by "Jcarr" (jcarr)
Published 02/14/2017 at 17:07
by "Jcarr" (jcarr)
Published 02/14/2017 at 17:07
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STARS: 1
I got to thinking about what the golden ratio of tire diameter to width was (subjective, I know), so I started plugging some numbers into an Excel worksheet. Here’s what I have so far based on vehicles I’ve either owned or have an opinion on.
So far, I’m finding that, to my eye, if a tire’s width is less than about 32.5% of its height, it looks too narrow to me. Give me some other ones to plug in.
EDIT: I have to leave, so I’ll leave the formulas here for you guys to calculate on your own.
Convert width in mm to inches: Section width / 25.4
Sidewall height: Section width in inches * aspect ratio %
Overall diameter: Wheel diameter + 2x sidewall height
Width to Diameter percentage: Width / Overal Diameter
"Nerd-Vol" (Nerd-Vol)
02/14/2017 at 17:14, STARS: 0
S2000
Front- 215/45/17
Rear- 245/40/17
2016 Mazda 3
205/60/16
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/14/2017 at 17:16, STARS: 1
Front: 34.4%
Rear: 39.0%
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
02/14/2017 at 17:17, STARS: 0
Tire overall diameter: 30". Wheel diameter 14". Section width, 9". tread, 5.4".
(BF Goodrich Silvertown 1" white, 950 section bias ply).
Here on car:
"Future next gen S2000 owner" (future-next-gen-s2000-owner)
02/14/2017 at 17:18, STARS: 0
255/40/17 - Mustang GT 04, with extra wide tires
235/45/17 - 07 Saab 2.0 9-3, stock 17" size
"Nerd-Vol" (Nerd-Vol)
02/14/2017 at 17:18, STARS: 0
So I’m good! Thanks.
"MarquetteLa" (marquettela)
02/14/2017 at 17:20, STARS: 0
225/45/15
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
02/14/2017 at 17:20, STARS: 0
My 2011 335xi coupe...
Summer: 235/35-19 & 275/30-19
Winter (stock sizes): 225/40-18 & 255/35-18
"interstate366, now In The Industry" (interstate366)
02/14/2017 at 17:20, STARS: 0
2001 Prelude: 205/50/16
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/14/2017 at 17:21, STARS: 0
30% based on section width and overall diameter.
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/14/2017 at 17:22, STARS: 0
At least in my opinion. Not that that’s saying much :)
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/14/2017 at 17:24, STARS: 0
Summer: 36.3%/42.5%
Winter: 35.3%/40.1%
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
02/14/2017 at 17:25, STARS: 0
So a 2nd kind of aspect ratio. Instead of sidewall aspect its diameter aspect. hmmm. Interesting.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
02/14/2017 at 17:29, STARS: 1
So, by the numbers, it should check as “too narrow”. Particularly with the narrow tread patch. However, it being rounded plays with the eye, and most have a whitewall, which messes with things further.
Here’s a narrow white version for comparison:
As mounted (or very close - it’s the spec tire for this car):
"IAN_Z" (theonline)
02/14/2017 at 17:29, STARS: 1
I’ve got a problem people! I signed out of my account (IanZ - Limited-Slip Indifferential; you may remember me from my love of classic Citroens and passionate critiques of Lexus’ styling) and I have absolutely no idea how to log back in.
The reason I logged out was that I never wrote down my password and needed it to log in on a mobile app like Chrome or Firefox, since everything’s screwed right now on Safari.
But then there was no option to log back in with your actual Kinja account. It only has options to sign in through Facebook (which I don’t have) Twitter (never connected) or Google (ditto)
So I created this burner account, connected it to my Google account.
Thanks to anyone who can help me!
"crowmolly" (crowmolly)
02/14/2017 at 17:30, STARS: 0
275/60/15
Very, very common drag tire size. Even has its own race classes.
"Grindintosecond" (Grindintosecond)
02/14/2017 at 17:46, STARS: 1
Honestly, I have to point out the weight of the rim the tire is mounted on. There may be a drive to big rims and low profiles, but with that you get stiffer sidewalls and the inability to take a bump without making the suspension work harder to contain the energy, plus, that weight increases of the wheel is mostly on the outer rim, making acceleration suffer and gyroscopic forces through the steering make things feel, well, I guess heavy. So, optimally, a wheel that’s going to just barely clear the brakes, and then if your road is a bit bumpy, opt for a bit more sidewall height, and then if it’s a smooth road, go slightly lower profile for steering response, but then how many of us are driving so aggressively we need instant turn in? as far as height and width ratio? get as wide as you dare because not many cars can even fit a 335 width, so go wide but pay attention to the actual ride quality and wheel weight if you go to 20's on low profiles. that’s my thoughts.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
02/14/2017 at 17:47, STARS: 0
I thought all O.G. pre-kinja accounts were required to set up with facebook, google, or twitter for authentication? I know mine was. The burner key to set up a burner is, I think, only a one-time provided thing, and as far as I know there’s no way to retrieve it. I have my burner key stored in my Gmail for that reason...
"IAN_Z" (theonline)
02/14/2017 at 18:12, STARS: 0
I made my account just like a year ago, and I don’t think it was required. I’ll try going through Gmail.
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/14/2017 at 18:24, STARS: 0
Yeah, older sizes don’t really compute well with this method.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
02/14/2017 at 18:41, STARS: 1
Still, it’s very interesting to see just what hoops bias ply tech required carmakers to jump through. As cars got bigger and bigger and bigger, the tires *had to* get taller, because of ~circular cross section with no outer band size limiting, and linear radius increase with contact patch and load rating. With the end result that some of the ‘50s barges are rolling on MONSTER tires.
