Meaty Tires Thread

[J2FoRS]

Maybe not the right thread, but based on searching on here maybe. And I see Rick and other knowledgable tire folks posting in here so hopefully ill find my answer even if wrong thread. I'm wondering if I get a few different recommendations for tires that are of a wider profile/look/ a little meatier than others. I'm only going to be running 215/40/17's on a 17x7 +42 but would like the tire to be appear wider than stock. I know some brands fit wider or taller than others even though they are listed same size so just looking for a few that would do just that.

Thanks!

 

[RAAMaudio]

In case you have not seen it I have posted elsewhere quite a few times, do not go by the side wall markings, which is what they list the sizes as well, go by actual sizes and the best place to find it for most tires is on Tirerack.com.

I had 205/45/17 Mich PS-3 AS tires on 17x7 and the looked too wide for the wheel since they had a 7.5" tread width, now they are on my daughters car on 17x8 and look perfect but 7.5 would of been good as well.

They are expensive and are amazing all season tires but just rode to harsh after running around on the 225/45/15 Rival S tires so I gave them to her.

What specific needs do you have for the tires, just street, summer only, all season, autocross, HPDE, canyon carving, etc....the more we know the better we can help you pick the best tires, list your budget as well please.

Glad to help but need more info

 

[J2FoRS]

Looking for summer only spirited street. Going to run seperate rims/tires if tracked. No budget! Going to go off whatever the recommendations are and price out at Cost and see what I can even get easily here then make a decision pending that. I'll start looking at widths on tire rack. Just want a wider look and feel but only running a 7" rim. But not so wide it's bulged or compromising.

 

[mercdank]

Looking for summer only spirited street. Going to run seperate rims/tires if tracked. No budget! Going to go off whatever the recommendations are and price out at Cost and see what I can even get easily here then make a decision pending that. I'll start looking at widths on tire rack. Just want a wider look and feel but only running a 7" rim. But not so wide it's bulged or compromising.

Federal 595 RSRs are wider than normal but not too much, it's the perfect amount of extra width. Plus they are at an unbeatable price for the performance. 140 treadwear but with very similar performance to the Potezna RE71R (which I have currently) at about half the price. Again though, 140 treadwear means it's not usable for most autocross or SCCA events, but if that isn't a concern then forget I said anything.

Only thing is that these are pretty much on the ragged edge of street performance, so when it rains you will need to drive like a grandma aka drive safely and avoid standing water like the plague. The same can be said about my Potenza's though, and you should also be driving slowly when it rains regardless, so take this with a grain of salt.

Sixteen's @$74.90 a tire:
https://www.onlinetires.com/products/vehicle/tires/federal/205%252F45-16+federal+595+rs-r+racing+83w+bsw.html

Seventeen's @ 82.48 a tire:
https://www.onlinetires.com/product.../215%2F40-17+federal+595+rs-r+racing+83w.html

These are cheap enough to justify nearly any budget-minded person looking for max performance. They are also cheap enough for anyone without a budget constraint to buy simply to try them out and compare to offerings at double the price.

Pilot SS 215/45R17 vs 205/50R16 Federal 595 RS-R

 

[RAAMaudio]

I looked up the specs on Federal;s site and tirerack for the RS-R, something does not math out here as listed as .1" different in section width and .3" in tread width. The Federal is wider in secton by .1 and the Mich wider in tread by .3" both mounted on 7" wide wheels.

Taking a good look at the picture you can see the Mich has a much more square shoulder and the tread looks as wide or wider than the federal.

The Federal has much wider sidewalls making it look like a much wider tire but the proof is in how much rubber is on the ground and how well the sidewall design keeps it in contact.

The Mich is listed at 21lbs, I would love to see the weight of the RS-R, it would appear to be quite a bit more but when I looked at other places the weight showed 23lbs.

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One thing often overlooked is how often tires need to be changed there is the added service cost for mounting and balancing but that can be found for around $50, sometimes less, sometimes more. Add that to the lifespan of the tires and the discrepancy in price can be much less pronounced, sometimes close to the same, sometimes grows. Just one more aspect to consider.

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Very important to mention rain performance as very important info for those in rainy climates, thanks for doing so

And tread wear ratings for autocross in many classes.

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[J2FoRS]

Thanks for the suggestion mercdank. Will look into them. Was hoping for Mich PSS as well but they don't come in 215/40.

 

[mercdank]

I looked up the specs on Federal;s site and tirerack for the RS-R, something does not math out here as listed as .1" different in section width and .3" in tread width. The Federal is wider in secton by .1 and the Mich wider in tread by .3" both mounted on 7" wide wheels.

Taking a good look at the picture you can see the Mich has a much more square shoulder and the tread looks as wide or wider than the federal.

The Federal has much wider sidewalls making it look like a much wider tire but the proof is in how much rubber is on the ground and how well the sidewall design keeps it in contact.

The Mich is listed at 21lbs, I would love to see the weight of the RS-R, it would appear to be quite a bit more but when I looked at other places the weight showed 23lbs.

-----------
One thing often overlooked is how often tires need to be changed there is the added service cost for mounting and balancing but that can be found for around $50, sometimes less, sometimes more. Add that to the lifespan of the tires and the discrepancy in price can be much less pronounced, sometimes close to the same, sometimes grows. Just one more aspect to consider.

