When is wide too wide

[StarscreamS13]

Ok, so I'm looking at getting some track only tires (but sticking w/ street tires, via extreme summer perf tires) and trying to decide on what sizes is becoming tiring.

Thinking of doing a 275 width on a 8.5", granted most tire companies say it needs at least a 9". But would this be ok? Or is this just too much tire for that rim and wouldn't give me any benefit?
It seems a 245 width tire isn't enough rubber to hold the power the car produces, and would like to go bigger, but am limiting myself to stock class, thus 8.5" is the widest I can go.

Any constructive imput would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Later,

Jay

[Hille]

A 275 tire on a 8.5 inch wide rim would be pointless.

Get a bigger rim or leave stock class or put on a narrower tire.

[SgtRauksauff]

what about a 255? what diameter are you looking at? I'm running 255's on 8" rims, and they seem ok. However, they are NOT street tires, and it's NOT for track days, but for autocross.

Decide what tire you want to use, then narrow it to the sizes that have the right outer diameter and will fit on your wheels, then get the ones that have the tread width closest to the wheel width.

Depending on tire brand, some sidewalls (Yokohama, for instance) are SUPER stiff, so you might be able to get away with a wider tread. However, there's a very good chance that you'll rub the crap out of them, being a tire that's so "pinched" onto the wheel. The tread will stick to the ground, but the wheel will push itself to the limits of the outer sidewall, possibly rubbing the inside hardcore on whatever's there to rub on. Especially since being on a track, the g-force loads are even higher than normal.

I say get a tire that fits well, and "drive around" it.

May want to give This Wrench Right Here (http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=12) a try...

lol!


--sarge

[Dizmm]

a wider rim will net more contact patch. if you have room to run a 275, get a 9 or 9.5in wide rim otherwise your wasting money on the wide rubber.

there is no such thing as too wide, but you need to go with the proper sized rim for the tire.

[JamesHell]

I wouldn't go over 255s.
My car came with 275s on a 9in wide wheel and you can tell that it really should be a 9.5. But like said earlier it depends on the brand and style of tire.

[shaggy4267]

Nice link Sarge, funny!

[T88M3]

Did someone say too wide?

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/3228/slicks.jpg

[getsideways]

255 on an 8.5 is just right i have 275s on a 9'' wide rim and same as stated above they should be on a 9.5 .
FWIW next time i order rubber i will be going with 255s for my 9'' wide rims

[Saab-ert]

I have 245's on my 7.5" rim. haha But they are a modest 245. not much wider than my different brand 235's

[JDL1527]

255 on a 9" rim, that way you can run your Z in STR

[the_garynator]

what about a 255? what diameter are you looking at? I'm running 255's on 8" rims, and they seem ok. However, they are NOT street tires, and it's NOT for track days, but for autocross.

Decide what tire you want to use, then narrow it to the sizes that have the right outer diameter and will fit on your wheels, then get the ones that have the tread width closest to the wheel width.

Depending on tire brand, some sidewalls (Yokohama, for instance) are SUPER stiff, so you might be able to get away with a wider tread. However, there's a very good chance that you'll rub the crap out of them, being a tire that's so "pinched" onto the wheel. The tread will stick to the ground, but the wheel will push itself to the limits of the outer sidewall, possibly rubbing the inside hardcore on whatever's there to rub on. Especially since being on a track, the g-force loads are even higher than normal.

I say get a tire that fits well, and "drive around" it.

May want to give This Wrench Right Here (http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=12) a try...

lol!


--sarge
nice link...but you do realize who starscream is, right? I think he's got the "pilot mod" covered already :)

[SgtRauksauff]

holy old post, batman!

kaleco Auto rocks, man! I get all my muffler belts and blinker fluid from them!