Stretching tires stiffens the sidewall much like running low aspect ratios.....so all of the handling aspects related to stiffer sidewalls applies to stretched tires.

 

I've been surrounded by tire stretchers for a long time and have never run into something that is more than a few sizes away. As seen in the pic above...205 is already a big stretch on a 17x8 and 215 is only one size away but is considered "proper" for a 17x8. A 195 would only be 2 sizes away and would be about as stretched as possible....a 185 on a 17x8 would be ridiculous if it's even possible. And again, the price difference would be minimal at best.

3" wider than the normal size rim? So a 205 on a 10? I don't think that's remotely possible.

 

Actually, I didn't find that 205 on an 8" rim particular offensive, at least compared to some I've seen. I'm talking about setups like this (and these aren't even the most extreme cases I've seen):

 

I have been running Hamann HM3 17x8 rims for a few months,no problems with rubbing and the tires do not look stretched.The Hamann distributor had no problem with the 205's when he installed them.The car is lowered with H&R springs and the 8" rims look great...They certainly do not look anywhere like the rims in the last post...check out my gallery for pictures of the wheels

 

Those are indeed extreme....but I assure you that they are probably only 2 sizes away from tires that "fit". Even if they decided to go crazy and move down 3 sizes, the price difference wouldn't be enough to just assume that they were doing it because they couldn't afford the right size.

Most of the extreme-ness on those setups compared to the ones I posted come from the smaller sidewall....the smaller sidewall gives the perception of more stretch while still maintaining the same tire width.

 

I really suspect that some of those tires are more than 20mm narrower than tires that would give a more conventional appearance with those rims.

Regardless - I still think it looks asinine, but the next time I see a car like that, I'll remind myself that the owner likely got exactly the look he was going for, rather than assuming that he was forced to make the best of a poor solution to interference problems.

(and who am I to talk, anyway - I've got custom vinyl graphics down the hood, sides and boot of my car, including my racing class and car number in foot-high letters)

 

That's all I ask.....just respect people for what they're doing whether you agree or not. No need to put them down or assume that they're just being cheap. They aren't necessarily making a mistake or going 'low rent'....they just happen to be aiming for something different than you are, that's all.

 

ummmm... cool???

 

So does having a 235/40/17 tire have any advantage? I mean, would they fit on an R56 with say... CROSS coilovers? (TD PR 1.2 17x8 et 38)

 

that's because you have 205/45 not 205/40. and different brand tires stretch better than others (softer or stiffer sidewalls)

 

The tire might look wide and aggressive.

Lets look at a comparison.
Using Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R tires
215/45-17 $170 each fits rims 7-8" wide, 24 lbs 24.6" tire diameter
235/40-17 $180 each (low stock) fits rims 8-9.5" wide, 25 lbs 24.4" tire diameter

Effective tread width will be close since 215/45-17 is mounted on a wide 8" rim for the given tire size vs 235/40-17 is mounted on a narrow 8" rim given the tire size.

Both options are viable and will work since coilovers that are ride height adjustable will allow for enough clearance.

+38mm offset will place the tire and wheel farther outside for clearance from the suspension parts.

Using an R56 with 14mm bolts you'd need to check with your wheel vendor about the Team dynamics rims fitting the larger bolt diameter or use a stud conversion 14 to 12mm kit.

For street use the 215/45-17 will work nicely. It's likely less in weight, has good enough handling for a 17x8 rim, will fit and gives a good selection of possible tires to use. Probably cost less for a given tire.

For more performance with the same setup-
215/40-17 is also possible
In Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec
$124 each fits rims 7-8.5" wide, 23 lbs 23.8" tire diameter
Again tread width should be very close and usable.
Coilovers allow for more drop so the smaller tire diameter is no problem.
215/40-17 has a shorter sidewall of the tires mentioned so better turn in response and a little stiffer ride is likely.

 

do you get a commission check from Alex at Tire Rack? If not, may I start the lobby for one on your behalf?

 

Haha

 

No such thing. In fact Mark makes a rule that moderators are not allowed to accept favors from vendors.

The price you pay is the price I pay. I use the same email and phone number you use to access tirerack.

For edgeracing you can do the shopping for comparison-
http://edgeracing.com/tires/2354017/
Usually good Falken and Toyo tires.
Both tirerack and edgeracing carry Hankook RS2 and Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R

Tirerack.com offers an easy site to reference tire data quickly which helps since I answer each question individually. No stored data on file, no cut and paste unless it's some identical question.

Since tire data does change over time as do tire reviews, the most up to date information is usually the most valid.

 

Thanks for the great info.

I'm more interested in absolute performance (that's the only reason I would go for a wider tire) instead of looks. If that fat a tire hurts performance more than it helps, then I would go for a skinnier tire (and a skinnier wheel so I would have to worry about fitting issues). So really, what I'm trying to get at is: will I go around a track faster with wide tires or with skinnier tires (assuming the camber settings are the same or optimized for that size tire)?

I would imagine wide tires also bring drag into the equation - more surface on the road = lower speed on the straightaways (albeit horsepower can cure almost anything). I don't have plans to increase my horsepower to ludicrous levels just yet. I'm more worried about suspension/wheels/tire setups.

Thanks again!

 

wow. imagine my surprise that a vendor is the moderator of this very forum. <head asplode>

 

Sure you can mount wider tires on a MINI but you will need to apply enough power and get decent traction (not loose traction) to make it worth the effort due to more weight and rolling resistance.

When possible you want the tire size and wheel size to work together for the best fit and best performance. Wide rim as is reasonable and wide tire to fit on the max wide size.

Generally for track 225mm wide tires tend to work on 8" wide rims with various size rim diameters. You can cut and trim plastic to make wider rims and tires fit but then you become committed to running tires in that size and you can't really use stock tires (they will look too small).

More important than overly wide tires when going around the track is to have enough skill to make good use of your given tires no matter what size you use. I'd be more concerned about learning how to drive well than about the exact tire size assuming you have something 215mm wide at least.

 

or Truth!

Actually we sponsor the entire forum, thats how I gained the privelege of moderation.

Brad formensioned the 2 hottest tires in our recent test.

Re01R's held there own @ Solo II nationals 2007

Z1 Star spec was the 1st max performance offering we've seen from Dunlop in the the US market if quite a while!

Brad can go fast, if you've ever checked out his autoX - naturally he'd have a grip on the rubber that helps him do that - in a Fit or a Mini!