16 inch wheels - 45 or 50 ratio?

[Shikari]

I'm running a 205/45/16 for AutoX. I'm planning to move to 205/50/16 this year if I get to race again.

As for comfort, let me put it this way: I daily on a 205/40/17 with 32psi all around and full soft suspension (coilovers). My race setup (205/45/16 w/ 32f 39r on half stiff front and 3 click from full stiff rear) is significantly more comfortable. I imagine a 50 feels like riding on a cloud.

 

[Phishy]

I just did 205/45/16 BFG's on 16x8 Deks yesterday and am loving it so far. Can't compare to a 205/50 as I haven't tried them but I have no complaints.

Enjuku was great to deal with as well. As was Amazon for the tires.

 

[briandee]

I've been running 205/50/16 for a while now. 16x7 et 42 wheels. Mountains springs, that are about 1" drop. Only rubbed when making a hard left up a sharp incline. But I think my previous tires ran wide!

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[D_D_973]

Hello all. I just went to a 205/50/16 on my slipstreams. This is a great setup for me as it is my daily commuter. The suspension is stock. (The photo came out pretty cool with the kids chalk work.)

 

[ywgbandit]

What tires did you go with?

 

[D_D_973]

General G-Max A/S. I put a lot of miles on the car and they’re cheap. They are great actually!

 

[Business6]

I went from stock size with Indy 500s to RPF-1s with 205/50 Indy 500s and the ride quality felt almost exactly the same. I went with the 50 series to make sure I didn't have a loss in ride quality but I'd still like to try the 45 for the gearing since that was the biggest change by far.

215/45 would be ideal, imo. I do love the look of the 50 series.

 

[M-Sport fan]

View attachment 30431

Hello all. I just went to a 205/50/16 on my slipstreams. This is a great setup for me as it is my daily commuter. The suspension is stock. (The photo came out pretty cool with the kids chalk work.)

Whereabouts in Joyzee??

 

[Brianmc27]

I went from stock size with Indy 500s to RPF-1s with 205/50 Indy 500s and the ride quality felt almost exactly the same. I went with the 50 series to make sure I didn't have a loss in ride quality but I'd still like to try the 45 for the gearing since that was the biggest change by far.

215/45 would be ideal, imo. I do love the look of the 50 series.

215/45 are ideal, just few and far between

 

[Speedboosted]

I went from stock size with Indy 500s to RPF-1s with 205/50 Indy 500s and the ride quality felt almost exactly the same. I went with the 50 series to make sure I didn't have a loss in ride quality but I'd still like to try the 45 for the gearing since that was the biggest change by far.

215/45 would be ideal, imo. I do love the look of the 50 series.

I just recently put RPF1's on the car with 205/50 DWS06, coming from factory wheels and A/S3's...in what ways did you notice a gearing difference? To be honest I haven't put more than 75 miles on the car since swapping but it feels much lighter on its feet now and I don't really see any negatives to the longer gearing. Acceleration feels just as good or slightly better now with more traction in 2nd (E30 tune).

 

[M-Sport fan]

215/45 are ideal, just few and far between

Pretty much no UHP all seasons, and mostly only 200 tread wear summers in that size though.

 

[Business6]

215/45 are ideal, just few and far between

And they tend to be on the more temperature sensitive, extreme grip side of things as well. I can usually swap to summers by mid April and have to start considering the winter switch around Halloween but I've also not had to change over until Christmas. With extreme summer tires there's no way in hell I'd be able to go that long.

I just recently put RPF1's on the car with 205/50 DWS06, coming from factory wheels and A/S3's...in what ways did you notice a gearing difference? To be honest I haven't put more than 75 miles on the car since swapping but it feels much lighter on its feet now and I don't really see any negatives to the longer gearing. Acceleration feels just as good or slightly better now with more traction in 2nd (E30 tune).

Taller gearing, namely in second. Switching to 205/40/17 winter tires on stock wheels felt like an improvement on acceleration.

I felt more of a positive difference going to the winter set up than the summer.

 

[Fiestig]

View attachment 30431

Hello all. I just went to a 205/50/16 on my slipstreams. This is a great setup for me as it is my daily commuter. The suspension is stock. (The photo came out pretty cool with the kids chalk work.)

HOLY BEGEEZUS... Someone stop that guy... He stole my car...lol. Our tastes are very similar. I have 205/50/16, and they feel 1000x better than the 205/40/17 stockers.

 

[D_D_973]

HOLY BEGEEZUS... Someone stop that guy... He stole my car...lol. Our tastes are very similar. I have 205/50/16, and they feel 1000x better than the 205/40/17 stockers.

View attachment 30442

Yea the stock rubber bands are terrible for the roads in Jersey.

Whereabouts in Joyzee??

North Jersey Morris County

 

[CankleStack]

I have 205/45ZR16 BFG g-Force Sport COMP-2 on mine. As I learned autox last year, I started tagging the limiter more and more. I will gear it up with a set of 205/50r16 RE71Rs if we have a season. Right now they're just entertaining cats in my room.

I like the Comp-2 summers on anything above freezing. I drive them til about Thanksgiving and you can feel them get a little hockey-puck-ey under 38F or so. If you find a deal on them, don't be afraid to jump on it. They're very good in the rain, too.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Yea the stock rubber bands are terrible for the roads in Jersey.



North Jersey Morris County

Part of my old stomping grounds (Parsippany, Whippany, Morris Plains, etc.) back when I lived in Springfield.

 

[ywgbandit]

What are you guys running for tire pressure in the summer with the 205/50R16's?

 

[M-Sport fan]

What are you guys running for tire pressure in the summer with the 205/50R16's?

I run the Neo Gens fairly high in pressure for the street, like 42 front, 39 rear.

 

[ywgbandit]

I run the Neo Gens fairly high in pressure for the street, like 42 front, 39 rear.[/QUOTE]

I can't figure how the tread pattern on those Nitto NeoGens work? I can get them here in my town and they are one of the less expensive choices. How are they in the rain and on dry asphalt? What's the deal with the asymmetrical tread????

 

[M-Sport fan]

I can't figure how the tread pattern on those Nitto NeoGens work? I can get them here in my town and they are one of the less expensive choices. How are they in the rain and on dry asphalt? What's the deal with the asymmetrical tread????

I actually called up Nitto Tech about that tread pattern direction thing, and they said that as long as you mount them with the 'this side out', and the directional arrows facing forward, you are A OK, regardless of whether or not the tread's cut/block/'sipe' directions seem to be running opposite on either side of the car.

They stick possibly better than the current 340 tread wear class of street tires in the dry, with sharp turn-in despite the 50 series side walls, but that may be helped by them being 'stretched' onto 8" wide wheels.

I have not had them out in deep standing water/puddles yet at any speed, but just wet roads, with steady light rain falling, they are fine.

These are also as quiet as (if not quieter than) the factory Pilot Sport AS/3s at all speeds.