Looking for feedback on different tire/wheel size.

[jtlctr]

I will be needing to replace my OEM tires soon and I'm debating on a few different options. Ideally, I would like to soften the ride a little, as my local roads aren't great and I've run over some patches on the road that made me cringe badly (a few times I thought for sure there would be a bent wheel, but so far so good). That said, I'm also concerned about degrading the sharp steering response. I know there will be a trade off with upsizing the tire profile, but hopefully it's not too noticeable. So, here are the choices I'm wrestling with:

1) $-cost of 4 tires. Keep the stock wheels and get a set of 265/35/19s. This will increase the tire diameter by nearly 1" or 4.13%, add a little weight, but have more cushion. If anyone who has gone this route could weigh in on how the handling was affected and, with the larger diameter effectively reducing the final drive ratio, if acceleration has been effected one way or the other.

2) $$-tires plus about $1600 for wheels. Buy a set of Apex EC-7 or ARC-8 wheels in 18X9.5 with 265/35/18 tires to retain the stock diameter.

3) $$$- tires plus a minimum of around $3K in wheels. Buy a set of Mita or Regamaster 18X10 wheels with 265/35/18 tires which would be a little more stretched over the 10" wheel (which hopefully lessens sidewall flex).

I'd really love a set of Regamasters, but my bank account prefers the stock wheels. lol. Ultimately, I'm far more interested in how the car drives than how it looks. This car is my summer daily and is only driven on the street (shameful, I know).

If anyone would like to share their experience on any of these combos, I'd greatly appreciate it!

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[HorizonsEdge]

On the stock wheels I put conti extreme contact 2s; 265/35/19. No rubbing. Quieter. Better ride quality. No impact in daily driving performance.

I have a winter set which is enkei TS7 18x9.5+45 with dws06+ 265/40/18. No rubbing. also quiet. Better ride quality than the summer set. works in mild winters well. still performs quite well.

Had the car less than a year but I have an inkling of just staying on the performance all-seasons permanently for daily driving. Just swapped to my summer setup so I will have more data to make the decision.

 

[dwag88]

I have 255/35-19 on 45 offset Titan7 wheels. I do get a smidge of torque steer, but I think that’s more from the offset change than the larger sidewall. When I replace them I will go for 265/35 or 275/30. The speedometer is off by a little bit, but no noticeable changes in acceleration. I like the larger tire size on 19’s. It helps fill the wheel gaps a bit without having to get lowering springs.

 

[jtlctr]

On the stock wheels I put conti extreme contact 2s; 265/35/19. No rubbing. Quieter. Better ride quality. No impact in daily driving performance.

I have a winter set which is enkei TS7 18x9.5+45 with dws06+ 265/40/18. No rubbing. also quiet. Better ride quality than the summer set. works in mild winters well. still performs quite well.

Had the car less than a year but I have an inkling of just staying on the performance all-seasons permanently for daily driving. Just swapped to my summer setup so I will have more data to make the decision.

The Continental EC2 is the tire I will most likely choose as I put the car away during the winter.

I have 255/35-19 on 45 offset Titan7 wheels. I do get a smidge of torque steer, but I think that’s more from the offset change than the larger sidewall. When I replace them I will go for 265/35 or 275/30. The speedometer is off by a little bit, but no noticeable changes in acceleration. I like the larger tire size on 19’s. It helps fill the wheel gaps a bit without having to get lowering springs.

If I do get wheels, I’m debating on a 45 offset vs closer to stock. I’d rather stay closer to stock offset since the car is tuned and I wonder if the torque steer will be worse with the extra power combined with a lower offset.

 

[Xmetal]

If going away from OE tires, I would personally go 275/30/19 to get a bit more contact bite as it's difficult enough to put the power down as is on the 265s. The 275s will net you a bit of sidewall. If going aftermarket wheels on 10" wide, I would even attempt to stuff 285/30/19! 18s don't look quite right (in my eyes) on this car. Since I'm a cheapskate, I'll be sticking with the OE PS4S.

 

[zumbooruk]

I am also pondering my next set of tires.

I am looking at 275/35R19 on OEM wheels.

more sidewall, slightly wider tires, slightly taller (lower effective final drive ratio, taller gearing, slower acceleration, lower RPM at any given speed, better fuel economy? I wish.)

though on second thought, I might try 265/35R19 before trying the wider tire?

Was thinking about Continental DWS 6+ due to price and longer warranty (which further lowers cost per mile)

But now after the Cobb Redline intake and AccessPort with custom tune, I need all the grip I can get...

I can easily break traction on the OEM tires in second gear.

so now I have shifted my attention to the Continental EC 2 as my top choice.

 

[jtlctr]

If going away from OE tires, I would personally go 275/30/19 to get a bit more contact bite as it's difficult enough to put the power down as is on the 265s. The 275s will net you a bit of sidewall. If going aftermarket wheels on 10" wide, I would even attempt to stuff 285/30/19! 18s don't look quite right (in my eyes) on this car. Since I'm a cheapskate, I'll be sticking with the OE PS4S.

I might consider a 275/30/19 for a little extra traction.
I agree that most 18s don’t look as good as 19s. I’m a cheapskate too, so the idea of dropping $3k on wheels does not appeal to me

I am also pondering my next set of tires.

I am looking at 275/35R19 on OEM wheels.

more sidewall, slightly wider tires, slightly taller (lower effective final drive ratio, taller gearing, slower acceleration, lower RPM at any given speed, better fuel economy? I wish.)

though on second thought, I might try 265/35R19 before trying the wider tire?

