Your thoughts on stretch tyres

thexav

Pro Tuner
Staff member
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2002 Clio 172
What are your thoughts on streched tyres? Are they safe, legal and most importabtly why?
 
I personally don't like them , would not fit them on my car, I don't think they are as save and possibly legal as normal tyres, but I could be wrong.

The one thing I would say, some cars looks on them rather superb, such as well tunned vw lupo or seat arosa or even some golf's III and IV with lowered suspensions.
If they do look good, then only on small/medium cars.
 
This has been covered before at great length. As long as the wheel width is within the tyre manufacturer's recommended limits there is no problem. Stray outside these limits (as most stretched tyres on VWs do) and you compromise the structural stability of the tyre and reduce its performance thereby making the car less safe. Only idiots would contemplate doing this,
 
i like stretched tyres on lowered lupos and arosas just gives it the final touch and they are legal and 75% safe but always that chance of it blowing off
 
i like stretched tyres on lowered lupos and arosas just gives it the final touch and they are legal and 75% safe but always that chance of it blowing off

What do you mean by 75% safe? How did you come up with that figure?

What you appear to be saying is in order to look cool you are happy to reduce the safety of your car by 25% and risk a blowout.

In the event of a crash you will probably not be insured if your tyres are stretched beyond the manufacture's recommended wheel width limits and you haven't told your insurance company about it. Also, in the event of a court case, the overstreched tyres will be used against you by the prosecution.

I think I will stick with being 100% safe and hope I don't meet you coming the other way on a slippery bend :)

In my opinion, if you are prepared to sacrifice, by admitting that you have compromised the safety of your vehicle, your passengers and other road users at the alter of 'style', I think my last comment in my previous post applies.
 
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Surely being 75% safe means that one tyre will pop off the rim. What kind of stretch vs wheel width are we talking here? What tyre pressures are you running?
 
Prince, what's your take on stretched winter tyres?

I'm not sure tbh. I was planning on running a larger sidewall. I use 215/40/17s during summer, but I'm planning on using 225/45/17s over winter. They're the proper sized tyre for the winter rims I'll be using.

Surely a stretched winter tyre would be worse

I'd imagine so as I thought you wanted something a little softer in winter, and stretching the rubber stiffens it.
 
Prince... you need to go narrower during winter rather than wider!!

This is because wider tyre aqua plain more and excert less presure on there contact patch, the idea is go for a narrower tyre to cut through the snow and slush to get to the road underneath, I'd go for some 205/50/17's, and also carry some weight in the boot.
 
Prince... you need to go narrower during winter rather than wider!!

This is because wider tyre aqua plain more and excert less presure on there contact patch, the idea is go for a narrower tyre to cut through the snow and slush to get to the road underneath, I'd go for some 205/50/17's, and also carry some weight in the boot.

Correct. You'd be better off with 15" steel rims as well. Get a tyre with a bit more sidewall flex.
 
Prince... you need to go narrower during winter rather than wider!!

This is because wider tyre aqua plain more and excert less presure on there contact patch, the idea is go for a narrower tyre to cut through the snow and slush to get to the road underneath, I'd go for some 205/50/17's, and also carry some weight in the boot.

I know mate. However, I don't want to upset the handling too much and to run narrower I would have to stretch them. It's wider vs stretched and I need to make the decision quickly! What do you think?

Correct. You'd be better off with 15" steel rims as well. Get a tyre with a bit more sidewall flex.

Whilst true mate, I'm planning on converting my brakes to E46 330 calipers and disks. I need a 17 inch wheel to clear them as nothing smaller will work.
 

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