i have a set of rota tarmac 2, i am looking for tires to put on but don't know which one is good and < $$ i was thinking to get 225 45 17 ( they recommed)but too $$$ and i know 215 45 17 it fit and only 15mm shorter so my qustion is it ok the riding on 215 45 17?? any down side?? i know the up side is cheap!!!

 

If you can save up and spend the extra for the 225's I have 215's on 7.5's and have no issues but I do wish i had the little bit of extra width. I feel if the rim was any wider it would be too wide for the 215.

Good luck.

 

well, so your suggestion is save so more to buy 225 right?
but it only 15mm (about 1/2 in) it is not really noticable right.
i was planning to buy use tires from ebay the one under $200shiped (still looking).
well, they also have new tires for sell $319 shiped Z rated 225 but not sure the band in good or not. (summtio something like this)

 

What do you want to do with your car? I'm no expert but I would think a 215 would work fine for a daily driver that will see some occasional spirited driving but then again just how much more is a 225. I would also think you would be better off with a good quality 215 than a cheap 225.

Here is a link that will help you decide what tire to buy http://www.tirerack.com/tires/dg/Sno...inLoad=S&set=N.

BTW I doubt you could get a good sticky set of tires for $319 shipped so I would guess the tires you saw on ebay are not very good.

 

MO REX makes a good point.

I do feel that the extra width would make the tire sit better on a 7.5" wheel. At least thats what I think when I look at my 215's. If I pull up off the side of the road to park in front of a friends house on one of those beveled shoulders I always worry about scraping the rim. I think the extra width would also ad some extra comfort in rim protection. Something else to think about.

Good luck.

 

Good point, it would be less expensive to buck up for 225's than to have a set of curbed rim fixed. I have 225/45/17 s03's on my 17X7.5 rims and they do exactly what you just said.

 

thanks guys i would go with 225
maybe a good used set of 225 or the $319 one
thanks you guys rally saying few good point

 

Nothing wrong with 215s on a 7.5" rim. Also, when you look at the physical width of most 215s versus the same tire in 225s, it's less than 10mm difference. This is especially true of performance tires. However, 215/45 and 225/45 are so close in diameter in a 17" fitment that it doesn't really matter which one you get. FWIW I've run 215/45R17 So3s on my RS in the past, and they were plenty grippy. Going to a 225 S03 would have made little difference.

 

Concerning those two tire sizes I have a question about rpm vs tire size. Stock WRX 205/55/16 has 836.3 revs per mile while 215/45/17 is 845.1.

If you use the 215/45/17 wouldn't your rpm increase in all gears therefore decreasing lag just a bit (hopefully)? Somewhat of a benefit of using a smaller tire. Your always at a higher rpm level?

If you use the taller 225/45/17 @ 832.9 then you get less revs per mile so your rpm should be lower than say the stock tire. Lower rpm for more crusing?

Either tire will work for the intended purpose but guess I would also use the 215's go get more revs per mile. Taller than stock tires losses some of the pep is once had. Just my .02¢

 

hm...... talking rpm, taller tire or bigger rims might save mileage too.....
what happend using 24" (if fit) then i will save alot of miles per year
JK

thanks
well i think i am going to stick with 225 45 anyway i already bought it

 

climo,

RPM=revolutions per minute. I have 225/45/17's on my car in the summer and 205/55/16's in the winter and my butt dyno can’t tell the difference. If your #'s are correct then there is only a 3.4 revs/mi difference between the OE tire size and a 225/45/17 and 12.2 revs/mi difference between the 215 and the 225. I'm no expert on the subject but I wouldn’t think 12.2 revolutions per mile would make a noticeable difference in RPM's.

 

i think it is revolutions per mile as it pertains to tire size.

... it dosent make much sense for revs per minute, that means driving slower gives fewer revolutions over time

 

Actually, now that I reread his post I think he is talking about both (bangs head on desk). His #’s are referring to revolutions per mile (tires) and when he is talking about RPM’s he’s talking about the engines revolutions per minute. Here’s a link to a site that has a tire size calculator http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html. According to this his #’s were a little off but the differences between the different sizes were very close.

I screwed up with my wording in my post but I my opinion remains the same. I guess I need to read more carefully before posting replies (time to edit).

 

If you have a wagon, get 215s. If you have a sedan, it doesn't matter.

 

WoW couldn't believe it. this topic can make every jump in to it.

any one know who sell the cheapest tires?? doesn't matter new or used.