40 or more common 275/40 is pretty impossible at 17. Most 17" tires stop at 255, and again I am not excited about reducing the front tire size. But front wheels at 18x9.5 is easy to come by as it is the stock c6z front size and stock c5 non z rear size.
Also I know knockoffs are heavy but it is a cost effective solution with the possible upgrade to real c6z fronts in the future.
Aren't the C6Z fronts the wrong offset (+40)?? You'd have to mill the hub face down 7mm to get within the allowance. The base c5 rear wheel is a better choice since you can just run a spacer.
And that situation with the BFG might change pretty quick next year (being slower).
Aren't the C6Z fronts the wrong offset (+40)?? You'd have to mill the hub face down 7mm to get within the allowance. The base c5 rear wheel is a better choice since you can just run a spacer.
And that situation with the BFG might change pretty quick next year (being slower).
Yup This is correct I did not notice that in my research. I like the idea of the c5 rears especially the magnesium rims but I also plan on keeping this on the car all summer and would like my front and rears to look close to similar.
i doubt you'd be able to feel the grip difference between a 285 and 295. 285 to 315 sure, but something with a advertised 10mm difference doubtful, not to mention different tire manufactures so they measure different. Run the RS-3, you wont be dissapointed.
I would encourage you to wait a bit. With the tire war well on it's way, there are a number of new tires coming, and Rivals will be getting reworked I'm sure of that.
I don't personally think I'd want to run the 19" rear wheel, having a lot of experience with it. If nothing else you are raising the car up, and knocking gear out of it too.
I would encourage you to wait a bit. With the tire war well on it's way, there are a number of new tires coming, and Rivals will be getting reworked I'm sure of that.
I don't personally think I'd want to run the 19" rear wheel, having a lot of experience with it. If nothing else you are raising the car up, and knocking gear out of it too.
Thanks Sam,
Yeah I a not planning on pulling the trigger till early spring, but just shopping and wondering what others are running or planning on running for their c5z's I know new Zii star specs have all ready been release and I am sure a lot of new tires will be on the way especially with the 200tw rating for street class becoming official next season.
Do you know if the guys that are running the 285/35r18 rs3's in the rear are running a square setup?
I hope some manufacture makes a fatter 18" tire or even 17" so I can skip wheels all together. I have pretty much reached out to all tire manufactures suggestion this. mentioning since c5z are a very competitive car in many classes still and have come down in price to a point many more people are considering them for racers. combined with new SCCA street classing there would be a bit of interest in a wider 17 and 18 200 tw tire.
Yeah, see... this notion that street tires are easy, it's not true.
Some tires are ok with a squeeze (like ZII's) some are not (like R-S3's). You cannot and should not just say something like I wish they'd just make fatties for the stock diameters because trust me, it's not like a hoosier where it just works stuffing a lot of tire on a small wheel. Too much variation in construction.
No, the 285 rear guys aren't usually on a 285 front but the reason mentioned above. Maybe someone is, I'd not be one of them knowing what I know about R-S3's having owned two sets on two different cars.
Yeah, see... this notion that street tires are easy, it's not true.
Some tires are ok with a squeeze (like ZII's) some are not (like R-S3's). You cannot and should not just say something like I wish they'd just make fatties for the stock diameters because trust me, it's not like a hoosier where it just works stuffing a lot of tire on a small wheel. Too much variation in construction.
No, the 285 rear guys aren't usually on a 285 front but the reason mentioned above. Maybe someone is, I'd not be one of them knowing what I know about R-S3's having owned two sets on two different cars.
Thanks for that update. I figured it would probably be the way to go as the 285's are recommended for 9.5-11 on tire rack sounded ideal for 9.5 and 10.5 I have never run the rs-3 the only street tire I have ever run was zI star specs on an STI
Daddio - RS3 - 275/315 (C6Z)
Otis - RS3 - 265/285
Hernandez - RS3 - 265/285
Roberts - Silly Honda
Green - RS3 - 255/285 (yes I was the only one on 17's)
I hate to say it, but if you want matched wheels, it won't be cheap. I did the cheapest option I could to have matched wheels (with 18's front instead of 17's) and it was still expensive. It only gets worse for the C5Z.
Tire compound/construction will be WAY more important than the actual size (which can vary dimensionally more than you'd think for a given number stamped on the sidewall). Pick the tire that you think you will be fastest on, then get the sizes that work for that.
I ran a 285 rear tire on a 9.5, but will be running that same tire on a 10.5 or 11 in STU. That same tire will develop more grip on the wider rim due to the extra rim support. As an added bonus, I will also be able to run a lower pressure, increasing grip yet again.
Dave Ogburn won in my car in A-Stock in 2011 on the "wrong" tire sizes that looked massively small compared to what other A-Stock Corvettes were running. I ran a square 275 setup on my car in 2012 when I won. I firmly believe you don't have to stuff a ton of tire on a rim to be fast, you just need to be in the ballpark. And as Sam said, some brands like more rim support than others.
Given that, I'd shoot for 255-275 in front and 275-305 rear in whatever brand you like best. Once you get that, just tune the balance with the bar and dampers and you should be good to go.
Last year I ran the 255/17 and 285/18 Z2's on a stock C5Z. It worked fairly well.
On a tire site, the actual measured width of these is less than 0.5mm off the 275/295 Rivals, both in 18's. For the cost savings, it made sense. Hopefully next year there will be more and better options. I would increase the front to 18", but have no desire to put 19's on the rear.
I am still waiting to see how people like the v2 RS3 when ambient temps start cooling off. I had the v1's and didn't like them at all.
10-22-2014, 05:58 PM
Autocross wheel/tire setup for C5Z in AS
