You have to back up the big tires with good hardware on a solid platform. Weld & box the k frame is mandatory as are adjustable shocks, boxed lower control arms, aftermarket upper control arms, firm feel 3 box etc. 16:1 steering is perfect for the road course, i see no requirement for fasting ratios etc as that will not make the car faster in the turns so the lap times get better. Bling.
Don't forget the brakes.
I agree as one "over tires" ANY vehicle, other mods need to be taken to utilize the larger(?) tires full traction circle.
That DOS NOT mean there is no benefit from over tiring a vehicle without mods.
I have not I believe, anywhere suggested there is no downside in over tiring a car, in the realm of additional rotational mass, higher aero drag, aqua planing, cost, unbalancing due to poor size selection per axle, etc.
However one can on their own decide if the benefits in "overtiring" is worth the cost, in areas of higher driving performance, decreased braking distance ,etc.
My life experience in over 4 decades of "over tiring", and thru nearly all the sharing of others in that time, other then this thread, I have yet to review a solid case of how over tiring is a"mistake" and needs to be avoided, to the point, in the past, overtiring is but just a myth. That does not mean someday we might reach that point, like when an axles tires start to touch in the middle.
Hope you are warm and cozy down there, JC. It's 6F up here.
"I have yet to review a solid case of how over tiring is a "mistake" and needs to be avoided.."
I think ThermoQ is saying don't overtire a car without understanding the car's components are more likely to fail, which may be a mistake that will ruin your day.
I think you are saying don't be afraid to "over-tire" your car because better tires have clear and obvious performance benefits right out of the gate.
Would that be fair to say? Neither position is wrong - I think it's a choice.
Preaching to the choir here, but just to rehash or explain the thinking for my response;
Grippier tires allow a car to go faster but has a domino-effect. The most common result is it breaks the car somewhere. And if it breaks, some would be right to call that a mistake because it can end a day of racing, while others label it an opportunity to go faster and find where to make the car stronger..
Some owners want to invest up front and get the benefit while avoiding their car breaking a component, vs owners who are willing to get the benefit and willing to learn if their car breaks and needs repairing later. Most owners probably fall in the middle of these..
When the welds on the RoadRunner's front K-frame crack from the stress induced by the grippy tires ...which I found it on my brother's RR after 1/2 day of tracking on his new tires.. I showed him, and he decided to slow down, but not to stop racing the RR for the day. His drum brakes were already limiting him, so my brother didn't define this failure as a "mistake", but rather a problem he'll deal with later. I took it a step further and listed several additional places he should have stiffeners welded in, front and rear.
Each car, each setup, each component, and each attitude towards it, is a choice. We all compromise between benefit vs detriment, speed vs durability, - the increase in performance, weight, durability, cost, etc. and the all significant forces working on the car come via the tires -> cornering, braking and accelerating.
Cheers,
- Art
