Quote:
Originally Posted by truegearhead
They are track tires so I think the the stiffer sidewall would help a bit. They're well beyond tire tack recommendations
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I think stiffer sidewalls are actually a negative for fitting narrower rims then intended, as the stiffer side wall will cause more deformation of the tread when it is rolled onto a smaller rim.
I have made measurements for this with NT-01's, which show that if you go over the recommended wheel width the overall tire width will be reduced by approximately half the difference in wheel width. That is if you take the same tire measured on a 10" wheel and mount it on a 9" wheel. you will lose 1/2" of the rated tire width.
A few months ago, GRM magazine did a back to back tire test with BFG Rivals and ZII's, where they changed the wheel width for several runs, and it made a large difference in tire performance with no other changes.
Bottom line seems to be that if you want to take advantage of some really wide tires, you need some really wide wheels.