Wheels and tires for autocross
 

I bought this car with the purpose of autocrossing it with my son, teaching him how to work on cars, and smiling on mountain roads. It is not a daily driver. I want to put some enkeis on it and widen the tires. I do not want to camber the tires out, but want to squeeze all the performance I can out. Can someone give me an idea of alignment tweeks for autox or what I'm looking for in tires. Everything I found in a search was for the stanced stuff.

This subforum would be of interest to you: RX-8 Racing - RX8Club.com
Specifically the sticky at the top of the subforum labeled: Alignment settings for street/track use

:) :icon_tup:

I wouldn't have minded autocrossing with my Dad...

Thanks. I had been going through series 1 tires and wheels tech.

Can't go wrong with some lightweight wheels 17x9 and Dunlop ZII, rivals, or any other well rated summer performance tires. I would recommend a 17 inch wheel because tires will cost less and weigh less than a bigger size.

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hell of alot cheaper

My main concern with 17's is if he is running a sport edition (has the bigger brakes) will the clear the caliper?

Yes, 17s clear the Sport brakes. It's the smallest that a Sport brakes equipped RX-8 can run. The base automatic with the rare "standard" brakes can run 16s. I don't know if anyone has tried 15s on one of those.

17" RPF1s are quite common in tracked and autocrossed 8s. Cheaper wheels, cheaper rubber, lighter wheels, often lighter rubber, etc...

Its the 04 automatic with leather and sunroof so I think that makes it the touring. Got it cheap because it was flooded and he thought he needed apex seals. I know the auto 4 port is not the choice model but he's turning 15 and he can cut his teeth on it. Someday I'll find a donor and get the 6 port six speed.

I've always been particular to Michelin's tires, any reason why to go with something else?

There is a VIN decoder under the tools drop down. That will tell you exactly what trim level you have. My guess is that you have a GT. Mine is fabric with a sunroof and nav in the dash.

Comparable/better grip for less money - Dunlop ZII's, Hankook RS3's, Toyo R1R's to name a few of the common choices for the street tire classes.

The more you race/autocross with any car, the more you will find that tire brand loyalty regardless of performance category you need is a very poor way to do business. In any given tire performance category, who has the "Best" tires for your specific application will likely shift from brand to brand. Most tire manufacturers have at least one tire model that they do well, or even great, in, but the rest are often subpar or worse.

For example, int he 180-200 treadwear range, Dunlop's Starspec ZIIs are really highly respected in the autocross world, handling wear and temp cycling pretty well, and are one of the better tires for wear autocross courses too. However, not nearly as much for track events, as they don't handle sustained high heat well, and start getting greasy after a few laps at speed. Conversely, the Khumho XS like heat, and need some heat to really work optimally. Heat that you will spend the first half or more of an autocross course without, but once up to temp on a track, they will hold up very well and heat cycle better. They are comparatively garbage in the rain though. Hankook RS3s are somewhere in between, though they tend to have more sheer grip than either. They handle heat well and rain acceptably, and work at a low enough temp range that they are more command than the XS in autocross.

Just a set of examples, but there are quite a bit more. Basically, don't stick to brand loyalty for tires if you ever really want to care about what rubber you put on the car.

Thanks that's what I was after.