Hipari Tires

Got something for you to see:
Nice? Or just simply retarded? Well if you chose the second, feel free to look elsewhere. Now, for those into drifting or jap-styled ride, i am sure you're familiar with this kind of tire setup. This is called Hipari or "stretched" tire. From www.driftjapan.com, Hipari refers to to a tire style that is achieved by stretching a narrow tire over a wider wheel. You know that numbers on tire sidewalls? Something like 195/45 R15 etc? Yeah, 195 is the tire width in mm, sidewall-to-sidewall when the tire is installed on its intended rim width. And what is the intended rim width for that tire? A good ballpark figure is 90% of the tire width in inch. So:

Ideal Rim Width in inch = (Tire Width in mm/25.4) * 90%

For that particular tire, 195 mm, the ideal rim width would be 7 inch. Anything over that, you'd have a Hipari tire. If you want to save some time (and money, probably) figuring out how a particular tire/rim combination would look, head over here. There you'll see how much stretch you'll get from your combination. It also features a great tire calculator.

Why Hipari? Usually when something's stretch, it'll also be more rigid.. *slap* Stop thinking nasty thoughts! (Btw, more rigid or rigider?) Well anyway, same thing goes to tires. This is the advantage that drifters are usually after. Going sideways would require rigid tires for better post-drift control. By doing Hipari, you'll get a more rigid tire since the sidewalls are stretched. You can also get a more rigid sidewalls on expensive tire so herein lies another advantage of Hipari, narrow tires are cheaper than the wide ones. You can get the same rigidity with less cost.

But admit it, some of us do it for the look. There's nothing wrong with that. Just don't overdo it. There is such thing as too much stretch..
Now THERE'S something for those who say Hipari isn't dangerous!

My rule of thumb on Hipari, which can be wrong as i haven't finished building my car, is to add an inch and a half from the intended rim width. So with that 195/45 R15 tire, the max i would go is an 8.5 inch rim. Below is how it would look like:
Now, should i or should i not go Hipari with The Dog?
Here are some pics to inspire you..