Hi,

I want to get some slicks for a track day in July. I've got a Westfield Megablade with 13" minilites 205/60. Don't want to spend loads on these as they will only be used a few times in the year so thinking looking for second hand. Can't find any sets on eBay / Gumtree.

Can someone advise me on which rims / slicks i should go for?

Does anyone have a set for sale?

If i can't get a set I was thinking of buying the rims used and then getting new slicks. if i do this where should i get the slicks from?

Newbie so all help welcome. Cheers!

ive got minilights too if you want slicks dont most tracks offer service on the day? if car being used on road think the new avon zzs look good

Its being used on the road too and i've got a set of yoko's advan048. I've just bought a used set of wets on rims and want a set of slicks. track services are pretty expensive i think - I'm sure its a tenner per tyre to change at Oulten... It would be worth buying a full set long term.

Hi

Have you run the car on a track yet?

If so how did you find it - why do you think it needs slicks?

Don't get me wrong the grip's great and IF you get the tyre selection right Epic.

BUT

It'll put a lot of load into areas of the car that might not be designed for it - oil systems in particular, suspension joints as a secondary concern.

If you're not dry sumped, then the AO48's with some wets if it get's soggy sound plenty grippy enough to me, certainly plenty if the car's in road going spec otherwise.

HTH

i run michelin 20/54/13 slicks on 8" compomotive cxr's on the rear and was running 16/53's on the front. the 16/53's are not available now so i've just bought some more 8" cxr's second hand to run the 20/54's on the front. 7" rims would also do for that tyre size as well, one of my mates is running them on 7" rims.

the main reason for me running slicks is the cost, 4 second hand slicks for the price of 1 A048 with at least as much grip even though they're not new.
a blade motor will cope with running slicks no problem as long as it has a baffle plate and slight overfill, mine did.

i wouldn't think its worth buying new slicks for trackdays, by the time you've done 1 trackday they'll possibly be no better than the used ones you can buy at a much lower price.

quote:

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Originally posted by bigfoot4616
i run michelin 20/54/13 slicks on 8" compomotive cxr's on the rear

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My 2p,

I ran slicks for a while, ripped the back axle out twice and snapped a prop shaft, went back to road legal stuff, if it's track day fun your after then for me slicks are a waste of time and put far to much stress through the car, it's not a timed event against the clock or a race slide it about a bit on well used 888's or the like.

quote:

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Originally posted by laptoprob

Are you running medium or soft Bigfoot?

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I have considered, and still am, going to slicks. Cost being the only reason as I feel power lets me down at the moment.

My problem with running slicks is having to pay a tyre shop to fit them each time. Some places are asking for 20quid + VAT per corner!!! Even if you find a cheap place its 10 + VAT. I know that is still cheaper than ~380 for new R888 but they last longer, work in changing conditions and are probably more fun.

Even going to 13" dont save that much on tyre costs, but light ones may improve handling over 14".

I run S310 Michelin's for track days. 160/530 fronts and 200/540 rears on 6 and 7 inch rims.

They are cheap and last far better than road tyres. At first the grip is mindboggling but there is a downside; you have to be committed with naff all grip for the first lap or two to build enough heat to get them working, which is fine if you have balls, skill or experience but people have driven my car who just can't go fast enough while they are cold to get them hot so they can never go fast.

There are two ways to save on fitting costs, either go to a grubby back street used tyre place at lunchtime and offer cash (£5 a pair is the best I have got) or weld and old hub on a post to something heavy, buy some tyre levers and fit them yourself (slicks are a lot floppier and easier to fit than road tyres).

What about balancing?

quote:

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Originally posted by Doctor Derek Doctors
I run S310 Michelin's for track days. 160/530 fronts and 200/540 rears on 6 and 7 inch rims.

They are cheap and last far better than road tyres. At first the grip is mindboggling but there is a downside; you have to be committed with naff all grip for the first lap or two to build enough heat to get them working, which is fine if you have balls, skill or experience but people have driven my car who just can't go fast enough while they are cold to get them hot so they can never go fast.

There are two ways to save on fitting costs, either go to a grubby back street used tyre place at lunchtime and offer cash (£5 a pair is the best I have got) or weld and old hub on a post to something heavy, buy some tyre levers and fit them yourself (slicks are a lot floppier and easier to fit than road tyres).

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When I've had them balanced in the past they have hardly needed any weight (I assume the lack of a tread pattern helps as well as quality rims) and when I stopped bothering there was no difference. Also there is no point balancing a used slick (unless you fastidiously scrape them) because they are covered in pickup which will change the balance.
Remember on a track day you never sit at one speed, you are always either accelerating or braking so if there are any speeds where you might have a wobble you are only at that speed for a fraction of a second. In two years I have not balanced a slick for track use and have never had a wheel wobble.

Thanks for the great feedback guys...

