Good fit for 16x6.5 ??

[Shift_Kouki]

OK, I am totally sick of the non-matching all seasons on my 240. Time for new rubber.

The rims are the stock 16 x 6.5... 205/55-16 is my stock tire size. My goal is better auto cross performance for under $100 a tire , and I want to know how much lee-way I have in tire dimensions for that rim.

If I can, I want a slightly wider tire, as well as a slightly shorter tire. I wondering which is a better size to try:

215/50-16225/50-16

Are these tire dimensions good given the intended use? Or should I be looking at other dimensions?

Also... If I have butchered anything / pissed people off via n00b'ness I am sorry. Responding might allow me to prevent committing such discretions in the future.

[SeVa-S13]

Wider than stock will more than likely hurt AutoX performance.

TireRack is running a good deal on S03's, which are pretty frickin' awesome in my book, and you don't need to shorten the sidewall height to get a stiffer tire.http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...ace=0Have to get 205/50/16 though for that deal. =\

For 205/55/16, I also like these tires alot;http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...ace=4

Also look into Azenis RT-615's and Hankook V212 RS2's, which I don't think TireRack sells unfortunately.

Oh, and all these tires are wothless in snow/ice of course.

[nismofly]

go for the rs2s or rt615s in 205/55/16, itll retain stock OD and you wont beat those tires in auto-x without going well over your budget

[Shift_Kouki]

Yeah, I agree with you guys on the 205/50 size thing. Looking at the tires today, i cant see putting much wider on that rim. I don't mind going smaller with the OD a bit with a 50 or 45. For changing my final drive gearing, and maybe helping sidewall rigidity although i expect that may be negligible.

I would like to stick with getting tires off tire rack. From what I am seeing, it looks like two tires stand out.

Kumho ECSTA SPT (have found in 205/50 as well as 205/45)Link

and the Dunlop Direzza DZ101 (found in 205/50)Link

Good choices? Bad Choices? -- Making my purchase online this afternoon.

[whiterps13]

For $87 a tire you can get Khumo MX's in 205/55/16. These are going to be much better auto-x tires than the SPT's. I have 'em, and I think they are a -great- tire for the price.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...TA+MX

[nismofly]

if you want to get them from the tire rack get the MX's

but i dont know why you want smaller tires, 205/55 is your stock size and theres no reason to go smaller like you want to

plus you mention going smaller but then talk about 225/50, thats a bigger tire than a 205/55

[Eddie]

I would not recommend going with a 205/50 because they have a lower load index than a 205/55. You eithter want a tire with the same load index as OE or higher.

225/50 is almost equal to a 205/55 as far as side wall height, but a 205/55 would be the best fit for a 6.5 wide wheel.

In my opinion the MX or the RS2 would be your best choices for your price range.

[blabla]

This is my -exact- dilemmas.What tire and what size...I am running the s14 se wheels on an S13.I do believe that I need a smaller sidewall as when I put the s14 wheels and tire combo next to my current wheels they where quit a bit taller.I am no tire specialist so I don't know if what I just said made sens.What do you recommend ?

I looked at the exact same tire but the MX is a little more expensive than the spt and the thread ware is much better on the SPT. So I will probably get the SPT...great I answered one part of the question.

[Eddie]

Blaba- OE size for an S13 se was 205/60/15. For the 16in. S14 wheels you would need a 205/50/16 to get as close to the OE S13 circumfrence as possible, but the load index issue would still applie. Load index for 205/55/16 and 205/60/15 is (91). A 205/50/16 has a load index of (87). You would have to put about 3-4 psi over what your target pressure is to achieve the same load carrying capacity.

OE pressure: 29 (for 91 load index)New pressure: 33(for 87 load index) (I did the math)

Note: STANDARD LOAD tires reach max load carrying capacity at 35 psi even if there max pressure may be higher.

I work in the tire industry, that's how I know all this technical jargin.

[blabla]

Ah interesting So I guess for best performance I should get the 205/55/16It is interesting that 6.0 and 6.5 wheels uses the same tire width...

[boznuttz]

For a 6.5 inch wheel, I wouldn't push over 205's really. +1 for the Kumho MX! I loved them and their lack of rape to my wallet.