Tire Choices - 215 55 R15

[82eye]

i have a brand new set of 15 inch ronal ls i'd like to shoe. the holy grail of tire sizes for them is a 215 55 r15. of which i have a choice of none currently. not one. zero.
i found a yokohama in that size which would work but they are forever out of stock. same thing with a kumho which probably isn't as good as the yoko.

part of the issue is i'm in mid-western canada and the local suppliers simply don't bring anything in that size in. i have no issues ordering online and having them shipped. i just need to source them.

anyone have any idea what is out there and how i can source them ?

thanks

[82eye]

responding to my own thread lol

i see that some have run 225 50 r15's on that same rim. makes for a wider tire and i am hoping to not roll the fenders. has anyone got any experience with this size on an e30 ?

[mtech325]

Here is a thread that discusses 225s on Ronals:
https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/for...nt-on-ronal-ls


225/50r15 used to be a common choice for 15x7.5 Ronal LS wheels. This was the wheel and tire combo on my car when I purchased it. Unfortunately, there aren't too many sporty street tires in that size these days, which is why a lot of folks run a 225/45r15 since there is a larger selection (same with 205/50r15). I currently run 225/45 RS4 Hankook tires on my car without any issues (no spacers and fenders have not been rolled), but they look a little small if the car isn't lowered.

If you're willing to use a 205/55r15, they will also fit Ronal LS wheels and bolt right up without any fender rolling (I run this setup on my daily driver e30).

Not sure on using the 215/55R15 tires though, as that's taller than the e30 stock rolling diameter.

[82eye]

Here is a thread that discusses 225s on Ronals:
https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/for...nt-on-ronal-ls


225/50r15 used to be a common choice for 15x7.5 Ronal LS wheels. This was the wheel and tire combo on my car when I purchased it. Unfortunately, there aren't too many sporty street tires in that size these days, which is why a lot of folks run a 225/45r15 since there is a larger selection (same with 205/50r15). I currently run 225/45 RS4 Hankook tires on my car without any issues (no spacers and fenders have not been rolled), but they look a little small if the car isn't lowered.

If you're willing to use a 205/55r15, they will also fit Ronal LS wheels and bolt right up without any fender rolling (I run this setup on my daily driver e30).

Not sure on using the 215/55R15 tires though, as that's taller than the e30 stock rolling diameter.

thanks for the reply. i'm gonna be all over that thread. i'm running h&r and billies as well. the 205s are looking a better choice, they are also super hard to get here. i'm looking to order locally now for possible spring or summer delivery. even then i have no guarantee. it's all supply chain crap.

[e30davie]

205 55 R15 was what i ended up with on 15x7. only thing i could find that was half decent was Bridgestone Re003. (at a fairly hefty price tag) - Australia that is. I think its an OEM VW golf or polo tyre size, which is why it still exists.

205 50 R15 is very popular but just too small for daily driver. probably ok as a track tyre (and is the size of choice by that E30 race series).

Wont be long before we have to switch to until 16s i reckon.

[82eye]

205 55 R15 was what i ended up with on 15x7. only thing i could find that was half decent was Bridgestone Re003. (at a fairly hefty price tag) - Australia that is. I think its an OEM VW golf or polo tyre size, which is why it still exists.

205 50 R15 is very popular but just too small for daily driver. probably ok as a track tyre (and is the size of choice by that E30 race series).

Wont be long before we have to switch to until 16s i reckon.

there's a number running the 225 successfully in that thread. both fatter and more sidewall. i'd run that if i could get away with it but i don't think it's gonna fly on sport suspension.

[nando]

I got a set of Kumhos in 205/55R15 this summer. They're discontinued though, so I don't know if they are still available. They're not ultra performance, but they're far better than whatever the tire shop was trying to get me to use (all seasons? really?). They're pretty quiet and comfortable too.

215 is going to be a weird size in 15". If you can't find any 205/55R15, I'd recommend a a 205/50R15. Unfortunately it's a little undersized, but there's more choices. 225/45 has an ok selection too, but it's also a little oddball. There are lots of 225/50R15s, but they're mostly going to be extreme performance or Dot-R tires. I ran Dot-R tires just fine for years, but I just got tired of the noise and harshness, and I don't really drive the E30 super fast anymore anyway.

I'm almost certain that eventually I'll be forced to upgrade to 17" for street tires, and 15" will only be used for track/autox, as that's the only place left that you can really get decent 15" tires now.

[82eye]

I got a set of Kumhos in 205/55R15 this summer. They're discontinued though, so I don't know if they are still available. They're not ultra performance, but they're far better than whatever the tire shop was trying to get me to use (all seasons? really?). They're pretty quiet and comfortable too.

215 is going to be a weird size in 15". If you can't find any 205/55R15, I'd recommend a a 205/50R15. Unfortunately it's a little undersized, but there's more choices. 225/45 has an ok selection too, but it's also a little oddball. There are lots of 225/50R15s, but they're mostly going to be extreme performance or Dot-R tires. I ran Dot-R tires just fine for years, but I just got tired of the noise and harshness, and I don't really drive the E30 super fast anymore anyway.

I'm almost certain that eventually I'll be forced to upgrade to 17" for street tires, and 15" will only be used for track/autox, as that's the only place left that you can really get decent 15" tires now.

i've only found the kumo and a yoko listed as a 215 available here. both are perpetually out of stock and i've been informed the companies only list them get you to come in and buy another size. i'm already looking at 205 and 225 options, but those are also severely limited for selection. biggest issue i have is i can't test fit before buying. i have to pay for them in full weeks in advance before the shop will bring them in.

as an aside one of the shops told me electric cars are going to destroy tire choices. it's already making an impact. they require a different type of tire and the mfgrs want to retool and switch without continuing to produce the older ones.

