i seen some road racing cars here on HT and in magazines running 225/45/16 and i was curious if anybody could tell me what has to be done to make this work. i had a friend in the past who had this setup tell me he had his spindle arm bent to accommodate the wider tire. is there anything else to this in order to make it fit without rubbing. i already have adjustable cambering on my front/rear end and i know the fenders would have to be rolled. if anybody could shed some light in this matter i would greatly appreciate it.

 

Why do you want to run tires that size? And are you planning to get street tires for street use, or R compound track tires for the racetrack?

If you're looking for the best performance - i.e. best traction - you are making a mistake by looking only for wider tires. What really matters for performance is the design of the tire make and model, as reflected in its compound and tread design. Tread width is not very important at all. For example, any of these tires - which are the proper size for a '97-00 Civic and won't require any body or suspension modifications - will give you better traction and better performance than any street tire in 225/45-16:

Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 205/45-16
Kumho Ecsta XS 215/45-16
Toyo R1R 205/45-16

So if you're looking for the best grip in a street tire, get one of these tires in the size indicated above, rather than less grippy tires in 225/45-16.

If you're getting R compound track tires for the racetrack, it's a slightly different story. For the racetrack, you're generally better off getting either 15" or 17" wheels, for which there is a much greater selection of track tires than in 16" sizes.

 

well, i plan on road racing my car as much as i can... once or twice a month. as for street tires, i currently use falken RT615's in the 205/40/16 size. i would consider the kumos if they outlast the rt615's. i want to run as wide of a tire as i can for racing. if i have to i might just get a set of 15x7 rims and throw 225/50's on them for the track, use 215/45/16 falken rt615 or something else with a greater tread wear on them for the street. i dont plan on lowering my car to where my tires tuck into mywheel wells, but at the same time i dont mind having to do some custom fabricating to run a wider/ taller tire. if i could i would run a 225/50/16 for the street so it would provide more protection for my rims against pot holes and bumps in road. again i dont plan on having my tires tucked into my wheel wells so if my car sits higher than most lowered cars to accommodate the larger tire wall section then i will be satisfied. i would rather not have to buy a second set of rims but i have a feeling i will be left with no choice here.

 

Since you will use these tires for the street as well as for the racetrack, you will need street tires, such as those listed above.

Wow, those tires are too SMALL for your car. No wonder you have no idea what size tires to get!

The best 16" sizes for your car are 205/45-16 and 215/45-16. The three tires listed above all will give you better grip and will last longer than the RT-615. (The RT-615 typically lasts 10-12K miles; the RE-11, XS, and R1R typically last 15-20K miles.) They will also give you better grip than any street tire available in 225/45-16.

You're making the same mistake. For racing, you want STICKIER tires, not WIDER tires. Wider, less sticky tires (such as the street tires available in 225/45-16) won't give you as much grip as narrower but stickier tires.

You will be left with no choice if you continue to ignore the advice you're getting.

YOU DON'T NEED WIDER TIRES THAN 205/45-16 OR 215/45-16. Any of the three tires listed above will be more than enough for your needs. And there is no street tire in 225/45-16 that will give you performance as good as the three tires listed above in 205/45-16 and 215/45-16.

 

thank you for all your feed back, i do appreciate it. the 205/40's i ran are from years ago when falken first came out with the rt615's, so it was the only rt615 tire that was available to me at the time. i should have waited but i was in of need tires at the time and i really wanted to try out falkens new tire. to be honest it was a bit of a sacrifice at the time. i knew i didnt want a tire with such a low profile but it was a rash decision on my part at the time. my cars been sitting on the side of the house for a while so those tires are trash. yes, i know i want the stickiest tires but i also wanted to run the widest sticky tires i can get my hands on. and i am aware that the tire compound is more important in terms of traction when compared to a less sticky but wider tire. i will settle for what ever is necessary. you mentioned that there is no street tire in 225/45/16 size that will perform as well as the 205 or 215.... i got the idea from seeing BFGs kdw2. i heard they were good tires for the street, plus they are one of a few companies that make that 225/45/16 size tire. as for now i think i will just get a set of 215/45's for my 16's and call it a day. once again, thank you for time and helpful input.

 

The KDW2 isn't as sticky as any of the above tires (RE-11, XS, R1R).

The Kumho Ecsta XS is significantly less expensive than the RE-11 or R1R. They're all excellent on dry pavement; the RE-11 and R1R are a bit better than the XS in rain, but that's probably not all that important.

 

yeah we dont get too much rain down here in san diego. so if they're strictly dry tires that is fine by me. although its nice to know you have tires that will perform well in wet conditions. ive been looking at all the tires you mentioned for the past few months including falken,bfg,and dunlop. like many other people some of the main things im concerned about are: price, tread wear and traction. heres a question for you if you dont mind... if you used both these tires or know how they compare. how do the kumhos compare to the falkens? based on traction and tread wear?

 

I believe Toyo R1R's have 225/45/16.

 

The Kumho Ecsta XS is stickier and will provide better traction than the Falken Azenis RT-615, on dry pavement as well as in rain. They will also last longer; you will probably get 15K miles, maybe more, from the XS, vs 10-12K miles with the RT-615. And the two tires cost roughly the same price, depending on size.