E30 Zone

Who knows wat they're talking about when it comes to tyre stretching? Is it dangerous? Is it legal? And if I got the 9's on the rear and want the stretched look wat width tyres do I need? So many questions and such little time. Thanks for any advice.

Stretching is fine as long as you keep an eye on your tyre pressures!! i have alot of vdub mates and one of my mates is thinking of running a 245/35/18 on a 11.5 rim. im gonna be running a 215/40/17 on a 8.5 which is a slight stretch. and another thing some tyres will stretch better than others.

Look up style dynamix on you tube they have done loads.

cheers bro..

I run 225/45/16 on 9" rims, inflated to 32psi and have no probs at all regarding handling. The trouble with stretching is it leaves your rims exposed and I've had a couple of kerb instances which have made me cry!! (one my fault and another from being 'squeezed' by a truck against a kerb) They look great but you gotta be careful driving

I have 215s on 9" rims and have had 205s on 8"s, never ever had a problem and I'm not the most reserved driver!

As for being legal, it is fine.

I had 195/45/15 on my 8x15 RM's on the golf, no problem at all.

For a nice stretch on a 9 would be a 215/35 (i think styledynamix have these) or 215/40

But is there a problem regarding sudden traction loss?

Would it be ok to mount 175/70 r14 on 7 inch rims?

would the tire loose traction earlier than on a 6 inch rim?

I now have 215s over 10s and they breeak traction instantly, there is no middle ground.

Technically its illegal due to the construction and use regulations! they will say they werent designed for that rim and tyre and it MAY invalidate your insurance. but this is rare and you are unlikely to get pulled up on it.
as for dangerous a really big stretch has been known to put wierd stresses on the sidewalls of the tyre which in some combinations of make and stretch can cause the steel bands to rub the rubber away and cause a blowout. again very very rare but its one to be aware off!

jay1980 wrote:I now have 215s over 10s and they breeak traction instantly, there is no middle ground.

Hmmmm... that sounds fun...

Gibson wrote:Technically its illegal due to the construction and use regulations! they will say they werent designed for that rim and tyre and it MAY invalidate your insurance. but this is rare and you are unlikely to get pulled up on it.
as for dangerous a really big stretch has been known to put wierd stresses on the sidewalls of the tyre which in some combinations of make and stretch can cause the steel bands to rub the rubber away and cause a blowout. again very very rare but its one to be aware off!

But in the case of the steel bands rubbing away the rubber, is it from the inside? Or do you mean abnormal wear from the outside and then the blown tire?

nope. from the inside outwards lol! but this is incredibly rare as it is only in certain tyres and stretch combinations at certain PSI's, you would be unlucky to get this scenario but it has been known!

i use 205/40/16 on my 9"s. gives a good stretch and isnt too pushy if you get stopped. you see, coppers seem to think they know it all (i work with them and my bro is one) and although they know a fair bit about the roads and whats is and isnt legal, not many of them have actually read up on tyre sizing and application. for maximum safety id go with something with a high load rating because from my understanding, the side walls are stiffer.

hope it helps

Main thing to remember is to check your pressures as often as possible, if they drop the rim WILL cut through the sidewall and the tyre will fail!