Quote:
Originally Posted by johnung
I keep my cold tire pressures at F32/R35 which seems to work well for me. If I'm taking a long freeway trip then I bump the cold pressures up about 2 lbs.
The MPS4S summer tires grip is amazing. When I enter a turn it feels like the edge tread grabs the asphalt. I can really feel a big difference in the stability of the 245/40's vs the 225/45.
My winter tires are actually the stock size 225/45-18. So I spend from December to March waiting for the temperatures to get back over 40F so I can put my wider summer tires back on. The 245/40's feel more stable just driving down the highway. No downsides at all to going wider as far as handling or comfort. I was surprised that the MPS4S were much more comfortable than the stiff sidewall runflats. They absorb rough roads much better.
My winter tires (Michelin X-Ice SNOW) are awesome as temperatures drop into the 20's the rubber compound actually feels softer and grips the cold pavement better. All my life I was used to all season tires feeling harder and less grippy as it got colder.
Note: I chose the stock size 225/45 for my winter tires for a worst case scenario situation of unplowed high snowfall. I've been told that wider tires tend to almost hydroplane over heavy snow while more narrow tires dig through it. But in hindsight on the rare occasions where we get 6" or more snow in my area, it's plowed pretty quickly and I have no reason to be out in it. If I did it over I'd get the identical tire size for summer and winter tires. If I lived in the mountains it would be different.
Only possible con might be aesthetics. As Alohasurftoad noted, the diameter of 245/40-18 tires is slightly less than stock. Some people think that they can see an increase in front tire to fender gap. I think that some of that may be due to differing tire width and tread width too.
Using TireRack's measured numbers to compare tire diameter of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S to my stock runflats.
26.3" 235/45-18 MPS4S
26.0" 225/45-18 Pirelli Runflats
25.7" 245/40-18 MPS4S
Now it's important to note that those are diameter values. The radius of 0.15" is the actual increase or decrease in gap depending on which upgraded tire size is chosen. For comparison 1/8"= 0.125 so the difference in gap is a little more than 1/8". I really think that any perceived visual difference has more to do with the difference in the taper of two tire's width and tread width, than the actual 1/8" gap difference.
So both tire sizes are a definite improvement in handling. If the emphasis is on the aesthetics of tire/fender gap then choose 235/45-18. If the emphasis is on the feeling of maximum stability from a wider tire, then choose 245/40-18. Really can't go wrong either way.
Hope this helps!
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Thank you so much. This is exactly what I was looking for. Increased front end grip, stability and handling is my main goal. My only concern is hydroplaning and snow driving. Have you had any problems in the rain?