Thinking About SCCA D-Stock Wheel Options

[jb2178]

So in my local region there are a couple old guys (I'm 32) who usually beat me, one in an E30 and one in a Cooper S. They both run r-compounds and are usually 1-2 seconds ahead of me on a 40-60 second course.

I'm currently running 225/235 star specs on my stock 17s. I've been looking at breytons for a while but wrapping those in hoosiers would run me $2600 and that seems pretty steep for 5 minutes of racing once a month. On top of the cost due to the staggered nature of the 18 inch wheel options promotes understeer, regardless of the tires. So I got to looking at the only non-staggered option for the stock legal and that's the base 128i's 17x7... if I wrapped them in 225/45 hoosiers not only would I have a squared setup - I could also rotate them from event to event to help wear them evenly. So the only real question is - Would the breytons be the "faster" wheel tire combo to run? The reduced tire sidewall would be nice but I have to assume the staggered nature would outweigh any pros - thoughts?

The only aftermarket wheel I could find in a 17x7 for our cars is this focal wheel at 19.5 lbs they would be lighter than the bmw options but I would need spacers. I could run 10mm and still be in the legal I think:
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/Wheel...num=1775601AMF

Not a bad looking wheel - and at close to $1500 with hoosiers it's a lot easier to stomach - it would look quite nice with r-compounds and might make me 2 seconds faster on sundays...

Just doing some thinking out loud but would appreciate any thoughts or comments.

[Xaeryan]

*wishes our events were 40-60 minutes* :-P

I'm a bit confused, so you are considering Breytons in 18" I assume, but you are aware they are not D-stock legal if your car came with 17s, right?

13.4 Any type wheel may be used provided it complies with the following: it
is the same width and diameter as standard, and as installed...

Or are you just looking to beat the other guys, regardless of the class you might fall into?

(Not that I have a good answer for you anyway, but maybe this can clarify for others to answer.)

[Amalfitano]

For my year (09), i'm pretty sure you could order the sport package AND keep the 17's with all-seasons. Though those are 17x7 and 17x7.5's. Since they were options in all trims, short of the "m-sport" which is only the wheels for difference anyway, i think people can go in any direction they want.

If you want to get technical, i do believe at least one person squeezed 275's onto the 7.5 18's. If understeer is your only concern, quare up 245's or 255's on the 18's. You can't rotate them, and the squeeze on the front will run the width a bit narrower, but it's pretty darn close to square.

[jb2178]

Originally Posted by Xaeryan

*wishes our events were 40-60 minutes* :-P

I'm a bit confused, so you are considering Breytons in 18" I assume, but you are aware they are not D-stock legal if your car came with 17s, right?

Or are you just looking to beat the other guys, regardless of the class you might fall into?

(Not that I have a good answer for you anyway, but maybe this can clarify for others to answer.)

First I meant to say 40-60 seconds...

It's my understanding that since the 135i is also a D-stock car I can run the 135s wheels and still be legal... am I mistaken? Also I could have ordered from the factory the set of 18's if I wanted as an option - I think they were the 216s or 269s.

12.4 Standard Part

An item of standard or optional equipment that could have been ordered with the car, installed on the factory production line, and delivered through a dealer in the United States. Dealer-installed options or deletions, except as required by factory directives, no matter how common or what their origin, are not included in this definition. This definition does not allow the updating or backdating of parts.

[Amalfitano]

Depends on the specs of those wheels. The breyton's would simply have to be within 6 mm offset. I'd be sure that those 269's were 18x7.5 front and 18x8.5 rear, and confirm the offset.

they are on the same line, but they are treated as different cars. It only matters what options the 128 had from the factory for your year. Stock class would allow you to move between options for your year, but you're supposed to do that in entirety.

Say you bought the base package but the sport package had the wheels you want to run. What you're supposed to do is change everything on your car to what would've some with the sports package (seats, special trim perhaps (shadowline), wheels, springs/shocks).

It's a PITA, but at the same time, i really doubt local people are that much of sticklers. You would'nt be gaining ridiculous advantage, and if it's a bmw wheel especially, they are still heavy

[Xaeryan]

Originally Posted by jb2178

First I meant to say 40-60 seconds...

I know, I was only busting... and dreaming.

Originally Posted by jb2178

It's my understanding that since the 135i is also a D-stock car I can run the 135s wheels and still be legal... am I mistaken? Also I could have ordered from the factory the set of 18's if I wanted as an option - I think they were the 216s or 269s.

I did not see any options to order 18s for the 128i, but perhaps that has since been removed (or I'm just missing it). If that's the case, I think you're fine by the rule you cited as long as the 18s satisfy the rest of the conditions (width, offset). What I'm not sure of is whether the 128i and 135i can be considered the same "model" under rule 12.3 for your former consideration. Might be an interesting topic in itself.

[Xaeryan]

Originally Posted by Amalfitano

Say you bought the base package but the sport package had the wheels you want to run. What you're supposed to do is change everything on your car to what would've some with the sports package (seats, special trim perhaps (shadowline), wheels, springs/shocks).

It's a PITA, but at the same time, i really doubt local people are that much of sticklers. You would'nt be gaining ridiculous advantage, and if it's a bmw wheel especially, they are still heavy

^^ and this part too.

[jb2178]

I understand about if you want to run any part of the package you have to run the entire package. There are some miata guys who explained that to me pretty early on - but beyond that fact I could have ordered optional 18 inch wheels in addition to the sports package and here's the chart that shows the 2008 128i's options: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=209582

The breytons are THE ONLY 7.5 & 8.5 18's that I've found that I could run without spacers/extra bolts and so on based on offset. But the original question still applies - would running a pseudo-square setup of 235/245 (I don't think 245s will fit up front without spacers) on the lighter breytons be worth the extra $1000 investment? I bet I could run 235/17s and save the money for my next set of tires and I'm guessing I would be just as fast as with the breytons.

I know everybody likes bigger wheels and low profile tires but I'd like to think that the extra rotational mass if the wider tire and the rims outer edge being an extra half inch farther away from the rotation point would make the 17s the smarter choice... before I bought my 128i I was seriously concidering a cooper s but the fact that the 17 inch wheel options actually slowed the car down compared to the 16 inch option is kinda where this thought is coming from.

Finally - I know nobody around my local group would really care until I started beating them but if I buy wheels and r compounds I think I could find myself at a national event eventually and I'd like to remain legal in the off chance I actually get fast...

Thanks for the input guys

[verlumpt]

128i != 135i period. You can't mix and match parts or wheel options between the cars.

pick up some used stock wheels, put some hoosiers on them and be fast and 100% legal.