Help with tires (something that completely confuses me). . .

[Breakdown]

I have two stacks of six tires in the garage.

 

All twelve tires are 225/60R16

 

But the one stack stands aboot 2" taller.

 

Each stack consists of four rims & tires on the bottom and then two plain tires on top.

 

The only difference is that the higher stack is X-laces and the lower one is torque stars. Does it make sense for the X-lace stack to be higher?

[meltboy1]

probably cuz I do believe the xlaces are a wider rim and tires can be mounted on a variety of rim widths I think....

[Breakdown]

probably cuz I do believe the xlaces are a wider rim and tires can be mounted on a variety of rim widths I think....

 

So they stretch the tire wider? Same tread, wider tire? I was thinking the same, the only other possibility that I could come up with is that the sidewalls were just plain shot.

[mra32]

Yes. The skinnier torque stars pull the sidewall of the tires slightly more inward than the x-laces

 

The tread width (225) is exactly that, the tread width, but you'll notice that the sidewall bulges out past the width of the tread. With skinnier rims, that bulge is angled inward more.

[Cutlass350]

First, HI!

 

Yea, all aspects of a mounted tire are effected by the rim width. That's why, tirerrack and manufactures give the specs based on the mounted rim.

 

A wider rim will make the sidewall be further out. That effects overall diameter. Also, even though the tread-width is still the same, the actual amount that contacts the ground will be effected because of the sidewall arc. However, tire pressure can also effect the tread-contact. So, everything else being equal the tread-contact will be effected by rim width. But, as I said tire pressure can change that.

 

So.... is the above all just academic BS? No.

 

Most cars now have ABS and maybe TCS and so on. With those, all four tires must be within the same diameter within some spec (often ~3-5%). Of course, different tires can effect different ABS/TCS systems differently.

 

For my Stang ('86 with a 97 ABS system), I use the cheaper 15" Blizzacks in the rear. I take the Stang out ~1 day a week during the winter if the weather is nice. But, I still run 4 Blizzacks during the winter, since there's plenty of icy spots on the roads always in the winter here in New England.

 

Also, I strongly suggest that people check out the tire specs for any specific tire before they put them on a car with ABS/TCS, etc. The "tire size" is really sort of a "suggestion" - like pants sizes. If you look at the specs on tirerack for different tires with the same size, you'll see that every parameter (incl diameter) will differ.

 

FWIW: I do control systems for a living (Computer/Elec/Mech Engr). So, I'm familiar with these types of tolerances and the semi-pain they can be.

[9lumina6]

torque star's are 6.5'' wide rims.... and the X-laces are 8'' wide i believe.

[BXX]

225 is NOT tread width... Its SECTION width.. Completely different...

 

example a 205/75/15 used on like S10... Tread width is about as wide as a average 178-185 tire. the section width is the width of the widest part of the tire when inflated to max psi and mounted on a appropriate rim..