Staggered tire size on FWD?

[12sec92Tsi]

Hey guys I am getting ready to hit the track again this spring and really need some stickier tires. With some more power since last track season I will have even more traction issues. I was thinking about getting a set of green dot retreads in the size 225/50/R16 to put on my 2g wheels on the front only. I was wondering if it would hurt anything or be a bad idea to put wider tires up front and leave the stock 205/55/16's in the rear because they aren't the ones that are losing traction. I just need some input as to whether or not this setup will be a good idea or not because I need all the traction I can get. Thanks.

 

[Mugsy]

well im a 1g fwd also, i got a pair of 225 50 15 bfg drag radials on a 7.5 inch rim. works great, gonna try it out at track soon, but there just my drag tires. dunno if your caliper will clear for a 15 tho, i think only early 1g with the smaller ones can use em. but the wider the rim the better if u can get a pair of extras, just make sure u can turn with them, dont want them too wide now

 

[98eclipseRS]

As long as the overall diameter of the wheels are the same you should not have a problem with having different sized tires front/back. Two things to remember with retreads though, they will wear out very quickly if driven on the street and two a 2g gs-t wheel is 6" wide a 225 tire is about the max you can fit on that rim. So, if you are only going to use these wheels/tires for the track I would recomend going with something that would provide a little more traction(i.e.- slicks or dr's that are like 255 wide on some nice light wheels.) if you are going for the street/ strip use of the wheels/tires then you should not have a problem at all.

mugsy: only awd's have the problem with fitting smaller wheels over their calipers. ALL fwd's can fit at least a 15" and have seen some people even able to fit a 14." the Awd brakes however, need at least a 16" wheels to fit or a 15" wheel with spacers.

 

[12sec92Tsi]

Thanks for the input guys. These will be used for street/strip, I will only hit the track maybee one or two times a month so I'll use this wheel/tire combo on the street as well. I was thinking about getting a set of dr's but since I won't use them that much I'll just get the retreads for like $70 a tire and I only need two so I'll just use those on the street also. Maybe if I can find some wider wheels I'll eventually get a pair of slicks or dr's.

 

[Mugsy]

you ever use a 255? seems a bit wide, they rub the struts at all? and if u have used that wide of a tire, can u actually turn with em? cause i know my 225's are getting close

 

[DSMJim]

Different sized front and rear are an excellent idea. Check out these pictures of my dads Maxima. It's a 2003 with the 3.5L on nitrous. He pulled at 1.75 60ft and 12.1 @ 116mph with an automatic trans. No motor or trans mods, just headers exhaust intake nitrous etc.. bolt on shit.

Front: Kosei K1 15x8 with M/T 22x8x15, 24lbs rim & tire. Stock tires are 26.1" around and he goes down to a 22" for gearing.

Rear: RX7 Spare 16x4 with Metzler motorcycle tires. 185x70x16. Overall size 25" to prop rear up, same rolling size as stock (more or less within 1") 18lbs total wheel and tire.

This setup reduced 100lbs off the car from rims and tires alone which is also 100lbs less unsprung weight which you know how important that is. Stock tires and rims were 46lbs each.

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