chumpfasho

275's fit 100% fine with no rubbing, ive had 2 sets of 275's already, and 1 set of 265, both fit fine. ive heard 285 rubs at first so i wont bother experimenting with that.

Mr. Happy

I'm not sure I get this. The number (255 or 275) is supposed to be "the width of the tire in millimeters at its widest point from sidewall to sidewall when mounted on the recommended rim width". So the number is a measure not a guide. I'm not an expert but the only factor that could change the width would then be the rim and not the tire itself as the number refers to the width when MOUNTED. Could anybody clarify this?

Palladin

You can mount a fairly wide range of tires on any given rim (for example a 205 thru maybe a 245 on an 8 inch wide rim) but each tire's widest point will still be somewhere on the sidewall between the rim and the tread. So a wider tire is still a wider tire. Its just a question of how you want it to look on the rim. If you go too wide it looks like "balloon-like" and if you go to narrow it looks like it's going to fall off the rim just sitting there. If you look at any given tire on the Tire Rack website it has a specs tab and it give all the recommended rim width ranges for each tire. Obviously always better to be somewhere in the mid-range rather than at the maximum limits. It also shows the overall tire height for each size and the number of rotations per mile, so its pretty easy to determine whether its a good fit versus the OEM fitment. The spec sheets for each tire on the Tire Rack website are a very useful tool.

Mr. Happy

Thanks Palladin. I totally agree with you. I was trying to see if different rims could end up changing the net width but based on your response, the answer is no. So to my point, how can a 255 tire of a certain brand be wider than a 255 tire from another brand? 255 is 255 millimeters.

I'm still puzzled by the fact that some members have observed different widths for 255 tires from different brands.

jjb03

Mr Happy.
You are exactly right, 255 or 275 width in mm should be the same for every brand.
But all i can say from my own experience is that measurement varies greatly from brand to brand.
Like i said, the 275 nexens i tried wer'nt as wide as the stock 255 pirellis.
The 275 yokis i have now are 40mm wider than the nexens.
Wierd i know.

_AMG_

Do you have any rubbing with the yokohamas? Can you post up any pics if possible?

FBTO

Thks for posting!!

These look perfect!! That is my next setup. How do you like the T1R's??

wadgras44

275/35/18 Hankook Ventus v12 look fine. Only slightly beefier looking than OEM sizes. And though they're wider, this particular tire toes not offer as good rim protection as the slimmer OEM pirellis. Will try to post pictures shortly.

AMS Performance

As the tires wear in they will look less "baloon" like. Changing your tire pressures can also change this a bit as well.

This link should help everyone out figure basically how tire sizes change physical dimensions. Its not 100% accurate since some tires run extremely wide compared to others (Z1s are a good example), but it gives you the basic idea:

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

sjhugh

For years I’ve noticed the discrepancies in widths and road surface contact between brands. To me the ballooning effect from oversize tyres on undersized rims screams sidewall distortion when cornering. I don’t see any advantage in pushing the limits of fitments for a dubious increase in straight line grip at the expense of the handling properties unless the setup is for drag racing only purposes. I feel it’s more important to have maximum road surface contact with correct fitment and not because you are trying to achieve a fatter look. Correct tyre pressure also plays a big part in this.

285 rear & 245 front - Yokohama Advan Sport.

I use 303 Products Aerospace Protectant to retain the sidewalls new black look.

You can see where the tyre makes contact with the road surface by the line where the 303 has worn off. No stretching or ballooning of the tyre here.

Do any other members have photos that show how other brands of tyre and/or irregular fitments compare for surface contact?





.

C63newdude

I am rolling on Nitto 555 Extreme 275/35/18 and I have absolutely zero issues with rubbing. I appreciate the extra 100 rpm drop in 7th gear at cruising speeds.

The oem Pirellis only lasted 5600 miles and I hardly do burn outs. I will never ever put pirellis even if they were given to me as a present, they are a total POS that don't last.

Next time around I am going 285, YES, YOU HEARD RIGHT!!! I can care less if the tire looks"like a balloom", I am taking care of a issue that 40 AMG engineeers couldn't fix(properly fitting this monster car with a decent set of shoes).

From my own experience, I recommend what I am rolling with (Nitto 555 Extreme 275/35/18), threadwear is 300 and by the way, these tires hook 100 times better than the stock Pirellis.

Exacc

The answer to that is because each tire is shaped differently. 255 is 255, but it does not guarantee that they both have the same contact patch on the ground. I just replaced my Michelin Pilot Sports 1 to Michelin Pilot Sports 2 on my E46 M3. I replaced it with same size, both are 255 at the rear, however if you compare them side by side, the MPS2 clearly have a wider tread width than the MPS1 almost 1 cm! Same brand and even same line, and the tread width is already different!

This is also why if you check Tire Rack specs closely, they differentiate between Section width and Tread Width. Section is probably where they get the 255 rating, and the Tread width is where people say that a certain brand runs wider than the other.

blindfold

found out your wheel width, do you think 19s in the same size wheels and offset will clear without shaving 5mm from the base plate? I assume 5mm shaved off means its +46 for offset or does it not work that way? 19 inch wheels with a 285 would be perfect for my scenario however I am still searching the spot on offset for different styles of wheels to clear without fender or wheel modification work. Thanks.

maximooz

I just put on a fresh set of DWs -- 245/40 F and 275/35 R -- and immediately I thought the car was a little higher. You wouldn't think 1 cm would appear that different so maybe my eyes are just playing tricks with me It's definitely more bulbous looking on the stock wheel widths esp. with the amount of tread. AMS Performance is right in that it should look less so as the tire wears down. Going to a tire with more aggressive pattern and less tread (RE-11 or ADVAN AD08) will make a difference too.

As soon as I get them cleaned up, I'll snap a photo and use a measuring tape to gauge height from ground to fender line or something.

drawde

Bumping another old thread here, but does anyone happen to have pics with Continental DW 275/35/18 rears?

I'm running 265/35/18 right now and wanted to go PSS in the rear but I'm thinking that I'll order another set of these DW's in 275/35/18 and when these go my fronts should be just about ready to go too and I'll just get PSS all around.

sighting

I have, let me get some for you in the am. the best gripping tires i have ever had, never mind the fact that i have done 5k on them and it looks like they have 10K left on them, and I drive hmm spirited, to say the least.

https://mbworld.org/forums/5073875-post54.html