Can someone explain tire-stretching?
 

It would be appreciated, as I have zero understanding of this phenomena.

:thanks:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...-afraid-to-ask

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LADnwQ3g9KY"]How to stretch a tire... and how you don't. - YouTube[/ame]

Point blank. It's where the tire is stretching.


If you have a 17x9 wheels and have a tire that's say, 215/40/17, it's going to stretch because it doesn't fit correctly. There's a lot of air inside those tires, so it's trying to fit and fill the rim, but it's too small.

you do it for the sloots

Maybe I should've been more specific in my line of questioning.


Let's try again.


Why?

This is the type of info I'm after. :cheers:

Not sure how accurate this is but reading the link I provided you says,

the whole thing started in germany/belgium, local laws required that the tire tread be within the fender line.
well that doesnt allow one to run wider or lower offset wheels, so they put narrower tires on the wheel to maintain legality
when you would like to run really wide or low offset wheels and keep the tire tread at the fender
when you would like to go really low and not rub

On the real I've heard multiple reasons
1. looks
2. run wider rims (fitment issues)
3. I've heard slide better (drift?)
4. Some stock cars run a tiny bit of stretch (bmws)

BTW all this,

for the sloots ;)

Its when you like to do something not recommended by the manufacturer and put everyone else around you in danger to look "cool."

Hellaflush yo!

stretch = form
proper fit = function

It's a symptom of being dropped on your head as a baby.

depends on the stretch, I'm sure people realize that the manufacturer also doesn't recommend making any changes (yes those chunkier/"safer"/stickier tires aren't recommended )

People do it so they can run wider rims and lower offset, mostly just so they can say they have 12" +20 wheels, regardless of how poorly they fit. With a stretched tire it won't rub on the body as much.

Kinda like this:

http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7218/...767e6114_b.jpg

Not necessarily true, from a tire engineers point of view. A slightly stretched tire is actually better (when considering a street tire, race tires are a whole different ball game) at quickly building cornering power since you do not have to deal with sidewall deflection (or at least reduced) during initial turn in. As a rule of thumb I always run my tires one size up recommended wheel width from JATMA, ETRTO, or T&RA. This of course only applies within reason, the aftermarket tire stretching you see is absolutely crazy in my opinion.

I wouldnt dispute any of that. apply the statement to street cars only, does that change?