i keep seeing this pop up in various pictures around the site (often on cars that i like, other than the wheel/tire fitment) and i just dont get it… why in the hell would you mount a ~245 series tire on a 12" wide wheel, or any similar, but equally ridiculous combo? does it somehow serve a purpose that i’m not thinking of? are these people trying to expose the lips of their wheels to promote dents and dings on their wheels? what makes it worse is the typical camber these cars run where maybe 1/2 of the tread is actually contacting the road… so now you have super wide wheels, with high performance (usually) tires, and a jacked up alignment that eliminates any possible added traction from and quickly ruins your upgraded tires all while exposing the lip of your high dollar wheel to unnecessary hazards… maybe i’m just getting old (at the ripe old age of 28…) but what gives?
I dont really get it either. I guess its a look at what I can do, Im cooler than you, and if you call it stupid, its cause you dont get it and are a “hater.”
It’s a queer euro thing , suttin about the tread can’t come out past the fender over there . Now all the ballers gotta do it . I don’t like it either and its a bitch to seat em on the wheels etc
since this is nothing new, if you don’t get it/don’t like it by now you never will so there is no reason to try to explain why people stretch tires. if you want a real answer go to google i guess but i figure this thread is just to start a debate. which will go nowhere on this forum because people can’t think outside of their own opinions on here (or pretty much anywhere).
just like every automotive trend some people like it some people don’t, it’s what makes the scene great, not every car looks the same.
it may not be “new” but it’s relatively new to me… most of the forums and people i have always been around cater more to domestic performance and don’t have the diversity in vehicles that this site has… i had no intentions of starting a debate, i was more or less just curious as to WHY people do it… do i think it looks good? no… do i understand that it is a trend and that some people do? absolutely… my parents dont understand modifying a vehicle at all for the most part- and that’s ok because they are happy with stock vehicles… i’m typically a very logical person and like to see mods done to a vehicle which net some sort of positive result performance or looks wise- hopefully both at the same time (built motors, forced induction, body restoration, etc…) to each their own, i was just curious to see if someone could explain the stretched sidewall trend in a way that made sense to me… assuming that i am closed minded without even knowing me is kind of the pot calling the kettle black…
It’s does go well with drifting for many reasons: less traction, more steering clearance, stiff sidewall, ect… until you have a car with big power and you need a wider tire for more traction, even then you don’t see people drifting on 300 series tire too much. And for drift cars camber isn’t supposed to be “normal”, negative camber can help out a lot.
As for those old shitty box VW’s dumped out on 14" steel wheels with trailer tires stretched on… that’s kinda stupid looking
Flush wheels or wide wheels with ‘correct’ tire sizes, would make it impossible to lower the car. The stretch is necessary to get low, while keeping the lips of the wheels from tucking inside the wheel wells.
Everyone has different opinions/reasons to love or hate it- just like some ppl think fitment like that miata capcrew posted is sick, since the fenders are shaving the letters off the tires.
It’s cosmetic. I don’t think there is an argument for stretched tires performance advantages
i think its a horrible look honestly and idk about the drifting thing major ddift cars arent like that sure some negative camber but this trend is pointless to me unless ur looking for a use full way to waist money
More power, with shit traction will make you spin out, have less control, not as fast as other cars… Believe it or not drifting is controlled, traction is really needed. After I upgraded my turbo to the HX35 I stepped up to wider rear tires, 235 or 245/40-18s is all I run now. My skill progressed this year and next year I will probably run just 245’s. My rear camber is around -1.5deg, I will be changing that to -0.5deg for next season too.
Front camber is maxed the fuck out, around -6 I think
