Slightly Stretched Tires Concern
 

Hello!

I'll admit: I'm still new to this whole car modification game and I have absolutely no idea what the heck I am doing. My current situation is this:

I am about to purchase some 17x9 35 Rpf1s. However, I currently have the stock tire size. I don't want to purchase new tires since I have only put maybe 5, 10k miles on these tires. I want to use these tires up until I indeed do need new tires, but if I do that I'll be riding on a stretched wheel until then.

My question is this: If I stay with the stock size until these tires are used up and ready to replace, will the handling of the car be a huge issue? As far as how I drive it, it is a daily driver, but I live in the mountains currently and love to go fast up and down these mountain roads.

You'll be fine. Keep an eye on the tire pressures. Extremely stretched tires can unbead if theres a low pressure (think in terms of why offroaders use bead-lock wheels). You'll have a slightly stiffer sidewall feel compared to a narrower wheel with same tire; that's about it. Drift cars beat the hell out of their tires and a lot of them run some sort of stretch for the stiff sidewall reasoning.

Also, no, your car won't magically explode into a big ball of fire and you die a tragic death. So, INB4 all the crazy people who think like that.

OEM tires from a 7" wheel to a 9" wheel is more than just a "little" stretched. And yes, tire wear and performance will be noticeably affected, but it will not explode

lol no

.... Ball of fire.... crazy death... reference to goats..... "hella flush".... you will be fine....

:popcorn: there I about summed up the thread in advance

What @c4lvinnn is about right. Just want to say that 215 on 9" is not a slight stretch, its a big stretch, probably as big as there can be. They are already stretched quite a bit at 8" wheels, imagine what an extra inch will do to that. Go ahead and do it, just keep an eye on tire pressure frequently and beware of temperature drops (pressure is lower with colder air).

No what?

Everything you said

I'd expect high shoulder wear. Have to increase pressure to keep tread flat.

Tread and sidewalls are naturally held together by steel belts. You're not actually stretching any material, just moving the tire bead mounting point.

Ok please explain. This is hellaflush type stretch here which others have already +1'ed. And yes, if you have to babysit the tire like that, then its performance has been compromised. Will it work? Yes. Would I trust this setup for the long haul? Nope.

No yourself lol

Let me offer a couple options/play devil's advocate

1: keep the stock tires on the stock wheels and keep them on the car until the tires are worn down. After these are done buy tires that properly fit the wheels you bought and then go on your way without worrying about stretching the tires or monitoring your tire PSI all the time.

2: Buy new wider tires for your new wheels now and keep your stock wheels/tires as a back up set.

Notice how both of these suggestions solve the stretched tire problem :cheers:

I 100% agree. Its like having the choice between a horse and a goat for a race and choosing the goat. It puts your performance at a disadvantage for no necessary reason

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13824

17x9 215 tire...

Don't see any issues...