Tire help??

[SX4DUDE2013]

ok. So i am gonna get some new tires this summer. stocks are getting kinda worn, which is expacted. I would like to stay around the $500 range. I would like AMAZING perfromance. The size (stock) is 205/50/17. I want to go to eaither a 225/50/17 or a 225/45/17. What do yall think? And also...the higher the UTQG the better right? Example : UTQG Rating- 300 AA A?!?!
And the smaller the middle number, the shorther the sidewall???

Heres a pic? What do yall think?


adult image hosting

[STRIFE]

Re: Tire help??

http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp?action=submit

Use this calculator to make sure your odometer is not off too much.

Yes, 45 would be shorter than 50

Check out Tirerack.com for deals on tires, great service & prices

[SX4DUDE2013]

Re: Tire help??

thanks for the link. thats a great calculator. Any negative affects beside speed that i might experience with going to a smaller sidewall height???

[STRIFE]

Re: Tire help??

lower sidewalls mean less protection from pot holes....hit one of those and it could mean costly repairs to the wheel (if it's repairable)

My 99 Prelude, stock tire size is 205-50-16....not one scratch in 10 yrs of driving around...swapped to bigger wheels & tires/ 215-35-18......less than a week I hit a small pot hole (at low speed) and received minor damage to one of my wheels...stinks... but you have to be careful with low profile tires & wheels...

[Murr1525]

Re: Tire help??

Yes, I always use Tirerack to get recomendations. They tend to ship to smaller dealers I think, but some bigger chains will match their price.

Just type in the size you want, can narrow down the price, and see what gets good reviews.

And the tire wear number is more of an average from that company. There is no industry standard as far as I know, so one company's 300 could be another 500.

[thejazzguy]

Re: Tire help??

I'd recommend the Continental ExtremeContact DW. Excellent wet performance, solid dry grip, and very low road noise. The sidewalls are not as stiff as my previous Michelins, but the Contis are a really great deal and still perform quite well.

[Murr1525]

Re: Tire help??

I'd recommend the Continental ExtremeContact DW. Excellent wet performance, solid dry grip, and very low road noise. The sidewalls are not as stiff as my previous Michelins, but the Contis are a really great deal and still perform quite well.

Funny how both the Summer and All Season versions are rated well on Tirerack...

[cnfowler]

Re: Tire help??

...Yes, 45 would be shorter than 50...

That would be correct. The second number is called the aspect ratio. It's just that, a ratio. The first number is the width of the tire in millimeters. So a 225/45R17 means the tire is 225 millimeters wide. The sidewall is 45% of the tire width.

There is no industry standard as far as I know, so one company's 300 could be another 500.

As far as the UTQG, it stands for UNIFORM tire quality grade. This is set by DOT. So, yes, they are the same no matter what the manufacturer.

This number is based on the tire's relative treadwear, traction, and temperature capabilites.

The higher the number doesn't necessarily mean it's a good tire for your purposes.


Colin

[jfelbab]

Re: Tire help??

I've gone with lower profile tires in the past and honestly the resultant ride was worse every time.

Another thing to consider is the tire weight. Changing a tire to a heavier weight tire will affect the way the car feels. In one case I wound up putting a lower profile tire in a wider size on the car that was two pounds heavier than the OEM and the car felt like a truck and plodded over every bump and tar strip.

Here is another good site for looking at wheel/tire changes: http://www.net-comber.com/tirecalc.html