Hey guys,

I've searched and haven't come up with anything solid. I need a wheel and tire combo for my 97 Prelude. It's going to be 450hp or so on the street and 650hp or so on race gas. I will be looking into getting slicks in the future but for now when I go to the track it will be on the tires I choose for the street.

Right now there are some heavy 18" rims on there now so I deff want to change it up. I was thinking 15 or 16". I am willing to roll the fenders to get wider tires if need be.

What so you guys think would be the best combo size and offset wise?

Thanks,
Matt

p.s. my first thought was to get some Enkei RPF1's but they don't seem to come in a size that matches my needs.

 

I would go with MT et street drag radial 205-50-15 and if your willing to roll the fenders I would look into a wider DR.

 

I believe the wider the tire the more grip I will have, so I'm looking to go with the widest I can get with a rolled fender. Does anyone know what that is?

Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Your car came from the factory with 205/50-16 tires, so I would not recommend going to a smaller diameter wheel than stock (i.e. don't go to 15"). It's not just a matter of tire sizes, but also the fact that smaller wheels may not fit over your brake calipers, and there may be other issues.

That's not exactly true. The width of the tire is a relatively insignificant factor in grip. The major factor in grip is the tire make and model, which determines its design (how sticky the compound, the tread pattern, and the construction are). A stickier but slightly narrower tire will give you better grip than a less sticky but wider tire.

I would stick with the stock tire size of 205/50-16. In that size, you can get the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, which is as sticky as any street tire on the market, or the Toyo Proxes R1R, which is almost as sticky. Another option would be to get the Toyo Proxes R1R in 225/45-16; you might not need to roll your fenders for them, but you would need wheels that are at least 7" wide (7.0-8.5") so you would not be able to mount them on the stock 16x6.5 wheels. The R1R is a very sticky tire but I think the Star Spec in 205 is going to give you grip as good as the R1R in either size.

 

Thanks for the reply.

But I do Have a question.

All things being equal wouldn't 225's be better than 205's? I want the best possible performance I can have. If I can fit 235's or 245's after rolling the fenders then that's what I want. If there is a performance gain that is.

 

Yes, but all things are not equal.

There is no performance gain - only a performance decrease - when you can't get sticky tires in the larger size, so you are comparing less sticky but wider tires against stickier but narrower tires. The stickier tires always win that comparison.

There is also a decrease in acceleration when tires have a larger diameter; it's like putting taller gearing onto your car.

 

So you are saying that the wider tires don't come in as sticky as the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec?

I just looked up the sizing and one of the sizes it comes in is 225/50R16. Wouldn't this be better than the 205?

I'm trying to understand. I just can't understand that the wider tires would for some reason be less sticky. Are you assuming that I want less expensive tires or are you just saying that as the tire get's wider it will always get less sticky?

Price is not a concern at this point.

 

Yes.

Only if you want a size that will probably rub on your fenders and that will make your car accelerate slower.

They are not necessarily any better. And when they have taller sidewalls and a larger diameter - like the 225/50-16 - they make your car accelerate slower.

Please don't try to claim that I said something I never said, so that you can argue against it. I did not assume anything regarding price. I did not say that a wider tire will be less sticky.

No other street tire, in any size that fits your car, at any price, will give your car better traction, and especially better acceleration, than the Dunlop Star Spec in 205/50-16.

 

I'm not claiming you said anything you didn't, I asked if your were thinking about price. Idk where claimed anything in that last statement. And I'm not arguing againt your point. I'm just trying to totally understand and not just take someone I don't know's view on something just bc they said it over a forum.

But thank you for your input it has been helpful.

 

225/50/15 or 235/60/15 drag radials. a 205 street tire wont hook.

 

Drag radials are not street tires. Using drag radials on the street is not a good idea, due to their high price and short treadlife. Which is why he's looking for street tires, to use on the street.

 

That's what I thought!

Thanks for the input... Do you have any recommendation for rim sizing?

 

I don't care about price as stated above. I don't care about tread life as I will not be using this as my daily driver.

 

They are DOT so they are fine for the street, you should know. Regular 205's wont last long either since you will be spinning them constant with 450-650 hp.

I run the 225/50/15 drag radials on a 15x6.5 rim and might go with the 235/60/15 next since they are 26" tall. I would say a 15x7 rim would be just fine.

 

If I rolled the fenders would I be able to fit 245's? or would they be too tall?

What offset would the rims have to be?

Thanks for your help!

 

That's not what you said earlier:

Those are your words. Make up your mind.

You should be aware that drag radials cost $140 and up per tire, and used on the street, they probably won't last you 5,000 miles. But it's your money, your choice.

And even if a 15" wheel clears your brake calipers, 235/60-15 is more than two inches (over 8 percent) larger in diameter than your stock size, so there's a significant chance they will rub in the wheel wells. And they WILL decrease your car's acceleration.

 

LOL you are funny man... I didn't say anything about a street tire in that statement. I said I would be going to the track with "tires I choose for the street" I didn't say I'm would be going to the track with street tires. I said it like that so I left all optons on the table.

I haven't changed my mind at all.

I think everyone knows where you stand on this issue. Thanks for your input. I think I would like to hear from some others.

 

I think nitto makes a 245/50/16 drag radial but I cant say for sure it would fit under your fender it all depends on if your lowered or have coilovers etc. You would want at the least a 7 inch wide rim for that too. The closest thing you will probably find is a 225/50/15 if your looking for close to same height as your stock 205/50/16.

 

^^ thanks man...

I've been talking to exospeed and think that a 15x8" with 225/50/15 would be the best for me.

 

225/50/15 M/T on our STAR8 forged wheels. Street Driven 515hp pump gas.