215/45/16- too wide?

alky89 · 13-06-2009, 11:04 PM

hi guys,

i recently impulse bought a set of 215/45 16 tyres, with the intention of fitting them on my focus. the rims are stock 16 x 6 inch items with 205/50 tyres as standard. i figured 215/45 was only a little wider (and the closest one to my size) and a tiny bit shorter so i assumed it would fit ok. but i've read some conflicting views. so basically- does anyone know for sure if the tyres will fit ok or not?

thanks

SVD · 13-06-2009, 11:19 PM

you may need to roll the guards but should fit, maybe be a lil close

alky89 · 14-06-2009, 12:27 AM

im not too worried about that- there looks to be a good 15cm of clearance between tyre and guard thanks to the 4wd like ride height.

what i am concerned about is the handling and potential tyre damage. i will be doing many a track day on these tyres so i dont know if the extra width will cause problems with the increased sidewall flex. e.g will it muck up the handling, or make the tyres wear weirdly or anything like that.

cheers

FreddyDUZ747 · 14-06-2009, 12:37 AM

assuming they are load rated correctly you will have no issues with handling and will have less flex in sidewall.you may notice a liitle more feel through steering on pot holes,hardly worrying about in your case.possibly a 10% quicker wear rate over factory but thats the price you pay for performance.as long as your front and rear is not more than 20mm out tyre track wise youll be fine and legal.overall you wont have any problems.balance and rotate tyres every 5000km and keep eye on optimum air pressures and get the most out of your rubber.good luck.

want-a-XY · 14-06-2009, 04:15 PM

i had 215/45ZR17 on my focus. never had an issue with the tyres rubbing on the guards

BlackLS · 14-06-2009, 05:09 PM

Yeah I ran 215/45R17 on Superlows springs with Zetec rims (top of the tyres are basically inline with the front guard), and cornering hard it never touched the guard.

alky89 · 14-06-2009, 10:25 PM

i think i should rephrase the question. are the tyres too wide for the 6 inch wide rim? i've been informed that legally, it is too wide but if they are safe to use then i think the law will have to take a back seat.

NZ XR6 · 14-06-2009, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alky89

i think i should rephrase the question. are the tyres too wide for the 6 inch wide rim? i've been informed that legally, it is too wide but if they are safe to use then i think the law will have to take a back seat.

6 inch is way too narrow. Minimum rim width for the 215/45 profile is 7".

BlackLS · 15-06-2009, 10:11 AM

I wouldn't say they're "way too narrow". Keep in mind the standard tyre width is 205, a 215 tyre will be 5mm wider on each side of the rim.

elgreko · 15-06-2009, 11:47 AM

should be fine! dont stress!!

BrisVegas · 15-06-2009, 02:33 PM

what's the width of the standard LS Zetec rim? I'm getting new tyres shortly and the 215/45 options are cheaper and more numerous than 205/50....

alky89 · 08-07-2009, 12:21 AM

update- tyres have been fitted!

they fit fine but they are very wide for the rim, sticking out a fair bit. there is no rubbing or anything- not even close. the tyre place said there would be no safety issue at all (and didnt mention any legal issues) but said i would lose some responsiveness and it would feel a bit soft going through roundabouts and sharp turns. he did put in some more pressure to compensate to an extent and so far is not too bad. havent had a chance to try them out on the track yet but they look promising.