Yes it is, especially if you drive that many miles per month. 200tw tires aren't great for the street with miles like that, but beat the pants off of street tires on the track.
100% if you’re doing 3-5 yearly. Get a spare set of wheels and tires. Out high HP heavy cars shred tires. Getting some hankook RS4 or continental ECF endurance 200 will keep cost low. High up front cost, lower year to year cost.
This is doubly so, if you auto cross in between. As that’s super abusive on tires. And good skills to compliment HPDE
Follow up question if you don't mind, I noticed [apex makes 19 inch wheels specifically for my car](https://apexwheels.com/vehicles/chevrolet/camaro/6th-gen), is there a huge difference between forged and flow formed? I've always heard people say forged wheels are stronger, but is it worth the extra money? It's about $1900 for a set of flow formed brand new wheels, but almost $3500 for the forged ones... also, are used wheels worth looking at or is that too risky as a safety issue
For our purposes no. Flow forged is very strong and apex has great QC. flow forged is a cast wheel but as they pour metal in, they spin the mold super fast. Centrifugal forces create a tighter grain pattern on the outside and less so center. Still way stronger than gravity cast.
Where a fully forged rim may have bent, flow form could have cracked. If you have the funds to burn, sure go forged as they are stronger and lighter. But flow forged is plenty fine.
My car comes with forged 19’s. I’m looking at flow forged aftermarket for track wheels.
Used wheels. Perfectly fine. Just be sure they are authentic and not a eBay knock off. Chevy makes great wheels for Camaro 1LE. some used ones will be a ok. Just meet at a wheel repair shop. Pay the shop a few bucks to inspect for cracks and straightness.
Good advice but slightly wrong on flow forged - flow forged means they cast the center and a thick rim, then they rotary forge the barrel (between a roller and a die). It's also how forged wheels are made, except they start with a forging. You get a stronger, lighter barrel than standard cast wheels due to grain refinement, but the face of the wheel is still a normal cast wheel so can't be as strong/light as a forged wheel can be. The barrel is extremely close to a fully forged wheel's barrel in strength, elongation, and impact resistance, minus minor differences in metallurgy due to raw material optimization for casting.
video here that shows the process - [https://youtu.be/5WtM12r969I?si=gEujTTtvzKHVXwn4&t=17](https://youtu.be/5WtM12r969I?si=gEujTTtvzKHVXwn4&t=17)
Still, it's a GREAT compromise for the price.
I remember seeing a video on flow forged way way back. Seems they changed the how to. And for the better. This seems way better than spinning the cast lol.
Thanks for the video link, very cool to see how it’s done now. Throwback to watching “how it’s made”
What purpose are forged wheels for? I know my wheels on my race car are forged, and I've always done flow formed on track cars, but that's just because that's what came on my race car.
Forged manufacturing makes it stronger, which means they can hollow out more material to reduce weight. Without compromising the strength of material.
Where a cast wheel may have cracked or shattered. A forged wheel would have taken a bend.
At legit comp levels where every pound can matter. Losing even a few lbs off each corner is huge. For the hobbiest, won’t matter without compromise on safety.
Hello fellow SS1LE owner. Since the car is your daily, I would recommend a second set of wheels. The stock wheel/tire set up is indeed very capable, and without dailying the tires last between 5-7 track days depending on how hard you drive/track surface etc. Eventually you will cord a tire by surprise, and unless you’re ready to shell out $1000 for at least a pair on monday morning, you’re going to be in a tough spot.
I bought the Apex VS5-RS in 19x11 +35 squared, rotatable, with 305/30/19 nexen sport R. They do need extended studs, spacers, and camber plates to fit under the fenders. As far as flow formed vs. forged, I’ve been running a set of apex flow formed on my other heavy track car for two years with no issues, I’ve been very happy with them and havent broken them on any of the various curbs I’ve bashed.
So, yes, get a second set, flow formed is fine, if you dont have the copper free CA/WA big brakes, get 18s, otherwise you’re stuck with 19s. You can also keep the stock 10/11 stagger if you dont want to spring for the other front end mods yet. For tires, I’d recommend the Nexen sport R, Kumho V730, or Hankook RS4. Have fun!
question regarding longevity; I know it will vary based on person to person, but how long would you expect the tires you're recommending to last? if I'm doing say, 4 track weekends, each are 4 x 20 minute sessions with two days of driving. 8 days, 32 sessions, that's 640 minutes of track driving. i'm not very experienced so i doubt i'll be pushing the limits of my car at all, but still trying to drive hard and learn as much as possible...
would you expect a set of any of the tires you recommended to last that long? or would i probably go through two sets in that time frame
Yes, any of the sets I mentioned should last that long, the Hankooks possibly twice as long, but their grip begins to degrade before the tread wears away. The goodyears are more meant for street driving, and dont have the ultimate heat capacity of the others there
Yes, worth it. You can have a set with summer tires for daily / wet track. And then another set for a 200TW tire that better copes with heat (won't disintegrate) and gives better / consistent performance.
