Reverse Stagger Question

[Finch204]

Considering that the Mazdaspeed platform and its owners are really performance oriented, why is it that there is hardly anyone running a reverse staggered setup on our cars (other than those going to the drag strip)?

I think I've seen one person in MSF do this and another in Instagram, but other than that, nothing. Our cars are FWD, so our rear tires don't steer nor does it put power on the ground, so a reverse staggered setup to me, seems to make sense for a powerful daily driver. FWD Time Attack cars, especially the older Hondas run reverse staggered setups and in a recent time attack event, the fastest car out of all (FWD, RWD, AWD combined) was a FWD Civic.

If you're into doing highway pulls, wouldn't a reverse staggered setup be more beneficial? You could have lightweight wider wheels/tires up front, then stock width lightweight rims on the back.

I understand that a square setup would offer easier tire rotations and possibly longer lasting tires, but apart from those reasons, is there another reason why people don't want to run a reverse staggered setup on our cars?

Here are some beautiful reversed staggered Alfas btw
http://www.speedhunters.com/2016/03/we-love-jdm-ed-alfas/

 

[Easter Bunny]

I think most of the reason is that the rear can fit a pretty big tire, so since most of us DD our cars it makes the most sense to have a setup which can be rotated

 

[Finch204]

I think most of the reason is that the rear can fit a pretty big tire, so since most of us DD our cars it makes the most sense to have a setup which can be rotated

That is a valid reason to stay with a square setup. I guess this is a big sticking point if the car is used mainly as a daily driver.

 

[alexwlwsn]

I have different tires front and back but same size... I guess you could say my traction is staggered?

 

[superman]

I wonder if people with a staggered setup only use it for events and then switch back to a square setup after. wider sticky tires for track or whatever and then switch to save the expensive rubber and look normal until the next event.

 

[Finch204]

I have different tires front and back but same size... I guess you could say my traction is staggered?

Funny, but that's actually a somewhat correct description of your setup. You have grippier tires on the front, which in a FWD is what you want anyway.

I wonder if people with a staggered setup only use it for events and then switch back to a square setup after. wider sticky tires for track or whatever and then switch to save the expensive rubber and look normal until the next event.

The drag strip guys for sure this is what most of them do. Don't know about daily drivers, which is what I'm more interested with.

I was actually thinking of doing 17x9 RPF1s with asymmetric tires at the front only, then continue to run stock wheels at the rear. So my tire rotation setup would be, for the fronts to just swap left and right, then for the rears I can rotate through all 4 stock wheels/tires.

 

[alexwlwsn]

And then my track setup is slicks/skinnys but I don't generally run that on the street

 

[Finch204]

And then my track setup is slicks/skinnys but I don't generally run that on the street

That would probably be dangerous to run on the street, I mean with the skinny tires on the back.