Low Profile tires

[Dinzdale40]

I am kind of worrying about getting 18" on my Accord. I know it will feel a little rougher than my stock tires and wheels. How much does it usually cost you guys when you get a flat tire? If you get a flat will it damage your wheel if the lip is further out than the edge of your tire? I have seen wheels that exceed the tire's width. Like on Dominic's RX-7 in the FATF (everyone knows about this car). Will Z rated tires wear out faster than my regular tires? Should I go with harder tires for the longevity? I have more questions but can't remember them all now.
Thanks

[strodda]

yes. any lowprofile tire you get can wear out faster than stock size tires. but you can always shop around for tires with a higher treadwear. i got yoko h4's and they have a 360tw, the highest i saw. theyre not z-rated, but i dont autocross nor do i need to go 150+ down the freeway, so zrated tires are unecessary. imo, some people pay too much money for these ultrahigh performance tires when the only get them for looks.

about the flat tire. i was doing about 90 on the highway, and i noticed a little jerkiness, but i didnt pay much attention to it, thought it was just a bad patch in the road. when i stopped in the parking lot, i found out that my rear right was completely flat. and no damage to the rim, must have been lucky. i was just glad that i didnt lose control and flip out. only cost to me was the purchase of a new tire.

i dont remember what the rx7 looked like, but im assuming it just had thinner tires. my rims would stick out too if i got 205/40's.

[Dinzdale40]

thanks, i'll probably get 18"s if I can afford it. I do have a question though. What does 360tw mean. I know that tw=treadwear but is 360 the hardness of the rubber? What are most tires rated?

[strodda]

yea, basically. its the utqg rating given to all tires. the higher the number, the longer the tread should last, of course, that all depends on how you drive. majority of the tires are rated between 200-280. but a few are rated down at 140.

[Dinzdale40]

So 140 would be like real racing tires or something? Hmmm don't need that. It's an Accord...lol Can I get them to be too hard? Would they lose grip easier?

[strodda]

im not sure what the number stand for exactly, but i dont think it means that just cause its got a higher number that its harder. mine have a wet/dry traction rating A, only AA is higher. so they have good grip, and with 360tw for under $100 a tire... thats not too bad. just take a look at tirerack and see what available for your size. there might be fewer if youre getting 18's.