195/55/16 5th gen? - Page 2 - Honda Prelude Forum

97ludeacrs · 10-23-2008, 12:18 AM

and not to be a smartass, but aspect ratio is sidewall height. a 205/55/16 for example is a 205/55/16. aspect ratio is 55% of 205 (which is section width)........ if this were not the case then universal p-metric sizing would be useless and when you need to get new tires you could just get 16's! i am really just trying to help this guy out a little with selecting tires....not trying to start a 50 page tire discussion

JHall250 · 10-23-2008, 01:11 AM

It's a percent of size sidewall height.

215/45R17 sidewall height = 3.8in
275/35R17 sidewall height = 3.8in

The profile number itself tells you what percentage, as you've mentioned, but one cannot determine sidewall height based on aspect ratio alone if the section widths are different. A 195/55R16 is only .2 inches taller than the stock so it will be just fine.

97ludeacrs · 10-23-2008, 11:05 AM

that is what i said, but i am glad that we are in agreement. the 195/55/16's will be just fine....

JHall250 · 10-23-2008, 02:03 PM

We need some party poppers for the conclusion of this one lol.

Case closed...I hope.

rpwolf · 10-23-2008, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97ludeacrs

i was just trying o explain some basics.......

also i just want to clarify a couple things, and i am not trying to correct you, just help ya out so please dont take offense as none is meant

195 section width has only to do with how wide the tire is, it will have nothing to do with offset of the wheels being positive or negative and sticking out..... maybe you could clarify your previous statement, i am unclear of its meaning

the reason racing teams use wider ties in racing is that they have increased contact patches which will allow for greater corner entry speed and the such, which is great for racing or summer or dry roads.....changing to wider tires is one of the easiest performance mods you can do..... in the winter however it is better to stay stock or could go narrower, obviously not too narrow but you get the drift....

please, any more questions ya have i hope i can help

I know you and jhall arent trying to be smartasses, and neither an I. But im liking this discussion and hope you guys dont mind it either.

as for the "wheel sticking out" thing I mentioned, I wasnt reffering to offset, but reffering to the amount of wheel that would be exposed by running a thinner wheel. Since ive only lived in sunny drier areas(soCA and FL), im not to familiar with winter tires. So the pressure thing makes sense, and also the fact that its about finding the correct medium between too wide and too thin.

peter330 · 10-24-2008, 10:11 PM

umm so ya... what are winter tires again?

Haha j/k, but i'm still going to agree with Jlude. Its makes sense and without getting into the fine detail of drag racing vs winter driving, i think it should fit fine without sacrificing maneuverability. In my oppinion, I think the addes pressure per sq inch contacting the ground will outweigh the less side control... in the winter that is. But hey, what do I know? And besides, im not drifting in my lude anyway.

Thanks for all the insightful comments and replies. The true test will be soon to come. I envy you southerners

peter330 · 12-04-2008, 09:53 PM

Just in case anyone was wondering, the 195/55/16's fit perfect on the stock rims and doesnt look to strange other than the wheels being little more skinny than usual. No rubbing whatsoever. The sidewalls look a little buldged but no problems with scraping it along curbs or anything. Havent had a heavy snowfall yet to test the driveability on dunlop wintersport m3's but as soon as I get a chance, ill let you all know.

Cheers

peter330 · 12-04-2008, 09:55 PM

Thanks for your help on this by the way...

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97ludeacrs

ok well hopefully i can help here...... a 195/55/16 is roughly the same outside diameter as the stock size 205/50/16...
i am not assuming that anyone doesnt know this already but i am just going to post for general info

stock size ... 205/50/16

205 is section width in mm
50 is aspect ratio
16 obviously rim size

soooo 205 x .50 = 102.5( tire sidewall height in mm)
multiply this by 2 = 205 ( i know this is stupid for our size but it will work for all sizes)
divide this number by 25.4 ( roughly 25.4 mm per inch)

this equals = 8.07
add rim diameter (16) == 24.07

same calculations on a 195/55/16 you get ---> 24.44

this is close enough that it will work fine, you will read slightly faster that spedo.... however since the comtact patch will decrease in size, there will be more pressure and therefore more traction in snowy conditions....in this case the decreased footprint helps but be careful of all other conditions as this size will have less lateral grip than the stock size.....it is negligible in the winter, but come summer i would atleast go back to stock

hope this helps....
( i could go on and on sorry, i used to sell tires for a wholesale tire company)