No more RS3's in 225/45/17?
 

I don't know if anyone has noticed this but I was shopping around for my next set of tires (obviously RS3's) but when I go to TireRack or Discount Tire, I do not see any being sold in size 225/45/17. I even went to my local tire guy that sells some performance tires and not even his warehouses showed them....Has Hankook just stopped selling this size? It's fairly popular so I couldn't see why, unless they were developing something new....?

Are you looking for old rs3's or the v2s?

Only see them in 225/40. bummer

I'm in the same boat. I cant even find the v1 in 17" size, and the v2 only comes in 215/45/17...

Where are you seeing them in 225/40? I've looked and never seen them in that size....unless it was a typo for 235/40?

225/40/18* sorry bout that.

I've got 2 that are used that were on the front of my car up until 12/13/2014. If you click the link below and go to my last video, you can see they still had plenty of grip up until the rear got cut down due to bad driving. I don't have a use for them and can provide photos if anyone really wanted them.

Just order bigger sizes. 235s and 245s will fit fine on the OPs 8" wheels.

Even if you're running CS for autoX on a 7.5" wheel you'd benefit from the larger rubber.

C-street limits you to the stock 7" wheel width, the Dunlop's Direzza z2 come in more sizes and are comparable.

I bought a set of 225/45/17 RS3 v2's in September, so unless they've been cut off since then they're still being made?

The hankook usa site still lists 225/45/17, but maybe tirerack isn't carrying the size or is out of stock?

http://www.hankooktireusa.com/Produc...um=2&FnCode=02

I remember seeing them not too long ago too but in the last month i haven't seen any....and TireRack usually lists them and just states they're out of stock. The size just doesn't appear anymore as an option when you look at the overall listing for the various sizes.

Does anyone know if Hankook was supposed to be coming out with an RS3 replacement soon so as soon as a size goes out, it's done? I can't imagine 225/45/17 was that unpopular of a size for them that they decided it wasn't worth it to produce them anymore.....

I found them on Tire Rack's site this AM, but didn't on Discount Tire's. I also checked Hankook's website and they still show as an available size. I know when I bought my version 1's a year ago, not all dealer's had access to RS3's, which might explain why your local guy didn't see them. Suggest you give Tire Rack/Discount Tire a call. I ordered mine through Discount Tire via their local store. Had to wait a week or so but was no problem getting them.

225/45/17 will be back at some point. Hankook is known for this. especially with the RS3. I'm surprised this size ran out before 245/40/17.

Just call tire rack. They have them. I often have to call when the computer doesn't show something.

No, you won't especially with RS3's. It is very well documented that street tires should be matched with rim width very tightly. A 7" wheel will be fastest with a 215 or 225 section width.

Then why do I see tons of people at autoX cramming a 235 or 245 into a 7" wheel? Not just on the twins either.

It is also well documented HERE that more tire is almost universally better. Do you have a reference like this so that I can read the article?

Thanks for starting this thread! I spent yesterday evening on the same unicorn hunt and didn't find any either. If you do manage to source some 225/45/17 RS3s then please share where you got them.

Hoosiers, yes. Street tires, no.

Other reason would be they're new and/or uninformed.

Grassroots Motorsports tire test articles. Or talk to any national level driver in your region.

https://m.facebook.com/notes/hollis-...5008598916447/

There's a link giving you a good sizing guide from Andy Hollis; the man who does most of the grassroots tire tests and a multiple time national champion in many different classes.

Um, no.

Zero of the fastest CS drivers at Nats had anything less than 225s. Most of us were on at least 235s. You clearly haven't tried any of the new street tires from the past few years. I'd only consider 215s for maybe the toyos or Bridgestones.

Call tire rack you noobs. I got some of the first v2s this year and I had to call. They were not listed. Just call!!!!!!

LOL, the national level driver in my region runs 245s on his car.

I'll look at the Grassroots Motorsports articles if I can find them. But they may focus on "all racing", not just autocross.

Most of them are autocross based. Only a few have been track tests.

So I called Tire Rack.

Tire Rack don't have any 225/45R17 RS3 tires in stock at the moment, but they are taking pre-orders for when they get another batch. They remove the tire size from the site when they don't have a good sense of when that tire will come back in stock and will re-add that tire size to the catalogue once Hankook has confirmed that the tire is being manufactured.

It is possible to get put on a "call ahead" list for a particular tire, so that when it is going to come back in stock you will receive a call for the opportunity to order some, which I think is great customer service from TR.

It appears Hankook tool up for a limited number of tires in a production run size and then move onto other sizes. They will make another batch when they see enough demand. One way to increase the production run quantity may be to place pre-orders on the tires to demonstrate that they are in demand. I'll try and find a more concrete answer to that theory and respond back in this thread if I am able to do so.

Meant to post....called them too and was told they expect to have them back in stock by the end of February. ....unfortunate, since i need tires before i start the track season.

Most of that testing was done on an ST Civic, correct? If we are talking about whether or to over-tire is faster in STREET (ex-Stock) Class, then yeah its overall faster once you make it work. For strut cars with limited camber, I would recommend using a tire with a stiffer side wall.

If you are able to stretch or fully square up the tire and get more camber with the allowances in STX for example, then a narrower tire could be faster depending on brand/model and suspension set up.

A 245 will be faster on a 9" wheel than on a 7" wheel, but chances are that with most good tires a 245 will be faster on a 7" wheel than a 215 will be on a 7" wheel.

You do lose feel though, and the wider you're going on a narrower wheel, the stiffer you'll want the sidewalls to be.