Proper Speed Rated Tires

[SuperG]

I have a perfectly good set of touring tires on my SHO (215/60's) but since I have a funny feeling I may need to exceed the "T" rating this weekend, I went to a used tire dealer to pick up some 235/55's...Oh were those beautiful! Unfortunately, as they began mounting them, I noticed they were also "T" rated (I think that's good for 118 mph)...so I found some 225/50's that are "V" rated and had those mounted.

So, these guys said they couldn't find V or Z rated 235/55's used or new...although I am sure they exhist.

Anyway, what do you guys typically have? I also found that the tires were typically labelled as 225/50R16 91V...or in the case of my old tires 215/60R16 94T and the V and T are the speed ratings and the 91 or 94 are the load ratings...is this right?

Thanks for any input!

 

[SHOguy 92]

www.tirerack.com go there and look for tires. I'd recomend the continental contact extreme's they are about $80 a peice and are the second highest for grip ratings out of any tires they have. plus they are all season so great in rain and whatever else you get in contact with.

 

[rangerj]

SuperG,

I would have an equal amount of concern, as you do for the tires, about every nut, bolt, and fastener, as well as every component of the braking system and the suspension system, if I were contemplating speeds in excess of 100MPH in an 11 year old vehicle.

I would also be concerned about body integrity if the vehicle were from up in the rust belt. Of course you do not have the corrosion problems down there that we have up here.

Do a complete inspection before you take your trek! rangerj

 

[SuperG]

Thanks for the advice...I appreciate it and definitely agree with it!

I have spent the entire week going over the car and am replacing the sub-frame bushings today. I can't wait to feel the difference.

SFC's in a week or two, otherwise, everything else seems sound.

Have a great weekend!

 

[sdpatt]

The workable sizes for the 6" wide slicers are the OEM 215/60-16 and a very close substitute, the 225/55-16. The 235/55's are too wide for the wheel and too tall for speedometer accuracy (and overall gear ratio) and the 225/50's are too short. The idea is to keep the overall tire diameter close to the stock size. You also need to keep the speed rating at the original V (149 mph) or higher.

The TireRack survey results show the ContiExtremeContacts to be a near the top ultra high performance all season tire, but their dry grip is fourth and their wet grip is third on the list. Compared to ultra high or max performance tires, their grip is most likely in a lesser range. It's interesting to know that the wet grip of the ultra high and max performance tires usually exceeds that of all season tires.

The TireRack site has a great deal of tire information. Here is the speed rating table. Here is the method to determine the overall tire diameter from the sidewall information.

For a low priced, W-rated (168 mph) tire in the 225/55-16 size, I recommend the Yokohama ES100 for $86 each.

 

[MO-KAN SHO]

I have Kumhos W-rated that I got from Tire Rack for about $225 for the set.

I like them so far... though I did notice right away a slightly harsher ride.


And don't forget, if you go through Tire Rack, come to this sites main page and click on the tire rack link... that way the forum gets a kick back for the sale.ll thumb

 

[SuperG]

Thanks everyone, for the advice. Tirerack does have a great deal of information.

The run was great and the tires I have held quite well. Can't wait until January's Winter Run!

 

[sdpatt]

SuperG (Gary), I just figured out who you are. I'm glad you enjoyed the Run. The Bandera roads have been my favorite so far. I was unavailable due to a newborn in the house. I hope that you (and I) will be able to make it to the future Runs.

 

[SinisterSHO]

The speed ratings on tires are at full load. So unless you have a full trunk, and 5 people in the car, you shouldn't really have anything to worry about. This is just what I have always been told.

 

[stevetatro]

For those wondering about the ContiExtremes on a SHO, I can attest to their performance, as I recently put a set on my '93.

Very good ALL-SEASON performance. Obviously these aren't going to handle the dry pavement as well as a strictly summer-tire, but that's the trade-off one must sometimes make.

I've had these out in the rain quite a bit and cannot get them to let go (sideways). I scare myself every time, and each time they keep on gripping. Note that I always push the limits when there is no chance of injuring others.

I put the 225/55/16's on the Gen3 wheels, and they not only handle well (wet and dry) but look pertty good, too.

 

[SuperG]

Hi Scott! Oh, I didn't know you have a baby in the house...Congratulations! I have an 8 month old...and a 9 and 6 year old (all boys!)

See you in Fort Worth in January?

And you are right about the drive outside of San Antonio...it was great!

Regarding tire sizes, for those of you who don't know the size calculations...it's easy.

The standard tire is 215/60/16...215 mm wide, the tire wall is 60% of the width of the tire, and is made for a 16" diameter wheel. Therefore, the total height of the tire is 215mm x 0.6 = 129 mm, or 12.9 cm / 2.54 cm/in = 5.08 inches x 2 = 10.16 in (total wall height of the tire) + 16" = 26.16 inches.

Therefore, when looking at other tires, as Scott said, try to keep the same height. That's why I looked at 235/55/16. 235 x 0.55 x 2 / 10 mm/cm / 2.54 + 16 = 26.18 inches.

The 235/55 tires were mounted onto the slicers without any problem; however, I never drove on them, since they ended up being "T" rated. Oh, sure looked good, though!

Also, as an above post suggested, if you plan on excessive speeds, then have everything in order...therefore, I would never trust a lower speed rated tire...That's just me!

 

[Emerald94]

Do not take these measurements too litterally.
A 225 from Kuhmo may not be as wide as a 225 from Yokohama.
You should take real measurements of the tire to figure out the true diameter.
235 on a 6" slicer wouldn't be a good fit, btw.

SuperG:
Hi Scott! Oh, I didn't know you have a baby in the house...Congratulations! I have an 8 month old...and a 9 and 6 year old (all boys!)

See you in Fort Worth in January?

And you are right about the drive outside of San Antonio...it was great!

Regarding tire sizes, for those of you who don't know the size calculations...it's easy.

The standard tire is 215/60/16...215 mm wide, the tire wall is 60% of the width of the tire, and is made for a 16" diameter wheel. Therefore, the total height of the tire is 215mm x 0.6 = 129 mm, or 12.9 cm / 2.54 cm/in = 5.08 inches x 2 = 10.16 in (total wall height of the tire) + 16" = 26.16 inches.

Therefore, when looking at other tires, as Scott said, try to keep the same height. That's why I looked at 235/55/16. 235 x 0.55 x 2 / 10 mm/cm / 2.54 + 16 = 26.18 inches.

The 235/55 tires were mounted onto the slicers without any problem; however, I never drove on them, since they ended up being "T" rated. Oh, sure looked good, though!

Also, as an above post suggested, if you plan on excessive speeds, then have everything in order...therefore, I would never trust a lower speed rated tire...That's just me!

 

[OhsoSHO]

I've got some potenza re730's on my sho. Very nice tires; they're around $150 a piece, before the discountinued discount.