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What Performance Tires Should I Get? *FAQ*

LauraSVT said:
Nothing looks better than the stock wheels. I've got mine wrapped in a quartet of Dunlop Direzza DZ-101s in the stock size, 215/50-16, and love them. :cool:
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FTW!
225/50-16 is my choice though. Compared to the 215s I feel like I have more traction and am getting better life out of them.
 
SVTC1136 said:
FTW!
225/50-16 is my choice though. Compared to the 215s I feel like I have more traction and am getting better life out of them.
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Once upon a time, I tried Kelly Charger ZR Directionals, a little known tire that I ran with success on my first Taurus SHO. The Contour did not like them though, and they rubbed the rear struts the minute you loaded the suspension even slightly. So off they came, the very same day. It was then that I observed the very limited tolerance between even the stock tire sidewall and the strut. As such, I've been gunshy about running anything other than stock without playing with offsets, which I've not wanted to do. Others on the forum seem to have had much success with larger than stock sizes without modifications, so it seems.

On my second SHO, I ran BFG g-Force Sports in 225/55-16 and loved them. Their massive dual rain channels and chunky, well-integrated tread blocks handled wet and dry with ease, and provided a smooth, quiet ride. That car, with the added benefit of a 26mm rear sway bar out of a 1989 SHO, was a formidable performer, and always conveyed a clear picture of how the tires were interacting with the pavement. Because of this, it was an easy car to operate near the limit. The stock springs and struts provided awesome ride quality (hey, I'm not a kid anymore :laugh: ). If they made that tire in a 215/50-16, I'd run it. The Dunlops and the BFGs have both been great, and are some of the best performance tire bargains out there.
 
cobrawannabe said:
I'm gunna go ahead and disagree with what Phil said about ZE-512's. My car had 2 sets of 502's, and a set of 512's before I switched to Kumho (money was the problem...), and they were absolutley GREAT tires.
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Thats how I feel about them as well. The 512 used to be rated as a summer performance tire but I'm not sure what they're rated now. Cheap tire that I've always been happy with.
 
I just wanted to add in that I went with 225/45R17 because it was

very common, great fit, 'nuff said. Don't bother with anything else on 17s.
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And they're rubbing in the rear with stock suspension. :mad:

And it's just barely too, I think 215's would've been fine as far as rubbing goes.

I think the OP needs a warning tacked on to the tire combinations that could potentially rub.

for info:
tires: BFG G-Force KDW2 225/45R17
Wheels: OZ Ultraleggera - offset 45 or 48 I believe. Should be the same offset as the Superleggera which has been used before on CSVT's
 
waves360 said:
what is the widest tire i can put on a 16 oem e1
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You could probably find a place to stretch a 235 or 245 on there but you'd be putting down the same patch as a 225 so I wouldnt bother.

waves360 said:
also what do i have to do the the struts in order to put a wider tire on the car i read a convo about it but forgot were?
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You have to do the wheel spacer math or just do it the simple way and try a 1/2" and then a 1" spacer.
 
im scared to ask becasue i might get shut down but if you have a wheel spacer with a wider tire that usually works wont it rub on the quarter panel or stick out of the wheel well
 
Your question isn't really clear. Let's put it this way, my E1s with 225's used to rub. E1's have a 49.5 mm backspacing from what I've read. It all depends on the backspacing of your wheels, your tire section width, and how big of a spacer you use. We need more information to be able to further guide you.
 
I ran 225/50-16's for a while... I had some slight scuff marks on the struts. That most likely happened while autocrossing. Also the make/model will make a difference... some are wider than others.
 
That's really strange that it rubs. When I had my 17" Superleggeras, I was running 215/45/17. It's slightly smaller but was far from rubbing.

My 18" Superleggeras have 225/40/18 and I don't rub. The car was lowered with both setups. :shrug:
 
235/45/17
Goodyear Eagle F1's All season
The tire protects the rim (for those with a spouse):nonono:
Best tire for the twisties!!
 
BAD SVT said:
i was at a tire shop today and the guy recommended a falken 452. 225/45/17. no one mentioned it in this thread yet. just wondering if anyone has any feedback.
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They're just a regular street tire. Nothing special.
 
OEM 17" tire size?

OEM 17" tire size?

Sorry if the answer has already been posted. I did search quite a bit and didn't find anything...

I am under the impression that the CSVT was offered with an optional 17" wheel/tire combination identical in appearance to the stock 16" wheel and 215/50/16 BFG KDW tire combination.

So my question is, assuming that the above is true, what was the OEM tire size for the OEM 17" wheel? I think I saw these wheels in the BAT catalog?

225/45/17 seems to be the consensus for aftermarket wheels but I wanted to be sure about an OEM 17" size if one actually existed and you guys seem to know your stuff.



-Tim-
 
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