eurotom

Nick- good point but again we're splitting hairs.

Jay as stated you'll be safe with what Forgeline recommened it will a lot more agressive than OEM but you may change you're mind once you lower the car. Not sure where you are with your car but track it as is first and then start the mods.

To add to Chris' point staying with OEM tire sizes leaves you many options for tire MFG's. 245/325 you have 1/2 dozen tires outside of slicks that are offered.

JayinToronto

So in your opinion having 245s on the front is worse than having the OEM 235s?

JayinToronto

I tracked it all last year for the first time in my life. My instructor for the last DE event recommended I get a set of pilot sport cups to see what the wear pattern is before make any decisions about lowering or alignment. His though was that you can't tell much on street tires. As far as the decision to increase size, that was all the wheel manufacturer and the guy from the tuning company recommended from my dealer.

AudiOn19s

Jay - I'm all for a second set of wheels and tires for track duty. You will otherwise turn your street tires into noisy annoying distractions for normal driving if you drive them on the track often and hard.

I'd like to hear a little more about your experience level. How many DE's, what run group within those DE's, etc. I tend to strongly disagree with that instructor's comments about moving to an r-compound based on what I feel you stated was your experience level. Stock alignment is not optimal for even street tires and should be pretty obvious street tires or not.

512bb

"I'd like to hear a little more about your experience level. How many DE's, what run group within those DE's, etc. I tend to strongly disagree with that instructor's comments about moving to an r-compound based on what I feel you stated was your experience level. Stock alignment is not optimal for even street tires and should be pretty obvious street tires or not."

^^^ +1 on this. Start with that.

eurotom

Yes indeed even with MPSS and a maxed out front neg camber (stock limit) you're going damn fast at the limit!

Igooz

I used to be a somebody (when it came to DEs and track cars), now I am a nobody...but the rule used to be to start with even skinner and crappier tires and learn the car and then run stock size. Never go to R-compound, or slicks, as they are deceptive and let you go too far to the edge and over before you know your car...and as far as wider you need to go wider if you can actually increase the Tracking on the car and push out with flares and get the alignment with it, etc, and not just in-board.

PS: I don't know the OP, so he maybe way past my blah blah....

JayinToronto

I really appreciate everyones concerns. I don't come from a track family, nor did I have any friends who tracked before I started with UCR last year, so unfortunately I am coming at this from an ultimate newbe perspective. I have progressed through the first three run groups and am now solo lapping in white. In addition to the UCR I have signed up with a few other different driving groups with instructors in order continue this learning process with as much time with an instructor beside me as possible. I really appreciate everyones responses to my OP and am very thankful to have found this forum in which to learn. The purpose of my OP was to gather information about offset and wheel widths as the internet answers I was getting were not satisfactory. If any of you have further information as to the effects of changing offsets and widths on our turbos I am all ears. Please get as technical as possible.

Nick Wong

A vast majority of people don't even understand what scrub radius is, or how it affects turn in, how to optimize it or how to actually calculate it.

Going to a 245 width tire doesn't really do anything. Go to a minimum 265 to feel the traction increase, and change the spring rates to affect even more change. 10mm increase... Not worth the hassle in my opinion. 5mm inboard offset will actually help scrub radius. Anything that helps scrub radius is a good thing in my book. Decreasing that allows the vehicle to track straighter and truer through a corner, driver won't need to fight the wheel as much to hold a line. It's arguably the most important basic setting, geometry wise. Widening up the track is a good thing IF done properly- and usually involves lengthened suspension arms, revised pickup points, in addition to wider tires/wheels.

JayinToronto

Thanks for the info Nick. A lot to think about. I'm really unsure of what to do here. Should I just stick to OEM sizes right now or go ahead with the recommendations from forge line?

Nick Wong

Get the wheels if you want new wheels.

Don't expect huge performance gains.

Enjoy your car for what it is.

JayinToronto

Thanks Nick. That's what I'm trying to do. Just got thrown off by the recommendations from Forgeline and my wheel guy (Tuner associated with the dealer). Really just trying to figure out why they recommended different widths and offsets from OEM so I could make an informed decision.

eurotom

Again The recommended offsets and sizes from forgeline are just fine. No one on this forum who had purchased am wheels went with an oem offset!

My only reservation again is going with a wheel that runs a 245/325 due to a smaller selection in tires.

Do it!

Nick Wong

Some wheel manufacturers design for looks- decrease offset to get it more flush with fenders.

Some design for performance- increase footprint.

Some do a combination.

And of course, some have no idea what they are doing other than selling products parts of the market demand.

The Forgeline wheels are probably a mix of what people ask for, what they measure out for looks, and ease of manufacturing. Nothing wrong with that if you like Forgeline. To me, Forgeline have been around for a long time, so they are dependable. I like them a lot more than HRE.

Igooz

18" better than 19" if they clear your calipers.