Semi slicks
Moderator: martauto
I currently run bridgestone tyres on my road legal track car size 205/45/R17 but want to change to semi slicks are any of you running on semi slicks and if you are what are the best makes to run also size wise what sizes can i run happily on the wheels i am running thanks guys.
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Black_Potato
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That fitment will be expensive, your better of getting some bbs wheels and fitting 195/50/15.
You may well be able to pick up a part worn set from one of the racers.
You may well be able to pick up a part worn set from one of the racers.
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Black_Potato
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Fair enough..... id suggest r888 or yoko 048r
I no camskill do good price track tyres like the ones below but anywhere else that you guys no of 
http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php? ... 2b0s4744p0
http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php? ... 2b0s4744p0
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Black_Potato
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for 048's try racetyres.com
Still your prob looking at £500-600 a set in that size I would have thought.
Still your prob looking at £500-600 a set in that size I would have thought.
- bullwinkle
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I've recently used a set of Avon ZZR's and found them to be very good both on and off circuit. You would need to use 215/40 17 though as they dont do a 205 in 17".
How wide are your wheels? If they're 8.5-9.5J you could try a set of used BTCC slicks, you'd need a second set of wheels with road tyres though.
http://www.touringcarspares.com/part_li ... cat=wheels
http://www.touringcarspares.com/part_li ... cat=wheels
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staley_turbo
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I'm using a pair of kumho V70a's on the front, I'm very impressed on performance and cost. Equal if not better than 888's.
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handpaper
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Best value for money anywhere - Maxsport RB5
£75 a corner in your size, dry grip like you wouldn't believe, last forever and they're road legal!
£75 a corner in your size, dry grip like you wouldn't believe, last forever and they're road legal!
Were can i get a set mate do you have a link to them please.handpaper wrote:Best value for money anywhere - Maxsport RB5
£75 a corner in your size, dry grip like you wouldn't believe, last forever and they're road legal!
- martinpallot
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Really?handpaper wrote:Best value for money anywhere - Maxsport RB5
£75 a corner in your size, dry grip like you wouldn't believe, last forever and they're road legal!
- bulletproofbob
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i got mine from Neil at dicount tyres at kippax.... 01132320420, give him a bellmartinpallot wrote:Really?handpaper wrote:Best value for money anywhere - Maxsport RB5
£75 a corner in your size, dry grip like you wouldn't believe, last forever and they're road legal!I used them once when they were only 50 quid a couple of years back, they were extremely heavy and didnt balance properly because of the fact theat they're a remould. Once they got hot they peeled in layers and delaminated at the edges after a only a couple of heat cycles.
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staley_turbo
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You get what you pay for, toyo are the cheapest I'd use.martinpallot wrote:Really?handpaper wrote:Best value for money anywhere - Maxsport RB5
£75 a corner in your size, dry grip like you wouldn't believe, last forever and they're road legal!I used them once when they were only 50 quid a couple of years back, they were extremely heavy and didnt balance properly because of the fact theat they're a remould. Once they got hot they peeled in layers and delaminated at the edges after a only a couple of heat cycles.
- dcoeinside
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Hi,oo7 wrote:Thanks guys but i need that type size to fit over my big bake conversion that i have.
i don´t know how big your big brakes are. But all bigger than 300mm is not necessary on a E30. And 300mm discs fit under 15"rims. The best combo for a E30 Tracktool.
less weight
less money
best performance
I run 300x25mm with Porsche 996 caliper, ATS 8x15 rims (6,5kg) and Toyo R888 205/50-15, or sometimes 225/45-15.


Same here. Bought them when they were really cheap and even then they were too expensive for the quality. I had to send three back because they couldn't be balanced. Not a huge amount of grip, absolutely terrible feel, couldn't judge the grip level properly at all. Contact patch isn't even flat FFS. I've still got them somewhere waiting to be killed off on a cheap airfield day.martinpallot wrote:Really?handpaper wrote:Best value for money anywhere - Maxsport RB5
£75 a corner in your size, dry grip like you wouldn't believe, last forever and they're road legal!I used them once when they were only 50 quid a couple of years back, they were extremely heavy and didnt balance properly because of the fact theat they're a remould. Once they got hot they peeled in layers and delaminated at the edges after a only a couple of heat cycles.
