Old Guru

Yes, they look better. Yes, they can improve grip. But is the improvement a guaranteed function of simply installing wider tires? No.
If your car has 900 pounds of vertical load on the left front tire when parked, and your left front tire is at 30 psi, you will have 30" of contact patch, whether it's 6" wide and 5" long, or whether it's 10" wide and 3" long.
This is why width doesn't matter.
Your tires will squish until there are enough square inches touching the road . Less squish may be better sometimes, and that's where you may try a wider tire, but there is an alternative many road racers have used with success: more air pressure in the tire.
Width has disadvantages such as drag, drawing the attention of police, and making your car look fast instead of stealthily hiding your advantages. Width also costs more.
Tire grip does not increase on the same curve as the contact pressure increases, and this is why wider tires can help performance. It's also part of why aerodynamic down force is useful. But weight reduction is the best option.
A Miata that corners at 1G will take any given curve at a higher speed than a heavier Viper. But unless you have a turbo LSx in that Miata, the Viper will get to the next curve first.
Our cars are heavy, there's no escaping that. The '82 Z28 and the '87 Formula both skirted 3000 pounds, every other V8 version was even heavier. That's fine out on the Bonneville Salt Flats, but that doesn't help you.
Want wide tires anyway? Me too. If all goes well this spring, I will have one third gen on 215/65R15s and the other on 305/30R19s front and rear.
Why do I want wide tires anyway?
We all know you can't tuck a 295/50R15 under the front of these cars. Even if you could, you'll get more tread width from a 275/40R17 that does tuck.
It's all about the shorter sidewalls.
You can tuck wide wheels under the front when you get them tall enough to clear the steering, right up until they touch the struts. The taller you go, the wider they can be, because the struts are angled.
So, run out and get a set of 995/15R22s?
No.
Detroit Speed got it right with 315/35R18x11s. That will shame my 215/65R15 setup for one reason and only one reason.
You can get the low profile tires in softer compounds. I'll hafta pay an awful lot extra to get a 215/65 with a tread compound comparable to the BFG Rival S 1.5
I'm not sure I want to spend that much of my remaining $1.5M.
But when it rains, whose car will hydroplane? Detroit Speed's, not mine.
And when you live somewhere that rains more than half the time, you want deep, narrow treads.
In the winter, for those of you with snow and no second vehicle? Narrower snow tires always do better than wide snow tires. Always.
Go buy what you like, but keep a set of 215s.
Lastly for now, not every tire works on the front of these cars.
I took a set of BFG Radial T/A 235/60R15s off my '78 Camaro, where they did really well, and tried them on my '89 S-10 where they did really well. Then I tried them on my '85 Camaro, and they sucked massive donkey.
The '78 and the '89 both had something the third gen doesn't: upper control arms.
Gotta go,


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Komet

[citation needed]

The right tires width is like the best header arrangement; ultimately you're limited by packaging and there comes a point when it's not what's slowing you down anymore.

slow305

iTrader: (2)

What the vetruck is this?

Pat

sodak

Don't go BFG.. Go Michelin PS2 no hydroplaning

dabomb6608

iTrader: (3)

That is a very unnecessarily long way of saying "Pick the tires best suited for your preferences and needs".

Firechicken82

But these tires go to 11.

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

I have no idea what's going on in this thread, and I'm not sure if I want to.

Tire sizing has been discussed to death on these forums and the consensus has already been achieved. We know what works, and what doesn't work.

blacksunshine'91

iTrader: (10)

Been on BFG's for a long time. Never had an issue with hydroplaning at all really.

Aaron R.

This from someone in Southern California. It made me laugh (lol).

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

Probably doesn't even own an umbrella.

I don't drive my old Firebird HOBBY car in the rain. Let's get real, we all have proper cars and trucks for daily use.

TEDSgrad

iTrader: (4)

"Proper" - sounds British. They would have umbrellas.

blacksunshine'91

iTrader: (10)

I drive my car at least three times a week to work. And yes, it does rain here...occasionally. But keep that in mind when you have to "winterize" your car or put it away for the winter or whatever it is that you guys do when you can't drive it year 'round. Plus, I have lived elsewhere. It was still my DD when I lived in Colorado, and it had BFGs on it then as well.

blacksunshine'91

iTrader: (10)

Oh, forgot to mention that I do not in fact own an umbrella. Never have, and I have lived in places that rained/snowed regularly.

Aaron R.

When people winterize their cars you want them to "keep in mind" that it occasionally rains in Southern California? Or you want them to remember that you drive your car to work three times per week?

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

How well do the BFG's drive in poop? I'm asking the California guy with all the experience.

blacksunshine'91

iTrader: (10)

No idea. I don't watch Fox News and I live in SoCal, near the coast not in SF.

blacksunshine'91

iTrader: (10)

The simple fact that I don't have to avoid snow and can drive my car whenever I want. Cost might be higher here, but you cannot beat the weather.

Roorancher

Just like me in central Texas. I drive both my Verts at least once a week. Driving the 91TA today. Top up on the way to work this morning, but on the way home it will be 74 degrees and beautiful!
As far as an umbrella, I do own a large one, but only use it for walking the dogs on the rare occasion we experience a "turd floater."

Aaron R.

(quote from blacksunshine'91 on 01-18-24)

Let's get back to talking about tires, rain, and California poop. Although I can see how at least one of those could easily turn the topic to politics...

Edit:
And although I too drive my car year-round and don't have to winterize it, I will do my best to remember that some guy in SoCal drives his car to work and occasionally sees rain.

slow305

iTrader: (2)

I drove my Camaro on Hoosiers in the rain to a PCA autocross. Roughly 20 miles. Didn't die. Took FTD (while still raining).

Pat

blacksunshine'91

iTrader: (10)

Nope. Don't watch any of that crap either. I can't stand talking heads on TV.

blacksunshine'91

iTrader: (10)

I'd be perfectly happy to move away from political B.S. on here. We hear enough of that crap everywhere else. I wasn't bringin up whatever poop y'all were referring to or other snide comments about CA. I made one simple post about not hydroplaning and for some reason you found it funny, as if I haven't driven in rain or as though I'd lived here for my entire life.

P.S. Don't forget though, that the rain here is only occassional. Lol.