Best 14" tire?

[mikemounlio]

I just bought a set of the 14" Enkei rims! I plan to run Achilles ATR-K Economist 165/55R14 as my daily tire. If i were to buy a second set of the Enkei what would be a good track tire? I have been told the Achilles ATR-K is actually very good but what if i just wanted more. What size could i run up to in the 14" range. Dunlop DIREZZA ZII STAR SPEC sound nice and come in a 185/60R14. Would they fit on my car being lowered and on the 7" wide Enkei rims?

[mikemounlio]

After looking at the weight of all the different tires i think ill just stick to the Achilles ATR-K Economist 165/50R14! Just over 13lbs and a rim at only 8.4 pounds should make for a fun combo.

[Advancedynamix]

Yeah, that will be a great combo! You may want to see if there is a race tire shop in your area that will shave your track tires. The ATR-K gives good reliable grip, but the treads do squirm a bit and that causes excess tire wear. There are no readily available 14" R compound tires that fit under a lowered festiva without hacking the car up. The only size that fits is 185 60 13 and that still requires fender rolling and stretching and lots of negative camber.

[Advancedynamix]

BTW Mike, I was correct in my first reply to your PM. The 165 55 14 is slightly smaller than a 145 80 12. The 165 50 14 will probably be about 3/8 of an inch smaller than a 145 80 12. The 55 series is a great street tire. I think the 50 series may work better on the track, but I haven't tested them back to back.

[mikemounlio]

I groove my tires on my buggy (dig them deeper to extend the life and let them flex to grip better). But i have never shaved a race tire. Can you give me some detail as to what is done and what it does?

[mikemounlio]

I googled it! I would not mind to buy a second set of rims and put some shaved tires on them for the festiva's autox days.

[nonamekid]

I have the 165/50R14. They are good at keeping your revs up and are ok on the street as long as you don't need to know how fast you are going. They are considerably shorter than the stock tire size.

[mikemounlio]

I have the 165/50R14. They are good at keeping your revs up and are ok on the street as long as you don't need to know how fast you are going. They are considerably shorter than the stock tire size.

Do they ride good for the street? Would you go with the 55 vs the 50? I wont have a second set of rims for a while as these are expensive (and im already in the dog house). So i think going 50 is my best bet for street and track. I will be getting into the Southern Indiana Regional SCCA! Im excited! Just gotta get all my ducks in line and fast.

[nonamekid]

55 is better for the street as your speedometer will be closer and it will keep your rpms lower which will help gas mileage. My BP car gets horrible gas mileage with those shorter tires. Alot of guys are running the 55 on the track and it seems to handle well. The 50 is a little stiff on the street: not bad on good roads, but rough on bumpy roads or roads with large cracks. The next set I will buy is a 55.

[mikemounlio]

55 it is.

Would the 50 give a bit more off the line tho? I guess the 50 would be more prone to spin up then the 55. Plus with the lightweight rims i bought i think a bit more meat might be a good thing.

[Advancedynamix]

50 would help a B3 car, but with your b6t you may not need the lower gearing. It really all depends on the track. It's a good way to adjust gearing for different coarses.

[mikemounlio]

I have my toe set to under 1/16 total. The car tracks straight. All seems well with the alignment. Camber is set to around -2.5 on the front stock in the rear still. The tires in the front do have some noise to them. Is this normal for this tire?

[Advancedynamix]

Mine were quiet. Compared to my 13" tires, but I'm not sure about them compared to 12" tires.

[Advancedynamix]

Also, my exhaust isn't super quiet so that might cover up slight tire noise too.

[mikemounlio]

I think im just out of line. Gonna do the string method tomorrow. to drunk tonight. Had road rally class today! I will not be doing road rallies. Im not good at direction so it wont be fun for me.

Tomorrow is garage day. Gotta get the festiva straight, and get the audi's in for fluid change and basic look over.

March 5 i have my intro to autox class. I cant wait