okay now, i got a 91 crx.

i've got a b16 in it with an lsd tranny and mods, with traction problems, not that it matters but now to my question.
i recently put on my tein springs and liked the drop but i'm looking into purchasing tires, so i'm in the market. I have SI's and right now i've got some tall *** 195/60/15's by goodyear.

I'm replacing all four and i was looking into the new azenis, kuhmos spt or mx, yokohama es100's, dunlop sp sport fm901, or the nittos nt450's.

i know the specs and treadwear on all tires but i spoke to a friends that said that the best size tire for a crx on 15's is the 195/55/15's because if you get the 50's it effects for gears.

Also is a 205 too big?

i kinda wanted the low pro 50 for the better look, but i'm worried with the mild drop i have it'll leave a gap between fender and tire.

basically what i'm asking, what is the best size for my setup with the teins, mild drop 1.6 - 1.8.

i'm between
195/50
195/55
205/55
205/55

thanks in advance

 

Summary of recommendation below: Get either the Toyo T1-R in 195/50-15 for $60/tire, or pay a bit more for significantly better performance with the Goodyear F1 GS-D3 in 195/50-15 for $78/tire.

Tire Size: For most folks - those not competing in races or car shows - the best tire size is one that preserves the same outer diameter as the original stock tires from the factory. That way, you will preserve the accuracy of your speedometer and odometer, you will be unlikely to have the tires rub on the fender well liners, and you won't be changing your "effective gearing" (the relationship between your engine revs and your road speed) so you won't be making your acceleration worse. Your '91 CRX Si came with 185/60-14 tires stock, and the best match is 195/50-15 tires, which are only 0.3 percent smaller in diameter than your stock tires. The other sizes you list are all WAY too big. (Your friend was wrong; the 195/55-15 is 3.1 percent larger than your stock tires, and DOES affect your "gearing".) So stick with 195/50-15.

Tire Model: The tires that you have listed are all over the map, totally different from each other. Let's take a step back for an overview, and you'll see what I mean. Think of tires across a spectrum from the stickiest, fastest-wearing tires to the less sticky, longer-lasting tires, and you come out with a list that looks like this, starting with the stickiest and working down from there:

1. Drag Radials: BFGoodrich g-Force T/A Drag Radial (won't last very long)

2. Other R Compound Tires: Hoosier R3S04 and A3S05, Toyo RA-1, etc (typical treadlife 2-4K miles)

3. Specialty Super-Sticky Street Tires: Falken Azenis RT-615 (typical treadlife 10K miles)

4. Best Top-of-the-Line Street Tires: Goodyear F1 GS-D3, Bridgestone S-03, Dunlop SP Sport Maxx, etc (typical treadlife 15-25K miles)

5. "Value" Top-of-the-Line Street Tires: Toyo T-1R, Kumho Ecsta MX (typical treadlife 15-25K miles)

6. Budget Performance, "Bang for the Buck" Tires: Yokohama AVS ES100, Kumho Ecsta SPT, Dunlop Direzza DZ101, etc (typical treadlife 25-40K miles)

7. All-season tires: Kumho Ecsta ASX, Pirelli PZero Nero M+S, etc (typical treadlife 25-50K miles)

You've listed almost every category: 3 (Azenis), 5 (MX), 6 (SPT or ES100 or FM901), and 7 (NT450). It's impossible that all of these tires are best for your needs.

First question: Will you be using these tires in snow and frigid cold? Based on your location, I'm going to guess the answer is no. If not, there is absolutely NO need to get an all-season tire like the NT450. A summer tire like all the others is going to out-perform an all-season tire except in snow and cold, so cross the NT450 off your list.

You can also cross the Azenis RT-615 off your list, because it won't be available in 195/50-15 until towards the end of this year.

You can also cross the Dunlop FM901 off your list, because its performance is significantly worse than the SPT and ES100, for the about same price.

So now you're left with categories 4, 5, and 6. All of these are summer tires that offer decent performance on dry pavement and in rain. Among these, it's really a matter of how much performance you are looking for, and how much you're willing to spend. Here are the best 195/50-15 tires in these categories:

<u>4. Best Top-of-the-Line Street Tires</u>:
Goodyear F1 GS-D3 $78/tire at the Tire Rack (after $40/set rebate through January 21)

<u>5. "Value" Top-of-the-Line Street Tires</u>:
Toyo T-1R $60/tire at onlinetires.com

<u>6. Budget Performance, "Bang for the Buck" Tires</u>:
Yokohama AVS ES100 $59/tire at the Tire Rack
Kumho Ecsta SPT $55/tire at the Tire Rack

Since the Toyo T1-R is so close in price to the Yokohama ES100 and the Kumho SPT, I would go for the Toyo over the other two. If you want significantly better performance than the Toyo, and you don't mind paying $18/tire more for the performance, then consider the Goodyear F1 GS-D3. The F1 GS-D3 is the tire that won the side-by-side comparison test of eleven top-of-the-line tires in the December issue of Car and Driver (click here), and it also has the highest user survey results on the Tire Rack website of all the tires in their highest performance street tire category.

 

thanks man, good infomation.

i'm ordering the proxes tonight. 282.75 shipped aint that bad at all.