Bloodlust

OK. . .

in the very near future i plan on getting tires and rims for my car. I plan on getting Tenzo Racing Mach 10s (17x7) and BF Goodrich g-Force T/A KDW-2 tires put on.

Here is where the confusion comes.

Searching through the forums and on the web to help me make the decision i found out a few things. One going any higher then 215 mm causes a lot of difficulty in terms of rubbing and inefficiency. So i decided on 215 mm in width and 40 in tire ratio (215/40x17). Tires out of the way, now the rims become a problem. Redzman made a post saying that size 16 rims are better? Putting that in the tire calculator i dont see how thats possible but my knowledge is lacking compared to his.

So more or less what im asking is will i run into any obstacles putting the 215/40 BF Goodrich tire Tenzo Mach 10 17x7 combination on my car. If so how can i fix them and is there anything serious that i would run into making me have to change my choices all together.

Thx for the help

col96fx

I think the main problem Redz has with 17's is the weight, as 17's are generally heavier than 16's. Also with lower profile tires you will get a harder ride, and your rims will be more easily damaged by potholes ect...

HyundaiKitCoupe

yes you will if you get 17's. use the tire calculator to find out the speed differences you will get with a 16' or 17' tire. personally, it depends on what you want.

16's are smaller and lighter. better steering and cornering. it depends on the area you live in and the terrain.

OR

it can entirely depend on how your car will look overall. personally, i think 17's look very neat and agressive. but they are below my home standards. they are very easy to scratch up. they also have limits with tires. 205/40/17 is the max tire size you can go with our cars. 215 is pushing it a litle over the edge. there have been people who have not run into any problems with the 215's and there have been people who have had to modify their fenderwall because of rubbing. 45 is pushing it too. the ride comfort may be better but the that's when the car itself will be higher.

also, when you check out rims, check out the offset. you might want to have anything from a 42-45 wheel offset to which our tibs work best with.

personally, i want 215/45/17 on my car--and then lower it. i do not know if this is even possible. anyone shed any light on that?

LarryMcFly

If your goal is handling, your mistaken. You will get the look but the performance will sufer. Best size would be 205/50/15 wink.gif .

Why?

Wheel diameter, the larger the wheel, the more weight. But that is not the point. Using a larger wheel will compromise power and handling. Power because it is harder for your engine to turn a larger diameter wheel, handling because you will need to use a tire with a profile that is too low. Yes, they look great but they don't allow your tire to give a little and absorb parts of the shocks it encounters, they transmit everything directly to your wheel. A smaller wheel will give you better acceleration and allow you to use a tire with a proper profile.

Mad-Machine

the 50 series on a 15 inch rim might absorb more of the bumps.. but not enough to offset a good 16 inch 45 series tire. The 16 is the best compromise between looks, handling, and ride. It is still soft enough to absorb the smaller stuff, it is nicely aggressive in looks and gives room for bigger brakes, and with a lower profile, is less likely to squirm or tuck.

CyberShark

I had 15's, 16's and 17's. They all have their good and bad points. I feel it comes down to individual taste. If you don't race, who cares if it weighs your car down by a couple of pounds, and if you're into looks, get the larger wheels as they do look better then smaller diameter wheels...Just look at automanufactures..the cars they're making ususaly have larger diameter wheels. If you're into racing, get 15's and if you want a little of both go with the 16's.

Mad-Machine

it also depends on the racing you are doing and your mods. For a drag car, I say go with the lightest, smallest diameter wheels they make for the car. Lighter the better and as long as they fit over the brakes, you are fine. For a car that will see road course tracks, a larger diameter rim to clear big brakes is a must.. unless you are running in a stock class.. but then this is a moot point there.

Rallying.. this is a hard one. Rally cars are VERY hard on their brakes, more so than the road course. No other racing can have you on the gas AND the brake at the same time for miles to keep the car fast and steady... but you do not want to compromise the cushioning effect of a larger sidewall either. I would say there.. go with a STRONG 16 incher.

BillyDee01Tib

I agree with cyber, and am going with 16s cuz i love to drag race the tib. I myself am going with 215/45/16 azenis sports for my new rims =). Shouldnt be any problem with that right?

Mad-Machine

pushing it a little with that tire size.. they recommend 205/45/16 for the 16inch rims. You might get some rubbing and as that would be a larger diameter.. it might hurt your power delivery for the drags

col96fx

The stock tire size is 205/50/15, and to keep the same tire diameter (as close as I can work out) you would need 1 of the following sizes;
215/45/15
205/45/16
215/40/16
205/40/17
215/35/17
If you use 1 of these sizes, the only issue will be width on the 215s b/c the diameter will be the same as stock. I run the stock size with 1.5 inch lowered springs = no rubbing.