Tire/Rim setup question

SON240sx Automotive
1

Was just thinking about this as I currently have my old summer tire setup on the car right now (was in storage for a few months).

I currently own the following 2 tire/rim setups:

Car came with 4x Stock 16" Rims mounted on some all seasons up front and some mustang 245’s in the rear. The fronts are shit, the rears are very old, starting to crack, but still have some tread left.

This past summer I bought some 4x MB Battles 17x9.5 +15 with brand new Federal 595’s in 235/40/R17. The tires still have 95% tread life remaining.

What I’m wondering is, what is the most efficient/affordable way to have some track spares for drifting? I’ll most likely be on a limited budget next summer, so buying an extra pair of battles with tires is probably out of the question (that would probably be my easiest bet, right?)

I’ll be picking up some Stance GR+ in the summer, and have Megan RUCA’s currently. Everything else suspension wise is stock. I’ll be getting an alignment done with the MB Battles/Federals in mind, so I’m not sure how that will change things if I put my old setup on for a track day.

My current thoughts are:

  • bring my old setup and just rape those old mustang 245’s in the rear (cheap track day)

  • use the 4x battle/federal tires and maybe rotate the fronts/rears once the rears have worn out a bit (or is this totally retarted?)

After this, does it make sense to get some new tires for my old stock rims, and bring those?

Should I run my old 16’s in the front (with some new tires), and just keep my 4x battles/federals for the rear for drifting?

I could get 2 new Federals for the rear, but then I have to worry about mounting them.

As I haven’t yet started drifting, I’m looking for some advice from you fellow pro’s :wink:

I’ll probably attend a grip day or two as well.

PS: some other car info. if it helps:

'97 240sx
KA24DE (completely stock)
front strut bar
HKS hi-power exhaust
B&M short shifter
Megan RUCA’s
Stance Coils (at start of next summer)
Bings solid aluminum subframe bushings

PPS: my bad, this was an effin’ novel

2

if ur on a budget dont waste ur new tires, rape the old ones then go to local tire shops and buy used tires… i got a shop to hold me any decent tires 17 225-255 35-45’s and he sells them 30 bucks a pop installed, if ur gonna run 16’s on stock rims there are a million tires out there waiting to get destroyed

3

Hmm…are there any downsides to drifting on a 16" vs. 17" tire (especially with a KA)? I’m not sure which if any would have an advantage.

Also, what about ride height, etc., as I’d like to daily drive the 17’s.

How many rears do you go through on an average track day? I won’t be going full out and I expect I may not have the power to drift certain turns, etc. Went to a drift day in my friend’s sil40 and he managed to survive on one set of rears that only had maybe 50% tread life to begin with (mind you he’d do 2-3 laps and then wait 15 mins, etc.).

Cheers!

Ryan

4

i dont know i havnt been to the track seems everytime i get my car ready something breaks, so i really dont know if there is advantage or not but since u will be underpowered the smaller the tire the easier it will be to break loose

5

Haha same thing keeps happening to me…and it’s been like that for 2 summers in a row. This time, I will make it to the track. Even if I make it there on my skateboard or riding my mountain bike. I will be there, and I will be drifting. :smiley:

6

haha im on my 3rd car this year… if this one breaks i will be riding a bike cause i will have no money left

7

IMO, i would just drift the fuck out of the 16 inch tires. I dunno about the 245s but if you put some 215s on there you can drift them with ease.

Plus 16 inch tires are so easy to come buy, so many cars come with a 205/55-16 tire size. My buddy works at Saab and gives me any tires that are drift worthy that people take off (215/55-16-I know little big), and mounts them for $5 each lol. I have a pile of tires in my storage now waiting for next season.

Oh and one more thing, keeping good tires on the front is not a good idea. I did that at the drift day I went to this summer and it destroyed the front tires in the end. All kind of chunks got ripped out. Only a good burn out could even it out. :smiley:

8

Get some nice tires up front. And run 16’s in the rear, you won’t be able to drift a 215 without a lsd of some sort. My vlsd burned out drifting 205/50/16 federals. I would say just get some 5 lug s14 le rims, and run used 16inch tires. they are easy to come by.

9

So…maybe one track day with my 16" setup, and then throw on the 17’s and see how long they last? I may be able to afford new tires near the end of the season, or at least 2 rears.

If I lower my car/align it for the 17’s and then put the 16’s on (which will be sunken, no spacers), will this work?

10

^ i did that for 2 years. You wont’ be able to make anything larger than a 205 slide without some sort of lsd, properly. Even with an lsd, drifting anything larger than a 235 would be extremely tough and boring.

Align on 17’s, and run 16’s for drift. Its tried and tested. Its how all the drift guys do it.

11

Hmm…makes sense. I guess I can use the battles/federals for grip events, and the 16’s for drifting.

Is there usually someone with a mounting machine at the track? I recall someone having one at the one drift event I attended this summer.