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I just set a new personal record on money spent on wheels. I’m going for very light tires in my quest for speed. I have settled on 265/35/18 tires, but I’m curious what most of you run and what you have found to be sufficient for sidewall protection.
One winter I ran 255/35s and it was not enough, I ended up with wobbling issues and had to get a rim fixed. Granted, these will be summer wheels only, but our streets are pretty bad. What has been your experience?
Also, 265/35 is almost an inch shorter than stock. Is it too short? Thanks.
265/35 is a larger sidewall than a 255/35. It's not too short, however, I will be replacing my 265's with 275/35's soon to better match the diameter of the stock 19's.
Agreed, my question is... is the 265 going to be enough? The 255s I felt were lacking. I’d prefer a 275/35 or even a 265/40, but for some reason the weight of tires jumps a lot in that range. It’s a delicate balance between wheel protection, grip, weight, and gearing. The smaller diameter tires will probably help in the quarter as well.
I definately dont want to bend or trash a Volk. Have you had any issues with your 265/35, and are you in an area that sees bad roads from inclement weather?
Terrible roads here. No issues with the 265/35 damaging the ze40's. As indicated in post #2, my personal choice would be a 275/35 to better match the stock tire diameter (and suspension geometry). Plus more width & sidewall than 265's. The only reason I'm currently running 265's is that the setup was bought used.
I just set a new personal record on money spent on wheels. I’m going for very light tires in my quest for speed. I have settled on 265/35/18 tires, but I’m curious what most of you run and what you have found to be sufficient for sidewall protection.
One winter I ran 255/35s and it was not enough, I ended up with wobbling issues and had to get a rim fixed. Granted, these will be summer wheels only, but our streets are pretty bad. What has been your experience?
Also, 265/35 is almost an inch shorter than stock. Is it too short? Thanks.
Which wheels did you end up going with? I guess you decided against 17s in the rear?
Which wheels did you end up going with? I guess you decided against 17s in the rear?
After talking to figs about difficulty with fitting 17s in the rear, I bought Volk TE37 Sagas in 18x9.5 square. The other interesting thing they told me is that a smaller R comp tire is fine for our car, we don’t nexessarily need a lot of tread width. Weight reduction is way more important. So the heavy 31 pound drag radials I planned to run on a 17 are not necessary. With the Mickey Thompson drag radial out, I opted for the Volks which I think are better looking than the Weds... plus evasive is having a sale this week on Volks which flat out put all other prices to shame. They were not a lot more than the Weds! Sale ends the 21st.
prices were so good I bought a 5th wheel as an insurance policy.
now I’m trying to find R comps that are around the 25 pound range. It’s expiramental, this spring we will see if it pays off. I can always buy a couple of 17s later for drag radials if needed.
I just ordered them in custom colors. Could take up to 5 months to get them. Gonna be a long winter. With the right tires I should drop about 32 pounds of rotational mass while still running wider than stock tire sizes.
Originally Posted by Adziu
275/30/19 here. Fitment is perfect and the 2nd number is the percentage of the tire from the first number
Yes, it’s called an aspect ratio. I ran 275/30/19 and bent a Lexus Fsport Forged rim. I had the rim fixed, but that with the rough ride has sent me to a 35... shoot I’m considering a 265/40/18 Pirelli Trofeo R for the rear, but that won’t help my gearing any so I’ll probably grab a 265/35. Your know your streets blow when you bend forged wheels.
I just ordered them in custom colors. Could take up to 5 months to get them. Gonna be a long winter. With the right tires I should drop about 32 pounds of rotational mass while still running wider than stock tire sizes.
Yes, it’s called an aspect ratio. I ran 275/30/19 and bent a Lexus Fsport Forged rim. I had the rim fixed, but that with the rough ride has sent me to a 35... shoot I’m considering a 265/40/18 Pirelli Trofeo R for the rear, but that won’t help my gearing any so I’ll probably grab a 265/35. Your know your streets blow when you bend forged wheels.
Believe me, Chicago streets suck and you literally have to zig zag around the potholes and bumps just to avoid hitting them. So far it’s been about a month since I swapped the tires out and haven’t had issues *knock on wood*
I think I’ll go with a 265/35/18. When you jump up to 265/40 or 275/35, the weights increase by a few pounds. The shorter gearing may also help me hit 11s, which is the ultimate goal.
Terrible roads here. No issues with the 265/35 damaging the ze40's. As indicated in post #2, my personal choice would be a 275/35 to better match the stock tire diameter (and suspension geometry). Plus more width & sidewall than 265's. The only reason I'm currently running 265's is that the setup was bought used.
Will you please post pics of your car and close up pics of your wheels showing tire and lip coverage?
Any other input from our salt belt members with rough roads? How have your tires held up and what sizes were they? Even stock tire sizes are low profile.
I to will be going with 18in rim live in NY, haven't decided on front and rear sizes just yet 265/35 or 265/40 for front and not sure with rears maybe 275/35 or 295/35. Not racing car just looking for improve ride quality. Here are some spec sheets with various information regarding tire sizes
I'm thinking about possibly these two combinations they're both close to factory diameter height plus they both offer a minimum 4 inch or better on the side wall.
How much sidewall do you need?
