saicow

Does this size fit? or rub when turning? People have an idea about this, but I need someone who has actually done it.

Anyone with a story out there? Thanks for any useful and specific info.....B

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RacerxB

Why would you want to put a tire that is more than 1.5 inches bigger in diameter than what came on the vehicle? do you really what to raise the height of your box?

saicow

well....I dropped a full 2" with the tein h's and I don't like it! I hit driveways all the time and I am even lower now compared to all the SUV's out there (50% of the vehicles now).....going low is not where I want to be - I think that it is crazy to go down with the other people all going higher!! - visibility is bad, etc....

I want my stock height back, but the springs are great so...taller tires are the solution and they are softer and smoother....the xB ride is crap on long rides...I am putting koni's all round and with the new Goodyear Comfortred 195-65-15's the ride will be more quiet and smooth.....so it goes...I aint the only one who wants a better ride out there...wheel gap is one thing, a better ride is another.....

Dewmerz

If you dropped 2" on Tein H-Techs something is wrong. The specs are 1.1 and .9 and I only experienced a little over a inch when I was running them unless I had alot of weight in the car. 195/60/15 might bring your speedo closer to being accurate without going too much bigger.

socalxb

If you dropped 2", that'll take up a lot of the wheel well gap. 195/65-15 is going to result in approx. +1.3" larger overall diameter. Not to mention, it's a skinnier tire than stock. If you want the roller-skate look, those tires will certainly give you that look.

Just my two cents' worth, but if you're staying with the stock rims or different rims but stock rim width (6"), I'd go with 225/55-15 or 215/55-15, which would give you +1" and +.6" larger overall diameter, respectively. I checked Tire Rack, and they've got 215/55-15 Kumho Ecsta 711's for $54 a tire.

FWIW, I'm running on 15x6.5 rims with 225/50 tires, and like the look and feel of that setup on the road. MUCH better than the 18x7.5 with 215/35's I had on there before...

saicow

it's all about the tire sidewall....that is what provides cushioning for the smoother ride....going thin to look cool and resul in a more sharp and jarring ride aint my direction....I want tall, fat and smooth....hence 65......if I could I'd go 70 or 75 even, but no room to do it....

socalxb

Tire sidewall is only one component that contributes to the ride quality, and I would imagine it's only a very small part. Springs, spring rate, and struts/shocks would be the more critical components in determining the "cushioning" of your ride. IMHO, anything taller than a 60-series tire would look ridiculous on an xB, unless of course you're going for the "lifted" look. Just go to a tire store and compare a 195/65 and 225/55 side-by-side, and I think you'd like the 55-series better. But to each his own...

ootsae

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html


use this to check tire sizes, IMHO 205/65/15 will fit but you have to check for slight rubbing on the front. [/url]

crayonBOX

im running 195/60-15 on air, and the difference from 185 to 195 was amazing... i dont find tires to be a "moving" subject, but the ride quality, agility, and overall 'movement' felt much better w/195 60, plus, mounted at around 50 a tire at u.s. tire and wheel here in Sacramento ... good deal

SciFly

Please don't mind my correcting a well intended statement, fella,but...imo and experience and etc:

-tire sidewall height is the primary component giving ride softness
-the volume of contained air in a tire with flexible sidewalls is like an airbag
-the higher the sidewall the more the vehicle is isolated from extraneous road inequalities
-think on that, yah! The more air space/volume inside a tire and the lower the pressure of this air, the more shock absorbtion comes by the large volume of air to dampen the bumps. Also, the more sidewall -compression travel- before you hit the "bump stop" (so to speak) of the tire sidewall creasing up hard on itself
-truly, the tire is the vehicle's primary shock absorber
-early tires were steel rims. then solid rubber came and was hailed as a miracle. then dunlop's high pressure tire came and was hailed as a miracle. then balloon tires (basically what we have today) appeared and were hailed as a miracle. and LO! these were all good things. and then tuners came and hailed soft, rolly polly roundies as unstylish for young bucks, and hailed rubber band tires as a miracle. (I jk now). And so beware false prophets making profits.

get those taller tires for smoother ride by all means but yeah, I like the low profile look too, and -really like the improved handling even though my ride quality suffers a LOT.

I went from 185/60/15 to 195/50/15. I get a great deal of road detail not gotten from Ray's still-stock RS2 (my elder buddy with the same car that I have)

ptmccain

I can speak to the difference tires make in the ride of the xB. I test drove an xB the dealer had that has those very thing "rubber band" tires. I almost didn't buy the xB because the ride was SO BAD. The salesman assured me that the horrible ride was due to the tires. I asked him why anyone wants tires like this, and he said it was all about the "look" . . .but that the very thin tires made for a very, very hard and rough ride. My xB came and I was amazed at the difference between the "rubber band" tires and regular tires.

SciFly

Tuner Jack could stand no fats
and Rolo could brook no thins.

Truest pleasure comes for sure
when we suit our names we're in

jamesgang

Selfish bump - so I can watch this thread.
I too am hashing about the cheapest/simplest ride improvement.
Didn't someone even drop back to 14" rims, then go to a taller tire to get these results.
Anyway - keep the discussion going so I can make an "informed" decision.

dgHotLava

moved...

saicow

Finally decided on 205/60/15 which have taller sidewall and give an 1" lift to the car and are wider without rubbing (I hope!!). Goodyear Assurance Comforted model.
We'll see with Koni's (turned to the softest setting) all around and Tein-H's already installed. I am doing everything I can to smooth out the ride.
nd yes, I do believe it will still handle like a go-cart after all this. But more comfortable on long trips.

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dgHotLava

it will handle well, just your speedo and odo will be wrong....

if you calculate your MPG it too will drop...

xxRayTardedxx

I have ran all different sizes on my xB. 175/65/15 , 185/65/15, 185/60/15, 195/65/15, 205/65/15. The 195/65/15 on stock steel wheels was by far the best ride and gas mileage. I am running 205/65/15 right now but there is rub on the front at full turn. The all seasons are little more meaty on the front. Which is why I think I have rub. But I live in a place where snow is a problem. So I will deal with it till summer. Speedo is off by 2 mph but the ride is amazing. No issues on the rear. But come summer going back to 195/65/15 hope this helps someone cause I had problems finding anything on this subject.