225/50 or 205/55 on 15x7 wheels

[clydesdale]

Which would be the better tire size for stock "is" suspension for spirited street driving and occassional track day? I have the stock M20 engine.

[daniel]

in my opinion, if you are doing spirited street driving and occasional track days, you should spend your money on lowering springs before wheels and tires, and the stock "is" suspension is only better than the "i" suspension due to slightly larger swaybars. in other words, don't think you are prepped for the track just because you have an "is".

[clydesdale]

Yep, never thought that. I was just making everyone aware of the stock ride height. What tire size would you recommend? I have no plan to change suspension at this time.

[BDK]

I prefer the looks of the 225/50's, the shorter sidewall helps abit in the corners too...

[Mystikal]

The sidewall isn't shorter.

I like my 225/50s.

[nando]

in my opinion, if you are doing spirited street driving and occasional track days, you should spend your money on lowering springs before wheels and tires, and the stock "is" suspension is only better than the "i" suspension due to slightly larger swaybars. in other words, don't think you are prepped for the track just because you have an "is".

huh?

what part of your car is touching the ground? The springs? The shocks? Swaybars? no.

The tires. Tires make a bigger difference for everything than any other mod - cornering, braking, acceleration (well, if you have enough power). Suspension upgrades just help the tires do their job better.

tires before anything else, always.

[daniel]

huh?

i was just making sure the guy knew he didn't have a special suspension just because he had an "is". i know tires are most important, but once someone starts talking about track days, they need to worry about more than just deciding between a 205 and a 225 wide tire.

[2002maniac]

tires before anything else, always.

this.

I think that more important than the width of the tire is the tire compound and sidewall stiffness.

For example:

I'd much rather have a 205 falken azenis, than a 225 falken ziex. However, if they offered a 225 azenis it would be a no brainer to go big.

[clydesdale]

Which is the more popular size for track use the 205 or 225? I am real close to making a wheel decision, but I want to make sure I can run the right tires and have them fit right. I am leaning to the D-FORCE 15x7.

[nando]

225s are pretty popular. they'll fit on a 7" rim just fine. hell I had 225 hoosiers on 6.5" wheels and they were fantastic. :)

[FredK]

There aren't that many 225/50R15 ultra high performance tires any more.

I have 225/45R15 Hankook R-S3 on 15x7 wheels. They are a little undersized in height, but are a popular tire for E30s.

The Azenis RT-615 are only available in 205/50R15 (also undersized), and in that size, the Bridgestone RE-11, Yoko AD08s, and Kumho XS are newer and better designs.

[nando]

225/45-15 is a pretty good competition size though. It effectively shortens your gear ratio, and is also a bit lighter. the 225/50-14s are about the same diameter.

I love my 235/50s, but they're pretty heavy compared to the hoosiers. I really noticed a difference when I put my bottlecaps back on.

[C-T]

225/50 Toyo T1-Rs here. I like them, but what I like most is their ability to show very little wear after ~ 10 months of hard driving. The sidewall is pretty soft, which is great for smooth highway cruising and traction on hard launches, but track/autoX enthusiasts should look elsewhere. My car has traveled up and down the US eastern seaboard a few times, and it eats highway miles, but I only trust pushing it so far when getting down on back roads and the tires (coupled with a lack of talent) have a lot to do with it.

[So Live]

225/50 Toyo T1-Rs here. I like them, but what I like most is their ability to show very little wear after ~ 10 months of hard driving. The sidewall is pretty soft, which is great for smooth highway cruising and traction on hard launches, but track/autoX enthusiasts should look elsewhere. My car has traveled up and down the US eastern seaboard a few times, and it eats highway miles, but I only trust pushing it so far when getting down on back roads and the tires (coupled with a lack of talent) have a lot to do with it.

What et you running on those rims? Any rubbing at all? Stock fenders?

[C-T]

Stock fenders, ET 25, no rubbing whatsoever. The car is somewhat lowered on Bilstein HD shocks and springs.