After reading the current tyre thread, I am really confused why our S02's have 225 on the side of them when they are actually 245's?

Whats the reasoning behind this? This must cause loads of problems when drivers changing tyre brands simply read the exisiting measurements from the side of the tyre wall and don't use this site.

 

They're not 245s, but the structure of the tyre means the tread in contact with the ground is the equivalent of a 245 tyre.

 

I'm confused, how does that work..

 

My guess has always been that because they have a tougher sidewall that the tyre doesn't squat and spread out like other tyres, so they made it a bit wider as a result.

Could be way off though.

 

Puzzles me too.

I think that the size of the grooves are smaller on the S02, so therefore there is more rubber actually touching the road than on a normal 225, and it is the same amount of rubber as on a 245.

 

There are other 225 that are even wider than the S02's
Most time i have seen this is when tyre's are OE, ie the Pzero's on some porsche etc

 

Weird... still confused

 

Although the stiffer sidewalls also mean that the edge of the tyre is more of a right angle meaning that there is more rubber on the road.

 

Must say I find all the tyre threads more confusing than they are enlightening ... and it explains why I stuck to the OEM tyres when replacing my rears two months ago.

Are we saying definitively that, unless you go for the OEM SO2s, you always go for 245s in any other (rear) tyre brand? Similarly, do we step up on the fronts from 205s to 225s?

I think the thing that worries me is that simply because AN Other board member has fitted a particular tyre to the car, doesn't mean it's correct.

Shisky

 

Some people prefer the 225's on the rear, and you don't go for the bigger size on the fronts for some reason - I guess because the impact of less rubber on the road is much reduced since there is no power going through them.