Quote:
Originally Posted by NARFALICIOUS
Does anyone have any data on comparing a tire/wheel setup that are wider & more sticky, but weigh less vs narrower ones on stock or heavier wheels?
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That's too many variables at once.
Light wheels are the best.
The stickiest compound is the best.
Widest tire is the best unless you have long straights.
Your wheel width is usually set by class and on a twin you're looking at something between 7" and 9" unless you are going a custom setup. The weight differences between the lightest and heaviest performance wheels is about 5lbs (the OEM wheel is about 20lbs while "light" 17x9 wheels are 16-17lbs). 5lbs of rotating, unsprung mass is nothing to sneeze at but also not a huge difference.
For tire widths, you are looking at 225-255 (I guess you could go down to a 215, but I wouldn't recommend it). There isn't a lot of difference here either and you could always just pick a middle width to hedge your bet either way.
Compound is where you can see large differences. For example: running the same 255 Bridgestone RE71r's and Falken Azenis 615k+ (both 200tw performance tires) I was seeing a 1-2s difference in lap times (I do have data for that comparison).
If you don't know what to run, you probably aren't experienced/fast enough for the slight differences to matter. If you picked the worst options in weight and width, you are looking at giving up about 2s or less. For most drivers, the performance difference fades into the background noise of their own inconsistency.
If you have fewer than 25 track days under your belt, don't sweat it. Pick the lightest wheel for whatever class you plan on running and get a 225-255* set of RS4's, Falken Azenis 615k+, or Federal 595 RSR (or whatever the 200tw version is). Don't bother tracking the Bridgestone RE71r's unless you are a competitive autocrosser and you don't want another set of wheels and tires to keep up with.
*tire and wheel widths should correspond, a 255 on a 7" wheel will be pinched (and feel terrible) and a 225 on a 9" is okay but a bit stretched (I've run a 225 on a 9" wheel without issues, and the Miata guys do it all the time)
Spend you time and money on seat time, that's where you'll get the most return on investment.