235 tire on stock GSX rim...crazy??

[eclipsegsx1736]

I have 225/45 on my stock GSX wheel (17x6.5"), and my friend with a 98 GSX came with 235/45 tires when he bought his...his tires bulge out quite a bit, but havent come off even with some aggressive driving. I'm just curious what the disadvantages are of running way too wide of a tire on a rim are...stock is 215. We're planning on going to a road course, and it seems to me that his tire will roll over easier, and the car will be less predictible on turn-in, but he claims he will have extra grip due to the wider contact patch. Let's pretend same car same tire compound, what would happen on a road course going from 225 to 235 on a narrow stock 6.5" rim?

 

[4pistons]

It depends highly on the tire you have and what its recommended wheel size is. A high performance, stiff sidewall tire may not even fit. A passenger car tire with pliable sidewall may squeeze on the rim but because the wheel is narrow the tread area will crown and you may not gain any contact patch at all. You may actually lose some. Since the sidewall is now at an angle rather than near vertical you'd get a lot of flex and roll over just as you suspected.

Just because you can squeeze the tire on doesn't mean it'll perform.

Rick -'91 GSX

 

[92GSXBaltimore]

you get better straight line speed, and worse/dangerous cornering

 

[kazzam]

i have had 235/35/17 on my stock gsx wheels and it was awesome!!! the car handled like it was on rails... tire didn't come off in even the most aggresive driving. It was deffiatenly bulging at the sides, but it still looked like the contact patch was flat. Like the other guy said, you will have to go with a good performance tire. mine was Goodyear's Eagle F1 GS-D3's. Those are the one of the best tires out there--conciderably better then kumho MX. wet traction was awesome too. they lasted me 4 monthes on my 50trimmed fwd.
i don't think that its worth it to go to that wide a tire in stock rim. my 2 cents

 

[JiveMasterT]

I got 235s as well... not so nice in the snow, but other than that I have no issues. I don't see a problem.

 

[wret]

i have had 235/35/17 on my stock gsx wheels and it was awesome!!! the car handled like it was on rails... tire didn't come off in even the most aggresive driving. It was deffiatenly bulging at the sides, but it still looked like the contact patch was flat. Like the other guy said, you will have to go with a good performance tire. mine was Goodyear's Eagle F1 GS-D3's. Those are the one of the best tires out there--conciderably better then kumho MX. wet traction was awesome too. they lasted me 4 monthes on my 50trimmed fwd.
i don't think that its worth it to go to that wide a tire in stock rim. my 2 cents

Okay, let me get this straight:
-you put 235/35/17 tires on stock wheels and it was "awesome."
-they didn't come off during aggressive driving. That's good right?
-You burned up an expesive set of tires in 4 months? I guess it's all right to burn up fictitious tires. They only cost fictitiously high amounts of money.

People, this is Handing tech. If you want to disregard the advice of experienced members and the specifications of the manufacturer, go ahead, but don't post it here.