At Hotchkis Performance, we've used quite a range of tires in a lot of our
testing. One interesting thing we've found is really short sidewall tires
actually handle worse on most trucks and SUV's for street performance.
Strangely, a little taller tire gives a little compliance and makes the
overall driveability better. On bumpy surfaces, shorter performance tires
get a little jittery. They produce a lot of grip but tend to be very
unforgiving with the weight of most trucks. For racing, nothing beats a
great performance tire. I run BFG G-force T/A 275-40/17's on the auto-cross
track and they stick like glue. I've tried these on the street and I don't
get much improvement in rough road handling, but I do get a lot more
harshness. On the street, I run BFG Comp T/A ZR4 255-50/17's and I love
them.
-Gary Pinkley
Original Message:
>What I do know is
>sidewall area in the 5" and under range offers way
>better handling. Like a 255/50-17. My wifes car is
>running 17" Enkei RP02 wheels with 215/40-17 treads.
>Having only 3.4" of sidewall area, it handles way
>better than stock. When you decrease the sidewall area
>it does throw most of the handling duties on the
>suspension components.
>Brad
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