pointlomadave
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 6, 2013
- Messages
- 85
Ok, as the title says. Got these last year about this time, but finally getting around to sharing some pics/thoughts. I have a $25 camber kit on the front also set to max neg camber with the toe set to 0 (exactly 2 full turns on the toe adjusting rods per side for you DIY peeps). I did my own alignment, but estimate approx -2.0 camber or so up front with the rear stock. You will get some noticeable "poke" if you do not use a camber kit and I did a hand fender pull up front also to help with making sure things were flush. There is no need to roll the fenders at all.
Ok, so the handling is amazing! The car grips HARD in the corners. Almost mind bending. If you know anything about these specific tires, you are not surprised. For those that don't know, in autocross around the nation, THESE RE71R's are THE tires to use and grip better than any other 200 treadwear tire out there. With a 620lb battery pack in the floor, this car has a low center of gravity and it likes to stick really well with some decent wheels/tires. It really could use a stiffer rear end however and unfortunately, suspension options are non existent through most normal channels. Of course a limited slip diff would be nice too, but oh well. Pressures are currently set at 43F and 40R. THis setup weighs about a 1/2 lb less than stock. However, some range is given up due to wider contact patch, stickier compound, and tires being pushed towards the corners and out into the airflow somewhat. But hard to get a direct comparison as when I drive with these tires, I am driving more aggressively. Lol. But in some of my experimentation, it actually wasn't that much worse than stock.
If anyone has fitment questions, PLEASE PM me or comment here. I'm a former tire shop manager and have had 3 different aftermarket sets of wheels on this car so far. I'd be happy to consult with you on ideal offset/width for the size wheel/tire you're considering. I'm also happy to help anyone in person in the San Diego area, or meet up so you can see the car in person. =)
Ok, on with the pics, but just before that...Enkei makes a +45 offset wheel in the 17x9, but it would have not cleared the front brake caliper. Even the +35mm offset only cleared by 2-3mm. Other wheels will fit with less aggressive offsets due to differing spoke profiles. Any narrower size RPF1 will look funny as the spoke profile makes the wheel look much different.
I've run 17x7 wheels with 205/50/17's with a decent ultra high performance tire and saw a nice improvement in grip.
I also mounted some 17x9's on 235/45/17's while still on stock camber and saw even more grip.
Added camber bolts up front with max neg camber and saw even more grip before changing to the current wheel/tire setup.
Ok, so the handling is amazing! The car grips HARD in the corners. Almost mind bending. If you know anything about these specific tires, you are not surprised. For those that don't know, in autocross around the nation, THESE RE71R's are THE tires to use and grip better than any other 200 treadwear tire out there. With a 620lb battery pack in the floor, this car has a low center of gravity and it likes to stick really well with some decent wheels/tires. It really could use a stiffer rear end however and unfortunately, suspension options are non existent through most normal channels. Of course a limited slip diff would be nice too, but oh well. Pressures are currently set at 43F and 40R. THis setup weighs about a 1/2 lb less than stock. However, some range is given up due to wider contact patch, stickier compound, and tires being pushed towards the corners and out into the airflow somewhat. But hard to get a direct comparison as when I drive with these tires, I am driving more aggressively. Lol. But in some of my experimentation, it actually wasn't that much worse than stock.
If anyone has fitment questions, PLEASE PM me or comment here. I'm a former tire shop manager and have had 3 different aftermarket sets of wheels on this car so far. I'd be happy to consult with you on ideal offset/width for the size wheel/tire you're considering. I'm also happy to help anyone in person in the San Diego area, or meet up so you can see the car in person. =)
Ok, on with the pics, but just before that...Enkei makes a +45 offset wheel in the 17x9, but it would have not cleared the front brake caliper. Even the +35mm offset only cleared by 2-3mm. Other wheels will fit with less aggressive offsets due to differing spoke profiles. Any narrower size RPF1 will look funny as the spoke profile makes the wheel look much different.
I've run 17x7 wheels with 205/50/17's with a decent ultra high performance tire and saw a nice improvement in grip.
I also mounted some 17x9's on 235/45/17's while still on stock camber and saw even more grip.
Added camber bolts up front with max neg camber and saw even more grip before changing to the current wheel/tire setup.