Tire sizes.. road v slicks ?

[Victor Meldrew]

Now that I have worked out a way to get a spare set of wheels and all the gear to change them over to knockhill and back I am thinking a set of proper slick tires might be an idea and a bit of a buzz. What I dont understand is how the tires are sized. Road tires are normally 195/50 15" or similar but the proper slicks have a different numbering system. Anyone able to explain how it works.?


Please, not looking for a thread on why slicks are a daft idea or otherwise, I just want to know how the sizes work...

[mckeann]

I think its an absolutely terrible idea. What do you hope to achieve anyway? 2 seconds a lap quicker?

What springs and dampers are you going to use? no way will koni's or bilsteins, or any normal nitron cope with slicks.

What wheel bearings/hubs/toe links are you going to use that will take the abuse? No way will the standard stuff cope.


I'll say it again, i think its a terrible idea.


neil


P.S the first number is the tread width, the second number is the outside diameter of the wheel and tyre, the third number is the rim size. so you want something like 190/570/15 and 230/600/16

[Victor Meldrew]

the first number is the tread width, the second number is the outside diameter of the wheel and tyre, the third number is the rim size. so you want something like 190/570/15 and 230/600/16

So what would you do... upgrade the suspension for £4k or spend £8k on a talent masker engine conversion .

Its not about going quicker .... it about enjoying the experience more. (that probably doesn't make any sense ) but I know exactly where your coming from regarding the required upgrades.

[mckeann]

Its not about going quicker .... it about enjoying the experience more.

I enjoy the experience much more when i am on road tyres, they are more pregressive and you can get all 4 wheels sliding around in a nice controllable fashion.

Slicks are a really really really really bad idea. You will kill bearings in 2 hours. Your hubs will crack. your upgraded toelinks will need replaced every few months, as will your bushes. Your dampers arent anywhere near good enough for slicks. The car will die a very quick death.

[Victor Meldrew]

Please, not looking for a thread on why slicks are a daft idea or otherwise, I just want to know how the sizes work...

Ok Ok I get it.. really bad idea... just wanted to know about the sizes...

But if I did have the budget (Q2 2009) to upgrade all the bits needed including top spec Nitrons and GT hubs... anyway, just me day dreaming for now mate, wont know until the new contract is signed if I will have a budget to turn my little shed into a full on competition car.

[mckeann]

i know what your trying to get at, but i think your going about it the wrong way. For me, its more fun when the cars sliding, and i'm holding it on that knife edge, thats when the adreneline is flowing. If you add slick tyres (and all the other crap required) then you will be able to apply full throttle anywhere you like with no skill required whatsoever. At least with the honda, it made it harder to drive fast. I take on board about it being a talent masker, as its easier to get a faster laptime, but it is harder to drive a more powerful car on the limit.

ANYWAY, i know you dont want a thread with me telling you that your wrong, so i will let you do what you want with no further moaning. All i will say is that there wouldnt be a thread like this on SE1.

[mckeann]

it was just a bad attempt at humour, after victors thread about the decline of SE2. An SE1 driver would never spoil the car with slick tyres

[Victor Meldrew]

it was just a bad attempt at humour, after victors thread about the decline of SE2. An SE1 driver would never spoil the car with slick tyres

I was SE1 as well you know... I might take that personally... (eye yer baws)

[Cisco]

I cant help it..got to ask..for a definition of SE1 and SE2.

Thick faction.

[BiggestNizzy]

I cant help it..got to ask..for a definition of SE1 and SE2.

Thick faction.

SE1 - Yahoo Group
SE2 - This

[tut]

S_E1 was started up in '99 by half a dozen Elise owners, four of whom are still on here, I discovered it shortly after, and it has gone downhill ever since, so much so that S_E2 was started up to get away from me.

I soon discovered their devious trick, and the rest is history................



tut

[fd]

ANYWAY, i know you dont want a thread with me telling you that your wrong, so i will let you do what you want with no further moaning. All i will say is that there wouldnt be a thread like this on SE1.

heh . . . victor you seem determined to spend loads of cash on anything apart from the one thing you have said you want to do - competing . . . the cost of a set of slicks on their own would have you all the safety gear, a licence and an entry to Doune . . . where you will get a order of magnitude bigger buzz than cocking round KH a little faster than some other people . . . really . . . if you turn up with slicks and a 250bhp engine you'll still get creamed by people with half the power on road tyres . . . you still have time to enter Forrestburn . . .

Fd

[Victor Meldrew]

ANYWAY, i know you dont want a thread with me telling you that your wrong, so i will let you do what you want with no further moaning. All i will say is that there wouldnt be a thread like this on SE1.

heh . . . victor you seem determined to spend loads of cash on anything apart from the one thing you have said you want to do - competing . . . the cost of a set of slicks on their own would have you all the safety gear, a licence and an entry to Doune . . . where you will get a order of magnitude bigger buzz than cocking round KH a little faster than some other people . . . really . . . if you turn up with slicks and a 250bhp engine you'll still get creamed by people with half the power on road tyres . . . you still have time to enter Forrestburn . . .

Fd

Oh yes you know I want to.... just waiting for budget to come through.... all to do with a thing called and SPA... may have a house move in the near future so it will more likely be next year before I can even think about it..

But your right, I should just stop dicking about and get on with it..

[campbell]

(Proper) slicks are for racing cars. Which need serious TLC after a dozen laps and eat expensive components for breakfast.

If slicks excite you, it's time to buy or build a racing car and race it (well maybe sprinting / hillclimbing count as well, don't have the knowledge to say for sure). And then you can say goodbye to the house move, McKean will tell you what even doing racing on a budget costs!

But don't be despondent, John, bringing ideas to this group to kick around is what it's all about and you have a thick enough skin to take the ribbing

I guess if you want to go around corners faster then a Se7en could be one of the few more cost effective ways to go, though.

[Victor Meldrew]

(Proper) slicks are for racing cars. Which need serious TLC after a dozen laps and eat expensive components for breakfast.

If slicks excite you, it's time to buy or build a racing car and race it (well maybe sprinting / hillclimbing count as well, don't have the knowledge to say for sure). And then you can say goodbye to the house move, McKean will tell you what even doing racing on a budget costs!

But don't be despondent, John, bringing ideas to this group to kick around is what it's all about and you have a thick enough skin to take the ribbing

I guess if you want to go around corners faster then a Se7en could be one of the few more cost effective ways to go, though.

Well ia was running soft maxsports but there not real slicks though, there are better tyres out there than yoko's or 888's