Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Wheels & Tires Tire size clarification please!

I'm looking at getting some new wheels and tires. The wheels I've found are 18"x7�½" with a 42mm offset. I think I've determined through searching that I'll be OK with this size. My real question is tire size.

When I use the link on the wheel page to find suitable tires, they only list the following: 215/35-18 or 215/40-18. After searching some fairly recent posts, I found one suggesting the most commonly used size is 225/40-18. Which is going to look the best and have the least probability of rubbing (I realize here that each car is different on the rubbing issue)? Will the 215s look stretched over the rim since it's 7�½" instead of 7"? There are many more tire choices in the 225 size versus the 215 (not to mention up to $40 cheaper per tire than the 215s!), so my gut is saying go for the 225s. Rubbing shouldn't be much of an issue at this point since my SE is still riding on a stock suspension. I realize I may have clearance issues down the road.

One last thing I noticed. I only found a couple of the 18" tires had any kind of treadwear warranty. Is this normal and why?

FWIW, these are the wheels I'm planning on buying. Any input or sage advice will be greatly appreciated!

Go w/ 225/40/18. I've got that set-up and it looks good. No streched tire look. Also more choices in tires in that size. Rubbing depends on all the factors that have been discussed endlessly, But since I've rolled my fender lips and rarely have back seat passengers, it's no issue for me. -EDIT- My wheel size is 18x7 though so I would definately go no smaller than 225's

Thanks for the responses on tire selection! I really appreciate it. I do have two other quick questions regarding this purchase:

Does anyone have any information regarding the rolling radius of the 225/40-18s in comparison w/ the stock 15s? I would like to get some idea how off my speedo will be after the upgrade.

Also, does anyone know how long Discount Tire will typically run a special on a wheel? I'm scraping like crazy to find the money for these wheels while they're on sale.

Using a BFGoodrich spec chart, the 225/40R18 has 829 revolutions per mile and your stock 205/60R15 has 843 revolutions per mile. The 18" has a larger diameter so your speed will read slower than you are going.

Just a guess but prob 3-5 MPH off.

1.6% off. That's around 1mph at 60mph. The OD of 25.1" is just fine.

Well, I just called Discount Tire to see how long the sale would be running on the Enkei PK6s. Turns out they're discontinued, and they have 6 wheels left in the Anthricite in 18s for the Contour. I'm still scraping money together for them, but they're willing to take a deposit on them and hold a full set for me for several weeks! Sweet! I didn't think anyone did that anymore. I really dig these wheels, and I'm not going to let the $110 price for 18s slip by!

Tires are, unfortunately, going to have to wait a spell at this point. I will be getting 225/40s, thanks to suggestions from y'all. I'll probably wind up getting the Khumo Ecsta AST, unless something else comes on sale at a better price than $83/tire. I can't really justify the more expensive ASX. The main difference seems to be the 'Z' rating as opposed to an 'H' on the AST. That, and possibly a stiffer sidewall. Since I can count on one finger the number of times I've had the car over, say, 105 mph (ditto the number of times autocrossed), the 'H' rating will do me fine.

One final question, what is a reasonable price for a set of lug nuts? The Discount Tire guy told me $45. That seems rather steep in my mind, but then again, it has been probably 15 years or more since I've had non-stock wheels on a car. If anyone has a good source for less expensive lugs (not cheaper mind you, just less expensive) then PLEASE chime in and let me know!

Go to Napa. I got some flange-style for pretty cheap there, and they're good stuff.