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Tires!

What size are you saying is weird? I'm pretty sure that a 225/45 is the most popular size besides the factory recommended 215/45 for 17's on Contours, and a 225/45 is the factory size for my Jetta and anything bigger would be too big, as well as adding unnecessary rotating mass at every wheel.
 
What size are you saying is weird? I'm pretty sure that a 225/45 is the most popular size besides the factory recommended 215/45 for 17's on Contours, and a 225/45 is the factory size for my Jetta and anything bigger would be too big, as well as adding unnecessary rotating mass at every wheel.

Maybe its more common in a 17". 225/50 is a standard 16" size whereas the 215/50 and 225/45 dont have the same selection of tires.
 
Dude, I didn't buy my SVT yesterday. Between my 3 cars, I'm on my 9th set of tires... I am SLIGHTLY familiar with the common sizes for them at this point, and I was talking about 17's in my post. 215/40-17 as the post stated is an odd size for these cars. Hell, right now I have 225/50-16, 205/55-16, and 215/45-17 for my SVT, and I wish that I had 225/45-17 instead.
 
215/40-17 is just plain small. For a 40 sidewall, 235 (235/40-17) is more appropriate. Or 225/45-17... which does have a good selection of tires, even Azenis RT-615's (only $105 @ vulcantires)... which is all that matters :-P
 
Dude, I didn't buy my SVT yesterday. Between my 3 cars, I'm on my 9th set of tires... I am SLIGHTLY familiar with the common sizes for them at this point, and I was talking about 17's in my post.

I never implied you didnt know the sizes for your rims. I simply said that in a 16" tire it was a less common size and asked what your experience was the 17". Though since the 16" is the SVT size it technically wouldnt matter how long you're owned it since you went up a size. :)
 
I am running the Kumho Ecsta ASTs on my car and have been doing so since July of last year. I didn't even switch out to my winter tires this winter because the ASTs actually did a decent job, my winter tires aren't exactly new...haha. But yeah, I am running the 225/55/16s and they grip like mofos and I don't really ever have any hydroplaning issues in the wet, as long as I don't hit massive puddles of course. I have put just around 10000 miles on them since new (thanks Spring Zing...haha) and I have yet to have a problem with them at all. As long as you are rotating your tires and keeping your alignment in check, then your tires should last as long as the manufacturer warranty suggests. Granted though, there are instances where defects occur, but luckily I have yet to worry about that yet. The tread is wearing nice and even and I think these tires are pretty kick ass. My next tire purchase will probably be General Exclaim UHP's because I have read nothing but good reviews on them.
 
these tire specs always sound strange to me. my contour came with 14" steelies, and my 215/40/17's are exactly the same height as the old tires.

when I pass a radar speed sign, my dash usually says I'm going just a few miles an hour slower than the sign.if I had tires that were too short, my dash would say I was going faster than the sign says.

215/40/17 is a common size on focii.

if you want less fender gap, get some springs.
 
Thats interesting Kaos, since I replaced my steelies with SVT E1's - 215-50-16's and they run about 4mph faster at 60.

they would, you put taller tires on it.

shorter tires equal slower, taller tires equal faster.

I basically said my 215/40/17's are taller than the stock tires should be for the calibration on my dash.

believe me, I read all the guys talking about these monster truck tires and wonder how mine can be too tall at the size I have.

makes no since to me since terry says the VSS is the same on all MTX75s.

all I know is my total tire height is the same with the 215/40/17's as it was with my take off steelies.

maybe we can figure something out here
 
I don't know what the stock size is on an SE, but a 215/40-17 is shorter than stock SVT. Use it- http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireMath.dos

that is very cool, but since the VSS's are the same regardless, I'm failing to see how there could be a difference in calibration between models.

zetec, duratec, SVT, etc, all should require the same total tire height no matter what engine, so long as they are fitted with an MTX75.
 
Perhaps there is a difference in the speedo head itself. For example my 95 is a 4banger and it had 14" steelies. It uses a specific speedo & tach. The V6 speedo may be different and perhpas they came with 15" wheels. Then again the SVT is a different speedo too. Just speculation, but that would answer the situation. The only flaw is if the V6's came with 14's. I was thinking about changing my 4banger speedo for a V6 one and see if that makes a difference. The issue is my early 95 being mechanical so it will be a while. Wouldn't you know it since I got the idea I've found 3 95's all electrics..... darn!

AF
Global warming - coolest thing since algore invented the internet... AF 6/2/08
 
The speed/odometer is calibrated via the ecu. If you have an xcal, you can specify your tire diameter to correct it.

all I know is my total tire height is the same with the 215/40/17's as it was with my take off steelies.

What size tires came on your 14"? I couldn't find a combination that equaled the diameter of your 215/40-17's. Regardless... those are small. You're probably getting crap gas mileage, though your 1/4 miles times are probably better. I've gotten worse mileage with 235/40-17's, which are smaller than OEM SVT tires... and when they wear out I'll try either 235/45-17 or 245/45-17.
 
all I know is my total tire height is the same with the 215/40/17's as it was with my take off steelies.

maybe we can figure something out here

You have to understand that not all tires are exactly the same width and height, even if they are listed as 225/50. I knew folks that would laser measure peoples tires at autocrosses and they had a huge list of tires grouped by what size they were classified as. My SVT right now has the OEM tires on the OEM wheels and the speedo still reads fast. The math says going to a 225/50 will fix that but I wont expect it to be perfect.
 
The speed/odometer is calibrated via the ecu. If you have an xcal, you can specify your tire diameter to correct it.
really? that is awesome. I did not know that. I already have an Xcal2 chillin in the same box with my koni's and svt intake. I assume it requires a dyno to calibrate?


What size tires came on your 14"? I couldn't find a combination that equaled the diameter of your 215/40-17's. Regardless... those are small. You're probably getting crap gas mileage, though your 1/4 miles times are probably better. I've gotten worse mileage with 235/40-17's, which are smaller than OEM SVT tires... and when they wear out I'll try either 235/45-17 or 245/45-17.
195/65/14 bridgstone turranza revo's.

problem is my dash acts like it wants smaller tires yet. although.... mine is a v6 with no tach, did they come that way? or is this a replacement dash?

some things about this car confuse me, like it being an se sport, but with no spoiler, an no alloy wheels, and no mini side skirts, no tach, ect.

[edit]

forgot to mention.. I have seen tires be different sizes with the same aspect ratio's. I guy had some 205/40/16 toyo's on a civic and wound up not buying a pair of BFG 205/40/16's I had for sale because the bfg's were like almost an inch shorter.

BTW, I have some bfg's for sale
 
really? that is awesome. I did not know that. I already have an Xcal2 chillin in the same box with my koni's and svt intake. I assume it requires a dyno to calibrate?
Nope... the xcal just wants to know the rpm of the tire. So you can just grab that from the manufacturer... or more accurately, measure and calculate it yourself. The latter is better because the rpm/outer diameter will vary depending on rims, psi, weight, etc...
 
problem is my dash acts like it wants smaller tires yet. although.... mine is a v6 with no tach, did they come that way? or is this a replacement dash?

some things about this car confuse me, like it being an se sport, but with no spoiler, an no alloy wheels, and no mini side skirts, no tach, ect.

Is your an ATX then???? not all sports had the spoiler and sideskirts but you get that gold Sport sitcker on the trunk :laugh:
 
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