Conflicted.

"coelacanthist" (coelacanthist)
05/15/2016 at 19:43 • Filed to: None

So these wheels and tires I picked up yesterday have me very conflicted.

Love the way they look. Fill out the fenders nicely, while still functional. Put the car up a bit higher, which I actually think looks good. Love the way they ride, soaks up the bumps a little better, vast improvement in traction in the wet. (Got to test in a thunderstorm yesterday).

What I don’t love is the impact on acceleration from a stop, or the braking feel. She’s a bit less quick off the line, and I’m shifting at a slightly higher rpm than I’ve grown accustomed to. The braking still feels safe (I’ve got fresh brakes all around) but a bit more sluggish to be sure.

I’m I wrong in thinking this is due more to the inch-wide increase in my tread width, or is it more the size and mass of the wheels? Should I consider different tires on these wheels? Should I go back to my stock steel wheels with shit tires? Should I just quit overthinking and get used to the new feel?

EDIT: Tips on cleaning my tips? Just realized how shitty that looks.

DISCUSSION (18)

CRider > coelacanthist
05/15/2016 at 19:56

This is when you regear it to 4.55 and add a turbo.

coelacanthist > CRider
05/15/2016 at 20:05

Was thinking gti brakes and this kit...

Kinja'd!!!

Needmoargarage > coelacanthist
05/15/2016 at 20:17

An increase in tread width means a larger contact patch...if anything it should give you slightly better braking and cornering performance all other things being equal. However, the added mass of the wider wheel and tire will likely make the car feel sluggish under acceleration.

I’m assuming you’ve changed the overall diameter of the wheel/tire (either in sidewall and/or wheel diameter) and that messes with shift points and mpg.

It really all depends on your priorities...

coelacanthist > Needmoargarage
05/15/2016 at 20:22

I’m conflicted about my priorities and not my wheels? Your right. Damn this just got deep.

BJ > coelacanthist
05/15/2016 at 20:48

Are one or more of the following statements true?

* The width of the wheels or tires is greater

* The diameter of the wheels is larger

* The diameter of the wheels is unchanged but the diameter of the tires is larger

If so, you’ve effectively added rotational mass and the effect you’ve noticed - a tiny bit slower off the line - is normal. Not much you can do about it beyond adding more power or changing your gearing...

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > coelacanthist
05/15/2016 at 20:49

I found the weight for the wheels, 11.8 kg each (or 26 lbs approx) which is probably quite a bit heavier than the stock steelies. The tires are probably also taller overall which effectively gives it a lower gearing, so lower RPM on the highway but also slower acceleration. Contact patch shouldn’t affect anything. I went from 205/55r16s on a 16x6.5 wheel to 225/45zr17s on a 17x7.5 wheel and it actually accelerated FASTER than before. Wheel and tire weight are HUGE factors