who all has 215 40 series tires do they rub?

[republik]

who all has 215 40 series tires do they rub?

ive purchaced a set of 215 40 series tires and they will be at the shop by tuesday to pick up... just wondering if i mad a bad decision? i wanted Wider and they are but too wide?

[hyunelan2]

I know at least a few people have 215 width tires here. You may only have minimal issues with rear rubbing, if any... and only if you have a hatch. Look for more 1st hand knowledge to post here though. I think you're alright.

[BlackElantraGT]

They won't rub, although I would have gone with 45 series tires instead. Closest to OEM spec is 205/45... but many of us prefer 215/45

[hyunelan2]

^^^ Better than going with a 205/40 (that's what I have). Too small. More rubber is better, IMO. The 205 isn't really the problem. It's the small sidewall.

[republik]

Cool thanks for your posts the guy at the shop went on the tyre calulator and said that 205 45 would be better also but i wanted 215's so he said to be safe go 40 series the tyres that i bought 2 years ago were 205-40 series and were alright but i was only going 98km/h insted of 100 when my spedo said 100 and since the 215 is wider and the 40 is a ratio of the width it's actualy taller than the 205 so i figured it would be alright...

and i do have the hatch and i also carry about 300lbs of tools during the week so hopefully i dont rub too badly... glad tho that the guy at the shop told me not to get 45 Feewwww hahah

i'll keep you guys posted on the tires

Ummm they are also Kumho 711's 215 40 17's

[BlackElantraGT]

With a hatch I still don't think you'd rub with 215/40's. Had you gone with the 215/45 it would have rubbed, but only on big dips or when you have a few passengers in the car with you.

[SWortham]

You can avoid rubbing with 215/45-17's on the hatchback as well. Assuming the proper wheel offset, you just have to set more negative camber in the rear than stock (as much as -1.2 degrees). If you do that then the tire will clear the fenders even when the suspension is heavily compressed.

You can kinda see what I mean when you look at 04gtboyva's ride. The negative camber in the rear gives him the clearance he needs with 215/45-17's:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/04gtboyVA/c6a76b8f.jpg

Anyway, I don't expect you'll have any problems with 215/40-17's either. If you do it can probably be cured with more negative camber. :)

[Atomic]

I have Kuhmo 711 205/40R on my 17's and easily 300 lbs of audio equipment in my hatch and have no rubbing. Next time I'll get the 45 series though.

[republik]

sweet i'm pumped to get them on and take some pics ;) heres my car with my previous wheel-tyre combo

http://www.members.shaw.ca/ahtc/images/gt6web.jpg

http://www.members.shaw.ca/ahtc/images/pic6.jpg

tyres on there were yokahamma avid H4 205-40 17's

[redgum]

What worried me most about larger then 205 was the hydroplaning resistance might be decreased due to larger tire vs car weight. No one here ever mentioned this so I guess it's a non-issue or they have improved suspension to keep the wheel down to the road...

[BlackElantraGT]

I think the increase in tire contact from 205 to 215 is so small that it wouldn't really make a difference in hydroplaning resistance, although in technically with a wider tire it should decrease like you said.

You also have to remember that the brand/make of tire you have also affects the hydroplane resistance because some tires have more of a rounded look whereas others are a bit more squarish. Not the best way to describe it but I think you guys will figure out what I mean.

Personally, after upgrading from the stock Michelin MXV4 to the 215/45/17's, I hydroplane a LOT less than before. That was one of my reason for finally upgrading my wheels and tires because with the stock tires, when it was raining and I was doing a lane change on the freeway, I would constantly hydroplane. With the tires I have now, I have a lot more confidence when driving in the rain at more than 60 mph. They still hydroplane but only if I drive through a larger puddle.

[redgum]

I think the increase in tire contact from 205 to 215 is so small that it wouldn't really make a difference in hydroplaning resistance, although in technically with a wider tire it should decrease like you said.

You also have to remember that the brand/make of tire you have also affects the hydroplane resistance because some tires have more of a rounded look whereas others are a bit more squarish. Not the best way to describe it but I think you guys will figure out what I mean.


