Help Picking Tires

[JDMAtenza21]

I'm getting 18x7 42mm offset rims, but I don't know a damn thing about tires. So if you guys could help me with what kind and what size tires I should get I would appreciate it. Thanks.

[frkideaky]

I have 18x7.5 +42 and I got Kumho SPTs. Those are great tires especially for the price. Look em' up on tirerack... and also do a search, you'll find a lot of info.

[Tire Guy]

I'm getting 18x7 42mm offset rims, but I don't know a damn thing about tires. So if you guys could help me with what kind and what size tires I should get I would appreciate it. Thanks.
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18x7 will really limit what you can put on the car (only 2 sizes, 215/45R18 and 225/45R18). Both of those sizes are relatively new to the market and you won't have much for tire choices. Consider instead getting 18x7.5 which will allow you to use 225/40R18, which is a much more common size and will give you more choices.

[JDMAtenza21]

I have 18x7.5 +42 and I got Kumho SPTs. Those are great tires especially for the price. Look em' up on tirerack... and also do a search, you'll find a lot of info.
[/b]

Thanks for the suggestion man, but I have 18x7 rims, not 18x7.5.

18x7 will really limit what you can put on the car (only 2 sizes, 215/45R18 and 225/45R18). Both of those sizes are relatively new to the market and you won't have much for tire choices. Consider instead getting 18x7.5 which will allow you to use 225/40R18, which is a much more common size and will give you more choices.
[/b]

I already bought the rims tho...

[Tire Guy]

I already bought the rims tho...
[/b]

Okay, next question. What do you want/expect from your tires? Are you looking for all out performance, long treadlife, do you live where it snows, do you have a seperate set of winter tires, etc, etc. Before anybody can recommend a tire, we need more info.

[FormulaLT1]

toyoguy makes a really good point. you have to let us know what you're looking for in a tire before we can help.

I do agree that the Kumho SPT is a great tire and really really hard to beat for the price. I had a really hard time buying my RE-01Rs knowing that they'd last less than half as long and cost twice as much than the SPT's. but it's about priorities.

[JDMAtenza21]

Okay, next question. What do you want/expect from your tires? Are you looking for all out performance, long treadlife, do you live where it snows, do you have a seperate set of winter tires, etc, etc. Before anybody can recommend a tire, we need more info.
[/b]

Sorry about that...

I do live where it snows, but that does not matter. I will have my stock 17s on with winter tires for those months. I definitely want performance, but I also want tires that will last ya know? As far as money goes, I would like a decent price... they don't have to be too cheap, but I don't want them to be extremely expensive either.

I know that probably doesn't really help much lol. I'm just looking for a top-quality, good performance tire that will fit my rims without completely burning a hole in my pocket. However, I would rather spend the money and get top-quality, then not spend the money and get shit...

[JDMAtenza21]

What do you guys suggest out of these 6??

http://edgeracing.com/2004/Mazda/6/tires/18/

I bought my rims from this site, so if I buy tires from there too I will get free mounting and free balancing. So I would like to do that...

[posttosh]

What do you guys suggest out of these 6??

http://edgeracing.com/2004/Mazda/6/tires/18/

I bought my rims from this site, so if I buy tires from there too I will get free mounting and free balancing. So I would like to do that...
[/b]

Polyester universally is used for the carcass material of the "cheapest" (in all senses of the word) tires made, but polyester also makes its way into tires at the next level up, including some of the tires at the URL above. Rayon is more expensive than polyester, and tire manufacturers usually accept the higher manufacturing cost of rayon only to make tires that they are aiming at end users who can appreciate rayon's slight performance advantage over polyester (more linear response over a wider range of operating temperatures). Were I you, I would use that wink-wink hint from the manufacturer as a criterion to limit my choices to the tires in that group that have rayon body plies. (Not a definitive answer, I know, but it does narrow the field somewhat.)

[Tire Guy]

Sorry about that...

I do live where it snows, but that does not matter. I will have my stock 17s on with winter tires for those months. I definitely want performance, but I also want tires that will last ya know? As far as money goes, I would like a decent price... they don't have to be too cheap, but I don't want them to be extremely expensive either.

I know that probably doesn't really help much lol. I'm just looking for a top-quality, good performance tire that will fit my rims without completely burning a hole in my pocket. However, I would rather spend the money and get top-quality, then not spend the money and get shit...
[/b]

Based on your response, I would recommend the Toyo Proxes T1R in 215/45R18. I think it meets most, if not all of your wants/needs.