what is stretch?
- "stretch" refers to stretching a narrower tire over a wider wheel, the sidewalls stretch from the lip to the tread

why do stretched tires?
- well the whole thing started in germany/belgium, local laws required that the tire tread be within the fender line. well that doesnt allow one to run wider or lower offset wheels, so they put narrower tires on the wheel to maintain legality

- when you would like to run really wide or low offset wheels and keep the tire tread at the fender

- when you would like to go really low and not rub

isnt this unsafe?

- there hasnt been any soild evidence that running a stretched tire is any more dangerous than a regular tire.

where can i get tires stretched?

-any reputable wheel/tire shop should be able to do it.

can't you afford the right tire size?

- the tire that stretch the most tend to be at the top of the price list, so it isnt an issue

what tires stretch best?
- from what i have seen, the best tires with regards to stretch are:
toyo t1-s
dunlop sp9000
dunlop sp8080e
falken fk451

im sure there are more, but look for a tire with a rounded shoulder and a lip protector, they tend to give the "desirable" look


but staggered wheels are stupid on fwd cars, arent you worried about handling?

- its all about looks, you wont see anyone with low offset deep dish wheels flopping around the autox course.

what size/offset wheels are the best for a staggered look

- its all about personal preference.

arent you worried about curbing a wheel?

- one thing about running stretched tires, the driver tends to be a bit more careful because of the cost of the wheels, i definately drive more alert with the tramonts than i do my stock wheels.


feel free to post up your opinions, i'll add them to this post as i see necessary


helpful links

wheel offset calculator

http://www.1010tires.com/WheelOffsetCalculator.asp

tire size calculators

http://gs.tolan-hoechst.com/tirecalc.htm

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

 

Great post! I always wanted to know more on this topic...

 

nitpicking, but fk452. also ziex 912s toyo t1rs, dunlop dz 101, Fuzion ZRi, and federals (forgot which one) stretch very well. Basically anything that have soft sidewalls and run normal or on the narrow side. keep in mind, other than the toyos and dunlops and maybe the 452s, you'll get pretty bad grip.
and if someone says "stretching sucks, it's dangerous blah blah blah", keep in mind that people normally drift on stretched tires, and the tires they're stretching are usually fatter than stock anyway. look at matt powers if you don't believe me.

 

yea, the reason drifters usually run stretched tires is because the smaller size tire is cheaper and stretching the tire essentially turns what would be a softer side wall into a stiff one.

 

So toyo t1r or t1s?

 

nice info cory! and i lol'd at the part about the staggered stance on fwd. cuz i wanted to do that but got ripped a ton on the local forums for wanting to do that to fwd car

 

NIOCE!! someone sticky this!! and a bunch of us will be PM FREEEEEEE

 

i remember reading this on another forum..... lol

 

Nice Post Yellow! allthough I knew much about this, this dialed in all I needed to know