tire help

[JaigerGrnSL2]

i need to know whats a good size tire for my car i currently have 195/60R15 but i won a contest for new tires im looking to get low profile tires but dont know how short of a sidewall to go with(keep in mind i live in long island,ny so i deal with potholes/speed bumps daily i was thinking 205/60R15 or 215/60R15. which 1 would be ideal for all year driving with potholes and many speed bumps

[brokenheadz2003]

205/60r15 , or 215/60r15 has the same size sidewall as the stock tires....there jsut wider the middle number is the sidewall

[JaigerGrnSL2]

so if i want low profile tires what would i look for

[saturn_06]

firest numnba

[dream36realms]

If you are fetting them free, then get 215/50/R15's the 50 series are hard to get and expensive, I do'nt think they make 40's for 15" wheels, but I could be wrong. I have 50's on mine right now, look OK.
and if you didn't know the first number is width the second is hight and the third is wheel size

[JaigerGrnSL2]

ok so 50 is the short sidewall? and the only stipulation is the tires gotta be fuzion brand so i need to know what will equal a low profile tire to replace a 195/60R15

[The Shaolin]

Low profile tires on a 15" rim are going to look like total shit. Lots 'o' wheelgap.

Get 16 or 17" tires, and then get the wheels to match later.

[JaigerGrnSL2]

i would do that if i wasnt broke thats y im glad i got free tires and shaolin i wasnt looking for someone to tell me to get bigger rims ok so will someone please help me out by telling me what numbers mean what

[Apollo96SL2]

I'd recommend 205/55/15. I run Kumho Ecsta SPTs in this size.

Here's how a 205/55/15 Kumho Ecsta 712 looks on my car (lowered on Eibachs):



Here's a nifty tool for comparing tire sizes: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
(Yeah, it's on Miata.net, but it works for all sizes, all cars [img]{SMILIES_PATH}/razz.gif[/img] )

A bit about the numbers, using your 195/60/15 stock size as a reference:

195 = the tire is 195mm wide. (Actually there's some variation in this, like a 205 Hoosier is wider than a 205 Kumho, but whatever)

60 = aspect ratio / tire height. In this case, the tire is 60% as tall as it is wide.

15 = rim size (this one's easy).

Note that since the tire's height is measured as a percentage of its width, as the width goes up, so does the height, even if the number doesn't change. Therefore, a 205/60/15 is TALLER than a 195/60/15. If you don't believe me, try it on the tire size calculator I linked to above.

The trick is as you switch to a wider tire, use asmaller aspect ratio. Example:

195/60/15 = 24.2" diameter (stock SC2).
205/60/15 = 24.7" diameter (0.5" taller than stock)
205/55/15 = 23.9" diameter (0.3" shorter than stock)
205/50/15 = 23.1" diameter (1.1" shorter than stock)
215/60/15 = 25.2" diameter (1.0" taller than stock)

It doesn't match up perfectly, due to the limited sizes available, but you can get it close. The shorter the tire, the lower your gearing, the higher your speedo will read, and the lower your ride height (205/50/15 will drop you about half an inch, which is half the difference in diameter).

I've also heard of problems with tires wider than 205 rubbing against the struts. But since actual width it varies between manufacturers, it may still work. Or not.

[JaigerGrnSL2]

apollo thank you very much you were very helpful

[Apollo96SL2]

No prob, glad to help! I just added a pic so you can see how a 205/55/15 looks.

[JaigerGrnSL2]

ok i decided im going with the Fuzion zri 205/50R15 i know its a summer tire but im gonna chance it its only 0.6 shorter then the tires i have now

[dream36realms]

I got the same one except I got the 225's but you will like those much better if you are trying to get lower on the pavement

[JaigerGrnSL2]

dream how do they handle in winter?

[Apollo96SL2]

One time, in mid-March, I hit a nasty pothole and dented both of my winter [crappy OEM steel] wheels on one side of my car. Rather than fix them for another week or two of use, I just switched to my alloys early. This caused a snowstorm to happen so I'd get caught driving in snow on my Kumho Ecsta 712s. Acceleration was all right, but turning was nearly impossible, and stopping WAS impossible.

In other words, don't even THINK about driving in snow on summer tires. [img]{SMILIES_PATH}/lol.gif[/img] Pick up some 15" steelies for cheap and throw some cheap snow tires on them for winter - or mount up whatever tires you're using now.