If that's the case why did the DTM cars run much bigger than that? For the bling factor?dcoeinside wrote:Hi,oo7 wrote:Thanks guys but i need that type size to fit over my big bake conversion that i have.
i don´t know how big your big brakes are. But all bigger than 300mm is not necessary on a E30. And 300mm discs fit under 15"rims. The best combo for a E30 Tracktool.
less weight
less money
best performance
I run 300x25mm with Porsche 996 caliper, ATS 8x15 rims (6,5kg) and Toyo R888 205/50-15, or sometimes 225/45-15.
I run 330x28 AP Racing 5000+ up front, and e46 M3 out in the back. Stops like no other e30 I've ever seen.

- Mikey_Boy
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Fair play Christoph ref: your 300mm brakes for 15 inch wheels - looks awesome and very well packaged - Porsche brakes ALWAYS the best - only OEM to design them properly!

Don't forget Christoph's (superb) race car is pretty light compared to UK trackday cars though - I use a 330mm K Sport conversion with 8 pot calipers - this car runs 17s as well and stops better than most..
R888s all the way for me 205/40R17 though - they take a good bollocking and seem to last well and are probably a more common size than 205/45??
Don't forget Christoph's (superb) race car is pretty light compared to UK trackday cars though - I use a 330mm K Sport conversion with 8 pot calipers - this car runs 17s as well and stops better than most..
R888s all the way for me 205/40R17 though - they take a good bollocking and seem to last well and are probably a more common size than 205/45??
Regarding bigger brakes, it IS all hype and "blind factor". Unless you have 500kg of lead in your car or a significantly more powerful engine the stock 325i brakes are more then enough with some good cooling to the fronts, coupled with a good racepad and they stop EXACTLY as well as 500mm hyperbling brakes, its down to the rubber, not the brakes. (for a trackday e30)
Using DTM cars with 3x the horsepower and speed then a trackday e30 isnt really valid now is it?
Darksides setup looks awsome though, less weight the the heavy originals for sure.
Using DTM cars with 3x the horsepower and speed then a trackday e30 isnt really valid now is it?
Darksides setup looks awsome though, less weight the the heavy originals for sure.
Actually a sliding caliper design will never feel as good as a 4-pot caliper due to the slider's frictional losses etc, and as the pad pressure will always be slightly higher on the inner pad on a sliding caliper than the outer one the disc is a bit more likely to warp.
That's not a powerful brakes thing, and it's not a heat resistant brakes thing either - so it applies to how good the brakes feel on a road car as much as on a race car.
Obviously the ultimate limit of possible deceleration is down to the grip levels, but that's not the whole story - don't forget there's a human in the loop, and we judge things via feedback. The better the feedback, the better we can "feel" (understand) what the car's doing and adjust faster etc.
That's not a powerful brakes thing, and it's not a heat resistant brakes thing either - so it applies to how good the brakes feel on a road car as much as on a race car.
Obviously the ultimate limit of possible deceleration is down to the grip levels, but that's not the whole story - don't forget there's a human in the loop, and we judge things via feedback. The better the feedback, the better we can "feel" (understand) what the car's doing and adjust faster etc.
WMS E30 brake kits! (4-pot 280mm & 300mm front / 2-pot 290mm rear)
www.wms-brakes.co.uk / http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=209737
www.wms-brakes.co.uk / http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=209737
- dcoeinside
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Hi Timmy,
there are two ways to get better brake performance.
1. to use racing pads for the oem disc, air cooling
This brake works always at the limit and you need very often new (expensive) pads and every season a set of discs.
2. a big brake system like mine is one time expensive to buy, but i can use cheap oem pads (Textar) and my discs are good for 4-5 seasons on the track because the system is working max at 70% and i have no problems with overheating or fading.
