[s-cars] RE: Re: can I run a 215/55R16 on my stock 5 spoke

[Krasusky Paul (WQQ2PXK)]

Lee ran 205s on 16x8s: 

<<<Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2004 06:46:22 -0500 
From: "Lee Levitt" <lee at wheelman.com> 
Subject: RE: [s-cars] Re: can I run a 215/55R16 on my stock 5 spoke 


I ran 205/55 16"s briefly on my 16x8 wheels. They just looked wrong...the 
wheel is way too wide for the tire and it stretched the sidewall out. I 
don't know whether it was actually unsafe, but it sure didn't look normal. 

Lee>>> 





Agreed. 

Similarly but differently, waaaaywaaay back in the day (when I was young and
dumb, now just older and dumb) and didn't know any better I ran (gasp)
185/15 Hakk 10s on 7.5" steels on my E28 ///M5 (like who doesn't use theirs
in the snow of course?).  

Like Lee said, just didn't look normal... at all (duh go figure).  Worse
off, it was downright horrrrrrennnndous in the snow (major let down).
Whereas those tires on the same sort of set up / type car, but on 6.5"
wheels on my 242GT ((RWD stiffly sprung / LSD rear / ~ same weight), the car
would climb f'n trees.  Go figure.

I figure doing this F's with the footprint beyond the point of allowing the
tire to work as it should (lip / bead stress aside).


-Paul genius K. 


ps.  others have noted and I'm compelled to stress...  IMHO sure a 205 might
be an ideal snow narrow width for snow, but running the 'whopping' 5 to 10
extra mm's of say a 225 snow is waywaywaywayway worth preserving the
dry-road directional stability of a hi-po-highlydriven 4k lb. car.
Especially goolike Blizzcraps or the like...  Esp. with tight suspension.
Esp. Esp. with bigbrakes.  Esp. Esp. Esp. with crackchip, buthey that's just
my worthless conjecture.  Maybe for a stocker responsibly driven but
fuggetabouddit otherwise...