Does anybody run these tires? I already searched and I know people have asked what are the best... im not interested in that. I just want to know who is running 195/50/r15s instead of 55.

Is there any increase in performance (handling/acceleration) also, my car is lowered with H&R sport springs... how much lowe to the ground will I be? And more/less wheel gap? Thanks guys.

 

run 205/50s

 

Width will be very close. Sure, the 195 width is the same in print but the 55 series should be slightly wider. Your car will sit slightly lower, but the wheel gap will increase slightly. I have 195/50 PZeros going on after Expo.

 

Wow, that was a useful post.

I have 195/50's. Fine with me.

Here's the difference.
195/55/15 Height = 23.445 inches
195/50/15 Height = 22.677 inches

.768 inches shorter, or about 3/4 of an inch.

That said, there is a tiny bit more wheel gap because the tire is smaller. Barely noticeable.

The tires follow every change in the road. The car follows every last groove in the road. The mph on the speedo will be off by 3% all the time... meaning it will show you going 3% mph faster than you really are going. Performance is about the same, except they are more sensitive to the quality of the road.


[Modified by Chris N, 2:50 PM 1/31/2003]

 

I run 195/50's with my SO-3's. I've went through 5 sets (I autox and drag) with no problems. SO-3's are made a bit wide anyway. They will provide a crisper turn in response than 205/50's.

 

I agree - I run the same (summer) tires, and I love em - the turn in is nearly instantaneous, they stick like glue in the wet AND dry, and they are cheeeeep!

edit - here's a pic of the brand new S-03's on stock ITR suspension and wheels:



[Modified by Philly_NBP_R, 3:58 PM 1/31/2003]

 

So to weigh the advtangates of 50's or 55's = What? Are the cheeper in general, and with the wider size 205/50, does this allow for better traction. With the 3% difference in the speed, does that mean any increase in acceleration.

I would think a smaller diameter/circumference of a "wheel" will increase acceleration performance. Given this is a stock car, I know I will feel the road more, I dont mind that. I am a performance junky and are not bothered by decreasing luxury

Basically the point of the thread is to see what tires I will get next. I can always shop for a nice brand and all that, I was just wondering (overall performance/$ wise) should I go with a "slimmer tire"?

 

well they are cheaper... go to http://www.tirerack.com and price em - should be around $78 a piece, versus 110+ for 205's... they are obviously narrower, but they (the S-03's) have been measured, and are wider than the re010's (stock tires). They also effectively shorten the cars final drive, so you might (slightly) notice an increase in acceleration. Your speedo will be 3% high, but unless your'e going over 100 mph, that doesn't really make a difference - especially if your'e like me and you don't pay much attention to the speedo anyway
you should also be aware that there are some issues with load carrying capacity being too low for this smaller tire, but I think this is a bunch of BS - as many board members drive the hell out of these tires - me included - with no issues. Do a search on S-03 under archives, I'm sure you'll find plenty of info.

Summary - 195/50 S-03's freakin OWN!!!!

 

I went from 205/40/16 on 16x7 Konig Traffik wheels to 195/50/15 on SSR Competition wheels, I realized a very noticeable difference in acceleration along with quicker side-to-side transition. However, that has alot to do with the weight difference in the wheel and tire combos. I have thought about going up to a 205/50/15, but I think my car (read: severely underpowered 4dr. GSR) would benefit from staying with the lighter, smaller circumferance, and less expensive 195/50/15.

 

I'm thinking of getting some 195 50 15 so3's. I was concerned about the max load rating, but many people seem to run them w/o problems. The stock 195 55 15 rating 1102 and 195 50 15 rating is 1047. The difference seems marginal. I'm sure the ratings are rated for a maximum occupancy of the car. I never have more than a passenger and myself in the car.