So, I know there are plenty of dicussions out there about this, but I dont know those people so i dont trust them lol.

So, I got some used Volk CE28N wheels about a week ago. They are just now starting to show up in the mail. I was planning on waiting awhile, but I started chatting with the guy, sorta lowballed him, and he said ok... so i have another set of wheels now. They are 17X9 and 17X7.5 (same size os OEM if i remember right). Also, they have large offsets so they should fit fine without any rubbing. I also already have the tires picked out that i will be buying (Sumi HTRIII max performance tires). They seem to be some of the best 'bang for your buck' tires out there from looking at both the customer reviews and tirerack review.

So, my question, should i stick with the OEM size of 245 in the rear, or step up to 255? (i know its sorta common for people to go to 255) My question is, does going to 255 actually make a noticable difference in the handling of the car? (wider=more surface area=more traction) or is it just for looks of having a little wider tire? The 255 would be a few bucks more, and I would be taking a very slight risk that maybe the wider tires might rub or something, so just trying to decide if its worth that slight risk.

 

Depends on what your want out of your tires. The 245's are probably more ideal for daily driving. The 255's will give you a little more grip to the road and better handling on dry surfaces, but is going to affect your gas mileage a bit as well. The 255's will also have a more aggressive look. But you have to remember that the difference between just the tires won't make as much of a difference as if you were to actually increase wheel and tire size to say a 9.5" wide wheel. Just my $.02...

 

If I am not mistaken you are actually gaining .5" in front and rear aa stock are 17x7 and 17x8.5. I would say go 255 get that agressive look. I have the ce28s on my car and have 255 and with a drop don't rub and my fenders aren't rolled.

 

Well, and thats what I am wondering about, is if anyone can say for certain that they feel their performance/traction improved by going to the 255. If yes then it may be worth the slight risk of having some rubbing that i would then have to correct.

I will still have my OEM wheels with all-seasons on them so if I really feel I need a little better mpg then I can always throw them on for awhile.

 

well, there "should" be a difference. i had about 6 set of tires on my car and im about to need some new ones. the problem is that everyone will tell you that there is a difference. but the thing is, if you get a 255 HTRIII, i am will to bet a 245 star spec will out grip it. i was going to tell you the time i bought ap2 v3 rims and tires. the tires were 235/40/17 rs-2. they were pretty skinny tires. b/c they were so skinny, they didnt stand a chance with my driving and they were slipping all over the place. when they were done, i got 255/40/17 khumo xs. and holy crap!!! there was a world of performance difference. so much damn grip.

the difference between the same tire i would suspect it not to be that different. but if you look under the tire thread. the stock 245 had a tread section width of 9 inches and the 255 HTRIII has a tread section width of 9.1, the 245 HTRIII is 8.3. i personally would go 255 because i dont like the skinny tire look.

also, stock rim sizes are 17x7.5 and 17X8.5

 

aight, thanks all. Yup, I will probably go with 255 then. Especially with Bobby's experience of not having to roll any fenders lol.

 

well looks like mixed here on the factory wheel sizes. Looks like 17x7 and 17x8.5 per originalwheels.com

 

well i could be wrong then

 

no ooops, yeah bobby you are right. did a quick search and yup 7 and 8.5

 

yeah but those star specs are also in the 'extreme performance rating' where the Sumis are in the 'max performance rating'. And yes I have heard lots of nice things about those star specs.... maybe someday. As far as tirerack testing it seemed the the Sumis had one of the best testing results for max performance, they also are one of the cheapest in max performance, and according to some of tirerack customer reviews (from S2000 owners) they seem to last longer than many other tires.

Oh and I double checked. You are correct stock 2008 OEM wheels are 7.5" and 8.5". I was wrong.