help with tires

[ferris]

I recently found 4 kumho ecsta v700 235/45/13 mounted on diamond racing wheels that are 13x7.5" and 4 hosier a6's 225/50/13. The hosiers have 30% tread left and the kumhos have 70% tread left. The price shipped to my house is $600 for everything.

I have diamond racing 13x8's that I would probably mount the a6's on first and hope I can get a season out of them. Remember I have to drive these tires to and from events as well.

Let me know if you think this is a worthwhile deal or just pass and hope for something better.

The seller wants $400 for everything and he told me it would be $200 in shipping. If I could pick these up, I would jump at $400 for 8 tires and 4 rims.

Thanks

[eage8]

first off, I would talk to frank and dan about how they transport their r-comps (mounted on their open trunks). I would not drive to events on them...

I'm still trying to figure out if my co-worker wants to sell those A6s. I asked him earlier and he said he doesn't know if he's going to sell them yet.

[ferris]

The issue isn't changing the wheels or getting them to the track. Its more that I will have to move out before I am allowed to store 4 wheels/tires in my house between events.

I was talking with Dave and he drives his r-comps on the street. His are not A6's, but I figure with the V700's I will be fine.

Let me know about your co-workers tires. I told this guy I would let him know by the end of today. I am sure I could push it off until tomorrow or so, but if your co-worker isn't going to sell his tires, I think I might do this.

$600 shipped for 8 tires and 4 wheels sounds like a decent deal to me. I could get at least 2 seasons if not more out of the two sets of tires.

[david.valeri]

I drive my RA-1s to events but they aren't hugely sensitive to heat cycles.

If the V700s are similar, then you could get away with the same with the following caveats:
1) You run a risk of puncturing your expensive tire.
2) Your 13x8s likely stick past your fenders and will eat paint with flying gravel and draw attention on the street because they protrude from the fenders.
3) You will be adding extra heat cycles to your tires
4) There will come a point at which your tires are still usable for Auto-X but will be pushing it for street use.

As for transporting them Dan K. style. Check with Dan about how much room he has left since you are planning to run 235s and may not be able to put them in the trunk like Dan does. How does your girlfriend feel about a tire trailer coffee table or bed frame?

[dannykao]

You might want to ask the seller if he/she is willing to ship everything via Fedex Ground and don't use any shipping box. I think shipping is considerably cheaper with Fedex ground instead of UPS.

I could be wrong, but if A6s have more than 40 runs, it could be heat cycled out anyway. With 30% tread it might be getting pretty close to it's useful life for competition, but probably still good for one T&T session. If you have to pay $100 + shipping for the A6, I would probably skip that. Mounting will probably cost you another $60-$80 anyway so I am not sure if it's worth it, especially if they are heat cycled out.

Diamond Racing Wheels are heavy (I have them now); but if you can get the set plus Kuhmos for $350 shipped, then it sounds pretty good... JMHO.

[ferris]

I have asked about tire end tables or a tire coffee table and she rolled her eyes and walked away, so I think thats out.

I am planning on rolling the fenders to fit the 13x8's with a 5" backspace, and I don't know how closely you looked at my paint, but its not perfect and the body is not perfect. I really don't care about rocks flying at the paint.

I do care about destroying my "expensive" tires, and that is why I am trying to find some used ones that I could still get a couple seasons out of.

How terrible would it be to drive a6's on the street. I know that hoosier says never to do this, and I understand the risk of water on the road. However, I am very close to 270 and 495 so my non-highway drive is very very short and I would just have to make sure there is a very small chance of rain for the events I bring the miata too.

Thanks for all the help. I just want to make sure I am not throwing my money away.

I offered the guy $500 shipped and he said no, so I am waiting on better pictures of the thread to make my decision.

[ferris]

You might want to ask the seller if he/she is willing to ship everything via Fedex Ground and don't use any shipping box. I think shipping is considerably cheaper with Fedex ground instead of UPS.

I could be wrong, but if A6s have more than 40 runs, it could be heat cycled out anyway. With 30% tread it might be getting pretty close to it's useful life for competition, but probably still good for one T&T session. If you have to pay $100 + shipping for the A6, I would probably skip that. Mounting will probably cost you another $60-$80 anyway so I am not sure if it's worth it, especially if they are heat cycled out.

Diamond Racing Wheels are heavy (I have them now); but if you can get the set plus Kuhmos for $350 shipped, then it sounds pretty good... JMHO.

I emailed the seller this morning about fedex ground.

I do not believe the seller will split up the wheels/tires into different packages. I could always try to sell the A6's locally to get some of my money back. I also would then have two sets of diamond racing wheels. I know they are heavier, but at 14 lbs a peice, they are just as heavy as any wheel I could reasonably afford right now anyway. I picked the set up 4 up for $125 and the guy delivered them to my house.

[defylogik]

Fitting 4 r-comps into the trunk of a Miata is not only comical, but provides excellent rear down-force on those long drives out to Summit Point.

[Dan133]

You should check with Frank about loading different size tires in the trunk of the Miata--- He has several different sets of different sizes--I believe that when he travels with the 225's he can only get 3 across the trunk and has to put 1 in the passenger seat.

See his website -http://delaynomoreracing.com/-- he has step by step instructions there. Good luck.

[accentandy]

I have 13x9 diamonds with 5" backspace and 255/40/13-225/45/13 hoosier a6s that I use on my accent and I wouldn't drive more than a mile or so on them on the street. They aren't going to last long driving to and from events on them. I got around 45 runs out of my front tires this past season and the rears lasted all season but do a lot less of the work on my fwd.

the offset of the wheels will make driving on the street scary as well. the first time I drove on my diamonds I thought I hadn't tightened the lugnuts on the front wheels. the steering wheel went wearever the wheels would tug it.

long story short don't try to drive on the street with anything like your planning on buying its going to kill your tires and its not all that safe for yourself.

[jmac]

For that kind of money you could buy four new Yokahama A032r. you can get two compounds and they come in a 215/50/13. I drive my r compounds on the street alot. The size and camber setting make them a handfull on the road. My problem with r comps isn't the milage but the time. They get hard after a few years. I given away some with plenty of tread because they were too hard.