thebishman

So I'm thinking of getting a set of dedicated track wheels along with probably Hoosier R7s for HPDE use. My car is a 2015 Z07 version with of course the CCMs.

What are my options in getting a strong, and (relatively) lightweight wheel that easily clears the CCMs? I'd prefer not to pay thru' the nose for these as they will only be used for the track not the street, so I don't care if they're 'ugly'.

Also, what size Hoosiers or other 'R' compound/slick tyres are you guys using?

Any help apprecited,

Bish

Bill Dearborn

It is hard to get a good wheel that doesn't bleed your wallet badly. Repro wheels would be low cost but they are heavier and a lot of times they are easier to bend through the hub (lateral run out). I have CCW C10s (I believe) that are 18x11 for the front and 18x13 for the rear. I run 315/30/18 front and 345/35/18 tires in the rear. This is the same setup that was the hot setup for the C6Zs. I have run A6s, A7s and R7s. I have been able to get the A6s and A7s used from Phoenix at a fairly substantial discount from new. Even though they are autocross tires they do seem to do well for 20 to 25 minute sessions and I suspect that is whey the racers use them Vs the R7s.

I used repro wheels for a lot of years on my C5Z and C6Z and once I purchased the CCWs I knew I wouldn't go back to a repo wheel. Two years ago I lost one of the front CCWs in Turn 1 at VIR due to lug bolt failure the wheel had some damage but I called CCW and asked if they would check the wheel over to see if it was still usable. They said yes and I shipped it to them. They found a couple of places where they had to grind down some gouges on the hub face but called and said the wheel was good to use and shipped it back to me along with info and parts to use so I could avoid the mistake I made that caused the lug studs to break. I did have to pay them for providing the service but the charges were not exorbitant.

When you go with a company that makes a good product and has an engineering and manufacturing team available to answer questions when problems arise it is worth it to pay a little more money for the wheels. This problem was clearly my mistake and they helped me through the situation so I was able to avoid future issues. It was a $4000 lesson for me (due to front fender damage) but it could have been more expensive without them to help me solve the problem.

A number of people go with a rear 18x12 wheel since that avoids the issue of the rim hitting the UCA when the car is off the ground (I have to tighten the lug nuts down after the suspension is compressed). The 13 inch wide wheel just touches the control arm at full droop so I just install the nuts loosely until I lower the car onto a block placed under the lower control arm.

As for the tires. I found the used A6s performed about the same as the Cup2s and lasted longer. On top of that at $175 each they were a hell of a lot cheaper. It doesn't take too long to pay off the more expensive wheel if your consumable cost is cut by 50 to 75%.

If you go with stock wheels it is impossible to find used tires that low so you are probably looking at purchasing new Hoosiers for $1500 to $1700. I did buy new R7s for my CCWs last year and am still using them. I did one autocross with three drivers and put 24 5/8 mile runs on them in one day followed by 8 track days and they are probably good for another two track days before I cord the edges of the front tires.

Bill

thebishman

Thanks Bill; great info.

1: I'd never run on track with any kind of repro wheel; never. I'm prepared to pay what is necessary to get a very well made, lightweight track wheel.

2: Thanks for the info on running used 'scrubs'; makes lots of sense.

3: there are no 'R' compound tyres in the OEM sizes correct?

Bish

rwheelz

Aren't the OEM cup tires R compounds?

I am running 18" for track wheels because the tires are cheaper. I would order a set of Finspeed wheels, but as you probably know, they aren't going to come cheap! Lawdogg has some posts about running narrower 18" wheels that were low cost.

Here are previous threads on this with good info:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...els-tires.html

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...l-vendors.html

Poor-sha

I agree with Bill that the A7s are faster than the R7s and despite being autocross tires they hold up well and seem to last about the same for me. However, both As and R Hoosiers don't seem to last very long before they cord the outside edge. I really like the Pirelli slicks and you can usually get scrubs for ~$150/tire. Stick with a 645 profile front and 660 rear. I've run 305/645-18F and 325/660-18R and am going to try the 285/645-18F as an alternative.

As far as the wheel width goes, I really don't like dealing with the 13" rear wheel and it contacting the UCA under full droop. Trying to compress the rear suspension on the lift is hard because it tilts the whole car forward. I just received a set of 18x12 CCW C10s and am going to test fit them tomorrow.

Bill Dearborn

Where do you purchase your Pirelli Scrubs? GT Racing Tires or somebody else?

I usually flip my Hoosiers on the rims after 4 or 5 track days that usually extends the usage. I currently have 8 days on the R7s I purchased last year and am thinking of flipping them on the rims for the second time. The wear dots near the edges still have some depth to them and although it is hard to tell how much the corner is worn they still look like they have enough rubber for at least two more days.

Bill

Poor-sha

Yup, GT Racing Tires. I'm amazed at the life you're getting out of your tires. How much track time is in the 8 days? I was lucky to get through 2 or 3 with the Hoosiers and I'm getting about twice that out of the Pirelli scrubs. The Pirellis also seem to wear much more evenly.

Bill Dearborn

It varies between 80 to 100 miles per day. If I only have one student and can get on track right away for each of the instructor sessions I can get about 9 laps in at VIR including the out and in lap. So that puts me at about 25 to 30 miles per session. Of course my lap times are slower than yours so I am not abusing the tires quite as much as you do.

Bill

jdmdohcpower

R7 is coming out mid summer in stock sizes. Just spoke to Dave at Hoosier last week about this. Get a set of cup wheels on here for 1500 ish and r7's. Not bad

Poor-sha

This has been rumored for a while and a bit of a unicorn but did he happen to say if it was R7 only or R7 and A7?