ALT-5 Tips for Buying Low Profile Tires
There is a great temptation to buy cheap tires. After all, they are all black, rubber, and approved by the DOT, right? Low profile tires present this temptation in the extreme, as they play on an inherently male envy of "bigger is better." The right answer is "better is better." Here is how you get there, Speed Racer.
First, pick your size. Don't get into a money/size trade-off - "If I just buy this Brand X tires instead, I can afford to get 20-inch rims." Look in your owners manual or on the side of your current skins to get your tire "fitment" or size. A typical example would be 195/50XR14. The first number, here 195, refers to the width of the tire in millimeters. The second number, here 50, is the aspect ratio, which refers to the height of the sidewall. The lower the aspect ration, the lower the "profile" of your tire. The last number, here 14, is the diameter of your wheel in inches. Use a calculator like the kind offered on the websites of big Internet tire retailers to calculate which tire and wheel combos your car can easily accommodate. For example, a 195/50XR14 can be stepped up to a 205/40XR17. In this example, your wheel is three inches larger, and your tire profile is lower. Get that math wrong, and your speedometer will be off. No state trooper will care that you have kickin' new rims on your whip, if he pulls you for 65 in a 55. Use the fitment calculator, and go with what the computer says. Do not trade size for price, as you will pay for it either in speeding tickets and a poorly handling car.
Now you have the size, get the speed rating. The letter before the letter R in the above tire fitment refers to the tire's speed rating. "Z" rated tires are the highest speed rating. That means that they will maintain their integrity just over 200 mph. Think Lamborghini. But also think for smart. Pick a speed rating that is at least as high as the OEM tires on your sled. Yes, you can go higher, and that is always safe. Beware of the relatively new "U" and "W" rated tires. They are not rated for as high a speed as you would think. "S" is the most common middle rating, but most all low profile tires are "Y" or "Z" rated. Likely your speed rating choice will be made for you. That's okay, though, "Y or "Z" will do you just fine, Mr. Andretti.
There is a critical wheel, not tire, measurement that you should check with a wheel/tire professional. That is the wheel off-set, which measures where the wheel sits on the hub of your car. Ever see those "Fast and Furious" reject cars with the tires sticking out like Princess Leih's hairdo when viewed from behind? That is the result of an improper (and unsafe) wheel off-set.
As the commercial says, stick with a trusted name in tires, like Michellin, Bridgestone, Pirelli, GoodYear, or Yokohama. Brand names still mean quality, and they carry cache among people who know. But, you need to know that not all tires under one brand name are created equal. Compare the reviews of your tire model on an Internet retail site. For example, the Pirelli P6, is a good name and a terrible tire. I replaced those on my car for a much better rated Pirelli that cost about the same.
Next, tread wear is the measure that tells you how often you will be replacing tires. For starters, decide on a Summer tire or an All-Season. All Season will give you extra tread life, but not be as "sticky" as a Summer tire. Picture the image of your gumball-sticky Summer tires melting into the hot pavement to give you that extra grip. You can get longer tread wear if you are willing to compromise on performance. All-Season performance tires are a relatively new bridge between the two extremes. I think that they are a really good compromise, which is what all tire purchases are about - striking the right compromise. You should look at the "alphabet" tread-wear ratings as well. For most low profile All-Season performance tires and normal driving, you can get an A rated tread, and it will last 10,000-15,000 miles. Reduce that by a third for Summer tires. Do no buy anything with a B tread wear rating, unless you can afford to buy new tires in 5,000 miles.
Okay, Speed Racer, find a tread pattern that looks the best but works for your climate. "Cool" is purely subjective, but Toyo has the best tread patterns. Low profile tire treads come in all kinds of shapes from backslashes to "Y" to those ones with the ugly "rain channel" from the old TV commercial. Again, All-Season tires will not look as "cool" but the extra, less-symmetrical marks in the tread give you better wet-weather performance. Hydroplaning is not cool.
Take a good look at the shape of the tires. I like tires that have a square look to them, when viewed from behind. The manufacturers will tell you that squareness improves turn-in performance, when cornering. Some low profile tires have a little extra rubber on the side, which the manufacturers claim helps protect your expensive wheels. That is purely marketing hype. That skinny strip of rubber will not protect your OZ or Mugen rims from road rash. Just pay attention instead when you park by the curb.
Finally, factor in the cost of having the tires mounted. This is not a DIY project. You may want your tires from the place that mounts them, but you can buy them online and have them shipped to the place that mounts them. Either way, you can likely you can get a deal on lifetime rotation. Again, do the math. Since you will want to rotate every 5,000 miles, it doesn't make since to get "lifetime" rotation for Summer tires. Give them plenty of air. Find a car buff who you trust, and get his opinion on tire inflation.
