205/50/16 Goodyear Fuel Max Ride

runbikerun · #1 (**permalink**) 10-19-2009, 11:15 PM

Hey, A quick update. I put some Assurance Fuel Max 205/50/16s on my 09 Sport stock wheels. So far they are pretty good tires. The ride is smoother than stock at 35psi. I can't comment officially on the mileage as of yet because the cold weather and has been playing havoc on my first couple tanks of gas with them. I do think I might be adding 1 mpg. I'll post when I get some accurate, consistent reports. I know these are more of a Touring tire but I really feel the sway that they give at highway speeds is terrible. Would a wider rim (7") help this? I upped the pressure to 40 psi and the sway seems better but I'm not sure if they feel that safe at 70mph. Anyone else have this issue?

neil patrick harris · #2 (**permalink**) 10-20-2009, 12:25 AM

do they not feel more stable than the stock tires? i would have guessed since it has a much wider contact patch that it would. perhaps you have too much pressure in your tires causing the tire to bulge in the middle and defeating the wider surface area? is the sway really better when you put in more pressure or was there just less wind when you were driving the second time around?

runbikerun · #3 (**permalink**) 10-20-2009, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neil patrick harris

do they not feel more stable than the stock tires? i would have guessed since it has a much wider contact patch that it would. perhaps you have too much pressure in your tires causing the tire to bulge in the middle and defeating the wider surface area? is the sway really better when you put in more pressure or was there just less wind when you were driving the second time around?

I will take the pressure back to 35 than 33 and check the difference. It really became apparent when i would change lanes at 70mph. It felt like the care would rock back and forth. I am still trying to find out if a wider rim would change this?

neil patrick harris · #4 (**permalink**) 10-20-2009, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by runbikerun

I will take the pressure back to 35 than 33 and check the difference. It really became apparent when i would change lanes at 70mph. It felt like the care would rock back and forth. I am still trying to find out if a wider rim would change this?

a wider wheel won't give you a wider contact patch if you're running the same size tires, UNLESS the tires are technically too big to fit on your current wheels in the first place. if they're too wide for wheels, the outside tread may not be making contact w/ the ground. i can't really verify whether or not 205s are too wide for a 6.5" wheel.

tdesi420 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 07:39 PM

205's are not too wide on a 6.5" rim. i am running that setup currently on my GE8 with 15" rims. Car feels more stable than the stock 185's on the stock 16" rims, especially on a windy day.

huisj · #6 (**permalink**) 11-06-2009, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdesi420

205's are not too wide on a 6.5" rim. i am running that setup currently on my GE8 with 15" rims. Car feels more stable than the stock 185's on the stock 16" rims, especially on a windy day.

A 6.5" rim is fine for a a 205 tire. All Ford Focus' with the 16" wheels had 6.5" rims, and they all ran 205/50/16 from the factory.

Chad T · #7 (**permalink**) 11-06-2009, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by runbikerun

I will take the pressure back to 35 than 33 and check the difference. It really became apparent when i would change lanes at 70mph. It felt like the care would rock back and forth. I am still trying to find out if a wider rim would change this?

Brand new tires can be a little squishy for the first few hundred miles too. Maybe see if they get better with a little wear.