Can I mix tire sizes?

[woodchip]

I just lost a pilot sport 4 to a screw puncture on my 23 BRZ. sport tech
Got used Michelin x-ice on steelies for the winter.
Don't really like the pilot sports for the price but if i only by two for the rear, i figure i should buy the same tire.
prefer yokohamas but so be it.
Stock tires are 215r40 18
Will the car notice if i put 225r40 18's on the back?
Will they fit the stock 18" rims?
Existing tires have 15 km on them. The rears have just been rotated to the front so i won't be rotating the tires again until the fronts get replaced and they would then get 225's as well.
Am i all good to go or is there a mistake here?
Thanks

[DarkPira7e]

Since it's a RWD car you can get away with it, but you're really best off having all 4 match to be sure they're behaving to road surface and your input identically.

[ZDan]

215/40-18 fronts with 225/40-18 rear is not going to be a problem at all...


On my 1st-gen I ran 235/45-17 fronts with 245/40-17 rear A052s at the track, and also swapped them and ran 245 fronts with 235 rears. More than 2x the difference in height, not an issue at all.

[Th3rdSun]

Originally Posted by woodchip

Stock tires are 215r40 18
Will the car notice if i put 225r40 18's on the back?
Will they fit the stock 18" rims?
Thanks

This is what's commonly referred to as a staggered set up. People do it all the time and most,if not all higher hp FR/RR car come stock like that. If they fit,it should be ok.


Actually,now that I think about it,staggered wheels can also include the fronts being smaller,not just narrower. so 17's on front and 18's on back.


Either way,with these cars,there really is no reason to have a staggered set up. I have 225's on all four corners and much prefer them over 215's. that extra contact patch is really noticeable.It now takes more effort to kick the rear of the car out.

[Th3rdSun]

Originally Posted by ZDan

215/40-18 fronts with 225/40-18 rear is not going to be a problem at all...


On my 1st-gen I ran 235/45-17 fronts with 245/40-17 rear A052s at the track, and also swapped them and ran 245 fronts with 235 rears. More than 2x the difference in height, not an issue at all.

Out of curiousity,why did you run wider wheels up front? seems counterintuitive. I'd think you'd want more grip on the rears.

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by Th3rdSun

Out of curiousity,why did you run wider wheels up front? seems counterintuitive. I'd think you'd want more grip on the rears.

What you want at the track is *balance*. Car was set up to be neutral, but some tracks (like Thompson CT) are kinda "understeery" while others (like NHMS NH) are kinda "oversteery".

In any case, the ultimate lateral grip difference between 235/45-17 and 245/40-17 Yok A052s, both on 17x9s, was small to undetectable... Handling balance was pretty much same whether 235F/245R or 245F/235R.

[woodchip]

I just can't believe how much easier it is to get the 225's here compared to the 215s

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by woodchip

I just lost a pilot sport 4 to a screw puncture on my 23 BRZ. sport tech
Got used Michelin x-ice on steelies for the winter.
Don't really like the pilot sports for the price but if i only by two for the rear, i figure i should buy the same tire.
prefer yokohamas but so be it.
Stock tires are 215r40 18
Will the car notice if i put 225r40 18's on the back?
Will they fit the stock 18" rims?
Existing tires have 15 km on them. The rears have just been rotated to the front so i won't be rotating the tires again until the fronts get replaced and they would then get 225's as well.
Am i all good to go or is there a mistake here?
Thanks

Of course you CAN.

I've been doing it for over 60 years -

My first car that I built had staggered tires.

Why?

Because, back on the farm, I couldn't find 4 tires that were the same size.

That is not me that's my fat, ugly cousin from West Virgina.

[timurrrr]

Originally Posted by Th3rdSun

I have 225's on all four corners and much prefer them over 215's. that extra contact patch is really noticeable.It now takes more effort to kick the rear of the car out.

Same tire model? If not, it's most certainly just the compound, not the size of the contact patch.

Here's 215 not being noticeably slower than 245, same tire compound for both sizes: