New tires and I LOVE MY WIFE!

[Z-man]

Ok, how can the two items in the topic line be connected? Read on:

I just spent **cough**over $3500.00**cough** on my car since January: maintenance (120k mile service plust other things that needed attention), and various items for track use (fire extinguisher & mount, brake fluid, tranny oil, harness bar and harness setup...etc). So anyway, looking at my front tires, I realize my tread's gone, and that I'll probably fail tech and not be able to attend Lime Rock in April. I call my tire guy (Eurotire in Fairfield), and he gives me some options on what to do.

Of course, before I make an oppointment, I make sure to clear it with the boss. (Basically I tell her I need new tires, and it aint gonna be cheap) Here's my wife's response via email:

You darn pesty kid! I guess that is fine.I'll talk to you later.
Love you
Kim

Does she love me or what?

Bottom line:
Looking to either get the stock setup: 205/55 VR16's in the front, 225/50 VR 16's in the rear, or I may go with bigger rubber: 225/50 VR16's up front, 245/45 VR16's in the rear! And I'll have the suspension geometery reset (camber, caster, toe-in) for a more aggressive stance at autox and track. (That way, I won't wear out my outside treads on the front tires so quickly!) My wheels should be able to handle the extra width (7x16J's in the front, 8x16J's in the rear).

Any comments on the tires? Should I worry MORE about my A-arms with the extra grip the 225's in the front will have? Does my wife love me or what?!?!? She's the prettiest thing too!

Thanks,
-Zoltan.

[Bob's944]

I think you should already be on those size tires (since you have the 16x7, 16x8 rims already). Those 205s you have up front are skinnier than the stock 15"ers 215/60s... with 225s and 245s you'll be gaining nearly an inch more rubber on the road, that's somewhere around a 15-20% gain in footprint.

[2coupes]

"You darn pesty kid", boy, never heard that at my house !! In fact I usually long for the days when I heard that sort of stuff on the Brady Bunch etc. You are indeed fortunate,but now to the basics, I'd probably go for the wider rubber if your arms are in good cond. I put the same on mine in a 17" cup rim and it was as if someone glued the car to a rail,and that was a 944na. Check your clearances in the rear with the stock rubber on to make sure there is equal clearance on both sides before you buy 'em,you can probably do this either before or after you take your wife out to DINNER !!! Good for ya!

[fty]

I gott aget a wife like taht....I still have a good while to find one though.....I think Im draggin my gf to the swao meet..Ill make my judgements on how she reacts to being bobarded with 100's of porsches...if she loves it...she can sign on the dotted line...- your lucky Z-man-chris

[Dantilla]

I wouldn't worry about the A-arms if you are on DOT tires unless you have lowered the car enough so that the arms point up towards the outside.

Just periodically check for play at the ball joints.

[JGriff]

Originally posted by Z-man
Bottom line:
Looking to either get the stock setup: 205/55 VR16's in the front, 225/50 VR 16's in the rear, or I may go with bigger rubber: 225/50 VR16's up front, 245/45 VR16's in the rear! My wheels should be able to handle the extra width (7x16J's in the front, 8x16J's in the rear).

You should be fine with the bigger tires front and rear. When I bought my S2, the PO included with the deal a set (actually, six of them) of Phone Dial rims with heat-cycled track tires mounted on them. The tires are 225s for the front, and 245s for the rear. That is what he was using on the track without a problem.

On the car right now are the OEM Design 90 wheels, with 205s up front, and 245s in the rear. I'm guessing that the rears had worn out before the fronts, and he chose to put on the 245s when he replaced them, and that he was going to put 225s on the front when the time came to replace them. That is most likely what I'll do when I need new front tires.

Jim

[Blackfoot]

does your wife have a sister?

[1.2gees]

That's an awesome response from your wife... I personally don't like it when somebody who doesn't understand the passion I (we) have for cars tries to 'reason' with me about my decisions concerning this stuff...

Anyway, I would most certainly go with 225 and 245s, this is the same guy who put 245s on 7 inch cookies with an even lower aspect ratio than your 245s will be on 8 inch rims!

However I would also recommend Tire Rack over your guy at a local store. Maybe I'm being pre-judgemental, at least do yourself a favor and compare prices.

We still need to meet up, I'm planning on taking a trip up the east coast to visit my sister (she's in RI), already contemplating stopping by ribs, perhaps a few others as things fold out. Maybe I'll come to CT for a track day, keep in touch.
Ahmet

[wolfrpi]

Since its come time to replace tires, I'd go all out and replace the wheels also if you have the extra bucks. A set of 17s would sure make that S2 look sweet. Tire rack has some really good deals on wheels with tires in 17s.

[2coupes]

Well not that I know for sure, but, if your tracking that means you're probably running about 40-50lbs in those tires, minimum.So having said that the original cookies may be a bit thin width wise,meaning that you are probably less better off than you were with less tire but more pressure in the smaller tire/wheel,ie;direct contact patch, which in turn means that depending on the tire compound/tire pressure/and bead width, you may indeed be better off investing in wider rims with a lower aspect ratio. I've done some SCCA and that's all I have for background. I'd do it now since your loving,understanding wife has accepted the fact that you're as crazy as she thought to begin with. Jim H

[kukunaokala]

I would like to think this thread is about "How do you maintain maritial bliss?" instead of tire sizes. Ever since I purchased this car it has been a source of consternation that is , until I bought her a new car.

Aloha, Neal

[Z-man]

Originally posted by wolfrpi
Since its come time to replace tires, I'd go all out and replace the wheels also if you have the extra bucks. A set of 17s would sure make that S2 look sweet. Tire rack has some really good deals on wheels with tires in 17s.

The 16" wheels I have are fine for me. If I go with 17" wheels, then that would bump me out of stock classes in PCA autocross. The VP of our club runs a 944S2 in improved class, and I'm not quite ready to go head to head with him!

BTW: my wheels aren't the stock phone dials: I've got the 968 wheels on:


Maybe next year, I'll look into a second set of wheels for track tires... I shouldn't push my luck...

-Z.

[PorscheG96]

Your car looks excellent with the 16" 968 wheels, ignore what they say!

[Z-man]

Originally posted by 1.2gees
We still need to meet up, I'm planning on taking a trip up the east coast to visit my sister (she's in RI), already contemplating stopping by ribs, perhaps a few others as things fold out. Maybe I'll come to CT for a track day, keep in touch.
Ahmet

Ahmet:
Definately! I am signed up for Lime Rock April 4-5, and Pocono, April 13-14. Lime Rock is pretty much closed, except for upper run groups. I'm putting a 6 point harness in to keep my body from moving about. Should help give me a better feel of what the car's doing.
Next track events with PCA-NNJR are:
Mid-Ohio: June 7-9
Watkins Glen: June 28-30 (BIG PCA Zone-1 event)
Pocono: July 6-7
Note: there are other track events in NE, I just listed the upcoming NNJR region events.

Hope to see ya at one or more events...
-Z.

PS: PorscheG96: thanks for the comment! Yeah, I do like the wheels that I have! No need to go with 17's. Tires go up substantially in price once you go that diameter, especially track rubber....