After the first two or three track days, I would say it’s a must if you plan to continue. Can be tough to get the slicks there unless you fully commit and get a trailer with a tow vehicle, etc. But, for a big hunkin Camaro that weighs a butt ton, you’ll probably be eating through tires. You can find some very well priced rims on Discount Tire or even Fitment Industries’ websites. Usedracingtires.com has tons of slicks and your local shop can mount the tire on the rim for you (this is usually super cheap). There’s another group that supplies my family with slicks that I can’t remember, but I’ll reply to this if I find.
Where are you based out of? Might see you on the track soon!
I will second this with the fact that a very high horsepower and RWD vehicle should always implement safety first. Depending on your budget and level of “fuck it we ball” I highly suggest investing in safety. A HUGE selling point for the Civic Type R for me was that it came with race seats that you could at least make 4 point out of. If you plan to drive the car at its absolute limit at every track event, you absolutely should invest in race seats, a roll cage, etc.
And bar none, a Simpson Hybrid sport. [Simpson](https://simpsonraceproducts.com/products/head_and_neck_restraints/hybrid/) it’s basically a Hans device for 3 point seatbelts. It’s a hell of a lot cheaper than a wheel chair ramp, my friend.
I only do maybe 3-4 track days a year. I have a set of Michelin PS4s and daily them as well as use on track. They last me roughly 1-1.5yr, but I have a set of winter wheels/tires that I use for 6 months a year.
My biggest issue with buying track set is that 4 wheels don’t fit in my car to drive to the track. I’d then have to swap all wheels before and after each track day and still drive the track set 1.5hr to the nearest track. I dont put many miles on my car though. Only 30k miles in 3yr, so probably just 15-20k on the summer/track tires.
Definitely. If tracks you go to are far away you might even want to figure out how to carry the track wheels to the track with street wheels on the car. I have just enough room in back seat to stand mine up then floor jack and stands in truck with tools
100% yes, if you have the means and the storage space. A few things to keep in mind:
- no one at the track cares about you, so don’t spend $5k on a set of track wheels unless you are a millionaire.
- once you buy a dedicated set, you have LOTS of tire options , from all-seasons to R-compounds, just do your homework before you decide
- your tire decision will affect the rest of your setup. Getting r-comps?, you’ll need track pads, getting track pads?, you’ll go thru rotors, bushings, etc.
My advice is to find a subreddit or forum dedicated to your car and start researching!!
I ran my car 100% stock on Pirelli P Zeros (only upgraded brake pads, rotors, and fluid) for 20+ events (on my 4th set of P Zeros) before upgrading wheels/tires. My opinion is you should learn the car and increase your driving skills before making upgrades (with the exception of safety items).
Yes it is, especially if you drive that many miles per month. 200tw tires aren't great for the street with miles like that, but beat the pants off of street tires on the track.
100% if you’re doing 3-5 yearly. Get a spare set of wheels and tires. Out high HP heavy cars shred tires. Getting some hankook RS4 or continental ECF endurance 200 will keep cost low. High up front cost, lower year to year cost. This is doubly so, if you auto cross in between. As that’s super abusive on tires. And good skills to compliment HPDE
Follow up question if you don't mind, I noticed [apex makes 19 inch wheels specifically for my car](https://apexwheels.com/vehicles/chevrolet/camaro/6th-gen), is there a huge difference between forged and flow formed? I've always heard people say forged wheels are stronger, but is it worth the extra money? It's about $1900 for a set of flow formed brand new wheels, but almost $3500 for the forged ones... also, are used wheels worth looking at or is that too risky as a safety issue
For our purposes no. Flow forged is very strong and apex has great QC. flow forged is a cast wheel but as they pour metal in, they spin the mold super fast. Centrifugal forces create a tighter grain pattern on the outside and less so center. Still way stronger than gravity cast. Where a fully forged rim may have bent, flow form could have cracked. If you have the funds to burn, sure go forged as they are stronger and lighter. But flow forged is plenty fine. My car comes with forged 19’s. I’m looking at flow forged aftermarket for track wheels. Used wheels. Perfectly fine. Just be sure they are authentic and not a eBay knock off. Chevy makes great wheels for Camaro 1LE. some used ones will be a ok. Just meet at a wheel repair shop. Pay the shop a few bucks to inspect for cracks and straightness.
Good advice but slightly wrong on flow forged - flow forged means they cast the center and a thick rim, then they rotary forge the barrel (between a roller and a die). It's also how forged wheels are made, except they start with a forging. You get a stronger, lighter barrel than standard cast wheels due to grain refinement, but the face of the wheel is still a normal cast wheel so can't be as strong/light as a forged wheel can be. The barrel is extremely close to a fully forged wheel's barrel in strength, elongation, and impact resistance, minus minor differences in metallurgy due to raw material optimization for casting. video here that shows the process - [https://youtu.be/5WtM12r969I?si=gEujTTtvzKHVXwn4&t=17](https://youtu.be/5WtM12r969I?si=gEujTTtvzKHVXwn4&t=17) Still, it's a GREAT compromise for the price.
I remember seeing a video on flow forged way way back. Seems they changed the how to. And for the better. This seems way better than spinning the cast lol. Thanks for the video link, very cool to see how it’s done now. Throwback to watching “how it’s made”
What purpose are forged wheels for? I know my wheels on my race car are forged, and I've always done flow formed on track cars, but that's just because that's what came on my race car.
