Reverse staggering?

webguy330i said:

Sounds like you've already got it done; now get to tirerack.com and get yerself some 235/40 S03s!

BTW, are you planning on replacing the 8.5" rear wheels with 7.5" fronts? If not, the width of the rim will probably pull the 235 out a bit more than the front rims will, which will give you a *slightly* staggered setup.

Click to expand...

well, the whole thing is still up in the air but I'll end up doing one of th folowing:

1: have the curb rash fixed by a local shop. replace the contisports when they wear out with the stock sizes (maybe by the end of the summer).

2: have the curb rash fixed by a local shop. replace the contisports when they wear out with slightly larger sizes (F: 235/45, R: 255/40).

3: upgrade to 18" BBS RC rims and run the same sized tire all the way around (235/40-18)

4: upgrade to 18" BBS forged RC rims and run a staggered tire size setup of 235/40-18 in front and 255/35-18 in the back

the list is in order of cost as well as probablility of what I'll actually end up doing (option 1 being the least expensive and most likely option). actually, if it will work, option 2 may be the way to go.

I'm not sure the incremental upgrade in performance and looks from options 3 or 4 are worth the price. the same money will get me an overhaul of my PC and some stereo gear that I'd rather have anyway.

I was sure that I was going to get the S03's but now that the euphoria has worn off a little on these new tires, it seems that some people are admiting that they are a little on the noisy side. I've heard one report of uneven tire wear (Dinan sales drone). if I don't go with the S03's then it's pilot sports for me. it sems that at this level of performance, comparing the pilots to the 03's that we're really only seeing different degrees of excellent. while one may be better than the other on the track when all out performance is required too eek out any edge possible against your competitor, the incremental difference may not even be noticible under most street driving conditions. furthermore, for a daily driver, other things like ride quality and noise levels DO NEED to be factored into the decision.

by the way, I just tinkered around some more with the miata tire calculator.

comparing a 255/40-17 to a 255/35-18:
external tire dimensions are identical. the only detectible difference is the side wall height.

comparing a 235/45-17 to a 235/40-18:
external tire dimensions are very close. the width appears to be identical.

bumping up the tire size on the stock rims will only cost a total of ~$28 more total (S03's assumed).

jumping to an 18" rim will cost a lot more (even if you subtract out the cost of a set of stock size replacements from the same tire company that you would be using with the 18's). all you will end up getting is a shorter sidewall and improved asthetics for the money.

while there is the benefit of quicker steering and reduced tire flex by reducing the sidewall height, the stock sport package tires already minimze this with 40 and 45 series tires. reducing it more than what the stock sport package already does will only benefit those who autocross (and don't have a spare set of tires/wheels) or those who drive very agressivle through back roads. but it will do this at the expense of ride quality and I find ride quality to already be at my threshold for a daily driver.