Newbie with few questions!

[ISHINC]

Hey all!

I have a 2006 SE V6, and have a few questions that I couldn't really answer using the search...

1st, right now I have the stock 215/55/17 tires. Has anybody fit 235/50/17 on the stock 17x7 rim? Will I have any rubbing issues? Do you think the extra width will add to the performance of the car?

2nd, I know the VIP alarm isn't very highly regarded, I don't have it but i'm thinking about installing it. Does anybody know if the alarm is plug and play like how it is for all the other toyota models? I heard that it may not be plug and play and needs to be spliced into. The only reason I wanted the VIP is because I don't have to splice, if I had to splice there would be a ton of better alarms out there!

3rd, Has anybody installed a pioneer Z1 or alpine W200 double din radio in their solara? Anybody have some pics???

THANK YOU ALL, I hope I can help you when I learn more about my solara!

[theprodigy79]

235/50/17s will fit fine with no rubbing. If you drop your car you may have slight rubbing on hard bumps, but beside that it shouldn't be a problem at all.

As far as "performance" goes... That is more a matter of the quality of tire you use. If you take two tires that are identical other than the width, the wider tire MAY add a bit of dry traction, however it will not handle as well in rain, mud, snow, ice, etc...

If you want performance, get a good quality V or Z rated tire with an agressive tread. The side wall flex and soft compounds is what cause loss of performance. Your trade-offs for better cornering, braking, grip and maneuvering will be more ride noise, slightly harsher ride and faster tire wear.

Make sure you prioritize the above before going wider, and from there if you want to go wider go for it... But the compounds used, tread style and the firmness of the tire will make a ten-fold difference in performance over the width.

As for your other questions:

#2 someone else will have to answer, cuz I'm really not sure.

#3 I believe we have members who have installed one or the other... Both are excellent units that you can't go wrong with, and both would look great in your car. If you're nav oriented, go pioneer... If you're quality / function oriented, go Alpine.

Maybe someone can chime in with pics of these particular models, but if not take a look at some of our other members who have similar double-din 6.5" units... They'll all look pretty similar.

[ISHINC]

Thanks for the reply!

I never thought a wider tire would have worst traction in rain...good to know. I always thought wider the better.

Are there any specific tires you guys recommend?

I am a michelin guy. I was looking at the mxv4's, they are a bit pricey but I know they last forever due to the harder compound. They are usually pretty quiet but its probably not as grippy as other tires...

[PhreakdOut]

235/50/R17 fits just fine with the TRD drop. I had this on my 04 Gen2 SE Sport. I noticed better dry and wet performance. Snow, however, was a problem.

[theprodigy79]

No problem at all, not many people do realize that. Consider the tire to be a pump. When driving through puddles or during rain, the tread acts to pump the water out from underneath the tire in order to maintain traction to the pavement. The wider the tire gets, the more effort it takes for the tire to remove the water, and the more susceptible to hydroplaning it becomes.

The fat tires you see on high-powered sports cars are essentially surf boards, but then again they are intended for high performance on dry roads. This is not to say that fat tires can't be efficient at handling in the rain; there are certainly some with HUGE paths, but there's always a trade off between wet/dry handling.

As for snow/mud/ice, narrow tires "bite" more easily. You get the same weight on a smaller surface area, so paired with an agressive tread a slim tire is definitely the winner here... That's why if you watch rally events all the vehicles have pretty slim tires.

As for brands, if you ask 20 different people on this site you may get 20 different answers. You really can't go wrong with Michelin, Toyo, Yokohama, Pirelli, or Dunlop. I've had excellent experience with Avon, they're a lesser known company, but I used their Avon Tech M550 A/S tires for a while and they were great and actually reasonably priced (especially when compared to my $1200 set of Michelin Pilot Sports...). Several people on here like Falken; I'm not personally a fan due to excessive road noise, vibration and slight pulling caused by poor tread design on a set I got (I've also heard similar stories from other friends / acquaintences who've used them), but I also have limited experience with them.

I did love my Michelins, but they weren't a very good "bang for the buck"...

[theprodigy79]

235/50/R17 fits just fine with the TRD drop. I had this on my 04 Gen2 SE Sport. I noticed better dry and wet performance. Snow, however, was a problem.

I'm sure the better wet performance was due to the design and quality of the tire rather than the increased width.

[PhreakdOut]

235/50/R17 fits just fine with the TRD drop. I had this on my 04 Gen2 SE Sport. I noticed better dry and wet performance. Snow, however, was a problem.

I'm sure the better wet performance was due to the design and quality of the tire rather than the increased width.

Most likely. Good point.

[ISHINC]

Good info here thanks!

Phreak, did you notice any of a difference in steering wheel feel? Was the car harder to turn at all?

I'm in southern California so I don't see any snow or mud, but some rain....

[PhreakdOut]

Good info here thanks!

Phreak, did you notice any of a difference in steering wheel feel? Was the car harder to turn at all?

I'm in southern California so I don't see any snow or mud, but some rain....

Steering was more responsive. Slow speed turning was slightly changed but no big deal. The difference is not quite that huge. Here are the pics I PM'ed to you. I'll post 'em here so others can see.

OE Tires


235/50R17


Not too much bulge on the rims.

[dvdchris45]

lol. whats snow?