By the Enzo matching, I meant the profile numbers match 40 front 40 rear, but the sidewall appears taller on the rear.
After an ice storm, then a snow storm that turned into a rain storm I got my tires mounted. I dropped the wheels off at the tire place and left them there for a week before I got back to get them. I got them to get the wheels repainted as well. What the heck, it is only money. New Michelin pilot super sports. Stock front, 275/40 rear. During the wait, I replaced the plugs and wires, pulled the brakes apart and fixed the squealing, worked on the parking brake, put in a new battery, cleaned and painted the tray, and did some general cleaning. I am replacing a couple of interior parts and have cleaned and painted them. That is a pain. I put the wheels on tonight and took it for a spin. All I can say is WOW. Now I realize what you guys are saying about how good these cars drive. My old tires had great tread, but were very old and hard as a rock. The new plugs and wires, really improve the idle, and the car pulls nice and strong. No SDL....fingers crossed. After several weeks of ownership and countless nights worried about my purchase, I can finally relax a little. I used to budget about 1K whenever I bought a used car to get it sorted. This one cost me about 2-3 grand (so far) but I have learned a ton and that is priceless. Here are some pics of the tires on the car. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Gorgeous car Earnest. Great work on getting things sorted New tires for me as soon as the salt and snow are gone. Now you make me have to decide on the rear size. ��
I realize you made your decision... But, for those that search and find this thread at some later point, yes, this has come up many times before. We all helped each other figure what the best setup is... Now, to each his own. You decide... But, there is a reason many are running 295/35/18 and will swear by it. Typically, we ran stock first and can tell real world difference. I run this with 15mm spacers (I think it's 15mm) and my mechanic put in some neg camber. She runs like she should be on a track. Now, I don't drive that way. But, she sticks in the rear.... Also, in case you're wondering, the tires fit inside the well. Enjoy your car...looks good.
I have the same experience running 295s rear and 235s front, much improved ability to not break free on the 1st to 2nd shift and much more planted overall. But remember, this is the internet and speculation and pontification count more than actual experience (not referring to emac btw).
Ok I am confused. How does a 295/35 fill out the wheel well more if it is slightly smaller in diameter?
Because its wider overall? The 35 is an aspect ratio so a 35 sidewall on a 295 is taller than one on a 265. However the rolling diameter may be smaller but the tire is wider filling out the well. I had pirelli on my other car the rolling diameter was innacurate from tire rack, I put the 265 40 18 ps2 next to the 285 35 18 pzero and they looked to be almost identical on height (both tires off the ground
Also a 285 Michelin may be wider than a 285 from pirelli . I have seen deviations in the same size tires up to a 1/2 inch from different manufacturers although they were the same size on paper
I'm with you, brother. Factory sizes on the factory rims. If the Challenge cars have larger tyres, then they are what should be on Challenge rims. Never the twain shall meet.
Dead on. I have seen the same real world difference between mfg. I think it has to do with the way the tread shoulder is designed.
The OEM size is tucked in a little more. I am talking about width, not height for the 295's. The 295 being a little wider fills out the wheel wells a little better, but will not stick out past the fenders. For height, the 295's are only .2" smaller, so the side profile of the car will not change from the OEM appearance.
That is correct. With the OEM size the rear of the car looks a little malnourished. I also believe the sidewall on the 295 is a closer match to the 225 sidewall. The 265 sidewall is taller than the 225 if I remember correctly, or should I say it was on my Michelin Pilot Sports. With the added width and the shorter sidewall the rear end feels more stable to me. Others can chime in on this. I also chose a tire model that had the 265 and 295's available. That way if I didn't like it, all I would have to do is switch the rear tires back to the 265's, and either rear set would match the fronts.
Correct. The 295has very similar height to the 265 and is the best fit OEM like fit... But wider. Speedo doesn't change. Kai
