Sorry if this has been covered. Looking for wheels for my 98 ITR, wanted to know what people are running/what is known to fit.

Looking into 16/17x8 or 8.5, will possibly lower it in the future.

Help is appreciated, thanks.

 

That's too wide for street tires on an ITR.

Get 16x7 and get 205/45-16 or 215/45-16 tires.

Or, get 17x7 and get 205/40-17 tires.

Most ITR owners are using 15" or 16" wheels; very few are using 17".

 

My car will be my track bitch, but still drive on some weekends. You're saying the widest wheel I can fit is 7? Don't want to modify the body...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wildcarditr102 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My car will be my track bitch, but still drive on some weekends. You're saying the widest wheel I can fit is 7? Don't want to modify the body...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Again, don't decide on the wheel width until you also decide what model and size of tires you're going to put on them. What model and size of tires do you plan to use?

You might be able to fit a wider wheel, but it's not going to do you any good unless you're using it for a separate set of wheels for R compound track or autocross tires. If you're getting street tires on it, then the best street tires you can get are the 205/50-15 Falken Azenis RT-615, which fits perfectly on 15x7 wheels. If you're getting R compound track or autocross tires, you can consider 225/45-15 tires (like the Avon Tech R-A, Hoosier R6, or Toyo RA-1) and put them on a 15x7 or 15x7.5.

 

Thanks for the responses. I guess I should have done some more research before I asked this. What are R compound tires? The last I understood it, any tires will fit on any wheels as long as they have matching dimensions.

I will have this seperate set of wheels (looking at motegi traklite) mounted with the turniest tires for road racing. I'm not worried about a smooth drive with these, just want them street legal to drive to the track.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wildcarditr102 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What are R compound tires?</TD></TR></TABLE>

R compound tires are tires made specifically for the racetrack. They include the Hoosier R6, Toyo RA-1, Avon Tech R-A, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup, Pirelli PZero Corsa, Hankook Z211 and Z214, Yokohama A032R and A048, Kumho Ecsta V700, Ecsta V710, and V700 Victoracer, and Nitto NT01 and R555II. A few of these tires are pictured below. Design features usually include very wide tread blocks (sometimes just a couple of circumferential grooves) and supersoft, supersticky tread compounds. They give the most traction on dry pavement. Often they need to be warmed up to be most effective. Some people shave track tires for added grip. The same characteristics that make them grip well on dry pavement, also make them wear very rapidly, and not grip very well on wet pavement. For all of these reasons, they are generally not suitable for everyday street driving (although some people drive to the track and back on them). Most people who use R comps either have another set of wheels with street tires on them for street driving, or they primarily use their car on the track and not on the street.

If you don't have a lot of track experience - and I'm guessing you don't, based on the question - you really shouldn't be using R compound tires until you have done a fair number of track events (I would say at least ten). As a beginner, you won't be using anywhere near the full capabilities of your car or tires, so R compound tires aren't going to make you any faster. Also, R compound tires are not good for beginners, because they don't give a whole lot of warning before losing traction. So just use your current street tires your first few times on the track. They will be just fine, perfect for your needs.

If you're new to the track, it's too bad you just missed the ITR Expo 6 last month, which is the perfect first-time event for ITR owners - always held at a safe track, with instructors who understand the ITR and how to get the most out of if.



<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wildcarditr102 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The last I understood it, any tires will fit on any wheels as long as they have matching dimensions.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, you can mount any tires on any wheels as long as the diameters match and the wheel width is in the range of rim widths approved by the tire manufacturer for that size and model of tire. However, most tires tend to perform best and look best in the middle of that range of widths, rather than at the low extreme (where they bulge out) or at the high extreme (where they are stretched out). And you really shouldn't mount tires on wheels whose width is outside the approved range; not only could it be unsafe, but it is often impossible to mount them.

Here are photos of some R compound track tires:

Hoosier R6:


Toyo RA-1:


Michelin Pilot Sport Cup:


Yokohama A048:




Modified by nsxtasy at 2:58 PM 7/23/2006

 

Thanks man, great info. I'm glad I learned that, seems like I would have been making a mistake. I have no track experience, so I'll definitely stay off the R tires for a while. I was acually planning on going to expo 6 but friggin got deployed again. Looking forward to expo 7 (and track days )...