-----------

Very important to mention rain performance as very important info for those in rainy climates, thanks for doing so

And tread wear ratings for autocross in many classes.

-----------

Good eye. And keep in mind the RSRs in the picture above is a 16in with a 50 sidewall rating, so a more properly sized 40 or 45 sidewall wouldn't make it look as wide as it does most likely. The main thing for me is the price for performance of these tires, I am going to be ordering them soon, my Potenzas are on their last couple thousand miles.

 

[RAAMaudio]

I would be giving them a run as well but none in my size

I really hope you love them and others get to try them as well!

 

[BryanD]

Flares are going on this week. Some suspension fine tuning will be done, and then I'll post up some pictures of the full car.

 

[ericr]

The Yoko AD08R's run wider than normal for a 215/40x17. I have a set of those on 17x8 et48. Their 8.6" section width and 8.2" tread makes it more comparable to a 225. The tread width is even wider than some 225's like RS3's or the new 720's. The only complaint I have on these tires is that their grip is optimized at about 32 psi hot - really not enough pressure for the street. If you pump them up to survive on the street, you lose a lot of performance, they get greasy. But, if you don't push it hard on the street and want a good tire that heat cycles well and doesn't get greasy on the track, it's a good option.

Maybe not the right thread, but based on searching on here maybe. And I see Rick and other knowledgable tire folks posting in here so hopefully ill find my answer even if wrong thread. I'm wondering if I get a few different recommendations for tires that are of a wider profile/look/ a little meatier than others. I'm only going to be running 215/40/17's on a 17x7 +42 but would like the tire to be appear wider than stock. I know some brands fit wider or taller than others even though they are listed same size so just looking for a few that would do just that.

Thanks!

 

[ericr]

I like your attitude, a lot

I have also ran R888 full time on cars I did not drive much or expect much life from the tires.

You might want to take a look at the Rival S though, super sticky, does not take as long to warm up as the R888 or RA1, which I have considerable experience with and should last longer.

They would be great for autocross, time trail, canyon runs, just not 20-30 all out HPDE as would get to hot. I am running around 300WHP right now and if above 50 degrees and a decent surface they do not spin in 2nd gear, just dig in and go, quite impressive.

The R888 or RA1 take more time to come to optimal operating temp so not ready to go on a moments notice, still dang sticky and last far longer on the track I am sure.

It would be cool to do a mod for mod comparison on two cars with the different tires, all three even better, real world use, track, autocross, canyon runs, etc.....

I did review the Rival, Ecsta V720 and the RS3V2's, They're all great tires and of those 3, Tirerack ranked the new Ecsta the best. The only problem is that they only come in 225/45 and not 225/50. I'm not lowered, just stock springs with Koni's. The stock tire is 23.4", the /45's are 23.0" and the /50's are 23.7". From my experience with 215/40x17's, which are also 23.7", I think the 225/50's will do a much better job in filling the wheel gap with stock springs. I'd rather be 0.3 over in diameter than 0.4 under. From my experience, performance difference in this taller diameter is negligible. Overall weight, which I think is more important, will be much lower compared to stock. So, there's my reasoning, as much as it is. Plus... I like the looks. It's about as far away from stretched, poked, cambered as you can get.

 

[RAAMaudio]

I like your attitude even more now

Go for it but we need some pics, please!

Rick

 

[RAAMaudio]

I like your attitude even more now

That makes a butt load more sense than a look that makes your car slow, glad you think more independently.

Go for it but we need some pics, please!

Rick

 

[ericr]

I like your attitude even more now

That makes a butt load more sense than a look that makes your car slow, glad you think more independently.

Go for it but we need some pics, please!

Rick

Will do with the photos - It'll be about 3 months though for the Team Dynamics slow boat from wherever to make it here.

 

[RAAMaudio]

Ouch! I would have a hard time waiting that long!

I am glad I did the 4x100 conversion with just 293 miles on the car, only 5 of them by me as I have 14, 15x9 roll formed lower weight that TD wheels on hand and 4 more 15x8, 11.4 lb wheels on the way.

For those needing to stay with 4x108 the TD is the best game in town and still a huge amount better than 17's on this tiny car

 

[WeTheNorth]

I did review the Rival, Ecsta V720 and the RS3V2's, They're all great tires and of those 3, Tirerack ranked the new Ecsta the best. The only problem is that they only come in 225/45 and not 225/50. I'm not lowered, just stock springs with Koni's. The stock tire is 23.4", the /45's are 23.0" and the /50's are 23.7". From my experience with 215/40x17's, which are also 23.7", I think the 225/50's will do a much better job in filling the wheel gap with stock springs. I'd rather be 0.3 over in diameter than 0.4 under. From my experience, performance difference in this taller diameter is negligible. Overall weight, which I think is more important, will be much lower compared to stock. So, there's my reasoning, as much as it is. Plus... I like the looks. It's about as far away from stretched, poked, cambered as you can get.

You're referring to a 15" rim in assuming?

 

[ericr]

You're referring to a 15" rim in assuming?

Yes, all on 15x8 et35 TD 1.2's

 

[Kip2MyLou]

 

[ryan15]

Finally have something worth posting in this thread!
Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 15x7 (powder coated Dye Cast Blue)
Yokohama Advan Neova Ad08R 205/50/15
Lowered on Bilstein B14s.

 

[SeanBonham]

so good!

What offset on the wheels?