200tw tires for Track use

[DarkArrow]

Hankook RS4 question. I was going to buy a set of RS4's but I don't see the size I always get. I have some 18" x 8.5" wheels with a 43 offset. I have to run 7mm spacers on the front due to my BBK. I usually get 235/40 R18's and they rub on my plastic wheel well liners.
The only thing I see close is 245/40ZR18 RS4. Do the Hankooks run a little narrow by any chance?

Have you done the fender screw mod? I had minor rubbing issues under hard compression on 245/40/18s, which was remedied by the fender screw mod.

FWIW, TireRack says a 235/40/18 Michelin PS4 is 8.3" wide vs a 245/40/18 R-S4 is 9.9" wide.

 

[Salami]

I can't read. I'm an idiot.

 

[DarkArrow]

That is incorrect.
9.5" vs 9.8"

View attachment 279823

View attachment 279824

I stand corrected, I was looking at the AS4's. What I'm currently running on my car as a daily, as it's a fairly "common" tire for people to run and Michelin Pilot Sports tend to run "wide"
And I was comparing to R-S4 in 245/40/18 since that's what he was asking about, not the Michelin which your screenshot shows.

 

[MonkeyMD]

Isn't tread width what you really want to look at?

In this case it would be 8.3 vs 9.9

 

[scrllock]

depends where it's rubbing. tread width matters in terms of evaluating contact patch but section width would matter if you're rubbing the sidewalls.

 

[DerHase]

depends where it's rubbing. tread width matters in terms of evaluating contact patch but section width would matter if you're rubbing the sidewalls.

This.

If you're rubbing on the fuel filler neck, the section width will be the main problem. If you're hitting the fender liners at full lock, tread width will be your main issue.



Forgot to add but I measured the "mounted" overall section width on my V730s like I did on my RT660s many many posts ago. Here is how the overall widths are:

Tire	*TireRack* measured tread width (wheel mounted on)	*TireRack measured section width (wheel mounted on)	*MY* Measured overall section width (All on 17x9 Apex SM10)
Falken RT660 245/40R17	8.5in/216mm (on 8.5in wheel)	10.0in/254mm (on 8.5in wheel)	259mm
Kumho V730 245/40R17	8.7in/221mm (on 8.5in wheel)	9.8in/249mm (on 8.5in wheel)	256mm
Kumho V730 255/40R17	8.9in/226mm (on 9in wheel)	10.2in/259mm (on 9in wheel)	261mm

The RT660s have a MUCH more square profile as viewed from above vs the V730. The 245 RT660 on 17x9 Apex wheels I had just SLIGHT rubbing in the rear on the stock shock covers at stock ride height with -2.0 deg of camber. The 245 V730 is nowhere near making contact back there by comparison. Unfortunately all this proves is that the "tread width" measurement is kind of fuzzy as when the tire is rounded on the edges, it's hard to say exactly where it "ends". The photo below isn't *exactly* at the same angle, but they're real close. You can visually see the 245 RT660 appears noticeably beefier than the 245 V730.

The section width measurements I took are probably all within +/-1 or 2mm. Taken by placing the wheel on the concrete floor, using a carpenters level across the outside sidewall, and using a metric tape measure to the floor.

@Deanjet RS4s run wide, probably similar if not wider than the RT660 does for what it's worth. If knew someone local who had a set I'd try to measure for you.

 

[DarkArrow]

depends where it's rubbing. tread width matters in terms of evaluating contact patch but section width would matter if you're rubbing the sidewalls.

From the post saying plastic wheel well liners, I'm assuming the fronts. Which, to me, would still be tread width since it's right at that corner that rubs the fender liner/screw. But I agree it depends on what is rubbing.

 

[Salami]

I stand corrected, I was looking at the AS4's. What I'm currently running on my car as a daily, as it's a fairly "common" tire for people to run and Michelin Pilot Sports tend to run "wide"
And I was comparing to R-S4 in 245/40/18 since that's what he was asking about, not the Michelin which your screenshot shows.

View attachment 279836
View attachment 279835

So you are saying this is the R-S4 tire profile

 

[DerHase]

So you are saying this is the R-S4 tire profile

View attachment 279875

No, that's the compound for RS4s.

 

[DarkArrow]

So you are saying this is the R-S4 tire profile

View attachment 279875

Not going to start a pissing contest with you because you did not read the original question and posted screenshots of the incorrect tire. Enjoy being a keyboard warrior who gets defensive and sarcastic when he's wrong.

 

[Salami]

Not going to start a pissing contest with you because you did not read the original question and posted screenshots of the incorrect tire. Enjoy being a keyboard warrior who gets defensive and sarcastic when he's wrong.

Defensive? Relax dude. Clean the sand out of your underwear.

I made a mistake, in haste I read R-S4 as PS4. The brick picture was a joke in reference to the profile of the tire. The thread width is almost identical to the section width which is extremely rare for tires. Based on the measurements alone the sidewalls have no bulge to them at all.

 

[clownish]

No, that's the compound for RS4s.

Accurate though. They're amazing.

 

[Deanjet]

Have you done the fender screw mod? I had minor rubbing issues under hard compression on 245/40/18s, which was remedied by the fender screw mod.

FWIW, TireRack says a 235/40/18 Michelin PS4 is 8.3" wide vs a 245/40/18 R-S4 is 9.9" wide.

Fender screw mod is done, I’m rubbing through the fender liner about 10” forward of that screw.
Looks like the Hankooks won’t work.

 

[jay745]

Based on the measurements alone the sidewalls have no bulge to them at all.

Sidewalls are super stiff compared to other tires too. I love em

 

[DerHase]

Defensive? Relax dude. Clean the sand out of your underwear.

I made a mistake, in haste I read R-S4 as PS4. The brick picture was a joke in reference to the profile of the tire. The thread width is almost identical to the section width which is extremely rare for tires. Based on the measurements alone the sidewalls have no bulge to them at all.

It is true they have a very square profile when mounted on a "typical" sized wheel for a given size. They feel kinda meh feedback-wise unless they have a slight stretch to them.

For visual reference on the Mazda2:
225/45R15 on 15x9 up front
195/50R15 on 15x7.5 out back

Last pic is a 225/45R15 on a 15x7.5 wide wheel next to a 195/50R15 on the same size wheel.

For the record the 195 RS4 was about a 1/4in wider tread than a 205 RE71R.