225's fit. 235's might.

 

Aren't the stock tires 215's?

 

^^^^

 

My bad. It is an EX, with 16" wheels.

 

16" ex rims come stock with 205's. I think if you go wider than 225 it'll start to look like a truck

 

Also, going wider doesnt necessarily mean better in terms of handling.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

 

Just jump to 215, or wait until you get new rims and put wider tires on those

 

wider means worse handling because your tyre will bulge.

ever driven a full on 4x4 with balloon tyres?

 

Incorrect;
the koup will handle much better on tyres as wide as 245 section as long as you don't exceed the original diameter. In fact' since the wider tires are heavier, reducing diameter by as much as 6 mm will keep acceleration and mpg the same but cornering will increase dramatically. For a 6" rim we'd recommend 225/50x16's. They work well on track.
On street cars for maximum handling the tread width should be about 120% of the rim width. Thus for a 6" rim width a tire with a tread width about 7.2" is a good choice. The tread width on most street tires is about 82% of the section width so a tire with a section width of 223, or 225, is a good choice. 225/50x16 has a diameter of 24.85" compared to 2205/55x16's 24.87 so you won't lose much in acceleration or mpog but handling will improve a lot.
PS for those concerned with mph and odometer 'error' that quarter-inch (6 mm) is an error of 1%, or 59.4 mph at 60 mph. and for the 24.85 vs 24.87 its virtually the same rpm and odometer readings. A 'bulge' of 1.5" is pretty common BTW on a tire with sidewall height of 4.4"..

 

Not looking to improve handling, but the stock tires look wimpy on such a sporty car. I really like the looks of the stock grey wheels, though, and have no desire to change them. I don't know, but I wouldn't think going 20mm wider would be too much for the wheels. I just don't want the tire to rub anywhere.
Thanks

 

As a matter of fact when a friend of mine was also planning to change his tires i gave him the advice to change it to the 21" and he had fitted the after market tires onto the ride and his ride is simply running fine..... and its handling is just perfect......

 

21 inch rims? On a forte?

 

I have the 2012 ex with stock 17s and 235/40/17. I should have gone with 225/45/17 to fill up the gap

 

The way to check the maximum size tire is to check the recommended rim width for any given size at the manufacturer or easier on TireRack.com where the specs for tires and wheels are listed not only for dimensions but for reommended rim width. Exceeding those recommendations is not good no matter how many do it.
As far as rubbing is concerned the easiest way for you to find out is stick pieces of 1" thick insulation on the inside and outside at the upper and lower sidewalls; turn the wheels and see if the pieces are knocked off.
We know on a Koup that 245/40x17 tires fit nicely on 8x17/40 nmm offset wheels. For stock tires 245 or 235 width tires may have interference on the inside of the tire. Most posters have found 225 width a good size to go with and 225/50x16 appears a favorite.

 

Exactly what I was looking for! Thanks!!!

 

I have 245/40x17 tires on mine but they are on 8.5x17 wheels with 40 mm offset. So my inside tire centerline is pushed out by 8mm and returned in another 20 mm compared to the stock 205/55x16's. That means my sidewall is 12mm closer in than stock.. Many here have mounted 225 width without difficulty and 225/50x1t6 appears a good choice for stock rims.. My guess is 235/45x16's would woprk too. 245/40x16 might be a trifle wide on stock wheels even if 245 were acceptable width to the tire manufactuyrer. check tirerack.com for specs on tires and rim fitments.

You can test that clearance on stock rims by attacxhing pieces of 1" thick insulation on the inside sidewalls athe tread edge and rotate the tires in both fuill lock left and right to see if you have clearance, then drive it around corners to check then too.

 

We have 245/40x17 on 17x8.5 wheels with 40 mm offset (stock is 48) on my ex and they fit well, do not rub, and are good on track. I know 245/45s on 8xc17/40 fit too but they are a trifle too diameter heavy to be worth while. Mpg remained at 27 to 35.
If you're wanting to use wider tires on stock rims check the tire manufacturer's spec on the maximum section width tires on stock 6" rim width; it may not exceed 225.
and yes its another post saying the same thing.

 

Thanks for the informative replies. 225's would be great, I just want to be assured that they don't rub.
Has anyone put 225's on their stock 16's?

 

Thanks for the informative replies. 225's would be great, I just want to be assured that they don't rub.
Has anyone put 225's on their stock 16's?

Yes, I have the 225/50/16s on my machine. It is not lowered. I like them a lot. They look a lot better on the car and have more grip to the road.
This is the widest tire that will fit on the stock 16" alloy rims.

 

Thanks for the info, jimmies57.
Can you give me the brand and model tire? I know that all 225/50/16s aren't the same width.

 

I was looking to put 235/40/17s on stock 2012 sx rims. These will work correct. I think anything wider will cause problems. Also I will be lowering the car as well.

 

Damn I love the internet!

Helpful people with great information.

Thanks jimmie!!!