Tires and Tire Sizes
Tires and Tire Sizes
Okay, I'm in the market for some new rubber for the summer next year, and I was wondering as to what rubber is the best as far as money/traction/durability wise. Further, I would also like for someone to tell me what the maximum width tires I can use on the stock 16" salad shooter rims. Unfortunately, every tire shop around here is completely useless to find out this information, so I turn to you people who actually drive these cars. Thanks to everyone who replies.
By limiting yourself to 16" wheels, you are limiting yourself on width. Although you can go up to a 295 tire section width on a 16X8" wheel, there are limited tires available, once you go past 255/50-16. Companies like Hoosier make "racing" tires in larger widths, but they are soft compound, dry-only, thin tread tires. BFG makes a 265/50-16 in their Radial T/A line, but that is what I would call a "low performance" all-weather tire. And it is 1" larger than the stock 25.65" tires that typically come on F-Bodys.
So.... you are pretty much limited to the 245/50-16 stock size, or going up to a 255/50-16 that will gain you less than 1/2" in width and be almost 1/2" larger in diameter than stock. The limit is not the rim width, it is availability of tires in wider sizes.
For selecting a particular brand, you will get as many different opinions as there are people to answer. My recommendation is that you go to a site like Tire Rack and do a search for the size you want. Putting in 255/50-16 will net you 18 different tires to choose from (including 6 "competition" tires), ranging in price from $87 for a Kumho ECSTA to $267 for a Michelin Pilot Sport. Then, for each tire that interests you, click on the "survey review" button, and see how users rate the tire with regard to dry traction, wet traction, ride comfort, noise, etc. Then pick the factors that are important to you and use that as a guide to select the tire.
You also need to look around, because Tire Rack does not sell Nitto, and probably a few other brands.
So.... you are pretty much limited to the 245/50-16 stock size, or going up to a 255/50-16 that will gain you less than 1/2" in width and be almost 1/2" larger in diameter than stock. The limit is not the rim width, it is availability of tires in wider sizes.
For selecting a particular brand, you will get as many different opinions as there are people to answer. My recommendation is that you go to a site like Tire Rack and do a search for the size you want. Putting in 255/50-16 will net you 18 different tires to choose from (including 6 "competition" tires), ranging in price from $87 for a Kumho ECSTA to $267 for a Michelin Pilot Sport. Then, for each tire that interests you, click on the "survey review" button, and see how users rate the tire with regard to dry traction, wet traction, ride comfort, noise, etc. Then pick the factors that are important to you and use that as a guide to select the tire.
You also need to look around, because Tire Rack does not sell Nitto, and probably a few other brands.
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