What size tire should I get?

[Shawn]

What size tire should I get? 205/40/17 or 215/40/17. I am hoping to get 17X7 rims.
Who makes good dry/wet tires?

Thanks
Shawn

[ChopstickHero]

Please read the FITMENT RECIPE (http://msg.toprotege.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=5;t=4761).

[rowan]

205/45 .. hehe

Dunlop SP9000, Toyo T1-S, Yokohama AVS are both great wet tires.

There is not really any one company .. but particular tire models.
Each company has good and bad tires.

[Dendl]

i'd get the 205s
-chris-

[Dendl]

oh and kumho tires are great tires! http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif i hear they are just as good as yokes but don't cost as much!...but hey if you into brand names get the yokes!
-chris-

[Gen1GT]

get the 215s. I wish I had. Rowan just wants you to get the 205/45, so that he's not the only one in the club with that size. 215s will give you almost 2 more inches worth of contact patch.

oh wait...there is one other dude with 205/45s isn't there....his/her name fails me.......and I think I'm over it

[ElwoodBlues]

Check out this site,

http://www.chris-longhurst.com/carbibles/tyre_bible.html

down at the bottom of the page you can calculate the Difference in circumference from the factory tire size, and it shows you the speed you're actually travelling at.

[Gen1GT]

having the same wheel diameter is over-rated. If you have a larger diameter overall, it looks better and has a higher top speed, with better gas mileage. Smaller wheels are quicker and usually lighter for better handling. My wheels are in inch taller than factory, so it raises my car 1/2 inch, and changes my final-drive ratio. Big deal, I'm going faster than my speedo says...maybe by 4kph...or 10kph at higher speeds...

[superdave]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Gen1GT @ April 28 2003,09:43)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">get the 215s. I wish I had. Rowan just wants you to get the 205/45, so that he's not the only one in the club with that size. 215s will give you almost 2 more inches worth of contact patch.

oh wait...there is one other dude with 205/45s isn't there....his/her name fails me.......and I think I'm over it[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
jumping form 205 to 215 will give you almost 2 more inches of contact patch? do you even know anything about tire sizes???? That will make the tire 10mm (1cm. thats 2/5 of an inch..) wider. Stop spouting this BS josh.

[superdave]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Gen1GT @ April 28 2003,11:30)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">having the same wheel diameter is over-rated. If you have a larger diameter overall, it looks better and has a higher top speed, with better gas mileage. Smaller wheels are quicker and usually lighter for better handling. My wheels are in inch taller than factory, so it raises my car 1/2 inch, and changes my final-drive ratio. Big deal, I'm going faster than my speedo says...maybe by 4kph...or 10kph at higher speeds...[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Good luck with that.

Maybe you should use a tire calculator to figure out how fast you really are going. Being ignorant won't prevent you from getting a ticket.
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

[Shawn]

I thought that the 215 might be a smidge softer on my butt.
My worry would be rubbing, but according to fitment recipe I will be okay with 48 offset rims. Right?

Thanks
Shawn

[rowan]

fwiw i have 215/40 now. although i should have gone with 215/45.

anyway, 205/45 will be softer on your butt. there isn't really that much difference between the 205/40 sidewall and 215/40 sidewall.

215/40 fits better on a 7.5&quot; wide wheel anyway. so if you are getting 17x7.5 then consider the 215, otherwise 205 will fit better.

but with a 48 offset you should be ok with either width.

[Gen1GT]

actually, I have 7&quot; rims with 205s, and the tire doesn't stick out at all past my rim, which is making my rim protector useless ie. I'm get some scratches.

[rowan]

The only tires I've seen that have a rim protector that looks anything close to functional is the Dunlop FM901. Otherwise, I guess it protects against potholes and such but won't protect against curbs.

[superdave]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (rowan @ April 29 2003,12:56)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The only tires I've seen that have a rim protector that looks anything close to functional is the Dunlop FM901. Otherwise, I guess it protects against potholes and such but won't protect against curbs.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
My falkens protect my Heliums quite well.

[rowan]

Ya but your tires are wider than your wheels http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Sky_high]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (superdave @ April 30 2003,11:09)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">My falkens protect my Heliums quite well.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
For a second there I thought he put 'Helium' to inflate his tires.... I must be losing it!

[rowan]

Hey, it's a good way to save weight ... seriously .. though I dunno if it would be good for the street. It is a technique used in racing.

[Gen1GT]

it's just the design of my wheels..they're the type that stick right out...so a wider tire would help the wheel..