Meaty Tires Thread

[GeorgiaFiesta]

Hey y'all, I picked up a set of 15" TD 1.2s. Based on what I've read from others' experiences, a good option for tires seems to be 205/55R15. Have any of you gone this route, am I on the right track? Thanks!

 

[M-Sport fan]

IF you could find that old E30 Bimmer size tire, it would be the perfect daily use street tire for really bad roads (craters, bombed out frost heaves, etc.).

Tire rack only shows two tires in that size the Yok Fleva, and the Kumho PS31, but both are longer wearing, 300+ tread wear summer tires so you are SOL if you want/need a UHP all season.

Most go 205/50-15 for the street, and a 225/45-15 for open track/higher classification autocross setups.

 

[GeorgiaFiesta]

IF you could find that old E30 Bimmer size tire, it would be the perfect daily use street tire for really bad roads (craters, bombed out frost heaves, etc.).

Tire rack only shows two tires in that size the Yok Fleva, and the Kumho PS31, but both are longer wearing, 300+ tread wear summer tires so you are SOL if you want/need a UHP all season.

Most go 205/50-15 for the street, and a 225/45-15 for open track/higher classification autocross setups.

Wow TireRack has quite a few options in 205/50 - thanks!

 

[kevinatfms]

225/45R15 for sure.

Check tirestreets.com for the Accelera Sport 651 Xtra. Its a 100tw tire but they are going for crazy cheap at $77/tire. They are equal to a 200tw super though so dont expect 100tw grip. Either way, for a track tire they are cheap and can last 6+ hours endurance racing(use them in Champ Car right now on a 2800lb FWD car). They hold the heat pretty good in 200tw flavor so the 100tw flavor should be even better.

 

[M-Sport fan]

WOW, I did not think that company would go anywhere near a sticky track/autocross donut!

COOL!

 

[kevinatfms]

WOW, I did not think that company would go anywhere near a sticky track/autocross donut!

COOL!

We took the chance at using them in Champ Car when we burned through 12 tires in 215/45R16 Azenis 615K+ in one race due to a bum alignment. Knowing this car had a terrible lack of camber on anything but the coilover setup we thought that it might be worth it to try a cheaper tire and see how it did.

We saw the 205/50R16 in the 200tw Sport 651 and tried them out for a 12 hour race at VIR on the South Course. Only gripes we had was that the fronts started to overheat mid day after 4ish hours non-stop. Told the driver to back it off a bit and just cruise. It seemed to help since he set our fastest lap time of 5 drivers. He might have been pushing it a little too hard as shortly after his stint we needed to swap brake rotors and clean up the pads.

Either way, they are track capable 200/100tw tires for under $100 each. The 200tw Sport 651 is on par with the Federal RS-RR and RS4 tires ive used so far on my Fiesta. They do not get close to RE71 or BFG 1.5s. They did last a long time on a camber challenged front wheel drive car with no LSD. So they get props for that.

We went 11 hours and 49 min on the rear set of tires with barely any wear. The fronts were changed around the 6-7 hour mark for a fresh set. I think with proper camber and an LSD the tires would have lasted another 3-4 hours of abuse before we changed them out. For reference: 2002 Hyundai Elantra, at the time suspension setup was H&R springs(cut 2 coils off) with KYB front AGX/rear GR-2 Tiburon shocks, 18mm rear sway bar, new bushings all around and the regular race stuff(cage, fire suppression, FIA seat...etc). Car weighs somewhere in the 2500lb range without driver and is a 140hp/2.0L with a 5 speed. IRS rear with Elantra GT disc brake conversion.

 

[glarsenov]

Hey everyone!

Big thanks to this awesome forum, this topic and especially to a few helpful folks like Grendlehop18 and Ledfoot—you guys with your input convinced me to officially join the meaty gang!
Can't thank you enough!

I recently picked up a fresh set of 15" OZ Ultraleggera (ET42) paired with 205/55 Yokohama Fleva V701 tires.

They spent a few days in my living room while I took the time to ceramic coat them. Honestly, I couldn’t stop staring at them—they looked sooo good. I kept sneak peeking at them so often that my GF started making fun of me that I'm checking them more often than her


And today... they finally made it onto the car.
As first impressions the ride quality-wise, everything I read on here was spot on—plush yet still sporty. It glides over small road imperfections, handles speed bumps with ease, and the cabin is noticeably quieter. I can actually hear more of the fun stuff now—the turbo spool, the wastegate, and that raw engine note. The rolling noise is significantly decreased.

I absolutely love how they sit:


Even after just 20 miles of city driving, the difference is undeniable. The car feels sharper, more responsive—it accelerates better, brakes better, even turns better. It just feels more alive.

If anyone’s on the fence about this upgrade—I highly recommend it.
Totally transforms the car.
I've already bought braided lines, a symposer delete + new front disks and pads.
So very soon, things will get even better, just my mechanic to return from the holidays.

Remain open to any questions.

 

[M-Sport fan]

NICE!!

Those are the absolutely lightest of any of the street (not full race/forged/magnesium), direct fit, 4x108 wheels out there!

Great all 'round setup if you do not need a tire which can handle extended sub 30*F temps, or any ice/snow at all.