Straight line grip vs width

[Bartly]

So I’m being really hesitant on going with a staggered setup due to tire wear and life. I can’t get used to the idea of not being able to rotated the tires to get more life out of them. I’ve had my car aligned and still get a little inside wear on the front tires which being able to rotate the tires negates, as when they move to the back they even out and let me get more life out of them.

So I have a blower and the only reason I even consider wider in the rear is for launching (on the street only, no track around here). I basically can roast the tires all the way through 1st gear and most of the time 2nd gear doesn’t have much traction either. Lots of opinions out there that wider tires give more grip. I tend to not believe this as much as it’s promoted. Would I even be able to tell the difference between a 285 vs 315 if I were to test the same tire. I know getting some slicks or drag radials is the answer, but not in my wheel house since this is just my daily driver and not ever going to the track. So question is how realistic is the difference in straight line traction?

Any of you boosted guys have normal street tires that are up 305-325 range and can’t spin through 1st and 2nd gear? Some part of me tells me going wide out back really won’t make all that much difference. Staggared looks bad ass, but I can get past that just to be able to rotate.

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[BmacIL]

So I’m being really hesitant on going with a staggered setup due to tire wear and life. I can’t get used to the idea of not being able to rotated the tires to get more life out of them. I’ve had my car aligned and still get a little inside wear on the front tires which being able to rotate the tires negates, as when they move to the back they even out and let me get more life out of them.

So I have a blower and the only reason I even consider wider in the rear is for launching (on the street only, no track around here). I basically can roast the tires all the way through 1st gear and most of the time 2nd gear doesn’t have much traction either. Lots of opinions out there that wider tires give more grip. I tend to not believe this as much as it’s promoted. Would I even be able to tell the difference between a 285 vs 315 if I were to test the same tire. I know getting some slicks or drag radials is the answer, but not in my wheel house since this is just my daily driver and not ever going to the track. So question is how realistic is the difference in straight line traction?

Any of you boosted guys have normal street tires that are up 305-325 range and can’t spin through 1st and 2nd gear? Some part of me tells me going wide out back really won’t make all that much difference. Staggared looks bad ass, but I can get past that just to be able to rotate.

Wider tires without lowering pressures will not increase straight line grip in a significant manner, since the contact patch will remain the same size, but will just get wider and shorter. On the street you're not going to find anything that can't spin 1st and 2nd with a PD blower. Only on a prepped surface with DRs, slicks, bias ply drag tires.

Wider tires can handle more load and will increase their contact patch under load or with reduced nominal pressures more. That's where advantage is.

 

[ahl395]

I never understood why everyone gets so bent out of shape about not being able to rotate.

Your rears will go sooner and your fronts will last longer, in the end its a wash. I replace my rear summer tires every year but the fronts can go for 2+ years. If I was able to rotate it would just distribute the wear evenly so I'd probably replace all four at 1.5 years. In the end it just about evens out to the same expense, but less traction.

A wider tire will have a larger contact patch with the road and will give you better traction since it won't spin as easy. However the kind of tire you use is equally important. A 285 MPSS will hold better than a sub-par 315 all season tire. A summer/winter tire in the appropriate conditions will also perform better than an all-season.

All street tires will spin in 1st and 2nd with forced induction. Some just less than others.

FWIW, I run staggered all year. 285 Front and 305/325 Rear MPSS in the summer, 255 Front and 285 Rear Pilot Alpins in the winter. Street driven only

 

[Bartly]

I never understood why everyone gets so bent out of shape about not being able to rotate.

Your rears will go sooner and your fronts will last longer, in the end its a wash. I replace my rear summer tires every year but the fronts can go for 2+ years. If I was able to rotate it would just distribute the wear evenly so I'd probably replace all four at 1.5 years. In the end it just about evens out to the same expense, but less traction.

A wider tire will have a larger contact patch with the road and will give you better traction since it won't spin as easy. However the kind of tire you use is equally important. A 285 MPSS will hold better than a sub-par 315 all season tire. A summer/winter tire in the appropriate conditions will also perform better than an all-season.

All street tires will spin in 1st and 2nd with forced induction. Some just less than others.

FWIW, I run staggered all year. 285 Front and 305/325 Rear MPSS in the summer, 255 Front and 285 Rear Pilot Alpins in the winter. Street driven only

Thanks for the reply. I don’t know, just seems like I get more life out tires on my various vehicles due to being able to rotate them. Seems like that is a pretty standard consensus across all makes/models? I don’t know though, just the impression I’ve come to after all the tire sets I’ve gone though in my life. Although, never had anything that was staggared until now. So I gotta ask if you notice a drastic change in straight line traction when you switch from your wide summers to the not so wide winters? I know different tread and rubber, just curious. With this car, I can see the fronts wearing out fast if I’m not allowed to rotate due to them wearing unevenly (faster on the inside) due to toe in, I just want to avoid that, but think I should keep a little toe in for handling’s sake.

 

[Bartly]

Wider tires without lowering pressures will not increase straight line grip in a significant manner, since the contact patch will remain the same size, but will just get wider and shorter. On the street you're not going to find anything that can't spin 1st and 2nd with a PD blower. Only on a prepped surface with DRs, slicks, bias ply drag tires.

Wider tires can handle more load and will increase their contact patch under load or with reduced nominal pressures more. That's where advantage is.

