You still didn't mention what size wheels/tires those highly-competitive
cars had...
The most competitive, smaller cars out there in AutoCross have 13s or
14s, at the most. I am merely stating that excessively big wheels have a
negative effect on handling. This fact you cannot dispute. They
negatively affect both acceleration and cornering ability.
Just to add my 2 pennies here, when I use to be an active AutoX participant, I would use 14 and 13 inch wheels on my cars. In fact, my Datsun 510 that I bought and used solely for this purpose used 13 inch wheels.
Even when I AutoX in the Porsche which had 15 inch wheels (stock), I would go down to 14 inch because they performed much better. However, when I ran OpenTrack, I would retain the 15 inch wheels. I give up some of the cornering performance (not a lot but enough...) but on the long straights it was nice to have. Actually, it really depended on the track and the conditions. There were some times where I used 14 inch wheels (because it had more turns than straights).
And as I have stated in the past, the 16 x 7 inch wheels (with 205/40 tires) that I currently have on Jiggy are merely for looks and show. I made no secrets as to why I chose them. The first thing I noticed was the lack of acceleration... He still gets off the line quick but not as quick as if I was using 14 inch wheels.
The Montegi's that I selected were chosen for looks and their weight (they're one of the lightest in this size that were built for street applications).
The second thing I noticed with them was the handling. I didn't really lose a lot but it does take some additional effort to turn the larger wheels. I suppose if I went with a smaller diameter steering wheel (still using the stock which I feel is more than adequate for my use) it might balance things out.
But then again, if I want handling performance, I go and stick the 14 inch wheels back on and then I re-adjust the suspension as needed. This is why I still kept the old Del Sol wheels as well as my 5+ year old 14 inch PanaSport wheels (still the best for AutoX in my opinion).
I am done discussing this topic. I'm pissing into the wind.
Ricky
(* snip *)
Getting grumpy in your old age, eh? ;^)
"Dang stupid kids!!!" :^D
CRX Owners Group President (http://www.crx.org/southcal)
1990 Honda CRXsi (http://www.hooligan.cc)
ICQ # 3714283 (nickname: godzilla)
Alpine Drive (San Diego County) - February 8, 2003
http://www.crx.org/southcal/events.html
