What size tires for 16 x 7.5 wheels?

[Jand3rson]

My new wheels will be here very soon, and I need to figure out what will be the best size tires to run on them. Since they're 7.5" width as opposed to 7", I was planning to run 225's (fenders will be rolled), so the size I was planning on was 225/45/16.

I'm also on kind of a tight budget here, so while poking around on TireRack, I found these:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Sumitomo&tireModel=HTR+Z&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=245WR6HTRZ&fromCompare1=yes&place=3

Does anyone know much about these tires? A local place here will do them mounted and balanced for $81 each, so I was thinking they might be a good route. Opinions?

[straight6pwr]

when my dad got his e36 m3, the PO had just replaced the rear tires with sumitomos. they only lasted 10k miles before stock camber brought them down to nothing on the insides. i dont know if it was just the certain type of sumitomo but i do remember we looked them up and they were dirt cheap like the ones youve picked out.

if i hadnt come acroos my toyo t1s tires for a good price, i was gonna try the hancook ventus tires. about $90 a tire and theyve gotten good reviews.

but yeah thats a good size. personally i run 205/50/16 because i dont track or auto-x the car and that is plenty of grip on a good quality tire for everyday spirited driving. i also dont have to worry about rubbing with an et15 offset in the rear.

[Jarvis]

As long as you rotate them often, ES100s are acceptable. Ignore the haters, they either tracked them (too much for the tire) or never rotated them (just lazy). They are a great street tire. 225/45/16 ES100s are cheaper than most alternatives.

[grapedrink]

Get the HTRZ2 tires. They are great and cheep for a street car.

[egk2]

OT, what wheels did you buy?

[vt.bimmer]

My experience with 16x7.5 wheels and 225/45/16 and IE3 springs. I rolled the fenders and have plenty of clearance fender wise, but on the inside of the wheel well there is a spot that dips down and the tires keep rubbing under load.
Hankook RS2's are about $90 each in that size and have great all around grip.

[Bimmerfanatik]

I'm facing the same dilemma - Chris and others pointed me in the direction of 205/50r16 BFG G-force sports from discounttirewarehouse.com ;)

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

for 16" wheels:
195/50 - Slight undersize
205/50
215/50 - Slight oversize - rub if low enough

215/45 - Slight undersize
225/45
235/45 - Slight oversize - rub if low enough

on my 17s I run 205/40, occasionally 215/40 if tire selection is scarce.

[2002maniac]

never seen a 235/45/16 before. 225/45 should fit the bill.

[m42technic]

215/45-16. Ran Azenis Sport 215's in that size and will be running Azenis 615's in that size shortly.

[Alecs MacDonald]

OT, what wheels did you buy?

[rwh11385]

I'm facing the same dilemma - Chris and others pointed me in the direction of 205/50r16 BFG G-force sports from discounttirewarehouse.com ;)

it's discounttiredirect numb nuts

and there's no reason to get 225s

[Jand3rson]

I'm facing the same dilemma - Chris and others pointed me in the direction of 205/50r16 BFG G-force sports from discounttirewarehouse.com ;)

That's what I'm leaning toward.

I know this may be a silly question, before I ask it, but will I have to worry about the tire looking stretched at all? I mean, we're only talking about a 1/2" difference here.

[rwh11385]

search Scott's threads and find where I talked to him. i don't feel like repeating it

[e30sd]

fyi there is no industrywide parity between tire sizes. my 225/45/16 S-03's had a 1" wider contact patch than es100s in the same size mounted on the same wheel. tread width is a more viable number than section width.