Mike99

215/50/15's and 195/55/15's have almost exactly the same height and my Rota Subzeros are 6.5" wide I believe. I was wondering if they would rub? Fit correctly on a 6.5" rim? And what if I drop my car upto 1.5"? Thanks

inspyral

205/50 looks a bit fat on a 6.5" wheel. I would imagine 215 to be even more balloon-y. Depending on the offset of the Subzeros, which is probably either +40 or +38mm, and how much of a drop you're running, you'll have a pretty good chance of rubbing, at least at full steering wheel lock, and possibly over bumps. At 1.5" with no camber correction and a +40mm offset, you could probably get away with running 215s.

Here's an idea of what 205/50 looks like on a 15x6.5" wheel:

Mike99

That does look a bit ballooney. Does the 205 have an even contact patch? I was wondering because I know stock ITR rims and stock SI rims are 6" wide and have 195/55/15's on them. 6-1/2" rims are about 8.3 percent wider than 6", and 215mm is 10.3 percent wider than 195. I figured it would be close, but those 205 look a bit fat on that 6.5" rim. Thanks for the pic, do you have any from the front or back view? Thanks

randomtask77

Inspyral, wouldn't the manufacturer's design also be a factor? I had the Azenis on the 15" steelies and they didn't look balloon-y on 205/50/15's. Now I have the Ziex 512's and they don't look like that either. I'm just guessing that is how Kumho makes their tires and not necessarily other tire manufacturers....

inspyral

If you look at most tire manufacturers, the recommended wheel width for 205/50/15 is 6.5" and the range goes from about 5.5/6-7". The range for a 215/50/15 tire is 6-7.5", so you could fit it on a 6.5" wheel and it should be alright.
I don't have any direct front/back pics, but this one is slightly angled:


That could be a possibility. A stiffer sidewall will "balloon" less at the same tire pressure, so maybe the Kumhos have softer sidewalls.

Mike99

Are those the Kumho Supra 712's? I can't tell from the pic. The 711's are available in 215/50/15, I here there a bit stickier in the dry but a little worse in the rain. I need traction bad, so I think I'll try the 215's next time I get tires:thumbup:

inspyral

yup

CivicSiRacer

215/50x15" will slow your car down ALOT. Plus being on a 6.5" wheel is not optimum. Your turn-in and overall handling will prolly decrease in feel and quickness. A ballooning tire doesn't have a great characteristic as compared to a tire that sits flush with a wheel.

For a 215 tire you should use a 7.5" wide wheel. A 205 is good for a 7" wheel. And 195 is good for a 6.5" wheel.

I've seen 205/50x15" Azenis on an Si wheel 15x6" and it's bulging out.

FourthGenHatch

I have 6.5'' wide 15s with 205s and they don't ballon.

Nelson

Bubbly