Advice needed: track day wheels…

Morning all,

I’m about to bite the bullet and swap my OEM wheels for some lighter wheels that I can use for both track days as well as every day driving.

I’ve opted for Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2’s (either matt black or anthracite – not too sure yet), and I have a few questions with regards to wheels and tyres.

The OEM wheels are 18” (18 x 7.5J – 5 x 112 – ET 54), and the tyres are 225/40/18.

The Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 wheels I’m looking to buy are 18” (18 x 8.0 – 5 x 112 – ET 40/45/50).

My S3 is also currently fitted with KW v1 coilovers, and as a result has been lowered by 25mm front & back.

Q1: Given the extra width of the new wheels (8.0 vs 7.5), what offset should I be going for? 40, 45, or 50?

Q2: Given the extra width of the new wheels (8.0 vs 7.5), should I again fit 225/40/18 tyres, or should I opt for a something a bit wider? Maybe 235/40/18 instead? Or would the difference in offset of the new wheels mean that 225/40/18 would still be the ideal size for tyres?

Q3: I’ve been told that using wider wheels and tyres will help with the handling – how true is this, and if that is the case, what wheel offset and tyre width combination should I go for; bearing in mind that the car has been lowered by 25mm’s, and I will be cornering hard during track days! In general, I would like as little rubbing as possible; and preferably none at all…

Q4: The track/road tyres I’m considering getting are 88W (Yokohama’s). My current tyres are 92Y (Michelin PS3’s). Is it ok to fit my S3 with 88W rated tyres, or will doing so invalidate my insurance policy? If so, can anyone recommend a good set of track/road friendly tyres that I would be able to use?

Thanks in advance for any tips and advice; I literally know nothing when it comes to wheels and tyres…

Cheers,

Dan

kwistof said:

OP - the 88Ws will be okay for track usage.
88 would mean you could still have around 500kgs per corner and the W means it's tried and testing upto 168mph ish.

Click to expand...

Hi Kwistof, thanks for the info.

I guess my main question about the tyre ratings would be this: would 88W rated tyres be ok for everyday road use as well track use?

My thinking being that I will more than likely leave the new wheels on permanantly when I get them, and I just want to make sure that I won't have any problems with insurance were I to be involved in a road accident with 88W tyres fitted to my car...

Thanks again,

Dan