Recommendations on track wheel/tire combo
 

Hello. I have a 2010 S that I want to do the occasional track day with.
I'd like to have a designated set of wheels and tires for the events.
The car has 19" wheels currently, which may not be the best nor most cost effective solution for track days.
What tire size is recommended for cost/performance on track?
Tire size recommendations to go along with the wheel size would also be appreciated.
I searched the forums, but my results came up short.
Thanks,
Mike

17x7, 17x8.5 Porsche Boxster takeoff wheels are a winner. Very affordable with a wide choice of tires. Most Spec Boxster race cars run this size. If you are new to running race tracks I recommend you spend 1 season on street class tires. R-Comps require lots of camber and suspension mods to get the most out of them.

Tires 225/45/17, 255/40/17

Street Class= Hankook RS3
Mild R-Comp= Nitto NT-01
Wild R-Comp= Hankook Z214

Topless- thanks for the input.
I used to race ITS and EP class in the SCCA, but that was 13 years ago.

Maybe doing the first few days on street rubber wouldn't be a bad idea even with my past experience given I've never driven this particular car on a track.
Once you dial in a substantial amount of negative camber for the track, does the car maintain it's every day drivability or is that lost in the change?
Thanks for all the help. i just joined the Sac Valley PCA and am looking forward to AutoX and DE days.
Mike

+1 to Topless' recommendations.

17" wheels with those tire sizes are the best way to go. Lots of grip but more affordable than 18" or 19" setups. Definitely run a good street tire to start like a Hankook R-S3, Kumho Ectsa XS, or Bridgestone RE-11, then get the car aligned for the track and move up to an R-Comp like a Nitto NT-01 or a Toyo R888.

A Boxster with a track alignment is very drivable on the street, but with that much neg camber the inside portion of the tires (especially the rears) will wear fairly fast.

Mcarr,

I run approx. -2 degrees camber front and rear. My car is dual-purpose and tire wear has been very even but I don't log many highway miles.

Even with your experience you can learn the car easier on good quality street rubber. After you have spun a few corners or backed her off the track you will know where your limits are.

Topless- is there a good online marketplace for those 17" Porsche wheels?

Topless - are you sure that 17 inchers will fit on a 987 'S'? I've heard elsewhere they won't, but have no personal knowledge.

Mcarr - my experience with my '06 987S was that it chewed up the outer shoulder of the front tires both stock and Rcomp due to insufficient camber when set to factory values. As a start, I suggest maxing out front camber without modifying the car. On my car this amounted to about -1.5 degrees. This will help a bit on the track and won't be a problem on the street. Even better would be about -2.5 degrees, which improves both wear and reduces understeer, but modifications are required for that.

News to me. According to Jim at Tire Rack 17s fit on a 987 just fine as brake clearances are the same as 986. I have fitted 17s on a 987 Cayman 2.7 but never a 3.4

Snow tires and wheels. -

Yes, max out the neg camber of the stock suspension! It will probably be somewhere between -1.0 and -1.5. This will work better than the stock values but you'll still tear up the outer edge of the tires.

Ultimately, the alignment you choose will depend on what you aim to accomplish, the class (if any) you compete in, and what mod's you do to the suspension. Most street/track combo cars (BSX type) run -2.0 to -2.75 camber. Most Boxster Spec cars (BSR) run -3.0 deg or more camber but they are mostly trailered and not street driven.

Welcome to the retired SCCA racer's group. I used to race S2000 years ago, and have been enjoying tuning the 986S the last couple of years.

There are now some very good street tires that can be run well on track and autocross. Ditch the bling 19" wheels for multiple reasons, not the least of which is needing a small diameter tire for the too tall gearing these things have.

Best bang for the buck to get you started is 18" wheels with around 255 front / 285 rear rubber using something like ZII / Rival / RE-11A / RS-3 tires, and a GT-3 front bar. After you tune on that for a while, get some GT-3 LCA's or camber plates.

I do suggest that you use auto-x events to experiment with set-up before going to track. It is pretty easy to overstep the oversteer / understeer balance, so best to experiment where you can't hurt anything too badly.

Good luck.

Update: Did my first track day in my 987.2 bone stock car on street tires.
Had a blast. Laguna was a super good time. Ran a couple of 1:50s, so I felt good about my line selection.
It was pretty clear pretty quickly that I needed a brake pad upgrade. Have some Pagid yellows coming along with GT3 ducting.
I did find myself wishing for another 100hp - that would be a pretty sweet combo!

I am taking the car in for a performance alignment tomorrow. From what I'm gathering, maximum negative camber front AND rear? Should toe be as close to zero as possible?

Thanks,

Mike

1:50 is a good lap for a first look at Laguna. That is top BSX territory for experienced Boxster drivers. Nice job. (you do have 120hp on us though ;) )

Yes max negative camber front (-1ish), -1.5 rear, a touch of toe out in front, and a touch of toe in for the rear. This should get you in good territory with quick but predictable response and reasonable tire wear.

Thanks Topless for the reply and alignment standards.
Well.....it wasn't really my first look- I had been on the track on a motorcycle before so I did already have a good sense for the flow and the line.

Looking forward to the next track day!