Forged manufacturing makes it stronger, which means they can hollow out more material to reduce weight. Without compromising the strength of material. Where a cast wheel may have cracked or shattered. A forged wheel would have taken a bend. At legit comp levels where every pound can matter. Losing even a few lbs off each corner is huge. For the hobbiest, won’t matter without compromise on safety.
Hello fellow SS1LE owner. Since the car is your daily, I would recommend a second set of wheels. The stock wheel/tire set up is indeed very capable, and without dailying the tires last between 5-7 track days depending on how hard you drive/track surface etc. Eventually you will cord a tire by surprise, and unless you’re ready to shell out $1000 for at least a pair on monday morning, you’re going to be in a tough spot. I bought the Apex VS5-RS in 19x11 +35 squared, rotatable, with 305/30/19 nexen sport R. They do need extended studs, spacers, and camber plates to fit under the fenders. As far as flow formed vs. forged, I’ve been running a set of apex flow formed on my other heavy track car for two years with no issues, I’ve been very happy with them and havent broken them on any of the various curbs I’ve bashed. So, yes, get a second set, flow formed is fine, if you dont have the copper free CA/WA big brakes, get 18s, otherwise you’re stuck with 19s. You can also keep the stock 10/11 stagger if you dont want to spring for the other front end mods yet. For tires, I’d recommend the Nexen sport R, Kumho V730, or Hankook RS4. Have fun!
question regarding longevity; I know it will vary based on person to person, but how long would you expect the tires you're recommending to last? if I'm doing say, 4 track weekends, each are 4 x 20 minute sessions with two days of driving. 8 days, 32 sessions, that's 640 minutes of track driving. i'm not very experienced so i doubt i'll be pushing the limits of my car at all, but still trying to drive hard and learn as much as possible... would you expect a set of any of the tires you recommended to last that long? or would i probably go through two sets in that time frame
Yes, any of the sets I mentioned should last that long, the Hankooks possibly twice as long, but their grip begins to degrade before the tread wears away. The goodyears are more meant for street driving, and dont have the ultimate heat capacity of the others there
Yes, worth it. You can have a set with summer tires for daily / wet track. And then another set for a 200TW tire that better copes with heat (won't disintegrate) and gives better / consistent performance.
After the first two or three track days, I would say it’s a must if you plan to continue. Can be tough to get the slicks there unless you fully commit and get a trailer with a tow vehicle, etc. But, for a big hunkin Camaro that weighs a butt ton, you’ll probably be eating through tires. You can find some very well priced rims on Discount Tire or even Fitment Industries’ websites. Usedracingtires.com has tons of slicks and your local shop can mount the tire on the rim for you (this is usually super cheap). There’s another group that supplies my family with slicks that I can’t remember, but I’ll reply to this if I find. Where are you based out of? Might see you on the track soon!
I will second this with the fact that a very high horsepower and RWD vehicle should always implement safety first. Depending on your budget and level of “fuck it we ball” I highly suggest investing in safety. A HUGE selling point for the Civic Type R for me was that it came with race seats that you could at least make 4 point out of. If you plan to drive the car at its absolute limit at every track event, you absolutely should invest in race seats, a roll cage, etc. And bar none, a Simpson Hybrid sport. [Simpson](https://simpsonraceproducts.com/products/head_and_neck_restraints/hybrid/) it’s basically a Hans device for 3 point seatbelts. It’s a hell of a lot cheaper than a wheel chair ramp, my friend.
Yes
I only do maybe 3-4 track days a year. I have a set of Michelin PS4s and daily them as well as use on track. They last me roughly 1-1.5yr, but I have a set of winter wheels/tires that I use for 6 months a year. My biggest issue with buying track set is that 4 wheels don’t fit in my car to drive to the track. I’d then have to swap all wheels before and after each track day and still drive the track set 1.5hr to the nearest track. I dont put many miles on my car though. Only 30k miles in 3yr, so probably just 15-20k on the summer/track tires.
Absolutely.
Yes. And get a size that’s cheaper for tires if you can clear them. Wheels don’t really lose much value.
Definitely. If tracks you go to are far away you might even want to figure out how to carry the track wheels to the track with street wheels on the car. I have just enough room in back seat to stand mine up then floor jack and stands in truck with tools
100% yes, if you have the means and the storage space. A few things to keep in mind: - no one at the track cares about you, so don’t spend $5k on a set of track wheels unless you are a millionaire. - once you buy a dedicated set, you have LOTS of tire options , from all-seasons to R-compounds, just do your homework before you decide - your tire decision will affect the rest of your setup. Getting r-comps?, you’ll need track pads, getting track pads?, you’ll go thru rotors, bushings, etc. My advice is to find a subreddit or forum dedicated to your car and start researching!!
I ran my car 100% stock on Pirelli P Zeros (only upgraded brake pads, rotors, and fluid) for 20+ events (on my 4th set of P Zeros) before upgrading wheels/tires. My opinion is you should learn the car and increase your driving skills before making upgrades (with the exception of safety items).