In the rear i use 294x19mm with 996 rear caliper. This system is perfect. Because i have a set of 45 DCOEs on my M20 i cannot use the brake booster. But this is no disadvantage. You have a better feeling for the brake than with the bb.
I will never change back.
Regards
Christoph
there are two ways to get better brake performance.
1. to use racing pads for the oem disc, air cooling
This brake works always at the limit and you need very often new (expensive) pads and every season a set of discs.
2. a big brake system like mine is one time expensive to buy, but i can use cheap oem pads (Textar) and my discs are good for 4-5 seasons on the track because the system is working max at 70% and i have no problems with overheating or fading.
In the rear i use 294x19mm with 996 rear caliper. This system is perfect. Because i have a set of 45 DCOEs on my M20 i cannot use the brake booster. But this is no disadvantage. You have a better feeling for the brake than with the bb.
I will never change back.
Regards
Christoph
timmy1701 wrote:Regarding bigger brakes, it IS all hype and "blind factor". Unless you have 500kg of lead in your car or a significantly more powerful engine the stock 325i brakes are more then enough with some good cooling to the fronts, coupled with a good racepad and they stop EXACTLY as well as 500mm hyperbling brakes, its down to the rubber, not the brakes. (for a trackday e30)
Using DTM cars with 3x the horsepower and speed then a trackday e30 isnt really valid now is it?
Darksides setup looks awsome though, less weight the the heavy originals for sure.
If we are talking road AND track, i agree. Track pads are horrible on the road. But even on BBKs, road pads never feel as good as track pads when warmed up around a track (even if the road pads are on APs and the track pads on stock sliders).
Ive put a season on my pads and have lost maybe 20% (PFC 06s). I know of people who are still running the same pads after 3 seasons in BMW Cup (our pbmwc series). Carbotech or PFCs. You would have to race for 10 years to make up for the initial cost with bbks, and even then you will still have atleast half the cost in pads.
And christoph i meant you when i sad Darksides (dunno where i got that from), small discs and light calipers! Still my opinion is you should do the brakes LAST when everything is sorted and perfect, since the stock is just "that good". (and then keep them to 300mm or smaller)
On a more on-topic note... how can you all run 195 toyos and like them? i melt though 205s in a few laps on very hot days. Switching to Dunlops this season, toyos may be cheap but they dont last at all unless you only do short, quick sprints. (great initial grip tho)
EDIT:
Ive put a season on my pads and have lost maybe 20% (PFC 06s). I know of people who are still running the same pads after 3 seasons in BMW Cup (our pbmwc series). Carbotech or PFCs. You would have to race for 10 years to make up for the initial cost with bbks, and even then you will still have atleast half the cost in pads.
And christoph i meant you when i sad Darksides (dunno where i got that from), small discs and light calipers! Still my opinion is you should do the brakes LAST when everything is sorted and perfect, since the stock is just "that good". (and then keep them to 300mm or smaller)
On a more on-topic note... how can you all run 195 toyos and like them? i melt though 205s in a few laps on very hot days. Switching to Dunlops this season, toyos may be cheap but they dont last at all unless you only do short, quick sprints. (great initial grip tho)
EDIT:
What size is your master break cylinders for front and rear? Sounds like a sweet setup.dcoeinside wrote:In the rear i use 294x19mm with 996 rear caliper. This system is perfect. Because i have a set of 45 DCOEs on my M20 i cannot use the brake booster. But this is no disadvantage. You have a better feeling for the brake than with the bb.
- dcoeinside
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I never run 195/50-15 on my E30. I use 205/50, or better 225/45-15. Why i´m using R888? I´m the biggest Toyo R888 dealer in germany...timmy1701 wrote:
On a more on-topic note... how can you all run 195 toyos and like them? i melt though 205s in a few laps on very hot days. Switching to Dunlops this season, toyos may be cheap but they dont last at all unless you only do short, quick sprints. (great initial grip tho)
EDIT:What size is your master break cylinders for front and rear? Sounds like a sweet setup.dcoeinside wrote:In the rear i use 294x19mm with 996 rear caliper. This system is perfect. Because i have a set of 45 DCOEs on my M20 i cannot use the brake booster. But this is no disadvantage. You have a better feeling for the brake than with the bb.