Was thinking about Continental DWS 6+ due to price and longer warranty (which further lowers cost per mile)

But now after the Cobb Redline intake and AccessPort with custom tune, I need all the grip I can get...

I can easily break traction on the OEM tires in second gear.

so now I have shifted my attention to the Continental EC 2 as my top choice.

Yes, the 1st and 2nd gear traction issue is prevalent after a tune! I actually had to flash back to stock the other day for inspection and I find it’s nice to be able to use full throttle and wind out gears 1 and 2 without breaking traction! I’m thinking of asking my tuner to dial it back to stock in 1st and 2nd as it just feels better

 

[zumbooruk]

Yes, the 1st and 2nd gear traction issue is prevalent after a tune! I actually had to flash back to stock the other day for inspection and I find it’s nice to be able to use full throttle and wind out gears 1 and 2 without breaking traction! I’m thinking of asking my tuner to dial it back to stock in 1st and 2nd as it just feels better

I am running a preliminary tune (i.e. the first map received). I did ask for limiting torque in 1st. But I did not realize that 2nd might also be an issue after the tune... for the next map I will ask for a bit less torque in 2nd, but a bit more in 1st as it was neutered a bit too much...

but that's the beauty of an unlimited custom tune, I can get it dialed in exactly as I like it, not even knowing what I might or might not like.

 

[zumbooruk]

I might consider a 275/30/19 for a little extra traction.

I believe that wider tires have the same contact patch size (square inches) as narrow tires. contact patch size depends on air pressure and the weight (mass) of the car.

the shape of the contact patch will be different, and wider tires will have better lateral grip in turns, but less grip straight line. narrow tires better for snow penetration.

also the tire size will affect the suspension geometry and torque steering

which is why I am now considering 265/35R19 instead of my initial 275/35R19 (on OEM wheels)

and if I find that the larger tire will have negative impact on the suspension, I will consider 18" wheels with 35 profile tires to keep over all diameter the same. or go back to 30 profile as Honda intended.


let me double check my recollection...

found this:

Contact Patch Size and Shape
The contact patch area remains approximately the same for narrow and wide tires under identical vehicle load per tire and inflation pressure, because area equals vertical load divided by pressure. The shape differs: narrow tires produce a longer and narrower patch, while wide tires produce a shorter and wider one.

Grip in Turns (Lateral)
Wide tires deliver superior lateral grip. The broader patch distributes shear forces across more tread elements laterally, raising cornering stiffness and peak cornering force.

Grip in Straight-Line Acceleration (Longitudinal)
Narrow tires hold a marginal edge in longitudinal grip. The elongated patch builds and sustains forward or rearward shear more effectively before sliding begins.

 

[jtlctr]

I believe that wider tires have the same contact patch size (square inches) as narrow tires. contact patch size depends on air pressure and the weight (mass) of the car.

the shape of the contact patch will be different, and wider tires will have better lateral grip in turns, but less grip straight line. narrow tires better for snow penetration.

also the tire size will affect the suspension geometry and torque steering

which is why I am now considering 265/35R19 instead of my initial 275/35R19 (on OEM wheels)

and if I find that the larger tire will have negative impact on the suspension, I will consider 18" wheels with 35 profile tires to keep over all diameter the same. or go back to 30 profile as Honda intended.


let me double check my recollection...

found this:

Contact Patch Size and Shape
The contact patch area remains approximately the same for narrow and wide tires under identical vehicle load per tire and inflation pressure, because area equals vertical load divided by pressure. The shape differs: narrow tires produce a longer and narrower patch, while wide tires produce a shorter and wider one.

Grip in Turns (Lateral)
Wide tires deliver superior lateral grip. The broader patch distributes shear forces across more tread elements laterally, raising cornering stiffness and peak cornering force.

Grip in Straight-Line Acceleration (Longitudinal)
Narrow tires hold a marginal edge in longitudinal grip. The elongated patch builds and sustains forward or rearward shear more effectively before sliding begins.

Well, blow me down! I never knew this, I always assumed wider tires had a bigger contact patch. Thanks for the education! Now that I’ve been reading into this a bit, it makes sense. Considering this, I’m wondering if a 255/35/19 might be a contender as I don’t track the car and I doubt I’d notice the loss in lateral grip. This would be a little shorter than a 265/35 and might cut down on road noise slightly.

 

[jtlctr]

I have 255/35-19 on 45 offset Titan7 wheels. I do get a smidge of torque steer, but I think that’s more from the offset change than the larger sidewall. When I replace them I will go for 265/35 or 275/30. The speedometer is off by a little bit, but no noticeable changes in acceleration. I like the larger tire size on 19’s. It helps fill the wheel gaps a bit without having to get lowering springs.

I forgot to ask, do you notice any reduction in traction with the 255s, either when cornering or during acceleration? Also, how is the steering response with this size compared to stock?

 

[Evox787]

I went on the OEM tire size with same spec just less offset instead of +60 went +50 and continental DWS, still waiting on one of the link kits to arrive and figured out a way to loose the nut to see how they look on the ground. But here a picture on the car.

 

[jtlctr]

I went on the OEM tire size with same spec just less offset instead of +60 went +50 and continental DWS, still waiting on one of the link kits to arrive and figured out a way to loose the nut to see how they look on the ground. But here a picture on the car.

What wheels are these?

 

[Evox787]

What wheels are these?

VT forged

 

[dwag88]

I forgot to ask, do you notice any reduction in traction with the 255s, either when cornering or during acceleration? Also, how is the steering response with this size compared to stock?

Hard to say. Since these were left over from my FK8 they are a 2022 date code. The grip is reduced just due to the age of the tires at this point. Turn in is still very sharp. Not a huge difference there.

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