Optimal tire for minimal wheel gap

[GSleeper]

I tried searching but there was no "confirmed" answers, it was all maybe. Anyway, I just bought an 1995 Eclipse RS for my daily driver. It is completely stock, the wheel gap is massive. Currently the rims on the car are 17x7.5 with a +40mm offset. Tires are 215/40/17.

What would be the best tire setup so I don't get this wheel gap? It is at least 2.5 inches. Looks absolutly retarded. Would a 215/50 series work?

 

[PaleDSM]

You dont' change your tire size to take up wheel gap. The optimum size for your car is whatever maintains the same overall rolling diameter that that car had stock.

 

[BigRand]

If you are that worried about the gap, buy some springs and drop it no lower than 1.7in-2.0in. The Eibach pro kit are pretty good for what I hear, or the Tien S-tech springs.

If you are worried about ride comfort as well as tire gap, drop the car with a full coilover system. $700+.

Tire profile might be a concern too, but you really can't get rid of the gap with just tires.

 

[wret]

You could start with a tire size that is right for you car. How did you ever end up with that size?

Beyond that, there is a lot of advice out there about how close you should stay to original tire diameter. You know what happens when you get up to about 3% greater diameter tires? Um…your speedo will be off 3 mph every hundred miles. That’s about it. No phasing to another dimension or earth-shattering kaboom.

There are a few reasons why one would want to go with a larger diameter, but I can’t think or why anyone would downsize. Look into 225/45/17’s and 235/45/17’s.

 

[jtmcinder]

... but I can’t think or why anyone would downsize.

Oh, com'on, Ron. You've been around longer than that. Nearly all moderately serious autocrossers are on down-sized tires: 245/45/16s or 245/40/17s or 285/30/18s, to give the most popular three. We do it for the torque.

- Jtoby

 

[wret]

Oh, com'on, Ron. You've been around longer than that. Nearly all moderately serious autocrossers are on down-sized tires: 245/45/16s or 245/40/17s or 285/30/18s, to give the most popular three. We do it for the torque.

- Jtoby

All three of those sizes are very close to stock, though your point is taken. GSleepers tires are 4.7% less than stock. He must be a torque monster!

Actually I was thinking they might have been part of a package deal where the tires the vendor offer always seem to be ridiculously undersized.

 

[pr0]

haha i've got the same size tires (came with my rims off eBay). Yes the gap is huge, I guess I will have to get a better set of tires.

 

[GSleeper]

I don't know the original size tires that this car came with :laugh: since the rims were already on the car when I bought it.

So you guys are suggesting a 235/45/17 huh? I don't want to reduce the wheel gap, I just want it as it comes stock and I highly doubt the car comes with a 2.5 inch wheel gap from the factory!

 

[wret]

Most 2g’s with 16 wheels came with 205/55/16’s. Use this as a reference point when you buy tires of a different size. The most significant dimension in this case is diameter (or radius). Here is a link to a popular tool we throw around all the time:

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

Enter the stock 205’s and compare to what you have now. You will see that your radius is half an inch smaller. This means half an inch more gap. The stock suspension has a huge gap already. Yours is exaggerated by the use of smaller tires.

Now compare with 235/45/17’s, which are a bit larger than stock. Now there’s some corrective shoeing.

 

[GSleeper]

thanks wret, exactly what I was looking for