Tire Machines and Cantilevered Slicks

don-f":oc6si705 said:
Since this has already drifted off topic. How much clearance should I allow between the strut and a 20x8-13 cantilever tire? I looked on the internet and there are recommendations from 1" to 5/16" gap. I want to suck the tires in further and narrow the flares. I did this a little before I tore the car apart many years ago and it seemed to help. 100 hp only goes so far. The car came to me with just sheets of aluminum pounded out for the bodywork. I want to make some cleaner looking fiberglass parts, but not before I get the tires where I want them.
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Wide goes faster within our rules . (95% of the time)
 
Protech Racing":3e0th8sv said:
Wide goes faster within our rules . (95% of the time)

Interesting, I'm always learning so thanks for the feedback. Adam Malley with a similar civic narrowed up his bodywork and went to more inset wheels and improved lap times as he developed his car over the years. He told me with only the 120 hp at the crank and even less at the wheels, the narrower car cut through the air better instead of being a bar door. As the car was developed the body got narrower and the wheel offset was pushed in helping the steering geometry. I did a similar test on mine before I tore it apart, not with the body work (drag) part but the wheel offset and the scrub radius changes. The steering wheel feel was different with wheels sucked in closer to the knuckle. This was especially true when the Mugen Lsd would lock and unlock or over any rough sections of track. With the wider offsets the steering wheel would want to pull hard to one side or the other, with the wheels tucked in closer to the knuckle it was there but less drastic. I don't know, but in my limited testing, it seems to be a reasonable direction?
 
Thank you for the tip about cutting the old 8x20 13 slicks around the middle. I did that this week and then took them to a normal tire shop for dismount. The wheels are not damaged at all, so that's a huge step in the right direction.
 
Good suggestions above. One addition is the liberal use of Ruglyde tire lubricant, dismounting and mounting. We did most of our tire work, 20 x 8 x 13 bias slicks, on a manual unit bolted to our garage floor. Now have Hoosier do the mounting after the 3rd hernia operation while we still do our own balancing.

Bob
 
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