Opinion on 18" wheels....
#1
Opinion on 18" wheels....
I live in a town with lousy roads...every pothole I hit makes me fear for my rims...
What do folks think about switching to 18" wheels and running a higher profile tire perhaps the same size tire all the way around...I have seen some threads about this for racing but am thinking that such a move would get me more air in the tires and more cushion between my rims and potential damage. Same size tires all the way around would allow rotation and maybe get me a few more miles on a set.
Is this a crazy notion?
Is there much to gain and what would I loose?
What do folks think about switching to 18" wheels and running a higher profile tire perhaps the same size tire all the way around...I have seen some threads about this for racing but am thinking that such a move would get me more air in the tires and more cushion between my rims and potential damage. Same size tires all the way around would allow rotation and maybe get me a few more miles on a set.
Is this a crazy notion?
Is there much to gain and what would I loose?
#2
Go for it. Your points all make sense. Just make sure that the wheel you choose will easily clear the front brakes. You will also save some weight in the process if you choose your wheels carefully. I personally would stay with staggered wheels, because I feel for STREET USE you would either be going too wide in front for comfort, or too narrow in the rear for traction. If you are worried about tire life, get a tire that will last longer than the stock ones. For example, the stock Michelin PS2s are rated at 220 tire wear, which means on average they last 2.2 times longer than whatever the test standard is. Continental DWs are rated at 340 (3.4 times longer). My Continental DWSs are rated at 540 (5.4 times longer). So, if you were looking for longevity in a max performance summer tire, the Continental DWs are rated to last over 1.5 times as long as the PS2s. If you don't mind running an ultra high performance all season tire, the Continental DWSs are rated to last almost 2.5 times as long as the PS2s...which is great for me because my ISF sees over 20k miles per year.
#3
...For example, the stock Michelin PS2s are rated at 220 tire wear, which means on average they last 2.2 times longer than whatever the test standard is. Continental DWs are rated at 340 (3.4 times longer). My Continental DWSs are rated at 540 (5.4 times longer). So, if you were looking for longevity in a max performance summer tire, the Continental DWs are rated to last over 1.5 times as long as the PS2s....
UTQG Treadwear Grades are based on actual road use in which the test tire is run in a vehicle convoy along with standardized Course Monitoring Tires. The vehicle repeatedly runs a prescribed 400-mile test loop in West Texas for a total of 7,200 miles. The vehicle can have its alignment set, air pressure checked and tires rotated every 800 miles. The test tire's and the Monitoring Tire's wear are measured during and at the conclusion of the test. The tire manufacturers then assign a Treadwear Grade based on the observed wear rates. The Course Monitoring Tire is assigned a grade and the test tire receives a grade indicating its relative treadwear. A grade of 100 would indicate that the tire tread would last as long as the test tire, 200 would indicate the tread would last twice as long, 300 would indicate three times as long, etc.
The problem with UTQG Treadwear Grades is that they are open to some interpretation on the part of the tire manufacturer because they are assigned after the tire has only experienced a little treadwear as it runs the 7,200 miles. This means that the tire manufacturers need to extrapolate their raw wear data when they are assigning Treadwear Grades, and that their grades can to some extent reflect how conservative or optimistic their marketing department is. Typically, comparing the Treadwear Grades of tire lines within a single brand is somewhat helpful, while attempting to compare the grades between different brands is not as helpful.
The problem with UTQG Treadwear Grades is that they are open to some interpretation on the part of the tire manufacturer because they are assigned after the tire has only experienced a little treadwear as it runs the 7,200 miles. This means that the tire manufacturers need to extrapolate their raw wear data when they are assigning Treadwear Grades, and that their grades can to some extent reflect how conservative or optimistic their marketing department is. Typically, comparing the Treadwear Grades of tire lines within a single brand is somewhat helpful, while attempting to compare the grades between different brands is not as helpful.
Last edited by lobuxracer; 09-30-10 at 09:51 AM.
#4
I remember reading the above at some point a while ago. Lobuxracer, do you think that rating is completely bogus, or just not entirely precise due to marketing department strategies? I imagine that there has to be some truth to it or the tire manufacture would be called out for misinformation. I know the my DWS tires are on their way to lasting a while. I have 16k miles on them and the tread still looks brand new.
#5
Completely bogus? No, but trying to compare across manufacturers is not even close. I've had Dunlops with what appeared to be pretty good treadwear ratings and they wore out in no time. I've had Bridgestones (like the RE050s and S-02s) with low numbers, and they lasted as long as the Dunlops with a wear rating half what the Dunlops had. So I really don't put a lot of stock in the ratings across brands.
As a real world example, the RE050s I got on my F lasted 31k miles in the rear with three full track weekends on them, and they still weren't quite down to the wear bars. They're rated at 140. Michelin PS2s (also OEM) are rated at 220, but I'd bet a lot of money they'll last no longer than the Bridgestones under the same conditions. So making comparisons about service life is downright foolish unless you have direct experience with the tire you're considering buying.
As a real world example, the RE050s I got on my F lasted 31k miles in the rear with three full track weekends on them, and they still weren't quite down to the wear bars. They're rated at 140. Michelin PS2s (also OEM) are rated at 220, but I'd bet a lot of money they'll last no longer than the Bridgestones under the same conditions. So making comparisons about service life is downright foolish unless you have direct experience with the tire you're considering buying.
#7
Completely bogus? No, but trying to compare across manufacturers is not even close. I've had Dunlops with what appeared to be pretty good treadwear ratings and they wore out in no time. I've had Bridgestones (like the RE050s and S-02s) with low numbers, and they lasted as long as the Dunlops with a wear rating half what the Dunlops had. So I really don't put a lot of stock in the ratings across brands.
As a real world example, the RE050s I got on my F lasted 31k miles in the rear with three full track weekends on them, and they still weren't quite down to the wear bars. They're rated at 140. Michelin PS2s (also OEM) are rated at 220, but I'd bet a lot of money they'll last no longer than the Bridgestones under the same conditions. So making comparisons about service life is downright foolish unless you have direct experience with the tire you're considering buying.
As a real world example, the RE050s I got on my F lasted 31k miles in the rear with three full track weekends on them, and they still weren't quite down to the wear bars. They're rated at 140. Michelin PS2s (also OEM) are rated at 220, but I'd bet a lot of money they'll last no longer than the Bridgestones under the same conditions. So making comparisons about service life is downright foolish unless you have direct experience with the tire you're considering buying.
Trending Topics
#8
I live in a town with lousy roads...every pothole I hit makes me fear for my rims...
What do folks think about switching to 18" wheels and running a higher profile tire perhaps the same size tire all the way around...I have seen some threads about this for racing but am thinking that such a move would get me more air in the tires and more cushion between my rims and potential damage. Same size tires all the way around would allow rotation and maybe get me a few more miles on a set.
Is this a crazy notion?
Is there much to gain and what would I loose?
What do folks think about switching to 18" wheels and running a higher profile tire perhaps the same size tire all the way around...I have seen some threads about this for racing but am thinking that such a move would get me more air in the tires and more cushion between my rims and potential damage. Same size tires all the way around would allow rotation and maybe get me a few more miles on a set.
Is this a crazy notion?
Is there much to gain and what would I loose?
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
rexel77
IS - 2nd Gen (2006-2013)
6
07-08-11 08:48 AM