3.3TT Best tire width for square all-season 18" setup?

[ElChanclo]

I've caught the track day bug and decided to save the stock 19" staggered rims & tires for "racing" days, and get some comfortable all-seasons for daily driving.

I have a set of really nice 18x8 rims but can't decide on a width for all 4 corners to compromise between the stock 225 fronts and 255 rears.

The tires will probably be 235/45 or 245/45 all around, but 235 feels a little narrow for the rear, and 245 feels too wide for fronts.

(Also trying to choose between "Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+" and "Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4" tires)

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated .

 

[Ohiocruiser]

245/40-18 all around works great for me.

 

[Volfy]

235/45R18 for everyday driving on my 2.0T. I agree it's not enough to handle the torque the 3.3T can put down, even for street use, unless you have really good throttle discipline. Most folks don't. Good for winter tire setup though,

How much do your 18x8 weigh?

Problem with 18x8 is that they are not wide enough to support a 255 width tire well. We run 255/40R18 A/S tires on 18x8.5 and they work well for every day driving. You could mount 255 on 18x8, but cornering forces will produce more tire squirm. I'd say 245/40R18 is probably your best bet on those 18x8s.

BTW, the stock wheels are wayyy too heavy to make good track rollers. If I were you, I would do it the other way around and use them for everyday driving instead.

 

[ElChanclo]

How much do your 18x8 weigh?

BTW, the stock wheels are wayyy too heavy to make good track rollers. If I were you, I would do it the other way around and use them for everyday driving instead.

I haven't weighed them yet, I just want more sidewall as my 18" winters are WAY more comfortable on daily roads. The car is a bit more spongy on sharp corners but I don't mind now that I can go ham at the track.

Tracking is still totally new to me but a lighter 19" staggered setup (on cup 2s?) is on the upgrade shortlist, maybe once I wear out the factory PS4s tires.

 

[Volfy]

I haven't weighed them yet, I just want more sidewall as my 18" winters are WAY more comfortable on daily roads. The car is a bit more spongy on sharp corners but I don't mind now that I can go ham at the track.

Tracking is still totally new to me but a lighter 19" staggered setup (on cup 2s?) is on the upgrade shortlist, maybe once I wear out the factory PS4s tires.

This is so true. Running track has a calming effect on my street demeanor. Not that I ever cared for street racing and all that nonsense, but having experience near 10/10th track pace, none of the street heroics seems worth the bother. I enjoy carving the occasional corner here and there, but that's about it.

Stinger is such a versatile GT car, it can ride like a magic carpet if you get it set up right.

 

[ElChanclo]

This is so true. Running track has a calming effect on my street demeanor.

Once I had the chance to put the pedal to the metal, screech the tires and burn some rubber on the track it satisfied my curiosity and took the ego out of daily driving.

I'll still punch it on an empty road once in a while but there's nothing to "prove" on the road anymore. Money well spent.

 

[Volfy]

To me, it's first and foremost about knowing exactly where my limits are, and knowing exactly how the car will react near its limits. Track does that.
Knowing that makes me a safer driver on public roads. It's the same as with motorcycling. Once I know where my 10/10th track pace is, I stay well south of that on the street. I can have relaxed fun carving twisties all day at 6/10th track pace, knowing I've got plenty headroom left, in case I run into some situation mid corner and had to tighten up my line. Track lessons kick in, muscle memory takes over, and I still have 3 or 4/10th reserve left to get me safely out of trouble.

I'm not much into straight line speeds... on street or at the track. The last Track Sprint I did at MSR Houston has 3 long back straights, where my Stinger got up to ~105 mph. Once I got the braking point down after a few laps, those straights became rather boring and turned into pointless wear and tear on the car, especially on the brakes.

To me, riding motorized wheels - be it on 2 or 4 - is a finesse sport, and fun is to be had in the corners. Unlike straight line speed, lateral acceleration doesn't require massive HP/TQ, but it does demand driver skill. Randy Probst could've picked any of the available V8s when he went shopping for a Camaro, but he picked a 2.0T with 1LE package instead. Some of us know perfectly why.

 

[Snicklefritz]

^^^randy pobst was also the only driver during speed week to not have any complaints about the stinger, notably the brakes. he's a cut above and simply knows how to get the best out of a car. the other drivers complained about brake fade on the oem pads and had to have european pads flown in. lol.

 

[Volfy]

^^^randy pobst was also the only driver during speed week to not have any complaints about the stinger, notably the brakes. he's a cut above and simply knows how to get the best out of a car. the other drivers complained about brake fade on the oem pads and had to have european pads flown in. lol.

Reminds me of one of my all-time favorite quotes:

“Now is no time to think of what you do not have.
Think of what you can do with that there is”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea

I'm just as guilty as the next guy about modding up a storm with my own cars. Alhough, I rarely bother to "buy" horsepower, preferring suspension/chassis refinements instead. I still remember what an instructor (old guy that drove a basically stock Miata) said to the class at a Track Day classroom session, when the topic drifted onto HP and fast cars:

"Fast cars are great... but do you know who needs fast cars? Slow drivers."

 

[RM7]

255s is what I run.

 

[7Andrei7]

Putting anything other than 225/45 R18 or 255/40 R18 will mess up your speedo. The overall diameter of the tire is different on the 2 you proposed.

If you have rwd, I'd stick to the OEM size which is 225/45 R18, but be super gentle on the throttle .
If you have awd putting 255/40 R18 should not be a problem for the fronts (if they physically fit). I've seen a lot of Audis A5 with square 255s but they are all quattro.

OR, better yet, stick to the staggered 19s . Just get a second pair of OEM wheels, either from a Stinger or a G70. That's what I did after trying out aftermarket 18" wheels.