thsiao

The OEM rims for the TL-S has Michelins which are 215/50. I was wondering if we could go for wider tires... maybe 225 or wider. Is this possible with the OEM rims?

sc354

best size if you don't want your speedometer affected is 235/45R17...

this way your speedometer is only off by 1.1% at 60 MPH...so if you're speedo says 60 MPH, you are actually going 60.67 MPH...not a big deal...

thsiao

This might be stupid but... is the speedometer affected simply because we change the 50 to 45? Makes sense to me... by the way, will 235 be too wide and bumping into the inner parts of the car or touching it when turning? Thanks.

sc354

I'm not sure which portion of the tire size does in fact affect the speedometer, I just know this because other members have given me advice and stated that it will be affected by 1.1%...

and no there will be absolutely no rubbing. Even if you slammed the car to the ground, the extra width on the tires would not obtain any sort of rubbing against the fender...

next set of tires I get will definitely be 235/45/17...I won't go stock size again...

fsttyms1

the 2nd # is a aspect ratio of the tires width. so if you go to a 225 from a 215 the tire is wider. therefor the aspect ratio ( the side wall height) will be taller there by throwing off the spedo. thats why when you go wider you go smaller sidewall #. make sense?

thsiao

Sorry I am a little confused... which exactly is the "side wall height" that would be taller?

sc354

I think he's referring to the height from the edge of the tire to the rim...

therefore the wider you go, the shorter you go from the edge of the tire to the rim...

in a 225/45/17 tire

17 is the number of inches...225 is the width, and 45 is the aspect ratio...

derrick

I don't know about you but if you have OEM Type-S rims ... 6.5" going beyond 225 width tire isn't a great idea (let alone 235). I know there are board members who have 235/45 on their OEM rims but it might not be safe ... it's just a pain in the @ss finding tires that are 215/50/17 but just 'cause of the width of the rim, you might be better off. The CL-S, however ... has 7" rims ... you can probably fit a 235 on that rim.

Check any tire manufacturer and see what the recommended rim width is for 235 (tirerack.com) ... 235 isn't recommended for 6.5" rims.

- derrick

PS By the way, I run 235 width tires on 7.5" rims with a Comptech drop and haven't had rubbing issues (knock on wood). That's more of a wheel offset issue ... (correct me if I'm wrong)

figueroa1357

i dont know what all this tire talk is i got 245/45/17 on my tl there no rubbing involve even with 4 people in my car and you get very good traction.but buy whatever you want.

vandy786

Exactly! I've seen pics of a TL with 245/45/17s and this person reported no problems in one year of usage. That's why I'm going with 235/45/17s when my stocks go bald. It will give better handling and grip and keep the speedo pretty accurate.

stillaint4sale

All this talk about speedo accuracy...who really looks at that stupid thing anyway? I replaced mine with a 6" screen for my DVD player!






(BTW, I'm full of the brown stuff on this one!)

jayhawk815

I agree with DERRICK on this one. Although you can go wider than 225, it is not recommended by any tire manufacturer that I have seen. You may be safe going with 235, but 245 is definitely too wide for a 6.5" wheel. My $.02.

jayhawk815

Using a tire size calculator, the speedo would be off .5% with 235/45 rubber. If you went with 225/45, it would be off by 1.9%
I got this from the following site:

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

Mr Hyde

I would not go wider than a 225 ono ur 6.5 inch wide rim. More than that, and the sidewall is just flexing too much. Thats gonna affect tire life, and handling.

One thing no one has mentioned is to also look at the tires listed revs/mile. Some tires just deform more than others, and even though 2 different brand tires are of the same size, one may have several more revs/mile than the other.

maxx96

I have to agree with Mr Hyde on this one, just about every tire site have a chart that shows you how wide you should go depending on the rim width. Also Hyde is correct in the revs/mile department, depending on the aspect ratio, it will change (and not all lets say 225/50/17 are the same) how many times that tire rotate in a mile thus affecting your speedometer.
Yes you can go wider on a tire but if its too wide for the rim then it will affect your performance (slalom times) and this translates to taking a fast turn on an exit even if you have a wide tire it will feel like the nose and tail is flexing from side to side.
I wouldn't go any wider than 225 on those rims, just IMHO.

thsiao

If I go for 225/45 it should be safe right? Would it affect my spedo?

thsiao

Also I forgot to ask... so do you look at the "Revs per mile" to see if it will affect the spedo? Also, will 225/45 be a little too thin (from rim towards outside of tire)? I think I am contemplating 225/45 but just want to make sure it doesn't mess up the spedo and that its not too thin.