I want to run 225/50/16 in the front and 245/50/16 in the rear. These will be on stock AP1 rims and I like the look of it. It's a little fatter but not a whole lot. How would this affect the handling of the S esp for canyons and autocross? I want to do it so long as it doesn't mess anything up. and the diameter should be the same as stock so the only change is that it will be still staggered but wider all around.

 

Way too basic of a question for R&C. Sending to tires.

 

225 is pretty wide for a 6.5" wide wheel, so expect your steering to feel more vague. Your grip should still improve overall though. These two factors in mind, how drastic you will notice traction improvement and vagueness will depend on your tire choice because that plays just a big a role. If you want the best chance at keeping some steering precision then you need a very stiff sidewall tire, and if you want a traction improvement then you need something as sticky as the factory s02 or better in the extreme summer category. 245/50 in the back has been a common replacement for the rear ap1 wheels, because its width is more inline with the wide 225/50 S02 from the factory. 245/45/16 would be a better choice overall though. Slightly shorter sidewall will improve sidewall deflection and retain some the cars snappiness from the slight gear reduction. You might consider a 215/50 for the front as well if available, that will help with alleviating some of the vagueness of a pinched tire and be a more proper stagger for the rear. I haven’t shopped for 16's in a long time though so im not sure what the choices are these days.

So again my suggestion if you want to upsize and the tire sizing is available in a high performance category, go with 215/50 - 245/45.

 

I used to run almost those sizes (225/50, 245/45) with track tires when running in a class that required stock wheels. It works OK especially with a larger front sway bar that balances the handling a bit. Ultimate grip will be there but clearly the car is more nimble on 215/245 17's.

 

AH gotcha. I dont know why but the tire selection for 245/45/16 is nonexistent. They have 245/50 and even that is not great but 245/45 for some reason is very hard to find.

So would you say just upgrading to AP2 17" square setup is the best move?

 

Yes 17's will give you many more tire options and a nice performance improvement. You can run the 8.5" rears all the way around sure, but the hubs are different size for the front, easiest/best way around that is to run a 5mm spacer for the fronts and that will stand off the hub to clear the diameter differences. Some guys like to go to the trouble and ruin a pair of stock wheels by honing out the hub opening for some reason.

But at any rate this will allow you to run up to a 255 all around if you want, though you may need to roll the front fenders. 245 up front you shouldn't.

 

Cool. I'm not heavily into rolling the fenders so I'll probably go 245 up front then, thanks.