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Just came back from a test ride with the newly installed 16x7 and 8 inch Maxilite wheels and the 205/55-16, 225/50-16 BFG comp-2 all season tires. I'm not a professional road tester like the guys from Car & Driver magazine, but I do know which end of a screwdriver to hold. Keep in mind I'm coming from 215/60-15 Grand Touring tires.
Being I no longer work as a mechanic anymore I no longer have access to a tire changer and balancer. Not to fear a pair of $12 tire irons from Harbor freight got those puppies on.
After waiting 24 hours of inflating the tires to 32 psi I staticly balance them with a Harbor freight wheel balancer. I paid $64 for it with the 20% discount coupon. I did have some doubts about this balancer through. One front took 1/4 oz and the other 1/2 oz. Both rear needed 1 1/4oz.
After balancing the tires I installed them, painted the center caps. After the center caps dryed, I installed them and off I went.
Going into this I knew I was going to have to give up ride quality. Not so! Right a way I notice that the ride was much better. I was very surprised by this. Now you probably want to know how HF balance work out? Well unlike my friend who does a 100 on the NJ turnpike, I have a clean class A CDL license and I want to keep it that way so 80 is as fast as I'll go. Anyhow no shimmy, no vibrations, no nothing, no bulls**t.
Now let's get to the heart of the matter of the story, the grip! The grip was always my gripe with this car. Especially the rear grip. Well this sucker now grips!! And the car is closer to a neutral balance. My skid path:
Remember I've swapped out the front 20mm sway bar for a 24mm bar and added a 16mm rear sway bar a few months ago. I'm very pleased with the changes I have done and my choice wheels and tires. And the car looks better too. I love the way the rear tire comes closer to the quarter panel. I'm already thinking about replacing the Sachs Supertouring shocks/struts with something better. The BFG comp-2 a/s is a good tire. The only downside is with the windows up and the radio off there is a very slight amount of road noise compared to the Grand Touring tires. I would not be put off by this at all. If you have 15 inch wheels I would definitely recommend going to a 16 inch wheel and a performance type of tire. Marc.
...If you have 15 inch wheels I would definitely recommend going to a 16 inch wheel and a performance type of tire...
Thanks for the write-up. Curious though why you would recommend going from 15 to 16in wheels, you didn't say why?
I have BFGoodrich Rival S tires in 225/45-15 on 15/7 and 245/40 on 15/8 Fuchs wheels, and am extremely happy with the set-up. What would 16in wheels bring to the table apart from more unsprung weight and added cost?
Nice explanation. And your car looks great!! I am partial to the turbo but that is one good looking ride, fantastic color.
Thank you for your complement.
Originally Posted by MAGK944
Thanks for the write-up. Curious though why you would recommend going from 15 to 16in wheels, you didn't say why?
I have BFGoodrich Rival S tires in 225/45-15 on 15/7 and 245/40 on 15/8 Fuchs wheels, and am extremely happy with the set-up. What would 16in wheels bring to the table apart from more unsprung weight and added cost?
Mike, by going to a 16 inch wheel allowed me to choose a performance tire that still maintain 2200 RPM's at 60 MPH and kept speedometer accuracy. Also I like the way a stock tire diameter fills the wheel well opening. But even if I was going to your recommended tires sizes, I would still need to buy wider Wheels and that would still cost and add unsprung weight. Not to mention tires in those sizes ain't cheap ether. IMO this was the best route for me to take in order to get some performance type of tire on my car.
Are the BFG g-Force Comp 2s available in your sizes? I would definitely recommend those over the A/S tires. They might wear a little quicker, but the grip is better across the board.
You've selected a good package for these cars. A nice balance between cost, ride, performance and looks.
The larger anti-roll bars are a good modification too. You mention the rear dampers. You will probably enjoy either Koni or Bilstein as replacements for the Sachs.
Are the BFG g-Force Comp 2s available in your sizes? I would definitely recommend those over the A/S tires. They might wear a little quicker, but the grip is better across the board.
You've selected a good package for these cars. A nice balance between cost, ride, performance and looks.
The larger anti-roll bars are a good modification too. You mention the rear dampers. You will probably enjoy either Koni or Bilstein as replacements for the Sachs.
Yes, those tires are available in that tire size and they were my first choice also. It's too bad I'm not a thousand miles closer to the equator. However I'm very happy with the performance of the all seasons. I wasn't thinking about shocks/struts until I drove the car with the new tires. I can definitely afford to put on a firmer shock now being the ride is so much smoother. After I do the shocks/struts that will probably be it for the changes.
06-22-2017, 04:28 PM
My tire Saga is over and the results are in!
