16x7... what is the ideal size.

[ST_JOE]

I bought a set of sparco terras 16x7 and I'm ready to buy tires now I know that tirerack recommends 205 45 for 16in wheel but I was wondering 195 45 would be better for performance. Also how much would it affect handling if I went to a larger sidewall like a 50 or 55? Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[TheGreenOne]

Check out the meaty tires thread.

 

[kevinatfms]

I bought a set of sparco terras 16x7 and I'm ready to buy tires now I know that tirerack recommends 205 45 for 16in wheel but I was wondering 195 45 would be better for performance. Also how much would it affect handling if I went to a larger sidewall like a 50 or 55? Any help is greatly appreciated.

The larger the sidewall the more deflection you will have while cornering=bad. Also the smaller the width(195) the less of a contact patch you will have with the road=bad. Stick with a wider tire over a thinner tire unless you plan on alot of snow use.

As for what to put on your car with the 16x7's? Stick with the 205 as its a perfect match for the 7" wide wheel. It will optimize the contact patch of that size tire. As for height? Id go with whatever stock height it for the sake of gas mileage and speedometer reading(unless you have a tuner).
Too short = excessive rpm due to gearing difference from tire height, gas mileage
Too tall = insufficient rpm due to gearing difference from tire height, gas mileage

If you are looking for a specific rpm range in the sake of competition then i suggest heading to the drag strip, auto-x or road course and figure out where you need the mph/rpm to be during that competition event. All events, tracks and even weather events can dictate a change in final gearing which is why i always stick to the stock height(budget reasons also). If you have infinite resources then you can switch tires, wheels, final gear ratio before the event to cater to the event. But for most(like me) a change before every track event is too costly so i stick with the stock aspect ratio(205/40R17=887 revolutions per minute) and cater my driving to the event.

You are better off throwing a tune on it than to the make the sidewall shorter trying to achieve more performance. Tire rack has done the math for you with the optimum tire height, width and rating to make sure it will meet or beat the performance of the factory setup.