Narrow Tire+Wide Wheel= D1 Ready?

[rico05]

Flipping through Tengoku Drift today I noticed a trend. What is up with the narrow tire on a wide rim? For example, a Laurel (w/ a 550ps RB26DETT stroked to 2.7l*drool*) had 15x5JJ front with 195/50/15 and 15x11J with 205/45/15 in the rear. Anyone wanna explain this?

[cosmo]

Misprint?

8" of tire on 11" rim just doesn't seem very possible to me

[rico05]

Nope. That is just one of the cars that has that kind of setup. The tires look rounded on the sides, and the actual tread patch looks correct for those widths. I've seen this on a lot of drift cars in Japanese mags, jsut never knew why.

[Holisticbeatz]

stretching tires allow for less sidewall flex when breaking loose the back end for drifting.

[aleph1]

Plus less chance the tire will come off the rim.

[EazyBreazy]

it also allows for a more predictable/and controlable loss of traction so the driver can modulate the car easier. as opposed to the side wall flexing and then all the sudden loosing traction.

welcome to go-karts 101. thats why they slide so easily. well that and lack of suspension

[Twintip_yeti]

Go look at some pics of some Euro dubs. Its big over there stretching tires over a wide rim. True to what was said before me too.

yeti

[rbsileighty]

If I'm not mistaken, it also lets them have more tire/wheel to fender clearance on a wheel/tire that is close to being too wide while being slightly tucked in the fender.