Tires... Opinions please

[Jusepi97sx]

whats the word out there on Kumho tires.....Good brand? and also do 245/50s fit on the stock rims of an S14 (being that they are 7', anyone have that size on?).. 5 lugs..?

[Excedio]

i have khmuo tires on my s13...they are 225/50/16...they are good tires

[controler]

I don't know the stock size of tires on a s14, but squeezing 245's might be a little tough. 225's should easily work on 7" wide rims.

Kumho Supra 712s are only ok... they provide a decent bang-for-your-buck value, and should not be taking seriously for a race-inspired tire. So basically if your on a budget get 'em, but if your racing, get something like Bridgestone Potenza S03's.

[drifter]

Hey, I have Toyo Proxes FZ4's.....these are actually pretty good.I mean of course, not good for drifting, but you know, good! : )

[Jusepi97sx]

yeah.. i would be getting the Supra 712s... for a pretty good price if things work out... dont' know the final price tho.. just doing some hw..

[fliprayzin240sx]

whats the word out there on Kumho tires.....Good brand? and also do 245/50s fit on the stock rims of an S14 (being that they are 7', anyone have that size on?).. 5 lugs..?

I just put on Kumho Ecsta 225/50/16 on my SE. And im honestly impressed so far considering for the price i paid for them. I havent heard anyone else stuffing anything bigger than those on the 7" SE rims. 225's are wide enough that when you scrapped the curb...itll never touch your stock rims. :ylsuper

[AZhitman]

245/50/16's WILL INDEED fit (beautifully, I might add) on a 16x7 stock rim. My Q45 has the Yoko's in that size, it's in Member's Rides.

The 225's might make more sense on a smaller car like the 240. Have the shop mount both and check 'em out!

The Kumho's are a solid tire choice for the $$$ you'll spend (shouldn't be more than $90/tire in that size).

[VQdriver]

what do you guys think about 225/45/17 fronts and 245/45/17 rears? does anyone have this combo in an S13? are there any driveability problems such as rubbing or understeer? i wanted to see what the largest size that would fit. will my speedometer be off by much or are they around the right spec diameter? i know i won't be able to rotate tires, so that's a factor also.

[ninjak84]

My ecsta supras work really well with my 17's. I highly recommend them.

[VQdriver]

what are the widest possible sizes for 16s and 17s? i need opinions on the best/largest overall size for an S13 front and rear. i plan on boosting considerably in the next few months into next year.

[ninjak84]

Depends on what rims you want...

[Mike09]

go yokohama they rock

[klorocks]

i like my nittos, would recommend

[Repo Man]

Put in my vote for the Nitto 450's. Just got a set before the last KY NICO meet and they are very stable at palmerwmd speeds in the rain! Mine are siped though.

[lucky]

BF Goodridge g-Force KDWs. They get rather loud when they are worn down but overall you will be very happy.

[klorocks]

repo, i think you are the first ive seen on this board that has reccommended the 450s with me, ive been praising them ever since i got them, im on my 2nd set now, love them, they actually saved my life

[Repo Man]

repo, i think you are the first ive seen on this board that has reccommended the 450s with me, ive been praising them ever since i got them, im on my 2nd set now, love them, they actually saved my life

klorocks, this doesn't mean we're going to hold hands and take warm showers late into the night.

Seriously, the first weekend I had them on I went down to KY to meet palmerwmd and the KY crew. We drove from Louisville to Bowling Green in the rain at some seriously illegal triple-digit speeds and the tires held the road very well. My old tires were so worn that driving in the rain was almost like driving on ice. Several drifting incidents that were not planned.

I don't think they're the best tires for ultimate dry traction, but they are very good for daily driving. I haven't really had the chance to test them on a road course or auto-x yet.

[Teaneck]

admittedly I am ignorant when it comes to this.... physics speaking however wouldn't a wider tire actually make your car slower? yes you would have more traction which would increase the handiling but more traction creates more friction, more friction will cause your car to have to work harder to travel at the same rate of speed. Why would I want a larger rim? wouldn't the added mass make the car less nimble at launch and brake? there has to be an optimum setting. Like I said not an area of expertise.... why I have yet to deviate from factory settings on this... new rims and tires is in the area of $1000+, why would I spend that to make my car slower? please bestow your wisdom upon me.

[AZhitman]

Added friction from a wider tire is so minimal as to not affect performance. Your bigger concern should be unsprung weight, or the mass of all things beyond your springs (that you can do something about) such as rotors, wheels, tires. Can't do much about the rotors, so wheels are next. 16x7" (maybe 17) seems to be an optimal mix of performance and looks. Any larger and you get too heavy, any smaller and you can't run the tire width you may want. Stick with a lightweight alloy rim (but don't fall for the cheaper models out there, you'll regret it). In that size, you should be able to stay under 17 pounds per wheel, which will improve acceleration. Several guys on here have good advice about tire sizes.

[lucky]

Actually, you can find 18" wheels that weigh less than 17" or even 16" wheels. It's all in how the wheel is built. For instance, the Volk Racing SE37 in 18"X9.5" only weights 16.8lbs per wheel while the Enkei RPO-2 in 16"X8" weights 17lbs. By picking the Volk over the Enkei, you will be able to run a wider tire, have better looking wheels and still weight about the same. Here is a link to a site that has alot of wheel weights:

http://www.wheelweights.net/

You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the database.

