I'm caught between ordering wheels in 15x7" or 15x7.5". The only tire I intend to use is the 205/50/15 azenis. The intended use is hpde's, and I tend to push the tires pretty hard. The azenis sidewall is perfectly vertical on a 15x7", and a little past vertical (over-stretched) on a 15x7.5".

My first and most important question, is there a potential safety issue with over-stretched azenis on a 15x7.5" wheel at the track? Does is weaken the bead? Danger of rolling onto the sidewall? etc?

My second question, with the over-stretched azenis on a 15x7.5" wheel at the track exacerbate my tendency to wear the inside shoulder of the tire moderately faster than the rest of the tire?

What I'm interested in is safety and wear issues during hard track use.

 

Why limit yourself to just those tires ?

I'll be using 205/50-15 RA1s on 15x7 and kinda think I might also have an issue with under sizing, but not too worried cause they are free .

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bbasso &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'll be using 205/50-15 RA1s on 15x7 and kinda think I might also have an issue with under sizing, but not too worried cause they are free .</TD></TR></TABLE>

JOOOO have nothing to worry about.
http://www.toyo.com/tires/tire_specsheet.cfm?id=1

Toyo recommends 5.5 inches to 7.5 inches width rim for the 205/50 R15 RA1. You're ALREADY on the upper end of the width spectrum!

When making all measurements, they use the 6" wheel as the reference, conveniently enough. They feel fine on my car with a 6" wheel, anyway.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Batoutahell &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm caught between ordering wheels in 15x7" or 15x7.5". The only tire I intend to use is the 205/50/15 azenis. The intended use is hpde's, and I tend to push the tires pretty hard. The azenis sidewall is perfectly vertical on a 15x7", and a little past vertical (over-stretched) on a 15x7.5".

My first and most important question, is there a potential safety issue with over-stretched azenis on a 15x7.5" wheel at the track? Does is weaken the bead? Danger of rolling onto the sidewall? etc?

My second question, with the over-stretched azenis on a 15x7.5" wheel at the track exacerbate my tendency to wear the inside shoulder of the tire moderately faster than the rest of the tire?

What I'm interested in is safety and wear issues during hard track use.</TD></TR></TABLE>

http://www.falkentire.com/tires_rt215.htm
205/50R15 85V 28-352-572 6.5 5.5 -7.5 23.1 8.3 7.6 8/32 51 1135

Falken says anything between 5.5 and 7.5 is fine. They used a 6.5 inch wheel as a reference for measurements.

They have safety as their #1 concern when making wheel width recommendations (Thank you, laywers!) I would say, you have nothing to worry about on any rim from 5.5 to 7.5 from a safety perspective.

At what point is there diminishing returns from a wider wheel? I dunno.

Will you wear the outsides faster? In my experience, yes. Well, my experience is stuffing a 225 tire on my 6" wheel, and the middle wore a LOT faster at autocrosses, in fact it evened the wear out rather than just wearing the outside edge! So I imagine the opposite could happen.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris F &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">JOOOO have nothing to worry about.
http://www.toyo.com/tires/tire_specsheet.cfm?id=1

Toyo recommends 5.5 inches to 7.5 inches width rim for the 205/50 R15 RA1. You're ALREADY on the upper end of the width spectrum!

When making all measurements, they use the 6" wheel as the reference, conveniently enough. They feel fine on my car with a 6" wheel, anyway. </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Rob - not all of us will stoop to FIX a supposedly legitimate RA-1 raffle. Until then I'll stick with my poor man's azenis.

Great stuff Chris, Falken recommendations, right on the money!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Batoutahell &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Rob - not all of us will stoop to FIX a supposedly legitimate RA-1 raffle. Until then I'll stick with my poor man's azenis.

Great stuff Chris, Falken recommendations, right on the money!</TD></TR></TABLE>

I think it was a sympathy pull for BBasso...


Yeah, the Manufacturer's recommendations are gonna be conservative. I got yelled at in the RR/AX forum for stating that the Hoosier 225/45 R15 "wouldn't fit on a 6" rim" because <U>Hoosier said so</U>, when the winning DS Solo2 car was indeed running them on a 6" rim

-Chris

 

Fix??? Me have the power or money to Fix a raffle half way across the states,, no

Thanks Migs

hehehehe

 

Just as a reference, didn't someone post up some pics of Azenis on a 15x 8 like last year? Looked like a good fit to me

 

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=525452

 

i just dont understand why either of you two Bbasso and batoutahell dont want to go wider. Wider=Better almost always
bbasso i can understand if the tires were free, but 7.5 inch rim is huge! put some 225's on that and STICK like glue
if you have any questions on flaring the fenders shoot me a PM

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by R you serious &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wider=Better almost always</TD></TR></TABLE>

Not necessarily.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Not necessarily.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

jeff&lt;----- thinks to himself how "not necessarily" can be a reply to "ALMOST always"

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by R you serious &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i just dont understand why either of you two Bbasso and batoutahell dont want to go wider</TD></TR></TABLE>

Wider tires are not in my R budget. For me, it's that simple.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sscguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just as a reference, didn't someone post up some pics of Azenis on a 15x 8 like last year? Looked like a good fit to me </TD></TR></TABLE>

I have 205 azenis on 8'' rims on my mustang. I also just had one of the tires sidewall seperate from the rest of the tire at about 70mph. I wouldnt recommend it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Batoutahell &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Wider tires are not in my R budget. For me, it's that simple.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yea- he's got to fix the CRX first so I've got something to race

BudMan -&gt; who's helping build da'motor on 2 cars in trade for some driving time

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by R you serious &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">jeff&lt;----- thinks to himself how "not necessarily" can be a reply to "ALMOST always"</TD></TR></TABLE>

To be more specific...

Depending on the circumstances, wider tires can be a disadvantage. They are almost always a disadvantage on wet roads, where they result in poorer traction and possible hydroplaning. And they may create rubbing on the fender well liners.

Also, the alleged benefits are only there up to a certain point - keep going beyond that point, and wider is going to mean worse - worse handling and worse traction.

It's like people who say that 16" wheels handle better than 15" wheels, because the shorter sidewall means greater responsiveness - and then go out and get 19" wheels, because if 16" is better than 15", then 19" must certainly be better still. Just isn't necessarily true.

Thanks for deleting the "your an idiot" comment, though...



Modified by nsxtasy at 11:57 PM 2/2/2005

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by R you serious &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i just dont understand why either of you two Bbasso and batoutahell dont want to go wider.
bbasso i can understand if the tires were free </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes they were free and I take what I get, But I did ask to pay to upgrade to 225s No go tho...

 

the varibles you mentioned surely would fit under the ALMOST criterion.
jeff who forgets about rain while he is in arizona. 0
fenders are easily rolled for the meats
&lt;------- for being a good sport.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jond &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have 205 azenis on 8'' rims on my mustang. I also just had one of the tires sidewall seperate from the rest of the tire at about 70mph. I wouldnt recommend it.</TD></TR></TABLE>
You think they were overstretched and the sidewalls were rubbing or something?