Couple Tire Questions

[Solorange]

Just wondering if anyone has rocked 205/55/16 tires on their O.E. wheels? I need to get some new winter tires and was thinking about just droping down a sidewall size for a sportier look. Just curious if it creates too much of a gap from the top of the tire to the wheelwell. Just doing a little calculation the stock O.E. diameter is 25.68" and dropping down to a 55 wall would bring it down to 24.88". In the summer I run 225/40/18 tires which are 25.08" and the wheel gap seems to look alright. Just worried 0.8" difference between a 60 wall and 55 wall may make my car look like a 4x4 even if its lowered. Pics are always a plus if you got them to give me a better perspective.

Secondly I was talking to a few buddies about my poor tire wear issue with my 225/40/18 tires. The inner side of the tire wears faster than the outer side like its rolling with negative camber. Ive had the alignment checked several times and the camber is within the correct tolerance and I still get the wearing issue. We started to talk tire pressure and they think that is my problem. I keep them at 32lbs just like it says on the door of the car, but they say with low profile tires you need to run them with more pressure around 40lbs or so. Is this what you guys do and if so what pressure should I be at? Couldn't find anything of the sort on tire rack.

Thanks Chris

[ThatVietGuy]

Here's what 205/55/16 (or maybe it was 205/50/16, I can't remember) looks like on stock height. Extrapolate from the pic however you want:



And 32 psi seems pretty low for any tire. I run my 18s (F: 235/40, R: 225/40) at 38 all around. Never had a problem with immature wearing when I was still lowered with coilovers.

[ThatVietGuy]

Also: http://www.procarcare.com/includes/cont ... ewear.html

You probably do have under inflated tires according to this chart.

[99BlackSandv6]

Run your pressure up. I run my 16s at 38.5 front and 35 rear.
I run my 18s 38.5 front and 37 rear. Although the pressure
could be part of the problem, I would say the toe adjustment is
out at all corners. Camber is not likely to wear tires excessively
unless it's a helluva lot of camber, and if it were you would notice it.

[DriDed]

Run your pressure up. I run my 16s at 38.5 front and 35 rear.
I run my 18s 38.5 front and 37 rear. Although the pressure
could be part of the problem, I would say the toe adjustment is
out at all corners. Camber is not likely to wear tires excessively
unless it's a helluva lot of camber, and if it were you would notice it.

You run at that high of a pressure? My tires always ran at 31 PSI, whoa

[Mole]

they are snow tires...

do not get a size for "looks"

you might want to consider going 195...

[SleeperSolara]

I have 205 / 55 / R16 on my OEM rims.
I run about 45 psi on them.
On my new one the max psi is 50, so i run about 40.

[99BlackSandv6]

^I think 45 is a little....ok a lot too high. But it's up to you, as long as you don't exceed the rec. press.

[Solorange]

From my OEM wheels I always ran 32 psi because that is what the sticker on the door says to keep it at. I guess Ive always done the same for my 18's just because I was never told to run them at higher pressure and never thought about it. I did forget to mention the tire wear issue happens only on the front tires and the rear is normal. Could just be that is noticable on the front because the power is put down in front. When I got the alignments checked the toe has been within spec too. This summer when I put the 18's back on Ill run them at a higher pressure and see if that changes things.

Viet - Thanks for the pic

[99BlackSandv6]

The best way to set tire pressure is to start with the wheel off the car. Look at the tire's tread and determine where it starts to round off at the edges, When the wheels are mounted up and the tires are on the ground the shoulder of the tread should be just off the ground with only or mostly the flat part of the tread on the ground. That's your contact patch. Then, go to a nice empty twisty area and flog the car on the turns. Look at the rough edge of the tire when you are done and if the rough area goes all the way to the edge of the shoulder or onto the sidewall raise the pressure a couple pounds, until the roughness is not much past the center of the shoulder.

I hope that makes sense, it would be easier with a picture.

[CamryOnBronze]

they are snow tires...

do not get a size for "looks"

This. It's winter in Ohio- the car will look kind of crappy no matter what. I would personally go with whatever keeps the speedometer accurate, and not worry about the looks. If I had to say, I think it would look better with the taller sidewall and less wheel gap. A lower profile tire with more wheel gap looks a lot worse if you ask me.

[99BlackSandv6]

I totally agree with what Damon said. Our cars will be covered in crap most of the winter and less gap is best.

[Solorange]

they are snow tires...

do not get a size for "looks"

This. It's winter in Ohio- the car will look kind of crappy no matter what. I would personally go with whatever keeps the speedometer accurate, and not worry about the looks. If I had to say, I think it would look better with the taller sidewall and less wheel gap. A lower profile tire with more wheel gap looks a lot worse if you ask me.

I agree with you that the more gap there is the more it looks like crap which is why I was asking what it looks like. As far as winter performance goes my car does perfectly fine with the current oem size, so I know dropping one tire size in height will not change anything. Thats why I say for looks. If performance in the snow is going to be compromised then I wouldn't consider it. And lately it seems like we really only get a good amount of snow for 2 or 3 months but I usually have the oems on for 4 or 5 months just in case snow comes early or late.

[CamryOnBronze]

Yeah, I don't think it would affect the performance much at all either.

[99BlackSandv6]

^^X2 or 3 whatever.