I've read in another post that the stock rim size is not wide enough for the 205-50-15 S-03's and it greatly affects handling? Will it be worse than stock? I was pretty solid on buying these for my car but now I'm not sure.

 

I believe the 205/50/15 Azenis are wider than the S-03s, and people are running them on the track with stock tires and no problems. Just get the S-03s if you want them.

 

I think S03's in 195/50 are on sale still. What does everyone think of the 195 vs the 205?

 

I want the 205-50 because it won't mess with the speedo.

 

195/50/15 S03s are extremely wide for 195s, I think closer to 200 mm. Save a few bucks, the 195s will be fine.

 

Not to mention a bigger contact patch...

 

Neither will 195/50.. they are both going to be off a bit, not really a big deal. From what i heard, the 205/50's have softer side walls then ant 195/50's so i went with the 195/50... plus saving almost 50 bux a tire is nice too.

 

A 205 tire will fit on a 6" rim ok. However, the handling will feel "sloppy". I have driven on the same 205 tire, back-to-back, on a 6" rim and then a 7" rim. The handling of the 205 felt so much better/quicker/crisper on the 7" rim.

FWIW, but don't expect a wide 205 (azenis, S03, etc) to feel good on such a narrow rim. Even the 195/50 S03 is a bit much for a 6" rim.

Anytime a tire "bulges" over the edges of a rim, expect some slop in the steering feel. Now, DOT race tires are a different story (V700's, Hoosiers, etc) because their sidewall is so incredibly stiff and the traction so good, that they will work ok on any sized rim (but again, a wider rim will always be better).

 

That sloppiness does not sound good to people who auto-x and/or track their car.

 

Stock rim size is plenty for 205. They'll buldge out a little bit, but it won't affect handling. 205 will actually provide more grip than any perfectly fitted 195. The width difference between the 2 will definately make up my choice... I don't quite understand why would anyone go with a 195 when 205 fits perfectly well and has significantly more grip, especially when they're going for performance tires...

 

Does anybody have picks of 195/50/15 "close up" on stock wheels. I am pondering also, but saving an extra $100 sound nice too.

 

Here's the tread width of the S-03 in comparison to other 195 and 205 section width tires:

_____________195/205
S-03:________7.2" / 7.6"
SP 9000:_____6.9" / 7.1"
RE730:_______6.9" / 7.2"
SP8000:______6.9" / 7.2"
Kumho 712:___6.6" / 7.3"
SP 5000:_____6.9" / 7.1"
RE910:_______6.6" / 6.9"
Avid T4:______6.3" / 6.7"
RE010:_______6.7" / 7.2"
Eagle GA:_____6.4" / 7.2"
Comp T/A:_____NA / 6.2"
RE040:________NA / 7.2"
SP D8050:_____NA / 7.1"
g-Force T/A:____NA / 6.8"



[Modified by Eric J, 12:04 PM 4/18/2002]

 

A bigger tire does not give a bigger contact patch. Less tire pressure does.

 

Here we go again....

 

Since when is a 195/50 series tire the same width as a 205/50?

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't less pressure also mean the sidewalls would be less stiff?

 

The sidewalls will have the same stiffness, but with less air they will be much more susceptible to roll-over/flex.

 

Guys...

I'm getting tired of this topic popping up

Assume a 205 tire on a 7.5" wheel and a 205 tire on a 5" wheel.



As you can see, a 5" rim will "pinch" a 205 tire and provide a lot less contact area than the 7.5" rim that spreads the tire out, maximizing the contact area with the road and providing a lot better feel.

This is why a wide @ss 205 tire on a 6" rim is not and good thing and will provide sloppy handling and not put as much of a contact patch down, regardless of how wide the tire is.


[Modified by Todd00, 11:47 AM 4/18/2002]

 

Nice illustration.

 

I just ordered 205-50-15 Falken Azenis Tires from discount tire direct.

Bovine - Who is gettin ready for the May 10-11 event up @ Streets of Willow.

 

I am not going to disagree with you about the better feel of a wide *** tire on a wider rim. But remember, we are talking about a 6" wheel, not a 5". I just got Azenis put on my stock rims on Monday, and it DOES NOT look like your drawing of a "pinched" tire... The tire flares out, but does not buldge. Under normal driving, the contact patch will be the same as a skinnier tire, but if you are on the track/autox, you will be pushing the car a lot harder and using that extra rubber at the edge of the tire (that might not normally contact the ground during regular driving)...this is effectively a bigger contact patch, no?



EDIT: Added pic.


[Modified by Bob#455, 10:13 AM 4/18/2002]

 

Ok, here's a good example:

I mounted my 205/50/15 Azenis on a set of 7.5" wide rims. When I set my extra unmounted set of 205 Azenis next to the mounted on azenis, there is virtually *no* height difference between them (4 tires stacked on top of each other).

This tells me that...

1) Azenis are wide @ss tires

2) 7.5" rims are about perfect width-wise for the 205 azenis

3) A 6" wheel *will* indeed pince the 205 tire and effectively have less of a contact patch with the road, on turns and straights.

I've seen autoxers go from a 7.5" wheel to a 9" wheel on Hoosier slicks and knock a half-second off of their time just because of wheel width and the extra contact patch it provides. A tire will roll over on its side during cornering, but a wider wheel will keep the entire tire in contact during the turn. And I'd bet a 195 on a 6" wheel is putting down about as much contact patch in a corner as a 205 tire on a 6" tire...although that gets a bit harder to prove, especially if different tire brands are being used. This is all assuming street tires though...DOT racing tires are a bit different because of their dramatically stiffer sidewall. The Azenis have a stiff sidewall, but not quite as stiff as a Hoosier or Kumho slick.

If you don't believe all of my theorys, then look no further than the latest issue of Grassroots Motorsports in the tire-tech section.




[Modified by Todd00, 2:31 PM 4/18/2002]

 

.....what about the azenis and ao32r's in comparison?

 

yes, what about the Azenis?

 

WIDER TIRES DO NOT HAVE A LARGER CONTACT PATCH THAN NARROWER TIRES. However, they may have a different SHAPE contact patch than narrower tires. The size of the contact patch depends only on the weight of the car and the amount of air pressure in the tires.

This article contains a good explanation of this.