bruecksteve

There is another post (today) where I just got finished discussing 315's on the front.

It's not a big deal, I have no problems turning or anything else.

Originally Posted by Red_94Formula
With my 275's I can out handle anything.

I don't think so. and you shouldn't either.

bruecksteve

A. I agree
B. Wrong, I have no problem turning
C. Granted, a HEAVIER wheel and tire can slow your acceleration some, but the trade off in handling AND braking is MORE than worth it.
D. I use Sumitomo's at $119 each from TireRack. It has to be one of the best street tires (in terms of grip and handling) that I've ever used. Keep in mind I am use to Kumho V710's and Hoosier A3S03's and these Sumitomo's are in a whole class above the majority of the street tires out there. Using my G-Tech Pro, I recorded a peak of 1.02 g's on an interstate sweeper on these tires. I don't know many street tires (not including the DOT sticky tires like the 710's) that can do that. How long will they last?? Don't know yet. But what I do know is that I can buy two sets for the price of one of the next higher priced tires in that size.

Xride

B. you will NOT be able to go full lock, and if you didnt notice the turning radius of a fbody is that of a full size truck as it is, so in parking lots and the like I can see some hassel being present.

C. a wider wheel has more drag, more drag = slower. and you do NOT get better braking with a heavier wheel. it just doesnt work that way.

bruecksteve

I get better braking because I have C5 brakes and 315 tires. Yes, more rubber will provide better traction.

I go full lock and it doesn't rub.

n2oblkz

I agree with bruecksteve as far as the Sumitomo's go. I have Sumitomo HTRZ 275/50/17's in the front and 315/35/17's in the back. For a tire that are as reasonably priced as they are, I think that they are a great!

Xride

so C5 brakes gave you better stopping,
what your saying is like a K&N air filter gave you lots of noticable power...... but you did install that supercharger too.....

chuck

315 up front

Another angle

3 F-bods with 315's

As stated above, I would not daily drive with them, but they are a lot of fun.

bruecksteve

You just don't get it do you.

A 315 tire will allow me to stop faster than the 275 tire I use to have. Yes, the C5 brakes help too. And no one said a thing about a heavier wheel being better. the lighter the rotational mass, the better. But the combination of a wider wheel and wider tire gives me a better footprint that will allow me to stop quicker.
Do you understand that?

Xride

tire width has nothing to do with it, tire compound has EVERYTHING to do with it.

bruecksteve

Let me give you an example.

I race against a very good driver here. He runs 275 Kumho V710's on 9" wheels. He also has about 50-60 more hp than I do and he is a better driver.

I run 315 Kumho V710's on 11" wheels. Same compounds, different sizes. We have the same suspensions. We run almost even.

I put his wheels and tires on.... what happens??? I slow down. I lost traction and grip.

Why do you think?? Another question? If width doesn't matter, why do they add monster tires on Vipers and Corvettes, and all the other really fast cars, looks??

Xride

I should have worded different, tire compound in relation to traction.

a 275 R compound tire will rock your 315's, but your 315s will destroy a 335 walmart special.

if you have x dollars for tires a better 275 is better then a lesser 315.


My buddies z28 is hard to keep up to in the corners and hes on stock suspention and running salad shooters, but he runs an r compound tire to my firehawks on my SS with the slp suspension.....

bruecksteve

Well duh!

You keep throwing more and more variables into your argument. I'm trying to compare apples to apples and the example I gave was about as close as you can get to it. The increase in tread width, all else being equal, gives you better traction, for cornering, accelerating, and braking. There is a trade-off for the additional rotating mass and unsprung weight. But to me, the performance increase in cornering and braking is worth the slight loss in acceleration.

Not many people run R compound tires on the street (ok, I have sometimes) but not for an everyday street tire. I race on R compounds and I know how they feel and know the level of grip they provide. The Sumitomo's provide a VERY high level (guessing 80-90% of the V170's I use) with a very inexpensive price compared to other 315's with less grip.

Mullet Z28

Damn, you Canadian's are really hard headed aren't you?

Like I said, I already have four 17x11s, so in my case, wheel weight is irrelevant, since I'm trying to narrow down TIRE size not WHEEL size. That being the case, I'm getting Sumitomos for sure, the question is whether to get 275s in the front or 315s. Even you should understand that given these are the exact same tire AND compound, just different sizes, the 315s WILL give more grip. As for weight, the 315s only weigh 1.4 pound more, so your argument is bunk.

That said, grippier tires will always give better braking by increasing the threshold of lockup. What good are monster brakes if your tires lockup because they can't provide enough grip?

Width has nothing to do with it, eh? Maybe you should tell that to all the drag racers who tub their cars.