Smaller Wheels = Faster????

[pinky]

my mates got a vw caddy and when he put little 14" ats classics on it,
when we drove next to him going 70mph his speedo was doing nearly a ton.

 

[steveL]

Smaller wheels quicker acceleration and less top end.
Bigger wheels slower acceleration and better top end, but i find more clumsy handling.

The difference is very minor though.

 

[Andyman]

Car came with 15's so thats the natural best all rounder and choice of wheel size for the car.

Its a well known fact that 17's bog you down on acceleration.

Only advantage of bigger wheels is for show and bigger stoppers.

 

[iPap]

I though wider wheels meant more contact with the ground and hence less grip overall as the presure per area was reduced?

 

[Andyman]

I though wider wheels meant more contact with the ground and hence less grip overall as the presure per area was reduced?

Your correct.

I used to think wider tyres meant better grip but apparently thats not the case

 

[pinky]

they use 15's for racing, cos there ment to be the best size.

 

[carrmrc96]

no really true, wider tyres giv more grip. when going around a corner with thin tyres, your car will exerting alot force outwards. skinny tyres will just lose there grip and slide. while wider tyres will spread that force over a larger area so the car can go around a corner faster before grip is lost. why do you think racing and super cars hav such wide tyres? I dont c ne F1 cars with skinny bike tyres lol

 

[carrmrc96]

For ne who understands physics, engingeering or a geek hav a read. everything u need to know about tyres;

http://www.engr.colostate.edu/pts/Job/Understanding Parameters Influencing Tire Modeling.pdf

 

[MattyClio]

I have a clio mk1, used to have 13's on it, my bike tyres where wider, i've got some 15s on it now, and its lowered about 50 mm all round, sticks to any corner no problem, it used to slide and skid about like no1s business - even when u dnt throw it round corners lol

 

[carrmrc96]

there are so many factors which can effect the tyres grip. type of rubber used, thread pattern, temperature, air pressure, the road surface, etc you can only compare different size tyres only when all other factors are the same.

 

[Jaff]

all i know is that basically if you go from the clio's basic alloys, 15" wheels, to say the 16" your speedo does not need re calibrated as the difference in rolling radia is negegable dy to the reduced profile onthe 16's tyre, all it dows is make the wheel 10mm wider and a bit stiffer
, however if you stick onsay 17s, no mater what profile tyre you put on it has a detromental effect to your speed, as it increases the rolling radius by a couple % so when your speedo reads 70 you are going about 76-77. same if you put 14's on it woudl read about 65-67mph. also if you done calibrate your speedo, it iwll affect your trip computer and the cars over all mileage, i mean just a couple % increase in rolling radius can add 100's of miles on the clock a year, and will affect your mpg, and miles till you need to refule reading etc.
I like the idea of putting the 16's on the car the should fit no probs and will give the car the theres somehting diferrent but i dont know what it is look, but they are really hard to source and from what ive seen more expensive than the aftermarket 16's.

 

[Kneel]

should handle better though, ride should be better too

that to me is a matter of opinion because generally bigger wheels are wider, which makes them more stable IMO. Example in the clio I have 17s and I love the handling, its predictable and is plenty quick enough on turn in and very very nice weight and feel to everything. On the Ignis the wheels are 15s and it feels a lot looser and generally a bit twitchy. I am going to say this is purely down to the width though, and so if you get say 15x7/8 then that would be the best of both worlds. I didn't notice any difference when I put the renault wheels back on the clio and they were 15s except for a slightly quicker turn in, and I mean very slight difference again

 

[tidyclio]

Like said it depends on the conditions aswell, for example 185 width wheels on the back of a Clio in the wet will not grip aswell as say 165 width since the load is being spread of more of an area.

Bigger wheels can handle as good as smaller wheels but bigger wheels are generally heavier and unsprung weight is a big factor in a cars handling also wider wheels create more rolling resistance so slower accelaration.