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perfect tire size?!?

19K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  Caveman 
#1 ·
I am thinking of getting new tires but what is the best size? i am currently on 17's. are 16's okay? and how about offset ? my car is currently at 45 for offset. please help! and thanks :)
 
#4 ·
This is really academic - the overall rolling diameter of the tyre has to be very close to the same for each rim size in order to maintain the accuracy of your speedometer, so they achieve this by lowering the sidewall profile (aspect ratio) of the tyre as the rim size increases. If your car currently has 17's, it should have 45 profile tyres, if you fit 16's, you will need to go to a higher profile (55 or 60), therefore you will achieve a slightly softer ride but reduced handling, Go to 18's and the tyre profile will be very low (40) so the car will probably ride like a brick - but it will go around corners. The other issue is that tyre heat is dissipated through the sidewalls, so the lower the profile, the hotter the tyres will run.
Also consider that when opting for super low profile tyres that there is less sidewall to flex in the event you hit a big pothole or debris on the road, which translates to a higher likelihood of rim and/or suspension damage.
 
#5 · (Edited)
16x7 is a nice size wheel. Offsets of about +38 to +45 are fine.
205/50/16 is a very good size tire to put on it, but not the best selection.
205/55/16 is a little taller than stock but works fine and good selection of tires
to choose from. Only a few choices in the stock 195/55/16 size.

17x7 won't give you the problems noted in the post above like the 18's will,
but not as comfortable as 16, and lots of good choices in 205/45/17 or 215/45/17.
Same offset as above.
 
#10 ·
205/45/17 has diameter of 24.26 inches
215/40/17 has diameter of 23.77 inches, -.49" or 2% shorter
215/45/17 has diameter of 24.62 inches +.36" or 1.5% taller.

215/45/17 would be closer to stock and more comfortable, plus,
since the speedo already reads higher than actual with stock tires,
it would be closer to the truth with this size.

215/40/17 would be a little harsher, but maybe better for
autocross, and it would over-read the actual speed worse
than stock.

You might find that putting 205/45/17 on one axle and 215/40 or 45/17
on the other may give you a flat tire warning or mess with the ABS.
This is a little more likely with 215/40/17 than with 215/45/17 paired
with the stock 205/45/17.
I'm not sure exactly how sensitive the ABS is to different diameter tires.
The difference in diameter between a tire with full 10/32 tread and the same
size worn down to 3/32 is about .44 inches, and that is usually ok.
 
#11 ·
I have a set of the stock 5 star 16 Mini wheels and have 225/60r16s. They raise the car about an inch making speed bumps easier and they cushion the ride a little. Overall very happy with them. I found the tires are about $70 give or take so they are affordable.
 
#13 ·
It is on a tire calculator is is about 2mph fast at 65 not much. I always though this car sat too low for speed bumps. So this was my remedy. Seems to be working. Grip is amazing. I need to so some sway bars to make it not pitch so much in hard corning. Haven't noticed too much tire rub either. Upon instal you may hear some loose words coming from the person mounting the tire. (It was myself in this case). They are very hard to get the second bead around I used a 3ft bar to keep the bead in the shallow part of the rim as I was mounting it.
 
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