Although true that the difference from 205 to 215 is slim, stock 195 to 215 is a bigger step. But you are right about the tire make/model impact on wet conditions and as I said no one ever complained about it so I assume that they work great.

[SWortham]

The 215/45-17 Kumho 712's I used to have were excellent in the rain. They were much better than the stock tires were in both dry & wet conditions.

[only1db]

i have toyo proxies 4's that are 215/40 r 17...and i'm dropped! i have no rubbing at all...oh i have -1 camber in the front and -1.2 in the rear

[redgum]

i have toyo proxies 4's that are 215/40 r 17...and i'm dropped! i have no rubbing at all...oh i have -1 camber in the front and -1.2 in the rear

For someone who goes with 215/40r17 I would be careful to choose a 87 tire vs the 83 load index. 50% of the tires seem to be 83 and the other 50% 87, bizarre. The proxes are 87 and the kuhmo 83. Going with lower load rating will cause tire to be flatter on road and thus reducing wear (possibly other impacts as well but I have now way to be sure).

[04GTboySC]

ya swortham, we've had some bad rain here and ur tires do work better than stock and even my 16 inch tires i had previously, btw thanks for using one of my pictures as an example, i feel special :)

[2fstfru]

I have 215/40/17 with a 40mm offset on a 04 sedan, but wish I would have got the 45 series tires for the sidewall height. No problems with rubbing or anything like that. I saw a guy on here a while ago who had 225/40/18's and had no problems rubbing either, but another guy had to put a spacer behind his wheels to fit the same size. I don't think that you should have any problems with the 215's with hydroplaning either.

[Josh K]

I have them and they only rubbed because I'm using 35 offset wheels which is technically incorrect for my car. They only rubbed in the rear, however and this was solved by rolling the fenders.

[Archibald]

I've got an 05 GT Hatch. So with the stock supension the 215/40-17's are not going to rub? Also, for the guys with the 215/45-17's and the negative camber, does that eat your tread in a hurry? I would love to get 45's, but I don't want rubbing or to compromise tire life. I'm not a burner, I just love to drive and want tires that have good summer stick and tread life.

[getfuzzd]

ok...one rule of thumb for hydroplaning and snowy driving: thinner tires typically have better a resistance to hydroplane in wet or snowy conditions as compared to a wider tire, this assumes that the tread pattern & brand, were the same for both tires. The contact patch will have the same area but a wider tire works more like a ski or plow, whereas the thinner will work more like a knife or wedge to move water/snow out of the way

[SWortham]

I've got an 05 GT Hatch. So with the stock supension the 215/40-17's are not going to rub? Also, for the guys with the 215/45-17's and the negative camber, does that eat your tread in a hurry? I would love to get 45's, but I don't want rubbing or to compromise tire life. I'm not a burner, I just love to drive and want tires that have good summer stick and tread life.
Nope, the negative camber improved treadwear in my case since a lot of the treadwear came from cornering. And the extra negative camber is beneficial if you have an upgraded rear sway bar because it will help prevent snap oversteer. Besides, -1.2 degrees rear camber is not extreme and it's still within Hyundai's alignment range. Some BMW's and MINI's have more than -2 degrees rear camber.

[BobMs_wht2k2]

ok...one rule of thumb for hydroplaning and snowy driving: thinner tires typically have better a resistance to hydroplane in wet or snowy conditions as compared to a wider tire, this assumes that the tread pattern & brand, were the same for both tires. The contact patch will have the same area but a wider tire works more like a ski or plow, whereas the thinner will work more like a knife or wedge to move water/snow out of the way


Yes and no. Tire compound, tread design and speed all play huge factors in that. I actually ran my Nitto's winter before last. Never really had any problems with traction. As for rain, when was running my 185/70/14 for the winter, I actually was more prone to hydroplaning than with my 215/45/17s.

Oh, and yes I rub when loaded. BUT I have a 38mm offset on my wheels. Looks good, drives good. I plan on rolling the fender lip this summer sometime.

[SWortham]

From what I've read & experienced, a wide tire can actually do quite well in the rain if it has tread design suitable to sweep water away. The snow is a little less forgiving & rally cars for example use much skinnier tires in the snow.