which tire size
01-09-2006, 01:37 PM
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which tire size
i got some 17x7 wheels on my 94 accord . they currently are on 215/45/17 size tires . this is what the guy recommended when i first bought my wheels . well, the tires are all worn down now so i looked up tirerack.com for some new tires . but they recommend 205/45/17 size tires . i dont know much about tires, so is there any difference if i bought one size over the other ?
01-09-2006, 01:55 PM
#2
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Re: which tire size (tonezilla)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tonezilla »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i got some 17x7 wheels on my 94 accord . they currently are on 215/45/17 size tires . this is what the guy recommended when i first bought my wheels . well, the tires are all worn down now so i looked up tirerack.com for some new tires . but they recommend 205/45/17 size tires . i dont know much about tires, so is there any difference if i bought one size over the other ?</TD></TR></TABLE>
It's generally a good idea to get tires whose outer diameter is as close as possible to your stock tires, so as to minimize speedometer and odometer error. Also, the larger the tire, the greater the chance of rubbing (and it also results in slightly poorer acceleration).
Your Accord came from the factory with 185/70-14 tires or, if it's an EX, 195/60-15 tires (which have the same outer diameter as 185/70-14). 205/45-17 is a much better match to your car, because the outer diameter is only 0.3 percent larger than the stock tires. With the 215/45-17, it's 1.7 percent larger, and will add that percentage error to the speedometer and odometer. If you're getting a new set of tires, I recommend getting 205/45-17 for this reason. There are some other pluses and minuses that I can explain if you're interested.
(The wheel guy who told you to get the 215/45 may have been thinking of a later model Accord that came with bigger tires from the factory than your year did.)
If you don't use your car in snow or frigid cold, you can get by with summer tires. Two excellent summer tires for the money are the Kumho Ecsta SPT, $90/tire in 205/45-17, and the Yokohama AVS ES100, $99/tire in 205/45-17. If you DO drive your car in winter conditions as well as warmer weather, and need to use the same tire all year round, consider the Avon Tech M550 A/S all-season tire for $108/tire.
It's generally a good idea to get tires whose outer diameter is as close as possible to your stock tires, so as to minimize speedometer and odometer error. Also, the larger the tire, the greater the chance of rubbing (and it also results in slightly poorer acceleration).
Your Accord came from the factory with 185/70-14 tires or, if it's an EX, 195/60-15 tires (which have the same outer diameter as 185/70-14). 205/45-17 is a much better match to your car, because the outer diameter is only 0.3 percent larger than the stock tires. With the 215/45-17, it's 1.7 percent larger, and will add that percentage error to the speedometer and odometer. If you're getting a new set of tires, I recommend getting 205/45-17 for this reason. There are some other pluses and minuses that I can explain if you're interested.
(The wheel guy who told you to get the 215/45 may have been thinking of a later model Accord that came with bigger tires from the factory than your year did.)
If you don't use your car in snow or frigid cold, you can get by with summer tires. Two excellent summer tires for the money are the Kumho Ecsta SPT, $90/tire in 205/45-17, and the Yokohama AVS ES100, $99/tire in 205/45-17. If you DO drive your car in winter conditions as well as warmer weather, and need to use the same tire all year round, consider the Avon Tech M550 A/S all-season tire for $108/tire.
01-09-2006, 02:11 PM
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Re: which tire size (nsxtasy)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">There are some other pluses and minuses that I can explain if you're interested.</TD></TR></TABLE>
yeah, i would like to learn as much as i can about this topic, if you dont mind .
yeah, i would like to learn as much as i can about this topic, if you dont mind .
01-09-2006, 05:15 PM
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Re: which tire size (tonezilla)
Sure, no problem.
First, in case you're not aware of it (and excuse me if you already are)... when a tire is 205/45-17, that means:
205 = the tread is 205 mm wide
45 = the height of the sidewall is 45 percent of the width of the tread (45 percent is called the aspect ratio)
17 = the diameter of the wheels (measured at the bead, where the tire is mounted)
It's easy enough to calculate the overall diameter of the tire, and even easier if you use a tire calculator like this one.
When you're choosing a size, you already know the diameter of your wheels, so you're choosing a tread width and an aspect ratio, but what you're really determining is the sidewall height and the overall diameter of the tire.
In choosing a tread width, particularly if you're using wheels that are bigger than stock, people generally go about 10-20 mm wider.
As I mentioned, there are advantages and disadvantages with respect to the overall diameter. The larger the overall diameter, the worse the acceleration within each gear, but the better the fuel economy; the smaller the diameter, the better the acceleration but the worse the fuel economy. Rubbing (the tires rubbing on the wheel well liners) can be a concern, particularly if the tires are 20 mm or more wider than stock AND if the outer diameter is larger than stock, especially if the difference is more than 1-2 percent. And the speedometer and odometer will read high (or low) if the outer diameter is smaller (or larger) than stock, so the closer the diameter is to stock, the lower the speedometer error.
All in all, a lot of pluses and minuses either way... but they're relatively minor if the changes are small, and you generally don't have to worry about any of this if you keep the outer diameter as close to stock as possible.
One other consideration is tire availability. Some tire sizes have lots of tires available, others have few available. As long as you can find a tire that meets your needs, it's not usually a problem... but occasionally you will think you need a certain size, and not be able to find any tires at all (which has become particularly true lately with tires for smaller wheels, like 13" or 14").
First, in case you're not aware of it (and excuse me if you already are)... when a tire is 205/45-17, that means:
205 = the tread is 205 mm wide
45 = the height of the sidewall is 45 percent of the width of the tread (45 percent is called the aspect ratio)
17 = the diameter of the wheels (measured at the bead, where the tire is mounted)
It's easy enough to calculate the overall diameter of the tire, and even easier if you use a tire calculator like this one.
When you're choosing a size, you already know the diameter of your wheels, so you're choosing a tread width and an aspect ratio, but what you're really determining is the sidewall height and the overall diameter of the tire.
In choosing a tread width, particularly if you're using wheels that are bigger than stock, people generally go about 10-20 mm wider.
As I mentioned, there are advantages and disadvantages with respect to the overall diameter. The larger the overall diameter, the worse the acceleration within each gear, but the better the fuel economy; the smaller the diameter, the better the acceleration but the worse the fuel economy. Rubbing (the tires rubbing on the wheel well liners) can be a concern, particularly if the tires are 20 mm or more wider than stock AND if the outer diameter is larger than stock, especially if the difference is more than 1-2 percent. And the speedometer and odometer will read high (or low) if the outer diameter is smaller (or larger) than stock, so the closer the diameter is to stock, the lower the speedometer error.
All in all, a lot of pluses and minuses either way... but they're relatively minor if the changes are small, and you generally don't have to worry about any of this if you keep the outer diameter as close to stock as possible.
One other consideration is tire availability. Some tire sizes have lots of tires available, others have few available. As long as you can find a tire that meets your needs, it's not usually a problem... but occasionally you will think you need a certain size, and not be able to find any tires at all (which has become particularly true lately with tires for smaller wheels, like 13" or 14").
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