What you're sayin is buying a wider wheel isn't worth it unless you plan on using the added width with an R compound tire?

I would like to eventually get R compound tires, and won't be buying 2 sets of performance wheels, so I'd like to get wide wheels for my future R tires, and have some decent street tires (toyo proxies?) thrown on there until then. Wouldn't the wider street tires still do better than the 7s? I guess the widest I would go is 7.5/8.

Quick question...with 215/45-16, for example, is that '97 mm' sidewall the total amount of sidewall across the diameter, or is there 97 mm of actual sidewall from one side of the wheel to it's corresponding top of tire?


Modified by wildcarditr102 at 6:43 PM 7/24/2006

 

Some things take priority and you don't worry about anything else. Thanks to you for your service.

I really don't think there's any point at all to getting a wheel wider than 15x7, even with R compounds. You can mount any tire, even the superwide 225/45-15, on a 15x7 and it will fit fine. And you don't even have to do that. I use 205/50-15 R compound tires (Toyo RA-1) on stock 15x6 wheels on the track on my ITR, and they work great. The big difference in performance is the tires you use (R compounds, if you have the experience to take advantage of their capabilities). The difference due to width is actually very small by comparison.

And if you're not using R compound tires, just stick with the Falken Azenis RT-615 in 205/50-15, which is the stickiest street tire around and fits on the stock 15x6 as well as the wider 15x7. It will stick better than any other street tire, even wider ones.

Toyo's street tires are not as sticky as the Falken Azenis RT-615. For information about various street tires available for the ITR, see this post.

No. Again, you are making the classic mistake of thinking that width is important, when it is really not a big factor, not compared with the kind of tires you get. If you want better performance, concentrate on getting better, stickier tires, rather than wider tires. No street tire will do better than the Falken Azenis RT-615 mounted on a 15x6, 15x6.5, or 15x7 wheel.

I wouldn't.

It's 97 mm of sidewall from one edge of the wheel to the corresponding outer edge of the tire. (It's not always exactly what the spec says - different tires labeled as the same size actually have minor differences - but it's close.)

BTW, the wheel diameter is measured at the bead, where the tire is mounted. If you measure the diameter at the outer edge of a 16" wheel, you'll find that it's actually about 17" in diameter. Useful information if you ever need to pick out a box to ship wheels in...

 

so...what's the stock offset for usdm itr wheels......

 

+50

 

just an FYI you can fit an an 8in wide rim on the ITR, I've seen it done. No body mod needed. It was flush with the body infact. I currently have 7.5 wide rim, but most go with 7in wide. If you use a tire that is 215 in width, you can fit that on a 7, 7.5, or 8 in wide rim. So it's really about the tire you want to use. Choose tire size and get an appropriate rim that will fit it.

 

Well, I learned the hard way, but I see what you mean about make the wheel fit the tire. If the best tires can only fit right on 7", who cares about the extra half inch. I looked into those Azenis, they sound sweet. A guy I'm deployed with has RT-615's on his supra and he says he would never run any other tires.

After doing some math for wheel fitment in comparison to the stock setup, I found that the tire I want (RT-615) can work for me in two different setups.

1) 205/40R16 mounted on 16x7 +31
Compared to a stock wheel and tire, this will lower the car about half an inch.

2) 215/45R16 on 16x7.5 +45
Compared to a stock wheel and tire, this will raise the car 2mm (who cares).

I think the 205's would be real nice with the car lowered about an inch, but will only fit the 7 inch wheel without stretching the sidewalls.

I'm starting to get really comfortable with the 205's on the 16x7's, and I understand that tire takes priority over width. But IF you can get those same make tires (wider) on a wider wheel, wouldn't it offer more turn?

If that will work on the 7.5's, I'll just be hung up on if/how much I want to lower my car.

My brain's about to explode, going to sleep...

 

If you get 16" wheels, get the Azenis in 215/45-16 for your ITR. They will fit fine. The 205/40-16 is too small in diameter for an Integra.

 

Will 215's fit better on a 7 or 7.5" wheel?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wildcarditr102 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Will 215's fit better on a 7 or 7.5" wheel?</TD></TR></TABLE>

For the Azenis in 215/45-16, 16x7.5.

 

Hey, man. Thanks a lot for your help. Hopefully I'll see you at expo 7

Jake