Those of you using R compund tires..... What do you recommend?
 

I just purchased a custom set of 16 inch racing wheels ( 16 x 7 48mm offset Front, 16 x 8 49mm offset Rear)

Anyhow, i m looking to put Hoosiers on them and wanted to know what you thought would be the best sizes for these.

Also, i heard that when adding R compounds, you should also add better sway bars, whats your take on this? Just the front, or both, and what s available. I did a search on this topic and all the threads led to inconclusive anwers. Thanks for your help in advance :)

Sherwin

IMO, just a front bar - with non-OEM end links. according to the autox'ers, the stockers can break with slicks and an aftermarket bar. I'll be changing mine out to rod ends in the next few days for an upcoming track event.

What kinda end links are you using?

Take a look at TireRack to see what sizes are available and what the specs are for each. Since the R-series (road race) have a somewhat broader range, you might want to consider the 205/45 front and 245/45 rear. That will give you almost 2 inches wider on the rear, reducing oversteer tendencies. Many folks, however, have complained about high-speed understeer so the 225/50 might be a better solution.

[QUOTE][B]Also, i heard that when adding R compounds, you should also add

[QUOTE]Originally posted by docofmind
[B]Also, i heard that when adding R compounds, you should also add

From what i remember, the tires sizes were 225 for the front and 245 for the rear. So i m not sure if that is going to be keeping the contact patch the same. Probably not, since the factory front is more of a thin 205 while the rear OEM is closer to a 245. Maybe a 225 and 255 combo would be more balanced.

What do you think about sway bars. Besides comptech, what else is there?

Mugen is the only other mass-produced one made that's worth looking at. There are several custom-made units floating around.

The 225/255 combo sounds pretty good, but you're still going to want a front bar. Mugen should be adequate for that tire setup.

You'll want to do the endlinks at some point but it's not a huge urgency. I had a ton of autocrossing and plenty of curb encounters at the track on R-tires with the Comptech bar set to ultra mega stiff and my endlinks never had a problem. YMMV.

A stiffer front bar will reduce the tendency to pick up the inside rear, all else equal.

--Jason

I currently have 225 front and 255 rear Kumho Victoracers, but my first track day on them is in two weeks. Driving them on the street for a couple hundred miles, my initial impression is that they're perfectly balanced. We'll see.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Elistan
[B]I currently have 225 front and 255 rear Kumho Victoracers, but my first track day on them is in two weeks.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Elistan
[B]I currently have 225 front and 255 rear Kumho Victoracers, but my first track day on them is in two weeks.