Newbie question on new tire setup
 

What would be the ideal setup for the new volks TE37sls?

19x9.5 +22
19x10.5 +12


I'm looking at the RE11's. I'm thinking 305's in the rear and 265's in the front? what do you guys think? I want the most tire width possible.

275 front, 305 rear.

275/35R/19 in the front? and 305/30R19 XL in the rear? how would the car be balanced?

The 275/305 combo has the proper diameter front and rear and should look good but like you, I am wondering how it drives, rides and sounds. Fitting the widest possible tire to a given rim size can (not always) leave the tire poorly supported, the result being degraded handling instead of improved handling. I've seen a lot of positive feed back about the look and fitment of the 275/305 combo on the factory Sport rims (the rim size you are considering compares favorably with the 9" wide front/10" wide rear Sport rims and, according to the specs available on Tirerack.com, should support a 275/305 reasonably well) but not much on handling. As a side note, the wider tires should provide a little extra protection for the rims from curb damage.

I wouldn't mind hearing any thoughts on which tires offer the most grip, best wear, lowest noise and best ride. Going to the "wrong" wider tire could be as big of a mistake as going to the wrong size.

a 275 is not really the best idea as the car will drive very differently if its a daily driver car. If its more for show, then by all means, but if you are a daily driver dont do it. I would suggest a 255 / 305 rear combo. Its a good solid look, it wont be too stretched on the wheel, and your car will have that factory balance with a better look.

I'm picking up 19x10 and 19x11 wheels pretty soon. Any suggestions for size/fitment for those wheels? I figured 275/305 would work but I'm not sure how it affects grip/handling.

I've run this setup on the stock sports rims for well over a year and the handling has been great. Street, auto-x and some track driving has been done on this setup. On the rims you are looking at you have an extra 1/2 inch of width so the fitment should be perfect. This information is based on the RE-11 which has a very stiff outer sidewall, your results may vary with a different tire.

I would generally discourage creating a large width differential front to rear as that will throw off the car's natural handling balance.

so is 255 / 305 rear combo the best setup for performance/looks ? I have stillen sways right now. I just want to make sure I'm not losing any performane...

A 50mm width differential is too much in my personal opinion, you will invite unwanted understeer.

Not ideal, like Chris said you will get a lot of understeer so unless you want your car to push through turns instead of remaining balanced, you should go 275/305 or 265/295.

Wider front tires can sometimes reduce steering precision. How did the 275/35's on the front affect the steering? The 265/295 or 275/305 sizing appeals to my "Bigger is Better" nature so I am eager to hear your feedback.

This can be debated all day, but if he is going to daily drive this car, a 275 is going to track like crazy, and he is going to hate the way the car drives. Its also going to add alot of added stress on the steering pump which people seem to forget. Its your car at the end of the day, if you are going to be tracking mainly on that setup, then what your doing is fine in my opinion.

I think the results may vary by tire, but with the RE-11's the steering is very precise. I was able to consistently win at our local auto-x events in the unlimited street tire class. With a softer sidewall tire I would have some concern of tire roll causing numbness, but it just hasn't happened with this tire. My tire guy hates them though, he always has a battle getting it onto the rim.

i would use the stock nismo tire size for that setup and lower the ride considerably. :)

For the conservative side of things that is a good option too. Like wheels Chris said the narrower tires will track less on uneven road surfaces.