- Joined
- Sep 29, 2020
- Messages
- 7
I am wondering if any of you can comment on a more esoteric aspect of tire and rim sizing - tire width vs rim width. Yes, there are general guidelines of rim width vs tire width, but for manufacturers, they often list a detailed rim width compatibility for a given tire.
For example, I am considering a 215/50 R17 Continental Viking Contact 7 tire, but my rim width is 6J. According to the Continental spec sheet, this is the minimum acceptable width for a 215 tire (range 6"-7.5"), yet the tire is measured by the manufacturer on a 7j rim. In this case, I have 205/50/17 tires already mounted on the rim, which giev a 218mm contact patch on a 6j rim. Upgrading to a 215 on the same 6j rim gives only a 225mm contact patch. Which begs the question. Is it even worth trying for a 215 tire or should I just stick with 205? Once could achieve the same difference in contact patch (228mm) by upgrading the RIM to a 7j rim and keeping the SAME 205 tires.
Do you guys try to use the manufacturer's measured width (highlighted in yellow on the chart) or are you happy with using any tire on any approved rim width?
For example, I am considering a 215/50 R17 Continental Viking Contact 7 tire, but my rim width is 6J. According to the Continental spec sheet, this is the minimum acceptable width for a 215 tire (range 6"-7.5"), yet the tire is measured by the manufacturer on a 7j rim. In this case, I have 205/50/17 tires already mounted on the rim, which giev a 218mm contact patch on a 6j rim. Upgrading to a 215 on the same 6j rim gives only a 225mm contact patch. Which begs the question. Is it even worth trying for a 215 tire or should I just stick with 205? Once could achieve the same difference in contact patch (228mm) by upgrading the RIM to a 7j rim and keeping the SAME 205 tires.
Do you guys try to use the manufacturer's measured width (highlighted in yellow on the chart) or are you happy with using any tire on any approved rim width?