Wider Tires = Less Grip ????????????????
oh definitely, not denying that! haha. I also like my 17's. I don't think I want to go up to an 18. I want to drive evo's that have both 17's and 18's and see what I like more..
But for now I'm on the 255's and loving them
But for now I'm on the 255's and loving them
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 311
Likes: 0
From: UAE
My philosophy is .... buy the stickiest tire you can afford and run a semi normal tire size.
I like the BBS rims. They are super strong and very light and fairly cheap. Add on a Hoosier 245/45/17 or 255/40/17 R1 and the grip is just right for weekend track days.
What kind of tire do you plan to run? Big wide heavy rims with heavy tires require more power and more camber. I tried running an 18" wheel a few years back and hated it.
I like the BBS rims. They are super strong and very light and fairly cheap. Add on a Hoosier 245/45/17 or 255/40/17 R1 and the grip is just right for weekend track days.
What kind of tire do you plan to run? Big wide heavy rims with heavy tires require more power and more camber. I tried running an 18" wheel a few years back and hated it.
I dont know which one to go for.. Price is not the issue here! Dry grip, wear, and steering response are!!
Currently, Im on Spec-R springs, but will add F/R sway bars very soon..
How does it sound???
Say the road was a little slippery or full with snow extreme slippery, a wider tire will float on the snow and loose it, but a narrow tire will cut thru it and contact the road. Narrow = more grip extreme example
The type of tire (compound) is very important. The width will give additional grip on vehicles that have the power and weight to utilize it. If width was the sole reason for addtional grip then everyone would run 275+ tries when they got on the street. The problem is the more surface area you have the more resistance, and it takes longer to heat up for optimal grip. Alignment (camber), Suspension (stiffness/height), tire (compound/size) has an impact on how well you grip the road. I had stock enkei VIII wheels with 245/17, toyo888's (4th tire choice after multiple TA events) and they were the best tire I used, but that may not be the case with everyone due to suspension setup, wheel mass and power. I realize that doesn't answer your question. Best scenario is to choose a good tire for the application and have suspension tuned with that current setup.
Its about not being able to make use of the larger contact due to not being able to properly heat them up -increased area requires more heat to get to proper operating temps. There are often cases where a properly setup 245 can outdo a 265/275 tyre simply beacuse of this.
The type of tire (compound) is very important. The width will give additional grip on vehicles that have the power and weight to utilize it. If width was the sole reason for addtional grip then everyone would run 275+ tries when they got on the street. The problem is the more surface area you have the more resistance, and it takes longer to heat up for optimal grip. Alignment (camber), Suspension (stiffness/height), tire (compound/size) has an impact on how well you grip the road. I had stock enkei VIII wheels with 245/17, toyo888's (4th tire choice after multiple TA events) and they were the best tire I used, but that may not be the case with everyone due to suspension setup, wheel mass and power. I realize that doesn't answer your question. Best scenario is to choose a good tire for the application and have suspension tuned with that current setup.
good info though
If you have more rotating mass in rubber than you are using/can use, you risk reducing performance.
The OP may be thinking of the contact circle, which in a vacuum, grows as you widen the tire. But in practicum at speed this is not the case as there are many independent variables that impact optimization.
It's been some time in the tuner world that a focus of optimized compound and size has been in place > maximum grip (ignoring integrity duration) and size.
The OP may be thinking of the contact circle, which in a vacuum, grows as you widen the tire. But in practicum at speed this is not the case as there are many independent variables that impact optimization.
It's been some time in the tuner world that a focus of optimized compound and size has been in place > maximum grip (ignoring integrity duration) and size.
I've mentioned this before, having reduced the rotational mass of my IX by ~40lbs. The car feels like it's 500lbs lighter - just so tossable.
S2000's weigh a lot less. Remember, weight changes tread contact not width. Width changes the patch.
S2000's weigh a great deal less than evo's, about a few hundred. Wider for an s2000 may change optimal tread contact.
I remember HKS Evo's run 255's.
S2000's weigh a great deal less than evo's, about a few hundred. Wider for an s2000 may change optimal tread contact.
I remember HKS Evo's run 255's.
When I went from 245 to 285s, there was a tremendous amount more grip, and I got my first fastest time of the day at the local autox...on street tires! This was also on a semi-wet track, so the ground temps weren't up to ideal either. Even on the streets, I can take the same corners with noticeably much more Gs. Maybe the theory is true at certain points, but not in my environment 