Optimal tire for 17" rim

[RealShkillz]

Ok,

So the low down is I need new summer wheels and I'm having a rather large dilemma over what size tire and rim width to go. here's what I do know

1. I want to stick to 17" rims, I don't want to loose any handling or performance and get 18" just to look good.

2. I will be getting Michelin PSS no matter what size I go.

Now my FR-S will be staying mostly stock for the summer, however by the end of the year I plan on having a catback, down pipe, over pipe, header and flash tune on the car. I already have a drop in filter and might get a CAI eventually. Considering the power of the car won't be going up extensively which tire size should I be looking at?

225/45/17
235/40/17
245/40/17

I ask only because I don't want to have the car underpowered or under performing due to the wrong tire size. Which leads to the second questions what size rim would accompany the tire?

17x7.5
17x8
17x9

I know it's a lot to ask and I know there is always a bit of debate over what is good and bad. I just want a tire people have found to work with close to stock power yet offer much more grip then the crappy stocks.

Also the reason I wasn't looking at a grippy 215/45/17 is because my stock rims are staying winter rims, and since I'm upgrading the rims I might as well go wider on the tires.

Thanks for any input you guys might have.

(also the car will most likely never get tracked, so that's not something to take into consideration. It will however go on many spirited twisty road drives)

[jflogerzi]

I am running 17x7.5 with MPSS's in 225/45/17's. I can take some pictures if you would like to see. Rota Torques with 45 off-set

[cycleboy]

I've got 245's on 17X8.5 and I love them. Are they the best performing, I don't know, but they do stick a lot better than stock and I like the look with a bit more width to them. Skinny tires don't seem racecar to me!


I went with Pilot Sport A/S 3 because they've got 15K longer treadwear than the Super Sports and seem to be very well reviewed.

[SixthElement]

I just went through a lot of this for my soon to be track car. Hopefully i can add a little information to help your decision. Personally I completely agree with the 17" rim decision but from what I've read the difference in handling perform is not noticeably different when increasing to an 18" rim. The biggest difference is that they weight more and most of the tires you would purchase for them increase to overall diameter which will reduce your acceleration, unless you buy the very small aspect ratio tires.

You may want to check out this thread if you haven't already. There is an enormous amount of information here!

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...=wheel+fitment


Just doing a little searching, if you are buying on a budget and don't want to go overboard i would suggest going with 7.5" to 8". You will have a decent selection of brands and style to choose from.

Based on the tire sizes you posted 8" will be the most practical to use and you can choose any of the 3 tire sizes that you mentioned.

I haven't looked on the twins but make sure that the wheel and tire combo you choose will fit in the car without rubbing.

There are a lot of things to consider with respect to handling and car performance. For example, going with the wider wheel and tire will improve handling to a point but with wider tire comes more weight that you are adding to the car.

Some of the biggest handling improvements are simply made by the choice of tire compound and side wall stiffness.

Happy hunting my friend!

[dradernh]

Best bang for the buck: 17X8 & 225/45-17.

Tread width-wise, the wider tires aren't really wider (click on the specs tab: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....ot+Super+Sport), but they certainly cost more. The tread width of 8.2" is plenty for a car with your car's power, and will serve you well until you're north of 200 RWHP.

A general rule of thumb for performance is to keep the tire's tread width within +/- 1" of the wheel width. In that 2" range, if you have a choice, a wider wheel with a narrower tire will provide more performance.

[dunnr]

Originally Posted by RealShkillz

Ok,

So the low down is I need new summer wheels and I'm having a rather large dilemma over what size tire and rim width to go. here's what I do know

1. I want to stick to 17" rims, I don't want to loose any handling or performance and get 18" just to look good.

2. I will be getting Michelin PSS no matter what size I go.

Now my FR-S will be staying mostly stock for the summer, however by the end of the year I plan on having a catback, down pipe, over pipe, header and flash tune on the car. I already have a drop in filter and might get a CAI eventually. Considering the power of the car won't be going up extensively which tire size should I be looking at?

225/45/17
235/40/17
245/40/17

I ask only because I don't want to have the car underpowered or under performing due to the wrong tire size. Which leads to the second questions what size rim would accompany the tire?

17x7.5
17x8
17x9

I know it's a lot to ask and I know there is always a bit of debate over what is good and bad. I just want a tire people have found to work with close to stock power yet offer much more grip then the crappy stocks.

Also the reason I wasn't looking at a grippy 215/45/17 is because my stock rims are staying winter rims, and since I'm upgrading the rims I might as well go wider on the tires.

Thanks for any input you guys might have.

(also the car will most likely never get tracked, so that's not something to take into consideration. It will however go on many spirited twisty road drives)

you can play with this site to get the match that works best for you.

http://www.rimsntires.com/specspro.j...r%20H2%20wheel

[NLSP]

Originally Posted by dradernh

Best bang for the buck: 17X8 & 225/45-17...

+1

I'm using 215/45/17 Michelin Pilot Super Sport on 17x7 at the moment. Even with stock sizing, you can feel a noticeable difference in rolling resistance. Turning at parking lot speeds requires a little more effort and steering at speed feels a little heavier (in a good way; kinda provides more feedback). I love this tire.