[nando]

That's my point. a 215 tire in 15" is not a common size in general. there are more choices in 205/50 but it's about 1/2" too small. there's tons of tires in 225, but many of them will be competition only, or DOT-R. So you can choose where your compromises are, but unfortunately that's what we have to live with.

I'm not sure what test fitting will do? 15" tire sizes and E30 fitment are well known. Unless you're running ultra "battle stance" suspension and wheels, any 205 or 225 that is close to 24" overall diameter is going to fit fine on common 15" E30 wheels.

Also electric cars have nothing to do with it. 15" tire choices have been shrinking for years, because no new cars are made with the size of tires that E30s use, and the amount of cars that still exist that share similar tires are shrinking rapidly. This has been happing since way before anyone knew what a Tesla was... also, people put aftermarket performance tires on EVs too, so that's a pretty silly argument.

[82eye]

That's my point. a 215 tire in 15" is not a common size in general. there are more choices in 205/50 but it's about 1/2" too small. there's tons of tires in 225, but many of them will be competition only, or DOT-R. So you can choose where your compromises are, but unfortunately that's what we have to live with.

I'm not sure what test fitting will do? 15" tire sizes and E30 fitment are well known. Unless you're running ultra "battle stance" suspension and wheels, any 205 or 225 that is close to 24" overall diameter is going to fit fine on common 15" E30 wheels.

Also electric cars have nothing to do with it. 15" tire choices have been shrinking for years, because no new cars are made with the size of tires that E30s use, and the amount of cars that still exist that share similar tires are shrinking rapidly. This has been happing since way before anyone knew what a Tesla was... also, people put aftermarket performance tires on EVs too, so that's a pretty silly argument.

just on h&r with billies haven't been able to try anything on the car yet and there is no local e30 community at all to refer to. there 's 4 e30's total registered in a 100km radius including mine.

electric cars require a different type of tire and compound. they need to be able to deal with the excessive weight and instant torque of an electric car. they are made a bit different. back in 2020 continental flagged this issue as a problem moving forward. as electric car sales ramp up, the materials used in normal tire production become diverted to provide tires for electric cars. it's being driven by the mfgrs switching to the newer power trains, and has recently gotten reinforced by a gov't subsidy.
electric cars also chew through tires at a faster rate .

there were issues getting sizes before. it just means it gets harder.


edit : should add the number one reason there is trouble getting sizes here is supply chain issues. they just can't get tires that are available shipped in. this includes many common sizes in use presently. where i am it is going to get worse for a while as well as a major storm took out a bunch of infrastructure on the coast. it could be months before the ports get going.

[nando]

Electric cars are 2% of the *new* car market. And they're not even 1% of the total existing car market. It is simply not a factor or a reason you can't get tires for a 30 year old BMW that uses a wheel size that nobody makes anymore. And I've owned Tesla stock since 2012, lol.

I'm having trouble getting snow tires for the X3, but it's a supply chain thing, not because Tesla sold 300,000 EVs to the 16 million ICE cars in the US.

[82eye]

Electric cars are 2% of the *new* car market. And they're not even 1% of the total existing car market. It is simply not a factor or a reason you can't get tires for a 30 year old BMW that uses a wheel size that nobody makes anymore. And I've owned Tesla stock since 2012, lol.

I'm having trouble getting snow tires for the X3, but it's a supply chain thing, not because Tesla sold 300,000 EVs to the 16 million ICE cars in the US.

i get it.

it's not something i thought of immediately either. i was surprised to even hear about it. it's just part of a cumulative effect. i'm not attacking anyone.
combustion engines are going to be in service well past my lifetime. at least i hope. i can't afford to even look at a tesla. congrats.

i'm not sure you caught my edit where i mentioned the main problem was supply chain. there's issues getting common sizes right now.
nothing to do with 15s even.

i had to replace one winter tire on a vw jetta. i got the last one available in our province.

[nando]

yeah, what I'm saying is, 15" tires have been disappearing for years before EVs, COVID, or any of the modern problems we're having now. They're gone because E30s are old and the demand for 15" tires is tiny outside of racing and a few small corners of car culture. So popular tires don't come in 15" sizes anymore (or at least not ones that fit our cars), and they haven't for a long time.

[RobertMasketer]

responding to my own thread lol

i see that some have run 225 50 r15's on that same rim. makes for a wider tire and i am hoping to not roll the fenders. has anyone got any experience with this size on an e30 ?
https://berich.eu/https://twojfilm.online/filmy-online https://seriale.best/

I had it, I rode it and I was satisfied. The problem then turned out to be a broken suspension that caused problems with the too large wheel. I can be wrong but it does a very heavy load.

[82eye]

yeah, what I'm saying is, 15" tires have been disappearing for years before EVs, COVID, or any of the modern problems we're having now. They're gone because E30s are old and the demand for 15" tires is tiny outside of racing and a few small corners of car culture. So popular tires don't come in 15" sizes anymore (or at least not ones that fit our cars), and they haven't for a long time.

it's at a point where i may not be able to get anything. 205, 215, 225 sizes that work are all not available here. the order queue is 8 months out, but they won't even take an order on those sizes here. even if i could order i can't get delivery til the end of next summer. i'm trying to see if i can source online and ship them in myself now.