CP

Hi,

I wish to replace my rear tires. They are Bridgestone SO3s 285/30/18s. Tire Rack says that tire size is back ordered for months, and I can go with 265/35/18s.

I understnad the car may even drive better with 265 rears. It came from Germany that way.

Question: Should I just go with the 265s. or scour the country for a pair of 285s?

Thanks.

CP

mooty

how wide is your front?

if you do 265, you will have less understeer in another word a more lively and tail happy car.

how old are your fronts? i ask b/c SO3's aren't very good tires. you might consider a new set of S02a or ps2's.

fbfisher

Interesting, I would not have equated "less understeer" with "tail happy"

When I changed tires they mistakenly put 265 instead of 285 and I kept them. When pushing the car hard into corners, I noticed WAY less understeer (push) than with the 285, though I felt no concurrant, or increased tail happiness.

While I liked the way the wider 285 rear tires accentuated the beautiful rear end view of the car, I think the handling characteristics of the 265 rears is better.

mnmblu

Fred are we talking the same tires as you had on the car previously? Apples to apples?

Mark in Baltimore

I think, for a given tire combo, certain corners can minimize or accentuate either understeer or oversteer. Tight corners where you're on the throttle might induce some push or understeer, while the same tire combo might seem loose or oversteery in higher speed corners where you're trying to get on the throttle as soon as possible to maximize speed at the beginning of a straight. Going to a larger tire in the rear may increase that low speed front end wash out, yet minimize the higher speed tail happiness.

fbfisher

Yes, I was describing my experience back in my 18" bling daze.

fbfisher

Mark, you are spot on. What you describe is the exact trade off that I have experienced going down to the 17" cup wheels - or it could be the crappy tires I am running - either way, you make a great point.

mnmblu

Hey Fred, why don't you caravan down with Jan and I to the Huntington Library today for a great car show? Went last year and there were tons of great cars.

We will be leaving in about 1.5 hours.

fbfisher

Alan, lets not hi-jack this thread, but while I'm here, thanks for the invite but I have to pass, working from home today - next two weeks is a bear with day light after that. Have a great time.

Now, back to talking tire sizes and performance characteristics...

mnmblu

...

901aero

I have run 245 x 40 - 18" up front and 285 x 35 - 18" in the rear since I bought my car. It has been lowered with the H&R springs. It's a street car but I push it hard whenever I can. I have rolled the rear wheelwells but the fronts have only touched the inner lip a few times -- however no damage to tire or car. IMHO if you go 285's you should go 245's up front.

CP

My fronts are 225s and almost new. I hope a new set of rears will wear both F/R out at the same time. Then I'll switch all at once.

I'm leaning heavily towards the 265s, probably a little more balance, and a littles less bling/aggressiveness.

CP

901aero

Probably a good idea if your keeping the 225s up front. But you will find you'll wear out the rears much sooner than the fronts. I'm on my second set of rears now. You didn't say what year your car is but if it's a 95 most would recommend you align the rear to the later 96-98 specs. For some reason the 95s seem to wear rear tires faster than the later cars and changing to the later alignment specs is recommended. I went with the RS specs -- it's a little more camber and I haven't seen any unusual wear patterns. Good luck and break her loose every once and a while!!

901aero

TO MNMBLU: I don't find your last post funny. I think it's inappropriate.

98993c2s

I went from 285s to 265s (S03s to Dunlop SSRs since the SSR doesn't come in 285.) Apples to Apples (S03 to S03) I doubt it would be obvious; Only the most experienced track drivers would be able to perceive the difference. Moving from S03 to SSR, the difference in the grip of the tire compound more than outweighs the difference in the width. And the difference was noticed by my wallet as well. I can put two sets of SSRs on for every set of S03 and will always have a stickier tire than the S03 ever can hope to be.