Well I went in for tires yesterday since I really need them bad. I didnt want to skimp out on tire quality or performance, but since Im not really tire savy I thought I would ask on here if they gave me the right tire...

I had a 225, 50, 16 on the rear before and they replaced it with a Yokohama YK520 225 50 16. I told them I wanted a 245 50 16 since I read on here that the rear OEM tires were not true 225 and that they were 245s. The dude working the counter told me that it would not fit my car since my car was lowered on esplier springs... Is there anything I need to worry about?

 

Oh yes, you need to worry about oversteer.

The 245s will fit in the back even if you're lowered. Go back and ask for a refund. Take your business somewhere else.

 

You asked for the WRONG size, they did you a service by not getting them. The "preferred" size is 245/45-16. The tires you asked for are nearly an inch taller! Higher ride height, worse gearing, other potential problems.

The resident expert is on the record as saying that if you can't get 245/45-16s in the tire you want, then get 225/50-16s, NOT 245/50-16s.

Discussion of whether its all that important to get 245/45-16s instead of 225/50-16s size currently going on here:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=480670

 

Ok im going back to get some 245 45 16s...

 

Just so you know, that will be a very low-performance tire. Very high mileage, 60k miles! Wear like iron, grip like iron.

What do you have on the front?

Putting lower-grip tires on the back is a WAY more egregious offense than being a size or two narrow!

 

Well, they told me that since they can find my old tires for a refund, that they will order some falken gr beta fk 451 in 245 45 16 for my car, but since its not in there computer that they will take no responsibility for any weird wear patterns...

So, should I keep the ones I have on the car, or should I go with the falkens?

 

That would be a MUCH better choice for grip, as long as you will NOT be using them on snow/ice/very cold conditions (it's not an all-season tire).

What are the front tires?

 

Well right now Im broke, but the fronts are brand new honda oem

 

As in, Bridgestone S02's?
Those are grippy tires, you'll want grippy tires in back as well.

You don't drive this car in the snow, ever, do you?

You can get Hankook Z212 RS2's from www.edgeracing.com, $82 for 225/50-16, $93 for 245/45-16.

These are *probably* your best performance/$$ bet.

I just got a set, but they're not on the car yet.

The Falken FK 451's would probably be OK as well, but the Hankooks would be a better match for OEM S02's up front.

But again, these tires will be absolute SHITE on snow/ice, and not recommended for cold temperatures even.

Here are a few sites to check out tires:
www.tirerack.com
www.edgeracing.com
www.discounttire.com

Basic general rules regarding tires:
High treadwear rating = low grip
Good cold-weather snow/ice performance = poor warm-weather grip
Good warm-weather grip = IMPOSSIBLE snow/ice performance and poor cold-weather performance

 

Well I live near fort hood, and we have been getting all sorts of ****ed up weather, If these falkens are a go, Most likely when I get back from Iraq I will be replacing my rims + tires