16x8, best all around wheel size for the FiST and why you should look at what PCA is working on.

[Waterfan]

Shall I add you to the list???

Yeah, I posted "interest" in the official thread too.

 

[PCA-1]

Yeah, I posted "interest" in the official thread too.

...so I put you down for two then...hehe. Thank you!

 

[Brick]

Let me rephrase this a bit.

IF, you can find the right tire to fit your needs in 16", which I will gladly help you with, no charge, the 16x8 is the best wheel size for this car for performance aspects on a road race track, autocross, good weather mountain run, even looks.....

IF, you need a great all season tire and still want it a bit wide they are available that will work on this wheel but you could do well on a 7" wide wheel as well.

IF, you are into rally, rally cross, just want snow wheels and tires, not the right wheel you need, go narrower, go 15, etc.....

IF, you are into road racing, autocross, etc and can DIY a BBK or live with stock brakes, 15" is better in many situations but 16's are still viable depending on your specific needs.

Again the main issue is the bigger wheel is better mentality, many merits, mostly style and we are stuck somewhere in the middle of tire and wheel choices that fit and do the best for our intended needs.

Alright, I'll bite [MENTION=636]RAAMaudio[/MENTION] .

A week before PCA put out the heads up for the 16x8 I had inquired about the 15x8. The 15x8 would allow for some cheap, high quality rubber in a 205/50/15 size. I live in the high desert of california where we average 5 inches of rain a year. I don't ever see snow. It rarely drops below 40 degrees in the winter time. I was honestly just thinking of running summer tires all year long as I have another vehicle if the weather is ever bad.

What tire would you run on a car that gets driven 7,000 miles a year with 25% of those associated with fun drives on the weekends, 10 mile round trip commutes mon-friday, occasional autocross (for fun, dont care about class), canyon carving and the occasional track day? I was thinking of just getting some RE-71Rs and calling it a day, but they are considerably cheaper in the 15 inch size. 16 inch MAY allow for larger brakes in the future, but that's still TBD. I'm having a hard time seeing the benefits of the 16 inch wheel other than potentially brakes, and perhaps being stiffer as a wheel+tire combo than a 15 inch wheel+tire combo. I'm planning to keep this car hopefully 10 years.

Also, as a bonus question, what street tire would you run for track days if I really got into this and wanted to buy some rubber just for the track? Not wanting to roll fenders.