Around 1960 was the highest sidewall to wheel size ratio, I think, varying by manufacturer. Most big ‘57-’58 cars were hovering around a 15" or 16" wheel in most cases, with a jump *down* to 14" wheels on big cars just to keep the package manageable, and by ‘61 the section sizes were jumping smaller as the cars shrank or got lighter. Then radials. Last year for Lincolns on 14" wheels was ‘63, first was ‘59 if I’ve got the facts right, with only ‘59-’60 getting the giant 950s.
I suspect most people don’t realize stripe whitewalls are partly to disguise the fact that the wheels are tiny...
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/14/2017 at 18:44, STARS: 0
That’s interesting. I’ve never really looked into why older tires were the way they were.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
02/14/2017 at 19:05, STARS: 1
At least to keep up with weight with drum brakes they could keep making them wider and wider and wider and wider... Not kidding, the Galaxie’s brakes are pretty much the same as the Lincoln’s brakes except for width, with the Lincoln being >1" wider.
In a bizarre reversal of the above, my Galaxie 500’s hubcaps are designed to make the wheel look *smaller* in keeping with previous fashion. The stock hubcaps are about an inch and a half smaller diameter than the (black-painted) wheel.
"OPPOsaurus WRX" (opposaurus)
02/14/2017 at 19:25, STARS: 1
This is why OPPO is so awesome
"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
02/14/2017 at 19:48, STARS: 1
My Miata: 195/50R15, 33.85%
My Prius: 195/65R15, 30.73%
And now for a couple outliers (I know someone can beat the first one, though, anyone got a BMW i3 or a Renault Twizy?):
My Mk2 Golf diesel with the snows I had on it: 145/80R13 (stock was 155/80R13), 25.79%
My recumbent bike’s rear tire: 26" x 1.50", the ETRTO size is stated by the manufacturer as 40-559, which would translate to something like 40/100B22 (bicycle tires are always bias ply, AFAIK) in the modern car tire designation. 6.26%.
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/14/2017 at 20:11, STARS: 0
Rollin on pizza cutters with that Golf.
"JGrabowMSt" (jgrabowmst)
02/14/2017 at 21:06, STARS: 0
Forget my winter setup, tell me your thoughts on my summer set...
Front: 7.5x18" wheel, 235/55R18 tire
Rear: 9x18" wheel, 255/55R18 tire
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/14/2017 at 21:08, STARS: 0
Won’t be back at my computer till the am, but I will then.
"Die-Trying" (die-trying)
02/14/2017 at 21:19, STARS: 4
81 k5 silverado awd truck 295 50 15 all the way around. feels just right.
11.614 width in.
5.807 sidewall
26.614 tire height overall
43.6 width to diameter percentage
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/14/2017 at 21:43, STARS: 2
Would hoon.
"Die-Trying" (die-trying)
02/14/2017 at 22:12, STARS: 1
its sadly an auto, BUT i just shift it on the column for acceleration. THIS is probably the truck that will get me killed. with the awd, wide tires, at just 3500 lbs the truck doesnt do anything dramatic. from a light, if you power brake it to about 3k and dump the brake, it just leaves. coming up to windy twisty roads, and it just holds corners at speed. no drama whatsoever.
you just have to leave a little distance to the guy ahead of you, it doesnt like to stop real quick.
its a matter of I just havent yet found ITs limit. and i decided to quit before i did.
the daily has the same 295 50 15 in the back. 71 longbed stepside. it has 225 70 15 up front. it always feels like youre plowing through corners the 225 up front just fill the fender. and steer nicely in parking lots without power steering.
so fronts are.....
8.858 width
6.200 sidewall
27.401 wheel height overall
32.327 percentage.........
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/14/2017 at 22:20, STARS: 1
So what powertrain do you have in there? Astro awd system?
"Die-Trying" (die-trying)
02/14/2017 at 22:34, STARS: 1
its a k5 blazer 4x4 setup, its a 1976 frame. it has a turbo 350 trans, and a np203 transfer case, its the one with a differential in it, chain drive, 2:1 low range. looks like this
it has 3.73 gears in it. the front axle doesnt have lockouts, always on.
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/14/2017 at 22:38, STARS: 1
Cool, sounds like fun.
"Die-Trying" (die-trying)
02/14/2017 at 22:56, STARS: 1
it is, and i am trying to round up the manual transmission equivalent for the model t project. THEY are few and far between....
so if you just so happen to stumble over a sm465, np203 combo, think of me. im hunting one.
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/15/2017 at 11:45, STARS: 0
Front: 32.8%
Rear: 34.6%
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/15/2017 at 11:46, STARS: 0
Mustang: 40.1%
Saab: 36.5%
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/15/2017 at 11:47, STARS: 0
38.7%. Not quite Z/28 wide, but pretty wide.
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/15/2017 at 11:47, STARS: 0
33.5%
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/15/2017 at 11:47, STARS: 0
38.6%
"MarquetteLa" (marquettela)
02/15/2017 at 12:00, STARS: 0
That was my Miata. How about my 323 GTX? 185/60/14
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/15/2017 at 12:29, STARS: 1
32%
"JGrabowMSt" (jgrabowmst)
02/15/2017 at 13:29, STARS: 0
A little pudgy in the rear?
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/15/2017 at 13:30, STARS: 1
I’d say appropriately wide
"JGrabowMSt" (jgrabowmst)
02/15/2017 at 13:47, STARS: 1
#alternativefacts
"MarquetteLa" (marquettela)
02/15/2017 at 21:54, STARS: 0
They’re snow tires, so they ought to be a bit tall & narrow :)