[jr4jc]

i am impatiently waitng for my ordered 2005 sti to arrive,
i plan to use it for a daily driver [and i drive a lot of miles]
i want to also autoX some and track it at nashville speedway occasionally, my question is, what tire will give me good milage and still be a good track/autoX tire

[jr4jc]

forgot to include this---does different tires change your class with SCCA???

[Xman]

the sti is in AS in stock form. You are allowed to run R compound tires in AS. That being said, Kumho has a line of R compound tires as well as Hoosier. These are teh most sticky and would not be recommended for driving on the road. If you want a dual purpose tire, either stick with the stock tires, which are exceptional or go with something like the Toyo Proxies RA-1 or the BFG KD or to a bit lesses extent, the Kumho Ecsta MX, the falken azenis (or thier new 612 model coming out). these last choices are less expensive, but provide good grip.

[sciolist]

my question is, what tire will give me good milage and still be a good track/autoX tire

If you want to be competitive, I don’t think such a tire exists. That said, you could get a lot of seat time and have quite a bit of fun just sticking with the stock tires.

You can run race tires in AS, ESP and SM, but not STU. You would want suspension mod’s for STU, though. Race tires would make a major performance difference in AS, so, if autoX is the primary objective, you would probably want to swap wheels for the events.

To really balance the three, I think RA-1’s would be the best, but you aren’t likely to get more than about 12K-15K miles, and they will be slower than race tires at autoX, but faster than stock.

The most economical thing to do would probably be to just run the stock tires for all three the first year, and then evaluate your needs again. If you do a bunch of track days and autoXes, and spend some time on the highway, you might get closer to 20K out of the stock tires… which is a LOT of mileage, considering the usage.

[jr4jc]

good info thanks

[Slowride]

Either run the 070s all the time till they wear out, then decide if you want to fool with dedicated autocrossing tires/wheels (e.g., for the next season), or take the plunge now.

If you're new to autocross and don't know how seriously you're going to take it, stick with the stockers.

If you plan any mods, consider what class they'll put you in. Depending upon your region, the STi might or might not be competitive in a given class. And making the STi competitive in a modified class can be very expensive. If you're just wanting to autocross for the fun and wheel time, then don't worry about what class you end up in.

Tell us a little more about your plans/goal/background and we can tailor our advice accordingly.

[jr4jc]

i am buying the STI planning to keep it in a stock class, may do some track days, very few mods; depending on what i can do and stay in a stock class, as i get into it more that may change but that is my plan

i have auto-x-ed but it's been 25 yrs ago [had a 2L 4cyc porsche 914 it was a blast to autoX] and back then i road rallied also [a saab model 96]
since then i have rally crossed a 1986 subaru 1.8L turbo 4wd and that is a ball, [and that is in the back of my mind for my STI someday maybe]

i plan to use the stock wheels till used up then i will need to decide 2 sets of wheels or one, and i really think 2 sets is the way to go, and a 2nd set of wheels is not that much money, and that way i have one set for miles and one for competition. probably save me money in the long run, all things considered

[Slowride]

Stock-legal mods: any DOT tires, stock sized wheels, catback exhaust, replacement air filter, front swaybar, shocks.

Of these, race tires will make the biggest difference by far. You're in Nashville? I don't think you'll be competitive without 'em.

I agree that two sets is the way to go. Given that the 070s won't be nearly as good as R compounds, if you can swing it, you'd be better off saving the 070s for the street.

[denver133]

Hey man, check your local paper. Go and buy yourself a hunk of **** that will get you killer gas mileage and cheaper insurance on the STI for having muliple cars. I have a 86 ford escort that is a total piecer but because I am only 23 I have to have any type of discount out there. This allows me to really enjoy my sti. After driving the ford to and from work, I open the garage to find a beautiful blue face that is just smiling that I am home. Run your stock tires till you get more seat time and spend $700 on a reliable run around car then invest into a nice set of shoes for the sti.

[Oldalfaguy]

Originally Posted by jr4jc

i am buying the STI planning to keep it in a stock class,

i have auto-x-ed but it's been 25 yrs ago [had a 2L 4cyc porsche 914 it was a blast to autoX] and back then i road rallied also [a saab model 96]

Take it easy the first season like I did. It's going to tajke you awhile to learn the NEW driving style for this sophisticated car. All those diffs and computers working will force you to learn what the car is oing and how it wants to be driven (this is waht happened to me last year).
Then decide if you want to continue racing in AS. Remember, we're in with the S2000's and it's going to get real ugly out there.

[Grinch]

Yes, AS is not a good class for the STi. Long term, the PAX is softer for both ESP and STU than for AS. A totally stock STi (including tires) will be more competitive in STU than AS, but of course your local competition will vary. Plus when you give in to the urge to modify, you have some good stuff you can do before you have to worry about getting bumped to a higher class (and any points from earlier in the season still count for yearly class championship).

[Grinch]

Doh! Last time I ran Nashville they didn't recognize STU. If I was a local I would be trying to change that.

For STU the RE070's are OK, Kumbo MX and Falken Azenis Sports dominate (and are reasonably priced). See the SoloII National Results at scca.com, it shows the tire brand in the results; notice that the Toyo's, BF Goodrich, etc. are very poorly represented.

For the race tire classes, the semi-slick Hoosiers and Kumbo 710's are the hot (but expensive) choice with shaved Dunlop Sports, and Kumbo Victoracers and 700's being the popular budget options.

[jr4jc]

thanks for the info---only a couple more weeks and i get my STI this has been an AWFUL long wait-but SOON i will have my new car, then break in then enjoy-mmmm!!!!

[jr4jc]

another question if i go with 2 sets of wheels and tires, one for street-daily use and one designated track, should i use the stock BBS for track???
i can buy cheaper wheels for street, but do i need better wheels for track than the BBS???

[Grinch]

It depends on the class your running in, for stock you're restricted to stock size wheels, so you might as well use the stock BBS's. For STU, wheel size is unlimited but your restricted to a 245mm tire width ("street tire", no R compounds). It might be worth moving to a lightweight 8.5" wide wheel. For ESP (no wheel or tire limit), I would definately want wider than stock wheels.