probably double the price of the kumhos, and they're crappy until they're REALLY HOT. Crappy for autocross....not a bad trackday tire though.

 

Find a friend that autocrosses about the same amount as you, likes FF, and has a little $$. You two can split the race rubber costs and make your money go a little further. Let him run 1st and your tires will be nice and sticky for your first run, too.

 

I knew R compound tires were softer thus quicker to wear out...i just didn't know they'd wear out that quickly. mileage wise....what could I expect. I'd be happy with some race tires that could give me a couple of years worth of good racing. Lets say at about 6-8 events per year. Is that reasonable?
Or would I just be better off having a second set of good street tires/wheels perhaps.

 

woah, woah, woah....did you just say "mileage"?

you DO NOT drive race tires on the street...


like i said, somewhere around 100 runs. That's conservative. You say 8 events a year, thats maybe 80 runs per year. So they'll last a bit more than a year, if you run 8, 2 day weekends, each with 5 runs per day. If you only did Sunday events, same # of runs, you'd be over 2 years for a set. You can do the math...



sounds like you dont want R compounds. Might, but really....might as well keep the single set of wheels, and buy Kumho MX's for them and replace them as needed.

 

Go check out your SVT bored. You'll find that to run a 17x7 with a 43mm offset your going to rub. For some reason that car can not handle any kinda wide tires under the fenders. Your honest best bet is to buy a used set of SVT focus wheels. Or buy a set from Tire rack as they have a high offset. Apparently with stock shocks the most tire you can fit under there are 225's. So a set of 225/45 Victo's/A032R/Toyo R1's/Hankook/hoosier whatever really. Now from my understanding of reading some focus stuff is with some aftermarket stiffer shocks that reduce body roll you can get a way with 245/40 tires. I believe the Spax shocks were the ones I read that were stiff enough on concrete to prevent rub. FSB might also help prevent rub but with that you increase understeer. You can counter this with more rear shock but now your just getting complicated. My honest suggestion.... Go to STS with the car so you can get camber (makes the race rubber last longer) and go to 16 inch wheels.
Ian
Offically a car whore for 2004.

 

a front sway bar will NOT always increase understeer. That's a dumb myth made popular by "skreeT RacERs".