Jim - I haven't taken it on a track yet and what you say makes perfect sence. I hadn't even thought about the additional stress that slicks could put on the car. I've come from karting stight into Westfields so i thought slicks would be a must for the track. The other reason for getting slicks was that i didn't want to hammer the 048s on the track and keep them in good condition for road use. So really i could get a spare set of rims and 048s and use existing on for the track. Don't get me wrong my 048s have loads on them - it might be worth me just doing the day with what i have and take it from there. cheers

Bigfoot - i was thinking that. there are some cheap full sets on ebay and for me they would be fine. The problem then comes with matching them up for the right rims and there doesn't seem to be that many for the 13" rims so prob best getting 15". I don't have a baffle plate so would you say this is a must for the track? Would i be best putting something like the accusump in? cheers

Jon - see what your saying. i'm just going for a fun days out so if i can make it through the day without major problems then i'll be happy! Do you use yours on the road and if so the same tyres as the track or do you have a spare set of 888's? cheers

Derek - Good point too! Do many of you use tyre warmers or is this uneccessary?

Great points but now i'm more unsure than i was before! I'm thinking keep the 048s on and have wets just incase. If 048s get hammered then keep these for track days and get a new set of everydays. Concerned about the baffle plate though and if this is going to cause me problems - any advice on this and my thoughts?

Thanks again.

I'm lucky I guess, I have 3 sets of wheels with tyres in different stages of wear, a set of new 888's that I use on the road or very wet track days and two sets of second hand 048's ranging from just about road legal to defiantly not.

Slicks are great and good fun, my car handles pretty well but with the extra grip they give particularly cornering and under acceleration they simply put to much stress into the car, it doesn't help that when I do a track day I tend to get my monies worth track time wise, I will on a typical track day rack up the equivalent mileage of 2 seasons racing and when you take into account a car would get a good service/check between each race track days can be very hard on cars.

what are generally regarding as best wheels? i have 13" minilights at moment

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Originally posted by craig5
what are generally regarding as best wheels? i have 13" minilights at moment

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shedding weight as I think the minilights are little heavy at over 6 kgs

I have a set of CRX's and a couple of sets of lasers, I think before I spend mega bucks on wheels a diet would be in order

quote:

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Originally posted by craig5
shedding weight as I think the minilights are little heavy at over 6 kgs

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I'm gona try the new Avon zzs as car is road going too but would just like a better wheel than the minilight prefer a black too

I'm concerned at the additional stress that slicks are going to place on the car. Also the baffle - Is this a necessity for track usage? Do you have one fitted?

I've got a sump baffle plate fitted

I would also fit an accusump, my blade engine throw a rod on yoko 048's with a baffle and overfill.

Slicks for me, although old and hard once warm they grip well and last and last and last, my 048's pre turbo medium compound were shot after only two track days.

Regards Mark

How did you find the strain on the rest of the car Mark with running slicks? Problematic or no issues?

perfect for track days, be quick, this is how I put rubber on mine, if I wasn't flitting and surrounded by tryes allready they would be gone.

Good feedback guys.

I think i'm just going to go with what i have currently and see what the day brings and then spend loads of money from there! General consensus is that 048's will be plenty grippy enough although more expensive to replace.

So my main concern is now the baffle / overfill and accusump. I understand what the accusump / overfill does but what about the baffle? should i get all three and what sort of cost do you think i should be looking at?

Again a newbie to this so would't feel confident of fitting this myself... Any idea of rough labour costs?

cheers

not heard of many people using an accusump with a blade engine, most use a baffle plate and decent sump like you can get from andy bates http://www.abperformance.co.uk/products.aspx?cat=11&scat=32 with a 250ml overfill and have no issues.

its easy enough to fit yourself but isn't much of a job so shouldn't cost much even if you pay someone to do it, would expect an hours labour at most.

[Edited on 24/6/15 by bigfoot4616]

Can you get the sump off with the engine fitted ?

should be able to, i could when i had a blade engine and can with the current R1. having said that if the bottom of the engine bay is paneled it would make more work.

you can pull the sump off mine in situ, I panelled around the sump.

My sump is the original cut down to the oil spill valve and plated over.

Acusump is easy to fit, the oil pressure sender sits in a big steel bung at the end of the oil gantry, just unscrew, drill out a 1/2" hole and carefully weld the female end of a 1/2" BSP hydraulic fitting then get a hose made up to mate with the 1/2" BSP fitting on the accusump.

I know it's working buzzing around as it gets very hot so must be replacing oil on hard bends.

Car is Rose jointed, I have had a couple of little fracture cracks apperaring around the bone mounting brackets so have welded up and braced, you just need to keep on top of things, it may have done this with ordinary tyres and rubber bushes....

[Edited on 24/6/15 by mark chandler]

i've had it on jacks tonight trying to program Digi gear indicator whcih just will not work! (have another post on this)

i checked it out though and as Marks says it is panelled around the sump so i have full access. it also looks like there is more than enough space as the engine is raised around 60mm. So, am i right in saying once the sump is off the baffle sits inside this? Or does it replace it? Is there anyway to tell is one has already been fitted without taking the sump off?

on my old 919 blade motor(not sure which yours is and not sure if later ones are the same) the baffle plate was sandwiched between the sump and bottom of the casing with a gasket both sides of the baffle. if you knew what you where looking at you could tell it was there with the sump attached.

the R1 i have now is different as in the baffle sits inside completely.

I would recommend getting one of AB performances billet sumps. I run slicks and aero and have never had any oil problems on track days or competitive sprints.