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17/18 wheel tires help

Joined
13 March 2009
Messages
34
Location
North Highlands CA 95660
In the market for some new wheels/tires. After the track i realized i needed more traction.
im looking for 17/18 with the widest possible rears on stock suspension without rubbing.
spent the last 3hours searching couldn't find much sorry in advance i know this question been blownup.
 
First off, what is your current setup, and what tires are you running now? Also did you regulate your tire pressures when going out in the sessions?

Taking a wide guess though and if you're driving on the street Advan ad08r and Dunlop Direzza ZIIs "I think the star spec may be out now from what I was reading", are probably your best bet to keep a 215/40/17 front and 265/35/18 rear or such. If you want a 235 front it opens you up to some sticky rubber but without drawbacks and modifications.

Keep this in mind as well a wider tire does not always translate into more grip since that depends on contact patch.

I'm sure a few others will chime in and people that can explain it better.
 
Currently on my stock wheels 245/40 rear. In a turbo'd nsx pushing 4lbs on daily and 8.5 on track and my tires just spin like crazy when i hit boost. Which is why i need wider tires
WRONG. The big factor in traction is the tire make and model's performance capabilities, NOT its width. A stickier make and model tire will give you far more grip than a less sticky tire in a wider size.

It's also not clear whether you are looking for tires for street use (as well as the track), or ONLY for the racetrack.

If you plan to use these tires on the street as well as the track, then follow SDuff's excellent advice, and get the Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec or the Yokohama Advan Neova AD08R, both in 215/40-17 and 265/35-18. They'll almost certainly give you way better traction than whatever you're using now (which you still haven't mentioned). This is the best, stickiest setup for street use.

If this is only for the racetrack and you have a lot of racetrack experience, then you might consider getting R compound track tires. Or, if this is for dragstrip use, drag radials.
 
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He needs both a bigger size and possibly a more aggressive compound.
This man is telling the truth. Also keep in mind some tires you want won't be available if specific width etc. So don't set your target on specific width only. It may be impossible to implement nor it may be needed. 265 with ad08r and you should have no problems hooking it up.
 
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I'm super confused by this post.
He says he's looking for 17/18 tires, but he's on the OEM tires of 245/40/17?
What good is a 18" tire going to be on a 17" wheel?

If you want to keep the OEM TCS happy, stick with a 255/35/18 or 265/35/18 tire for the rear (matched to a 215/40/17 front). Get the stickiest compound possible.
 
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I'm super confused by this post.
He says he's looking for 17/18 tires, but he's on the OEM tires of 245/40/17?
What good is a 18" tire going to be on a 17" wheel?
I thought he was pretty clear, if you make one assumption. As noted in post #1 , he is SHOPPING FOR a set of 17"/18" wheels, and wants to know what tires to get for them. In post #3 , he mentions that he is CURRENTLY USING stock wheels with 245/40 tires, and so I made the assumption that he means 245/40-17 rears and is currently using 16"/17" wheels.
 
Yes sorry to confuse everyone but nsxtacy is exactly on point. Im shopping for 17/18 with width in mind. And thanks for the valuble info on your first post nsxtacy. The car is pretty much going to be street with the ocasional weekend warrior.
 
I am in the same predicament as the OP. The NSX I just bought has 17/18 BBS LM wheels and I am disappointed with the availability in 215/40/17 front tires. The rear 265/35/18 is no problem. Am I better off buying a set of the Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec all the way around? Or run the Dunlop in the front and Michelin Super Sports in the back? Or increase the front tire to a 215/45/17 and be able to run the Michelin SS's all the way around?

Any help is greatly appreciated....the tires on the car now are showing signs of dry rot so I really dont want to push the car on them till they are removed.

EDIT: Nevermind, after reading the posts in the new Bridgestone thread I got enough information to answer all my questions. Thanks guys!
 
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215/45-17s will rub more than 235/40-17s (which is a common front tire size). DO NOT mix/match tires with different brands front and rear. Just go with the Dunlops or a different tire with a 235/40-17 and 265 (or 275)/35-18.

The only way you are going to get SuperSports is to go with an 18/18 or 18/19 setup and aftermarket wide front fenders.
 
I am in the same predicament as the OP. The NSX I just bought has 17/18 BBS LM wheels and I am disappointed with the availability in 215/40/17 front tires. The rear 265/35/18 is no problem. Am I better off buying a set of the Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec all the way around? Or run the Dunlop in the front and Michelin Super Sports in the back? Or increase the front tire to a 215/45/17 and be able to run the Michelin SS's all the way around?
Your best bet is to buy four of the Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec, or the Yokohama Advan Neova AD08R, in 215/40-17 and 265/35-18.
 
Your best bet is to buy four of the Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec, or the Yokohama Advan Neova AD08R, in 215/40-17 and 265/35-18.

I went with the Yokohama Advan Neova AD08R due to the reduced road noise. They are on order! Thanks for your help
 
The only way you are going to get SuperSports is to go with an 18/18 or 18/19 setup and aftermarket wide front fenders.

Not entirely true, I run them on 17/18 but they will not play well with the TCS and may require some modification to the front fender liners. I do not rub but like I said, it may require some creativity.
 
you can run a 275 in the back, but what do you plan to run up front? a larger front-rear stagger will have an impact on the handling dynamics.

do you want the 275 for more grip, "better looking" profile, or...?
 
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