Ruf Wheels
12-29-2001, 03:53 PM
#3
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Hey guys,
Let me try to answer this.
Having several contacts in the tire industry I simply asked a professional. In this case I asked my old sponsor Yokohama & came up w/ this:
Aspect ratio is important.
35 series tire like a 315/35/17 is suited for an 11.0 - 12.0 wheel width. Too much for a 10 inch rim.
40 series tire like a 275/40/17 is best suited for a 9.0 - 11.0 width rim (perfect fit for your 10 inch wheel). The 285/40/17 is also a good pick & best suited for a 9.5 - 11.0 width wheel.
Porsche uses a 285 on their 18 x 10 FWIW.
Now I can only assume your looking for the proper tire size for the rim you have, but MAYBE you just want bragging rights or perhaps a "supercool look" & are not concerned w/ performance. In that case just put the biggest F150 tire you can find. But if performance is a consideration, then go by the above recommendations & forget the "style & profile" thoughts.
Hope that is helpful.
Let me try to answer this.
Having several contacts in the tire industry I simply asked a professional. In this case I asked my old sponsor Yokohama & came up w/ this:
Aspect ratio is important.
35 series tire like a 315/35/17 is suited for an 11.0 - 12.0 wheel width. Too much for a 10 inch rim.
40 series tire like a 275/40/17 is best suited for a 9.0 - 11.0 width rim (perfect fit for your 10 inch wheel). The 285/40/17 is also a good pick & best suited for a 9.5 - 11.0 width wheel.
Porsche uses a 285 on their 18 x 10 FWIW.
Now I can only assume your looking for the proper tire size for the rim you have, but MAYBE you just want bragging rights or perhaps a "supercool look" & are not concerned w/ performance. In that case just put the biggest F150 tire you can find. But if performance is a consideration, then go by the above recommendations & forget the "style & profile" thoughts.
Hope that is helpful.
01-06-2002, 08:57 PM
#5
Go by the tire spec sheets. If a 315 says it wants minimum 11" then don't put it on a 10". You'll hate what it does to your handling.
I had 245s on 7.5", and 275s on a 9" rims and at 220Kph (on the track) I felt like I was driving in a hurricane. One instructor proclaimed it unsafe and wouldn't ride in the car. I then put the exact same tires on 8.5" and 10" and the handling was great! Your sidewalls just can't work at a 30 degree angle to the road. It's all slop!
Also, if the rim is too narrow, the tread will roll away from the road giving you a smaller contact patch than you had with narrower tires. The opposite is also true. If you put narrower tires on a wider rim (still within spec) you'll have more rubber on the road than with a narrower rim. Handling will also improve.
If you look at Porsche factory sizes and then check the tire spec sheets you'll notice they tend toward the widest rim recommended for the tire.
If all your after is the look of big-@#$ rubber on the back of your car, watch out. You can actually hurt yourself. You may think it looks cool, but all those in the know will be laughing at you.
I had 245s on 7.5", and 275s on a 9" rims and at 220Kph (on the track) I felt like I was driving in a hurricane. One instructor proclaimed it unsafe and wouldn't ride in the car. I then put the exact same tires on 8.5" and 10" and the handling was great! Your sidewalls just can't work at a 30 degree angle to the road. It's all slop!
Also, if the rim is too narrow, the tread will roll away from the road giving you a smaller contact patch than you had with narrower tires. The opposite is also true. If you put narrower tires on a wider rim (still within spec) you'll have more rubber on the road than with a narrower rim. Handling will also improve.
If you look at Porsche factory sizes and then check the tire spec sheets you'll notice they tend toward the widest rim recommended for the tire.
If all your after is the look of big-@#$ rubber on the back of your car, watch out. You can actually hurt yourself. You may think it looks cool, but all those in the know will be laughing at you.