[Repo Man]

admittedly I am ignorant when it comes to this.... physics speaking however wouldn't a wider tire actually make your car slower? yes you would have more traction which would increase the handiling but more traction creates more friction, more friction will cause your car to have to work harder to travel at the same rate of speed. Why would I want a larger rim? wouldn't the added mass make the car less nimble at launch and brake? there has to be an optimum setting. Like I said not an area of expertise.... why I have yet to deviate from factory settings on this... new rims and tires is in the area of $1000+, why would I spend that to make my car slower? please bestow your wisdom upon me.

Teaneck, you make a very good point. I am not a physicist, but I'll give my opinion based on practical experience anyway. The stock 240 tire was either a 195 or an optional 205 on a 15" wheel. If your car came with steel wheels like mine, you had very heavy wheels. In going to a larger diameter wheel, you shorten the sidewall of the tire which generally makes for a stiffer sidewall. In selecting the tire, you go with a shorter aspect ratio, say 50 series versus 65 series to keep the outer diameter the same, thus keeping the same gear ratios.

My 16" wheels are considerably lighter than the factory wheels, which reduces unsprung weight. The tires are a little wider, but not so much that they hurt mileage or speed. In fact, a wider, flatter contact patch puts more rubber to the ground which means carrying more speed through the turns.

To sum up, selecting the correct wheels and tires can be a very worthwhile performance upgrade as long as the wheels are lighter than stock, tires stickier than stock and not too wide. For instance, I think a 245mm tire on an S13 would be too much unless you're pushing some serious power. I have 225's on my car and it handles/rides great.

Clear as mud?

[Teaneck]

So... if I stay with in the same overall (tire/wheel combo) diameter then the critical variable is weight. correct? scenario... if I went to a shop, pulled a wheel off and weighed it, I could in theory go to as large a wheel as I wanted (which would not be over 17) as long as the new wheel weighed less. Then drop the side wall height accordingly... and not loss any performance...?

...and thanks for the replies, this board kick ***!

[Repo Man]

So... if I stay with in the same overall (tire/wheel combo) diameter then the critical variable is weight. correct? scenario... if I went to a shop, pulled a wheel off and weighed it, I could in theory go to as large a wheel as I wanted (which would not be over 17) as long as the new wheel weighed less. Then drop the side wall height accordingly... and not loss any performance...?

...and thanks for the replies, this board kick ***!

Critical variable for what? Yes, the decrease in weight can translate to an increase in performance dependent upon the type of performance you're looking for. There are also differences in tire weight. Less unsprung weight means quicker reaction in the suspension.

Keep in mind that the biggest thing(s) IMO is overall weight and overall outer diameter, as long as the fit of said combination is good. The same OD will keep your gear ratios the same and not decrease acceleration in that aspect. Less unsprung weight is less weight your driveline has to set in motion, which, theoretically would mean quicker acceleration. Same with a larger contact patch.

Another way to double your contact patch under acceleration without changing tires is to install an LSD. This will help both straightline acceleration and exiting corners. A very worthwhile mod.

[silviamirage]

how much (ballpark) does a decent aftermarket lsd cost?

[Repo Man]

how much (ballpark) does a decent aftermarket lsd cost?

A new one costs around $900, last I checked. You can get a used one for 3-400 in decent shape.

[240sxrunner]

I have Toyo Proxie T1-S's there the best tires i have ever bought very expensive. Z rated too

[Kristen_S14]

admittedly I am ignorant when it comes to this.... physics speaking however wouldn't a wider tire actually make your car slower? yes you would have more traction which would increase the handiling but more traction creates more friction, more friction will cause your car to have to work harder to travel at the same rate of speed. Why would I want a larger rim? wouldn't the added mass make the car less nimble at launch and brake? there has to be an optimum setting. Like I said not an area of expertise.... why I have yet to deviate from factory settings on this... new rims and tires is in the area of $1000+, why would I spend that to make my car slower? please bestow your wisdom upon me.

The friction in your tires doesn't matter during normal driving. Your car doesn't have to work any harder at all to travel at the same rate of speed because while you're driving, you're tires aren't slipping. The static friction holds them to the road. The only time the friction in your tires comes into play is when the force of your tires overcomes this friction while you're either doing a hard launch, stepping on the brakes, or sliding around a curve. Then kinetic friction determines how much they slide.

[blackbeauty240]

very good tire for the money as long as you get a good speed rating (H,V,Z) Futura tires are a good bang for the buck too i know because i work for the company who sells them. Pepboys

[Teaneck]

Kristen... I respect your response, but if that is the case then why does tire pressure effect MPG efficiency? If your tire is underinflated it creates a larger foot print, which will decrease your MPG.

[Repo Man]

Kristen... I respect your response, but if that is the case then why does tire pressure effect MPG efficiency? If your tire is underinflated it creates a larger foot print, which will decrease your MPG.

It increases rolling resistance by being underinflated. I don't know how to fully explain it, but it's more than just a larger foot print.