Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General Long road trip

I was wondering on what you guys thought about riding all the way from florida to chicago on 215/35/18 size tires and if I should bring a spare tire with me or not??

If you stay on good highways I wouldn't see a problem. If you have AAA then maybe forgo the spare, but if you aren't packing lots in the trunk and need the tire well space, then better safe than sorry. Make sure you have lugnuts that will work on your spare if need be. I don't know what your 18s are but some have lugnuts that don't have the bevel to work on the temp spare. Maybe ask in wheels and tires too. They could tell you about any heat issues, but I wouldn't think there would be.

I feel that since you never know when things will happen or what you'll run across, you have to be prepared and be protected. Take a spare.

Would someone enlighten a poor soul here. Are 35 series tires not designed for sustained highway runs?

why not the 2004 bmw z4 has them OEM

My impression from the original post was that he was taking a risk driving 1,000 miles on his tires, thus my question.

I found this somewhere on the web

"In reply to wheel failure:
I have not heard of anyone with a Pantera having wheel failure. However, I
can tell you from first hand observation that it does happen.
I had pulled over to the side of the road and was waiting for someone. I was
standing next to my car looking back up the road and a Tahoe came across the
railroad tracks at a normal speed (45 to 50mph) on a public highway. The guy
pulled over and stopped his car, so I went over to see if I could help. I
was surprised to see that both front Boyd Coddington wheels had been bent
beyond belief just by going over a set of railroad tracks. Both tires went
flat. The poor guy had to be towed home as he only had one spare tire. He
was runing 35 series tires with 20 inch rims.
"

"45 and lower Tire only found on high performance cars, generally wide; makes few concessions to comfort. Wears quickly, high price. Bumps and potholes should definitely be avoided!



Why a low profile tire?

A lower profile tire is more precise because its sidewall, being shorter and stiffer, will flex less in cornering and transition maneuvers. This higher rigidity also causes the tire to be less comfortable, because tire sidewalls act like springs whenever they hit pavement irregularities. A stiffer sidewall will allow the impact to be felt more acutely by the occupants and a shorter one will make the wheel more likely to be damaged in the event of such an impact.

Is there a meaningful difference?

A tire with a markedly lower profile will obviously be more precise, but in everyday life and on public roads, the type and the quality of the tire will likely have a greater influence on your driving experience than a slightly lower profile. Handling is usually more than acceptable with an upgraded tire in the original wheel size. If you are thinking about fitting lower profile tires to your car, see our subsection on plus one and plus two conversions.



Points to Remember



A larger wheel often means a lower profile tire.

A low profile tire is generally more expensive and wears quickly. Tires are the single highest replacement part expense.

A lower profile tire means more precision and less comfort, the latter because it is noisier and harder riding.

A low profile tire affords the wheel rim less protection.
"

Many thanks. Interesting stuff.

Well im running the nitto 450's (great tires)and I had to take out my spare donut for the sound system i put in the back so i either have 2 extra nitto tires but just the tires without a rim on them or i have my old svt rims with tires on them all four so i wasnt sure on what to do?