[RealShkillz]

Hey,

Thanks guys for all the help. Most of the wheel guides and calculators I have played with and thats how I ended up with several different sizes and comparing for performance and best feel.

I think I will end up going with 17x8 , and a 225/45/17 tire. I wasn't looking to get the sidewall higher, but I guess it isn't the worst thing in the world.

the rims I'm looking at come in 45 and 35 offset, I was going to pick the 45 to be safe, but I wonder if I could run the 35 safely and avoid future problems. I would like abit more "poke" if you will, but don't want to go through suspension parts once a year.

if anyone knows alot about offsets chime in ! would love to hear some opinions.

[mad_sb]

Originally Posted by RealShkillz

Hey,

Thanks guys for all the help. Most of the wheel guides and calculators I have played with and thats how I ended up with several different sizes and comparing for performance and best feel.

I think I will end up going with 17x8 , and a 225/45/17 tire. I wasn't looking to get the sidewall higher, but I guess it isn't the worst thing in the world.

the rims I'm looking at come in 45 and 35 offset, I was going to pick the 45 to be safe, but I wonder if I could run the 35 safely and avoid future problems. I would like abit more "poke" if you will, but don't want to go through suspension parts once a year.

if anyone knows alot about offsets chime in ! would love to hear some opinions.

Look at the specs of each tire, they are not all created equal in the same size. For Example 225/45 AD08 runs 1/2 inch more treadwidth than a 224/45 StarSpec, which runs a little wider than a typical 225/45. Actual diameters vary as well.

I ended up going with 225/45 AD08's on 17x8 SSR type C's. Fits the rim nice and square. The tire runs a full inch wider tread width than the stock 215's with a much more aggressive compound and about the same over all diameter as stock.

[Khyron686]

Originally Posted by cycleboy

I've got 245's on 17X8.5 and I love them. Are they the best performing, I don't know, but they do stick a lot better than stock and I like the look with a bit more width to them. Skinny tires don't seem racecar to me!


I went with Pilot Sport A/S 3 because they've got 15K longer treadwear than the Super Sports and seem to be very well reviewed.

Do you have a thread with pictures (more the better!)? I'm looking at the same setup (except 8 inch wide).

[RealShkillz]

Ive narrowed it down to 2 choices, I'm pretty sure I know which one I want more, but curious what you guys think.

17x8 et 35 TSW nurburgrings with 225/45/17 Michelin PSS or Hankook V12 evos.
17x9 et 35 Enkei RPF1 with 245/40/17 again Michelin PSS or Hankook V12 evos.

kind of leaning towards the RPf1 just due to weight savings , but nervous about to much tire for a small car. Granted the look is nice. and 245 is closer to stock then 225.

.....why does picking wheels have to be so hard haha!

[Pete156]

Originally Posted by RealShkillz

Ive narrowed it down to 2 choices, I'm pretty sure I know which one I want more, but curious what you guys think.

17x8 et 35 TSW nurburgrings with 225/45/17 Michelin PSS or Hankook V12 evos.
17x9 et 35 Enkei RPF1 with 245/40/17 again Michelin PSS or Hankook V12 evos.

kind of leaning towards the RPf1 just due to weight savings , but nervous about to much tire for a small car. Granted the look is nice. and 245 is closer to stock then 225.

.....why does picking wheels have to be so hard haha!

Both wheels you are considering will work great. The TSWs are only a pound heavier (very light).
As far as tires go, I swear by PSSs. I have two square Michelin setups for my 86, 225s on 18x8 TSW Bronze Nurburgrings, and 255s on 18x9.5 Work CR Ultimates. Love these tires!
Good luck with your choice.

[UnOvertime]

I went with 245/40/17 PSS's on my 17x9 Rotas. I daily drive mine and it sticks to the road beautifully and I do not think it is too much tire.

Since you have two very distinct seasons (Florida only has 1 season, hot) in which you change out wheels/tires, I would say spend the extra money and get the Michelin PSS's for your summer set.

As for the wheels, I really do not think a few pounds really makes that big of a difference for spirited twisty roads and normal driving so go with which ever wheels you think compliments the look of your car better, nothing worse than getting a set of wheels that you are not totally in love with.

[Monkey_Boy]

I think I am going to be contrarian and go with the 225/45/17 PSS's rather than the 245/40/17's on Enkei PF01 17x8's. The tread width difference between the two is minimal (8.2 vs 8.5) and the 225s are a pound lighter per tire (22 vs 23 lbs) and they are still a significant upgrade over the Primacy's. Both tires will go comfortably on an 8" rim (the 225s are 7.5" native and the 245s are 8.5" native) but I'd rather go on the skinny side. Cost is not the primary concern, but the 225s are also ~$50 cheaper per tire! They put a serious premium on the those 245s.

The rolling revs are a little different than stock (833 vs 844) but I can live with that.

Costco carries them, so the order is going in soon. Looking forward to moar grip!