Mastercylinder 20/19mm. But you need a adjustable brake valve for the rear to min. the pressure.


http://www.300mm.de/299mm/299mm.htm
Similar setup to what dcoeinside is running, optimal setup for e30 maybe?
Similar setup to what dcoeinside is running, optimal setup for e30 maybe?
That's not actually fitting inside a 15" BBS properly as far as I know which makes that photo a bit deceptive, I think it's got about 10mm wheel spacers which isn't exactly good for the handling or wheel bearing life etc. (I'm sure I've seen the spacer in other photos?)
Also at £1,325 for the front kit only (before shipping costs from Germany), you could have TWO 300mm WMS kits and still have £200 change.
Also at £1,325 for the front kit only (before shipping costs from Germany), you could have TWO 300mm WMS kits and still have £200 change.
WMS E30 brake kits! (4-pot 280mm & 300mm front / 2-pot 290mm rear)
www.wms-brakes.co.uk / http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=209737
www.wms-brakes.co.uk / http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=209737

They do fit, and you're better off sourcing the calipers elsewhere imo
Edit:
And 10mm spacers either way isnt going to do much to et23(?) wheels, you still have less scrub then most normal wheels do.
Last edited by timmy1701 on Thu Apr 14, 2011 3:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
That's with no wheel spacers? (just noticed your EDIT - 10mm spacers)
I can relax a bit then! Most people don't want to fit 10mm spacers for lots of reasons:
- Affects handling
- You need longer bolts
- The 15" BBS loses it's concentric location on the hub at about 3-4mm wheel spacer (which is like a 5-6mm spacer on a G60/WMS 280mm disc by the way)
I can fit a 300mm WMS kit up a 15" BBS if I use a huge 10mm-ish spacer as well, but it's not wise so I don't.
I can relax a bit then! Most people don't want to fit 10mm spacers for lots of reasons:
- Affects handling
- You need longer bolts
- The 15" BBS loses it's concentric location on the hub at about 3-4mm wheel spacer (which is like a 5-6mm spacer on a G60/WMS 280mm disc by the way)
I can fit a 300mm WMS kit up a 15" BBS if I use a huge 10mm-ish spacer as well, but it's not wise so I don't.
Last edited by keri-WMS on Thu Apr 14, 2011 4:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
WMS E30 brake kits! (4-pot 280mm & 300mm front / 2-pot 290mm rear)
www.wms-brakes.co.uk / http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=209737
www.wms-brakes.co.uk / http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=209737
Actually I'm just making a strict comparison of facts, nothing wrong with that other than we're off topic (not my doing).timmy1701 wrote:Edit: Pretty petty of you to try to slander every brake setup that isnt sold by you
So, at 15mm you might be able to run a hub-centric wheel spacer......but my other points about a 10mm spacer are now 150% as valid!
The 290/294mm WMS rear kit also fits straight into the 15" BBS at the rear as well without spacer, there's more room at the rear.
Horses for courses really, I'd go for performance per £ over a label and trump card points every time. Other people can make their own judgements, but deserve to be given facts instead of sweeping statements.
Back to tyres?
WMS E30 brake kits! (4-pot 280mm & 300mm front / 2-pot 290mm rear)
www.wms-brakes.co.uk / http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=209737
www.wms-brakes.co.uk / http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=209737
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Black_Potato
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Very interested in understanding more about the porker break conversion, could you explain more ?
In specific the challanges in making them work, the mounting brakets, offset, availability of parts etc ?
Cheers.
Richard
In specific the challanges in making them work, the mounting brakets, offset, availability of parts etc ?
Cheers.
Richard


