performance differences between 16's and 17's

[cliobritt]

Are there any? the car came with 205 40 17's on and it does not handle as well as i had hoped, its still on std suspention too so i think the back has been lifted making it less stable.

I am sure i am losing a bit of acceleration at low speed too,

And is it just me or are 16 tyres more expensive than 17 inch tyres!!!

 

[182ian]

yes they normally are cheaper because 17" tyres are a lot more common than 16".

 

[cliobritt]

your wheels standard?

 

[Martin_172]

i cant tell any acceleration difference between my 15s and my 16s because the rolling radius is still about the same due to lower profile tyres on the 16s.

but i do notice a difference in the handling, its much more chuckable with the 15s and handles much better but doesnt have as much grip as it does with the 16s due to the wider tyres

 

[black kro]

the circumference difference is marginal - should have about 3% higher gearing on 17's so............

fractionally slower acceleration BUT more relaxed cruising

 

[Englebert]

Generally the bigger the wheel the more unsprung weight you have to contend with as well.

 

[shugyboi]

i put 17's on my car at the weekend

had the standard 15's on before them

lowered the car 40 at the front and rear

i feel it handles alot better but is a little slower

looks the part though :approve:

 

[wide]

as rob (cliobuyer) says its the weight thats the main issue. ive got a 172mk2 & i put on some 17" oz superT's & the handling felt sh*t because the weighed too much, sold those & bought some oz superleggera's which are one of the lightest 17"s you can buy, lighter than the standard 16"s & the handling is great. problem solved!!!

 

[wrx-172]

This is true... Most handling issues are down to weight re wheels... However most people tend to slam theirs cars and put bigger wheels on, from past experience suspension is to hard and ends up bouncing on the b roads..

 

[Ali]

i liked my 17's for looks and drive. 16's are quite twitchy actually.

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

oz superleggera's which are one of the lightest 17"s you can buy

For £800

There are many performance alloys out there, but they come at a price.

 

[jayxx83]

VFM the superleggeras are amazingly light.

I had a set of 15" on my old saxo and they weigh in at 4.9 kg each without tyres. Looking at all the comparables including team dynamics pro race, they were like 6 kilos. I remember hearing that reducing 5kg of weight is equivalent to a 1bhp increase not to mention the improved throttle response.

Reducing the unsprung weight is the best thing you can do. Lighter wheels, brake rotors, suspension components will improve handling no end.

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

Inflate your tyres with helium too :rasp:

I think the Rota Slipstreams are lighter than that in a 15.

To go lighter than that, Buddyclubs are popular as they have many fitments, you'll pay for it though.

 

[cliobritt]

i put 17's on my car at the weekend

had the standard 15's on before them

lowered the car 40 at the front and rear

i feel it handles alot better but is a little slower

looks the part though :approve:

Handles better with 17's?
possibly its my tyres that came on the wheels that are screwing up the handling?
ECSTA?? are they crap or what??

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

Handles better with 17's?
possibly its my tyres that came on the wheels that are screwing up the handling?
ECSTA?? are they crap or what??

What.. I mean crap.

It depends what you want really, with light weight 17s, it should handle like it's on rails as the sidewalls will be like rubber bands, giving no side stress in corners.

But most people will buy regular 17s which can be just as heavy, if not heavier than stock wheels.

 

[ant]

but 16" superlegs will always be lighter than 17" superlegs