[RedHardSupra]

You're probably not going to like this one, but another VERY good choice for your 17x11 rims and intended use would be the Kumho Ecsta MX in 285/40-17. It's going to look more like a Formula One or GT race tire instead of a fat drag tire, but it's still a lot of rubber. It will probably handle better than the 315 Sumitomo and outperform it in the rain too. It certainly won't tramline as bad as the 315s. AND, it's cheap!

I saw this post in another thread, and it got me thinking: would 285/40-17 Kumho MX be a good choice for 17x9.5/17x11 afs zr1 combo? I like 315s on the back, but the tire selection sucks (especially considering the price). So would it be possible to put the 285/40/17s on both the front 9.5s and rear 11s (pics anyone?) and actually keep it balanced and safe to use in track situations? what's the point of the wider wheel then?

It's a strange, un-happy middle for me, as I would have the weight of the big wheel, but the grip of the smaller wheel. So I either go to 17x9.5s everywhere, or bite the bullet and pay a grand for a set of KD's and be done?

Please enlight me.
Dazed and Confused,
Marcin

[sgarnett]

The person I was addressing in that thread had 17x11 rims front and rear, and wanted street tires.

A tire that's too wide for the rim is effectively a little softer, and you can't use the full width of the tire, at least not laterally.

The 285 on 9.5 rims in front won't be quite as crisp as the same tire on the back on 11 inch rims. It will certainly work, but might feel (and look) a little weird, because out cars actually like a softer setup in the rear. It may understeer a little.

For street use, I think 275s on 4 9.5 rims would be a better combo, or 4 285 on 11" rims, and would allow rotating and reduce understeer. With 9.5 front and 11 rear (no rotating) it might work well to use 285 in the rear and 275/40 or even 255/45 in the front, though it would probably still push a little. For reference, the Z06 uses a 265/40-17 on 17x9.5 rims on the front, but there aren't many choices in that size, and the OEM tire actually runs a little on the narrow side.

I'm considering trying 4 255/45-17 Ecsta MXs on my 17x9 rims for street use. 275 is a little too wide for a 9" rim, though it does protect the rims a little better. BTW, the 255 is a LOT lighter. 255f/275r might be interesting on my rims, but then I couldn't rotate the tires.