Thanks. Playing with air pressure helps I’m sure, never though of it for a sports car to tell you the truth. But on my Jeep I keep the tires at 22psi for even wear and grip, heck even had them down to 10 psi to aid in 4x4ing in rocks.
Thanks

 

[VinnAY]

Just throwing it out there as something to really think about,. V8 forced induction will cost you tires no ifs ands or buts about it. You're going to go thru tires, especially any high grade summer tire with the grip you're trying to achieve and rotating them really is a pretty negligible thing. As said earlier it's pretty well a wash anyway over time.
Its like some one complaining that it wont get 35mpg on the hiway...you bought the wrong car if you want tires to last even a little while.

 

[ahl395]

Thanks for the reply. I don’t know, just seems like I get more life out tires on my various vehicles due to being able to rotate them. Seems like that is a pretty standard consensus across all makes/models? I don’t know though, just the impression I’ve come to after all the tire sets I’ve gone though in my life. Although, never had anything that was staggared until now. So I gotta ask if you notice a drastic change in straight line traction when you switch from your wide summers to the not so wide winters? I know different tread and rubber, just curious. With this car, I can see the fronts wearing out fast if I’m not allowed to rotate due to them wearing unevenly (faster on the inside) due to toe in, I just want to avoid that, but think I should keep a little toe in for handling’s sake.

Fronts dont wear fast at all, it's the rears that wear out. My fronts last over double my rears, they just steer versus the rears that spin and fishtail all the time lol.

Like I said though, yes you will go through rears much faster, but you wont have to replace the fronts for much longer than if you rotated them.

There is noticeable difference but I would not call it drastic to be honest. The 285 winters do pretty well. It's been awhile since I've had the summer tires on though and I've done alot of mods since then, so I'll have a better comparison in the next few weeks when I go back to the summers at my current power level.

Just throwing it out there as something to really think about,. V8 forced induction will cost you tires no ifs ands or buts about it. You're going to go thru tires, especially any high grade summer tire with the grip you're trying to achieve and rotating them really is a pretty negligible thing. As said earlier it's pretty well a wash anyway over time.
Its like some one complaining that it wont get 35mpg on the hiway...you bought the wrong car if you want tires to last even a little while.

I agree partially, there's no way your going to get 60k miles out of a set of tires on this type of car.

However it's not as bad as many think. My MPSS lasted over 20k in the rear, and the fronts can go to at least 40k (less than half worn at 20k). I'm more than happy with that amount of tire wear. Also to add I have about 400lbs extra in my trunk, so even with that my rears lasted much longer than expected.

 

[Notagain]

I never understood why everyone gets so bent out of shape about not being able to rotate.

Your rears will go sooner and your fronts will last longer, in the end its a wash. I replace my rear summer tires every year but the fronts can go for 2+ years. If I was able to rotate it would just distribute the wear evenly so I'd probably replace all four at 1.5 years. In the end it just about evens out to the same expense, but less traction.

A wider tire will have a larger contact patch with the road and will give you better traction since it won't spin as easy. However the kind of tire you use is equally important. A 285 MPSS will hold better than a sub-par 315 all season tire. A summer/winter tire in the appropriate conditions will also perform better than an all-season.

All street tires will spin in 1st and 2nd with forced induction. Some just less than others.

FWIW, I run staggered all year. 285 Front and 305/325 Rear MPSS in the summer, 255 Front and 285 Rear Pilot Alpins in the winter. Street driven only

Nailed it!! I was just thinking of this the other day. I refuse to buy new wheels and tires until I need to. I live in North Dakota and lets be honest the stock PZeros are trash.

So here's how things are planned for me.

Stock rear PZeros were trashed in short manner. But I kept the front PZeros incaee I needed one.

I needed to buy some snow tires before last winter and made the grestest single tire purchase I have ever made. Nokian Hakkapelittas. Worth every single penny and Ive got 2 sessons out of them. I wont reuse these again for a 3rd season.

Now for summer I have Firehawk Indy 500s and I was debating what to do when these snow tires come off soon.

I know the 4 FireHawks have very little miles on them from end of last summer because I was on active duty.

I might aswell put the stock PZeros back on the front and keep the FireHawks for the rear so I can burn up 2 sets through out this summer without spending more money on tires.

I dont forsee them rears lasting a full summer with a CJ Manifold and E85 setup with AED tune waiting to go one once the snow melts LOL!!

Anyways sorry Im a bit off track but I agree with you 100%

Buy the best tire your wallet can handle people. Youll be thankful once its said and done!!

I personally would consider getting 2 seasons out of dedicated summer set and dedicated winter set money well spent!!

Its quality over width here guys.

 

[Braski]

Staggered set up just means the fronts will last twice as long as the rears and you will never have to rotate tires ever again! O, and it will look killer!!

 

[Bartly]

Thanks for all the input guys!

 

[69mach1-395]

A 285 MPSS will hold better than a sub-par 315 all season tire.

Can you point out a 315 all season tire? I can't seem to find any...:cheers:

 

[hossman]

Hands down the best Ultra High Performance All Season tire is available in 315/35/20. Check out the Continental Extreme Contact DWS06 and its a 50,000 mile Y-Speed Rating.

 

[hossman]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

tirerack.com has them for $274

discounttiredirect.com has them for $256

 

[Nomadic]

So I’m being really hesitant on going with a staggered setup due to tire wear and life. I can’t get used to the idea of not being able to rotated the tires to get more life out of them.

Just think of all them $ you'll save on paying for tire rotations!

 

[69mach1-395]

Hands down the best Ultra High Performance All Season tire is available in 315/35/20. Check out the Continental Extreme Contact DWS06 and its a 50,000 mile Y-Speed Rating.

Cool, thanks. I was hoping to stay with 19s though. I'll have to consider it, but I have 3.15 gears and that is a tall tire.

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