Tire information

[SinaiTSi]

I don't know nearly as much about tires as I'd like and I've been searching around and can't find my answers so I decided to post. First of all, I have stock rims from a 2g GST. Now, whenever I put in my information on a site such as tirerack.com it tells me the tire I want is going to be with a size: 205/55-16. I need new tires soon and I can't decided what to get for a couple of reasons. First of all, the sizing, why would you put on wider tires? Like 215s or 225s. Isn't that going to be bad since the rim is designed for 205. Second of all, I'd like to get some lower profile tires but nothing that looks stupid or performs stupid. I was thinking 45 instead of 55. I'm not sure about that either though. Lastly, can somebody recommend a good overall tire for everday street use, year round. I'm AWD so I don't really have traction problems. I'm not trying to be a real cheapskate and buy junk tires but I don't have alot of money to throw around, so I need something that is going to be affordable too. Sorry for the long post, but if you could answer any of my questions that would be awesome. Thanks alot.

 

[FORMONTOYA]

A lot of people go to a wider tire thinking that since it's wider, it has to grip better; however, that's not always the case. If you look at the contact patch for your stock tire running (lets say) 32PSI the area will be thin and fat. Now look at the contact patch for the comparable wider tire. Given the same tire pressure the new patch area is basically the same, it just looks a little different as it is now wider and thinner.

Bumping up to a comparable 17" tire will give you some of the "look" of a lower profile tire without being so short that you have to worry where you drive.

I like Yokohama, but that's just me.

 

[SinaiTSi]

You say bumping up to a 17" tire. You mean, something along the lines of 205/55-17? Or just wider.

 

[WatchItExplode]

Personally, I wouldn't put lower profile tires on. It looks pretty ridiculous, and your speedometer will be thrown off by like 3-5 mph. I'd stay as close as possible to the stock tire's diameter.

For what you're looking for, I'd recommend the Yokohama ES-100 or Kumho Ecsta SPT.

 

[SinaiTSi]

So many people get tires with a lower profile though, does it throw your speedo off by that much?

 

[underradar92]

So many people get tires with a lower profile though, does it throw your speedo off by that much?

The profile can be lower ( aspect ratio wise) while keeping nearly the same diameter, by juggling sizes, (225, 205 etc.) with rim diameter, and profile. Example, some 245-40x17's and 225-45x17's are approximately the same diameter as stock. Hope that helps.

 

[SILV BLT]

People with lower profile tires typically go to a larger rim size...i.e. a 17" or 18" rim instead of a 16" rim. Unless you feel like buying new rims, I'd suggest just sticking with the 205/55/16 tire size. It's plenty of rubber to get some good traction. If you feel like playing around with other sizes though, check out this site:

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

Plug in the tire sizes and you can see how they all match up comparatively and how far off your speedometer will be.

 

[4BangR-x]

Do yourself a favor and don't go with a lower profile. For 1, it looks ridiculous. 2, it throws your speedometer off and thus gives you an incorrect odometer and you will also get less fuel mileage. There are plenty of good tires in the 205/55 size.

For that size I would recommend the Bridgestone RE750 as it is a fantastic dry AND rain tire. Some might say they are outdated technology wise, but you can take advantage of that as they are priced nicely within their competitors.

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

Eh, high profiles and massive fender gap looks ridiculous. If you increase diameter proportionately, then circumference change is minimal as someone already mentioned. And a lower center of gravity aids handling especially with a good suspension setup.

Kumho ECSTA MX for the best bang for the buck. Yokohama Adven Neova AD07 if you have the cheese. (twice as much)

 

[SinaiTSi]

Thanks for all the help. After looking through my choices online, doing lots of price comparing and whatnot, I think I've decided on the Nitto NT450: 205/55-16. That tire is priced extremely reasonably and I've read pretty decent reviews about it. Has anybody had experience with this tire?

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

Did you look at tirerack.com? They have a really great feedback system on many different tires and scoring system for comparison.

 

[eclipsh]

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

Plug in the tire sizes and you can see how they all match up comparatively and how far off your speedometer will be.

Nice link! It's helping me decide what to get in lieu of my 245/45/17's

My set of Kumho Ecsta ASX tires were decent but scrubbed pretty bad in hard cornering. A step up should handle much better if you don't get any snow (ever).

 

[SinaiTSi]

Did you look at tirerack.com? They have a really great feedback system on many different tires and scoring system for comparison.

Yeah, I have been looking at that and discounttire.com. They both have good review systems. That's what made me decide on the Nitto NT450, very reasonably priced and got decent reviews.

 

[WatchItExplode]

I sell a lot of the NT420 tires for trucks, I'm not sure what the difference is. But I think it's a great tire for the price considering wear and comfort. But I wouldn't put them on a car that I plan to do any agressive driving in.

 

[ilikespeeding]

I dont know why everyone makes that big of a deal about tires. I've rocked wynstars to the track before with about 18 psi in 'em with decent results. If you're FWD, I'd rock 235s all day long. Then again, that's probably why I cant keep a transmission in my car. But anyway, I go through a set about 4 times yearly, so I dont even have time or money to care about brand names.