# tire stretch help



## P0299 (Mar 18, 2012)

I've got 19x8.5 front wheels and I want a little bit of wheel poke. I had 235x40x19 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and they were basically 90 degree squared up with the wheels. I just went to 225x45x19 and they look 90 degree squared up to the wheels. WTF! Pilot Sports don't get any skinnier in 19's and I've already got over $1,500 tied up in tires for this damn car. Can anyone recommend a good tire and size to run for a little bit of stretch?


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## tp.wannabe.s3 (May 21, 2010)

205 gets real good stretch


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## skatevolcom2006 (Apr 18, 2008)

Like TP said, a 205 would give you a good stretch. 

Here is a 215 on an 8.5 as reference.


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## cldub (Jul 2, 2010)

Yeah 8.5 with a 205 is the beginning of a good stretch, that's what I'm running right now


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## P0299 (Mar 18, 2012)

yea but who makes good 205's in a 19?


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## TTC2k5 (May 23, 2008)

P0299 said:


> yea but who makes good 205's in a 19?


 Bicycle tires.


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## skatevolcom2006 (Apr 18, 2008)

From a quick search I do not see that anyone makes a 205/40/19


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## P0299 (Mar 18, 2012)

Yea that's what I come up with too


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## jds215 (Mar 24, 2011)

im running 215/35/19's. slight stretch 

best front shot i have...


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## ceese (Jul 2, 2011)

P0299 said:


> I've got 19x8.5 front wheels and I want a little bit of wheel poke. I had 235x40x19 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and they were basically 90 degree squared up with the wheels. I just went to 225x45x19 and they look 90 degree squared up to the wheels. WTF! Pilot Sports don't get any skinnier in 19's and I've already got over $1,500 tied up in tires for this damn car. Can anyone recommend a good tire and size to run for a little bit of stretch?


 Why are you running such a high side wall for the A3? Standard on our cars is 19 = 35, 18 = 40 and 17 = 45. I'm not into stretch so is the idea higher sidewall to make up for the loss off circumference when stretched? 

I'm running 225/35/19 on 8.5 wide wheels and I would call it a mini stretch - My tires do curve in. Plus they are officially rated to run on a 8.5 wide wheel. There was a thread discussing it last week and few people running similar set ups posted pics of their wheel tire set ups.


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## P0299 (Mar 18, 2012)

Just saw this reply,

you can't generalize sidewall size by wheel size like that. 17, 18, 19 is irrelevant the second number in the tire size is the percentage of the width so a 35 series for a 215 is going to be a different height than a 30 series on a 245 regardless if they are both 19's


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## Uber-A3 (Feb 23, 2002)

P0299 said:


> Just saw this reply,
> 
> you can't generalize sidewall size by wheel size like that. 17, 18, 19 is irrelevant the second number in the tire size is the percentage of the width so a 35 series for a 215 is going to be a different height than a 30 series on a 245 regardless if they are both 19's


I don't think that's what he meant. In order to keep the overall diameter as close to the original tire most people run a 225/35/19 not a 235/40/19.

225/45/17 diameter is 24.97
225/35/19 diameter is 25.20 --.91% difference
235/40/19 diameter is 26.40 --5.72% difference, too large IMO.


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## asal (Oct 12, 2007)

Uber-A3 said:


> I don't think that's what he meant. In order to keep the overall diameter as close to the original tire most people run a 225/35/19 not a 235/40/19.
> 
> 225/45/17 diameter is 24.97
> 225/35/19 diameter is 25.20 --.91% difference
> 235/40/19 diameter is 26.40 --5.72% difference, too large IMO.


How about 245/35 diameter is 25.75 -- 3.1% difference. Too much or borderline ok?


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## 2.city (May 27, 2008)

It also depends on the tires, some stretch better then others.

These are 215 Falkins on a 8.5''


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## cldub (Jul 2, 2010)

2.city said:


> It also depends on the tires, some stretch better then others.
> 
> These are 215 Falkins on a 8.5''


Damn those stretch incredibly well compared to my Nitto's

These are my 205/40/18 on an 8.5


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## SoSoA3 (Sep 10, 2012)

Falken's stretch great especially the 512's but those are in limited supply now that American Tires is phasing them out. I used to have the 225/40/18 on my 9.5 wide Enkei NT03's.

I'm on Achilles ATR sport 215/40/18 on 9.5 wide and they stretch well but the physical tire themselves run a bit wide. The 225 Falken's looked like they have the same amount of stretch that the 215 Achilles do. The tire place didn't even need to use the cheetah tire inflator for my 215's vs having to try multiple times with the 225 Falken's.


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## crew219 (Oct 18, 2000)

SoSoA3 said:


> Falken's stretch great especially the 512's but those are in limited supply now that American Tires is phasing them out. I used to have the 225/40/18 on my 9.5 wide Enkei NT03's.
> 
> I'm on Achilles ATR sport 215/40/18 on 9.5 wide and they stretch well but the physical tire themselves run a bit wide. The 225 Falken's looked like they have the same amount of stretch that the 215 Achilles do. The tire place didn't even need to use the cheetah tire inflator for my 215's vs having to try multiple times with the 225 Falken's.


Achilles tires? Lol.

Makes me wonder if these companies think about their naming . . . like Mayrun tires :laugh:


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## SoSoA3 (Sep 10, 2012)

crew219 said:


> Achilles tires? Lol.
> 
> Makes me wonder if these companies think about their naming . . . like Mayrun tires :laugh:


Yeah I know right! LOL. It's a no name tire but they stretch well and are dirt cheap...getting really popular with the stance guys. They are on national backorder right now you can't find them anywhere I was so lucky to get them.


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## skatevolcom2006 (Apr 18, 2008)

Here is another shot of mine, I am running Atrezzo (another good name..) 

The back one is 215/35/18 on a 9.5 and the front is the same tire just on a 8.5


Untitled by jmsti, on Flickr


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## SoSoA3 (Sep 10, 2012)

skatevolcom2006 said:


> Here is another shot of mine, I am running Atrezzo (another good name..)
> 
> The back one is 215/35/18 on a 9.5 and the front is the same tire just on a 8.5


I'm thinking of going down to 35 series too...these 40's don't get me all the way down


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## skatevolcom2006 (Apr 18, 2008)

SoSoA3 said:


> I'm thinking of going down to 35 series too...these 40's don't get me all the way down


Do you daily your car though? If so I don't highly recommend it, they aren't the smoothest on the roads :banghead:


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## SoSoA3 (Sep 10, 2012)

skatevolcom2006 said:


> Do you daily your car though? If so I don't highly recommend it, they aren't the smoothest on the roads :banghead:


Yeah I do daily...that's what has me so hesitant the rough ride.


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