hey i have a del sol with 17X7 konig theorys right now i got kumho tires there 205/40/17's and they got about 30-40k on them and there getting a little worn on the instead from a little off camber but not 2 bad well... my question is can i go to 215? id like more width is taht possible? and any recommendations on tires... id like good tires for traction but i also drive on the highway a lot

 

You're better off sticking with 205/40-17. That's already a bit larger than your stock tires in diameter, and you don't want to go any larger than that, or you might rub. (You also can't go smaller than that, since 205/40-17 is the smallest 17" tire commonly available.)

As for which tires, there's one great choice in 205/40-17 that combines value and performance, and that is the Bridgestone Potenza RE750. The RE750 offers performance that's slightly better than the leading "bang for the buck" tires like the Kumho Ecsta SPT and the Yokohama AVS ES100; all these tires offer very good dry traction, excellent wet traction, and long treadlife (30-40K miles). In most sizes, the RE750 is a lot more expensive than those other tires (as much as double the price). But for some reason, the Tire Rack has the RE750 on special in 205/40-17 for $56/tire, which is a great deal, a lot less than those other tires.

If you want better performance than the RE750, it's going to cost you, in the purchase price of the tires and possibly also in treadlife. Two alternatives for better performance, you can either (a) pay $94/tire for the Falken Azenis RT-615, and realize that it's only going to last you about a third as many miles as the RE750 and it's not very good in rain; or (b) pay $133/tire for the Goodyear F1 GS-D3, which is excellent in dry and wet conditions and lasts a long time but costs more than twice as much.

I'm assuming that you don't plan to use these tires in snow or frigid cold, as these are summer tires, good in moderate to warm temperatures but not in winter conditions; otherwise you will need to consider all-season tires.

You didn't mention which Kumhos you currently have. If it's the Kumho Ecsta Supra 712 or the Kumho Ecsta 711, any of these tires will give you MUCH better traction. Remember, the type of tire you get is MUCH more important to traction than the treadwidth; if you want better traction, concentrate on getting better, stickier tires rather than wider tires.

 

56 dollars yea i got it pulled up right now 280 for 5 tires... i got a 5th rim so.. thats ridiculously good... i see they have a W rating to which is 168 mph lol