What's your opinion on the most enjoyable tire size for an AE86? What do you think would be better for an 86 making around 180hp, tuned mainly for grip but also drifts on the side for fun? Also open to any other tire sizes and brands.

I use 195/60/14 Azenis 615k on my 14x9 TE37v for grip. I like them a lot and they are cheap for a set of four. If you are running 15" rims I would jump to a 205/50/15 tire, so many more choices. Drifting is all about personal preference/style of driving. I've run a few different setups, all on 14" wheels though, cuz they for stunnas:

195/60/14 fronts 200-400 treadwear @ 32-40psi
195/60/14 rears 400+ treadwear @ 40-55psi
or
195/60/14 fronts 200-400 treadwear @32-40psi
185/60/14 rears 400+ treadwear 35-50psi (instant +100hp bro lol)
current preference
185/60/14 all around 300-400 treadwear @ 40psi on UEO alignment

I like the 185 all around setup because I can slide out the front end on initiations, these tires paired with the UEO settings and I see why he liked it so much. I feint/clutch kick/braking all my initiations though. E-brake initiations are boring, reminds me too much of a dog dragging his @ss on the carpet.

HASport AE86 wrote:If you are running 15" rims I would jump to a 205/50/15 tire, so many more choices. Drifting is all about personal preference/style of driving.

^^X2..

HASport AE86 wrote:E-brake initiations are boring, reminds me too much of a dog dragging his @ss on the carpet.

Lol...!

I don't overheat 205 width tires on track, so I can't see you needing anything wider than that.

I use Toyo T-1R's all round in 205/50/15 and I have a bit less power than you, I find the grip is excellent and they can be made to slide quite well. Just need a bit of speed and enthusiasm. I rate them really highly for a road tyre.

HASport AE86 wrote:I use 195/60/14 Azenis 615k on my 14x9 TE37v for grip. I like them a lot and they are cheap for a set of four. If you are running 15" rims I would jump to a 205/50/15 tire, so many more choices. Drifting is all about personal preference/style of driving. I've run a few different setups, all on 14" wheels though, cuz they for stunnas:

195/60/14 fronts 200-400 treadwear @ 32-40psi
195/60/14 rears 400+ treadwear @ 40-55psi
or
195/60/14 fronts 200-400 treadwear @32-40psi
185/60/14 rears 400+ treadwear 35-50psi (instant +100hp bro lol)
current preference
185/60/14 all around 300-400 treadwear @ 40psi on UEO alignment

I like the 185 all around setup because I can slide out the front end on initiations, these tires paired with the UEO settings and I see why he liked it so much. I feint/clutch kick/braking all my initiations though. E-brake initiations are boring, reminds me too much of a dog dragging his @ss on the carpet.

Bloody awesome answer!
Thanks for the input guys, sorry for such a late reply, been really busy with school and work lately :L

For a very "stiff" suspension setup, 225/50/14 R888s would seem suitable (mainly because the 888s are one of the very few tires i know of that are available in 225. (for 15" applications, I feel that the 225/45/15 RS3s are similar in overall performance to 888s).

I would personally recommend ZII Star Specs if you prefer 195s, this would allow the car to be set on the softer side and save you some money, Z1s are also great and I would imagine many tire shops that stocked them may have them on clearance now.

Nearly all of the DOT-R tires made in 15" have 225 width available. A really important factor when determining what pressures to run is rim width. As a rule of thumb, you should try to match the tread width to the width of the rim. Some tire manufacturers design their bead to work with more rim choices, though. The Hankook RS3 and all Hoosier DOT-R tires come immediately to mind. If you run a narrower wheel than the tire was intended to be mounted on, you will need more pressure to keep the tire from collapsing under load. Really, the only way to determine what pressure you need in your exact situation is with either a tire pyrometer or an infrared temp gun.