Already planning on what to get when I replace the stock Firestones.

I'm wondering what the widest rubber we can fit on the stock rims safely. It seems like a 6" wide rim can safely accept up to 205 mm tires safely.

the resulting increase in bulge requires a decrease in sidewall height, so it seems like a 205/50-16 would be an ideal replacement tire for someone looking to maximize dry grip on stock rims with only a 0.3% deviation from stock diameter.



Thoughts? Input?

Thanks!

 

Correct 205/50/16 would be the widest i'd go on stock wheels. If you do get that size, try to go with a tire with a stiffer sidewall, it's not a square setup and you'll need the extra stiffness to keep the sidewalls from rolling.

Some people are fine with it and some people have complained about it, I guess it just depends on what kind of driving you're doing. You can pump the air pressure up to combat the roll but at the expense of comfort. Find what works best for you.

 

Id recommend getting the stock size to avoid issues of uneven wear and speedometer discrepancies.

 

Did you read the first post? The difference in tire diameter is 0.3%. That means at 60MPH the speedo will read 60.2MPH, an imperceptible difference to the human eye on an analog gauge with 5mph indices.

The issues with running a wider than stock tire on a rim are contact with suspension components, interior fender panels, popping off of the bead (more likely with narrower-than-stock tires rather than wider-than-stock) and some tire face geometry issues associated with sidewalls being at a different angle.

The wider tire will cause a slight increase in fuel consumption due to friction and air resistance, but the upside is an increase in contact patch, producing more grip. More grip means better cornering, braking and accident avoidance, (except potentially in the snow).

 

I've been running 205's since the oem tires wore out. No problems with wear or rubbing. I do run at 35psi to stiffen the sidewalls. 1st set at 205 were Yokohamas, now on Continental DW's.

 

Wonderful. Have you found the increase in grip is noticeable? I'm hoping this will take the fit from "meh" in-class braking to among the best. Looking at tire sizes the Fit is fitted with some of the smallest stock rubber in the subcompact class.

 

Going to summer spec tires helped the grip a lot ( softer compound) The wider tread has helped with better stability and improved steering feel. The tread design with the Conti's does like to "tramline" on grooved pavement. And they really don't like steel grid drawbridge decks.

 

i had the 205/50 r16 in the Bridgestone Adrenalin re002 and that was pretty good, even wear after about 40,000km. i guess i wasnt really racing the car so it did pretty good mileage.