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      03-03-2021, 03:13 PM   #1
nocosine
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Tracking staggered RFT

Hey all, as the title suggests would i still have a fun time tracking my 340 m sport on staggered 403m running summer Eagle f1 RFT's (one tire is bulging slightly)? Or would I blow a tire if i hit a corner

I know its been said that I probably could get away with running RFT, but as track day is coming up I wanted to see if the tire bulge is a big enough reason for me to swap to square setup or just replace the current tires to PS4S.

I'm assuming I would be wasting my money if i replace these tires as they have < 10k miles, but more so since it would make sense to find a dedicated square setup and spend money on those tires. Am I overdoing it by looking for a square setup for my first time or should i just replace with PS4S and run staggered at the track until i am more experienced and push the car harder?

Last edited by nocosine; 03-29-2021 at 01:00 PM..
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      03-03-2021, 04:50 PM   #2
cfm56d7b
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If the tire is slightly bulging, the tire's structural integrity has been compromised. I suggest to be simply safe than sorry: replace the tire or - better yet - get PS4S.

As far as staggered vs square: what handling characteristics do you prefer while tracking? Neutral or understeer (which is what BMW OEM settings deliver for safety reasons)?
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      03-03-2021, 05:54 PM   #3
nocosine
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cfm56d7b View Post
If the tire is slightly bulging, the tire's structural integrity has been compromised. I suggest to be simply safe than sorry: replace the tire or - better yet - get PS4S.

As far as staggered vs square: what handling characteristics do you prefer while tracking? Neutral or understeer (which is what BMW OEM settings deliver for safety reasons)?
Thanks for the quick reply. Fair point and looking at posts below someone included pics of blown S001's. Definitely don't want that happening at the track.

In terms of handling i would prefer neutral and poised as possible to have a better basis for how the car generally feels without the stock understeer.
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      03-03-2021, 06:40 PM   #4
thejeremyman9
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Here's what my bulging S001 RFT looked like on the outside and inside. As you can see, it was a lot worse inside than the small bubble outside implied.

I replaced these with <10k miles as well. I did a bunch of drifting and donuts to burn down the back for fun, since i knew i was replacing them. Unfortunately the fronts still had probably 75% tread left when i replaced. I went with PS4S.

I had an autocross coming up and i opted to replace them right before the event rather than after. I did that because they check your tires, and will not let you run if there are major concerns or issues. I suspect a track day would be the same, so you risk not being able to run if you show up with a tire showing visual issues.

Here's my thread on PS4S for stock staggered 19s: https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1678451

Outside photo:
View post on imgur.com


Inside the same tire:
View post on imgur.com
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      03-03-2021, 07:01 PM   #5
alohasurftoad
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from the thread thejeremyman9 linked, my post here, https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...23&postcount=2, suggests you increase the front tire size from 225/40/19 to 245/35/19, rear stays the same. 245/35/19 front, 255/35/19 rear, approaches square and will reduce understeer significantly. i suggest you get the MPS4S in XL(extra load). the higher load indexed stiffer sidewall will provide sharper turn in and less deformation during high load cornering during track use. the daily ride will be a little firmer, though.
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      03-04-2021, 12:46 AM   #6
nocosine
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Hey that was the thread I was referring to haha, super informative thanks! But wow that inside crack says a lot about the integrity of the tire, glad you had it replaced. I'll replace with indy 500's or PS4S in this case with 245/35/19 up front to balance out the understeer so thanks for that tip. Guess running square 18s will have to be postponed until down the line

Last edited by nocosine; 03-04-2021 at 02:31 AM..
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