Hi all,

need all new 18 inch tyres.

Have had toyos for last three sets, and never been entirely convinced.


Have never had bridgestones and have missed out on the so2 revolution, so now maybe it is time for so3s.

The thing is, the 22B can fit 245 wide 35 18s, which I believe toyo make, but so3s only come in 225 (dont want to risk 255).

So do I try so3s in a 225 or fit toyos again in a 235 or 245?

Help?

what tyre size are the wheels designed for?

wheels are 8 inches wide.

bridgestone make a 255, which I could risk, but I dont know if the arches or wheels would be happy.

The wheels are special group n motorsport. I have no way of knowing if they have an intended tyre size, I only know the width!

what I mean is.. what tyre width are they intended for?

fitting the wrong size tyre to a wheel is bad news anyway, so that needs to be the first consideration, then chose from the tyres that are made in that size IMHO.

I understood question.

but as I said, all info I have is they are 18 inch wheels, are 8 inches wide and are intended for group N impreza use only. They are the rally version as opposed to the road version which means they are heavier but also tougher. I can only assume this would therefore allow me to use a low profile safely, added to this, the impreza doesnt fit 18 inch wheels with greater than a 35 profile, and the width cannot go higher than 225 on the standard car.

I have more leeway cos my arches are overweight.

I would "guess" the intended tyre size is infact 225 35 18. Someone please correct me if |i am wrong.

OK apologies..

it does seem likely that 225 are the intended size, so I would stick to that.. definitely not 255 (if 225 is the intended - you REALLY need to check this out)..

but..

more importantly. how much heavier are they?

the reason for the increased strength is so that burnsey can slam them into pot holes and ditches at the side of the road without buckling them, over and over again. This is obviously not needed on a road car but..

are you saying they are heavier than normal 18" wheels, or just heavier than 17's? As the reduced amount of tyre in the sidewall can in some cases reduce the overall unsprung weight.. but..

if you are increasing your unsprung weight, you will almost certainly be making a negative effect on the handling...

the reason unsprung weight is such an important thing is that is affects every part of the handling in a negative way. Most changes to set-ups have positives in one area, and negatives in others. Increasing un-sprung weight (as far as I know) is ONLY negative.

Cheers

Simon

thankls for help simon.

Remember I am talking group n not wrc. Slamming into pot holes although just as likely is of less importance here.

These are normal alloys but only available to group n impreza drivers. they cannot be bought through normal oz dealers. There are two versions available. Light weight road versions (intended for tarmac smooth special stages) and stronger tougher rally versions. They are identical except in weight.

When I said heavier, I meant heavier than the lighter road versions which are liable to collapse on potholes etc.

The wheels are conventional weigth alloy wheels of around the 10kg mark. So to my knowledge they are no worse than my current bbs 17 inch wheels.

I think you are right in suggesting 225 width, and my desire to finally buy a bridgestone is going to influence my decision, so S03s it is then.

Thanks for advice simon, appreciate it.

and joking aside, since seeing you on tv, my friend wants your autograph. What a lame ar5e!!!!

Why are you choosing S03s? Are they meant to be a top performing tyre? AFAIK they are not intended as a direct replacement for S02s.

(Reposted from General Questions http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/smile.gif )

OK Adam,
From what I can remember I think the ideal width tire for an 8" rim is a 225, there may be some useful info here:

where did I say that the so3 was an so2 replacement?

I never thought it was. It doesnt mean that they arent a great tyre. I have heard fantatsic reporrts about them admittedly only in the bigger sizes, but then mine are 18s.