AP1zero

I was reading a post about some fellows talking about putting 225/50/16 all around on stock ap1 wheels but I lost the post and can't find it. The last entry was in 2010 anyways... From what I gathered they were saying that a 225/50/16 tire would fit on the front 6.5" wheels, I know you still couldn't rotate the tires (unless you actually took them off the wheels and rotated just the tires.) But i noticed the tires i'm getting come cheaper in 225/50/15 than 205/55/16 so I was thinking about getting more tire patch and less price. Anyone done this, or have any experience or advice? Thanks!

Manga_Spawn

Enh its going to bubble quite a bit on the narrower wheel. I think some have run 4 rear wheels with the help of a spacer in front. Personally I would be looking into PEM AP2's or some high offset aftermarket wheels like PF01's or TSW's as you will get much more benefit from that upgrade than cramming a wider tire on such a narrow wheel. Also with the 17's there is much better choices for performance tires than with the 16's.

mister x

Poor fit will equal poor performance, bulged or stretched.

AP1zero

the minimum rim width for the tires i was looking at was 6" so i figured it wouldn't be too bad. And I can't afford all that bigger wheel stuff at the moment manga that's why i'm looking at these 225's over the 205's cause they're cheaper. I have two sets of wheels so I guess i'll try it and if it sucks ill put the other wheels back on

Manga_Spawn

If you have 2 sets of wheels sell one or both and acquire new better sized wheels. But anyways how much of a savings are we talking? My guess is not much and I would just go with the normal sizes.

ZDan

225/50-16 will fit. Ideal? Maybe not, but not that big a deal. As for performance, the fast stock class autoXers run 245/45s on those wheels. It's not like you'll lose front grip with 225s instead of 205s. Might lose some responsiveness and feel, though.

Conedodger

I ran 245 Hoosiers for years on AP1 wheels for autocross. They bulged a lot in the front and required a big front sway bar to balance out the square set up. I only ran them for autocross.

AP1zero

this is some good info gentlemen, thanks. And yeah manga it's only like a 20 dollar savings or so, but 20 dollars is a few lunches!

ZDan

2x sixpacks of good beer...

Magner

From an autocross/high performance point of view,

A side of caution, comparing a 245 Hoosier A6 with a 225 street is apple to oranges. The DOT R-comp Hoosier are known for having extremely stiff sidewalls that allow you to "over-tire" on narrow rim widths. For example, B stock CR's run 275 on the stock 17x7 fronts, some D-stock ITR run 275/35/15 on stock 15x6.5 wheels. I would not agree that a 245 wide street tire would work well in any situation.

The same simply just does not translate to street tires with a relatively softer sidewall construction. Also keep in mind the variability between tire makes and model within the same size. For instances I have seen 225/50/15 Dunlop ZII square work well on an AP1 setup for B-stock. The ZII has a noticeably stiffer sidewall then the previous Z1 Star Spec or other like BFG Rivals or Hankook RS3. The sifter sidewall also allows you to run lower tire pressures without the edges rolling off.

I'm personally debating the following Dunlop ZII tire choices for my AP1 next year.

225/45/16 Square (better auto-x gearing, slightly wider than the 50/16, worst highway gearing)
22/50/16 Square (factory tire height, worst gearing for auto-x)
205/55/16 225/50/16 (OEM sizes, better rim vs front width ratio in front, taller sidewalls, least contact patch, worst auto-x gearing)