You Want Bigger Tires....Are You Sure?

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 01/20/2015 at 20:26 • Filed to: None

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There was a great article posted in a car and driver in 2010 that finally got posted online about what happens when you upsize your wheels, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , its pretty great news for tire tires.

dogisbadob > HammerheadFistpunch 01/20/2015 at 20:27

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Yup!!!!!!

I fucking HATE the donk-ass shit on new cars. 30-seroies tires and 20-inch dubs when 65-series 15-inch tires are all you need.

McMike > HammerheadFistpunch 01/20/2015 at 20:39

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I use this article to backup my, "Keep 18" wheels off Camrys" debates.

There's no reason at all to put anything bigger than a 16" wheel on an appliance.

PS9 > HammerheadFistpunch 01/20/2015 at 20:42

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Smaller wheels = faster car, ehh?

Hmm...so...if I mount 16s on a Ford GT...

crowmolly > HammerheadFistpunch 01/20/2015 at 20:43

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So much for "steelies for lyfe", eh?

deekster_caddy > HammerheadFistpunch 01/20/2015 at 20:54

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Thanks for sharing, nice article! I sort of knew all this.

They mentioned acceleration where bigger = slower, but I'm curious which combination puts down the best lap times due to the handling improvements

TopSirloin > HammerheadFistpunch 01/20/2015 at 20:54

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Hogwash. I'm not advocating for donks, or anything in the 20+" range, but I have 18" wheels on my car and I think they're appropriately sized. 17" wheels would be a little softer with the larger sidewall, but that also contributes to steering feel and other handling dynamics. They mentioned a 4% decrease in acceleration between 16" wheels and 19" wheels.. Thats .06 mph between each size! only .24 mph between the all four sizes they tested! hardly worth sacrificing what little you gain in looks.

dogisbadob > McMike 01/20/2015 at 21:13

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Excluding performance versions:

12-13-inch on minicars (Spark, Micra, iQ, smart, 500)
examples: 155/80-12, 155/80-13, 175/70-13, 185/70-13

13-14 on subcompacts (Fiesta, Yaris, Fit, Accent, Sonic)
examples: 175/70-13, 185/70-13, 195/60-14

14-15 on compacts (Focus, Corolla, Civic, Elantra, Cruze)
examples: 175/70-14, 185/65-14, 195/60-14, 185/65-15, 185/60-15, 195/65-15, 195/60-15, 195/55-15, 205/55-15

15-16 on midsize and full-size (Fusion, Taurass, Camry, Avalon, Sonata, Azera, Malibu, Impala)
examples: 195/60-15, 195/65-15, 205/65-15, 205/60-16, 215/60-16)

McMike > dogisbadob 01/20/2015 at 21:16

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.....And you don't put big wheels on a performance versions until you need the room for more brakes.

wantafuncar > HammerheadFistpunch 01/20/2015 at 21:46

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Weight is also a factor. I would guess when talking a 1" or 2" differnce, weight is just as important, if not more important, than the size.

Of course, cost will go up with a larger, lighter wheel.

I assume jumping from 15" to 19" would still yield different results, but I bet most folks (excluding dubs) only change the wheels size 2" max.

HammerheadFistpunch > wantafuncar 01/20/2015 at 21:49

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weights are in the story

wantafuncar > HammerheadFistpunch 01/20/2015 at 21:54

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Right, but each time the wheel was smaller, it was also less weight. You could buy (at least in theory) a wheel that is both larger & lighter. I would think that would yield better results in handling and acceleration & fuel mileage when you are talking only 1" or 2" difference in wheel size... ex: Car came with heavy factory 15s... Upgrade to lightweight 17"

HammerheadFistpunch > wantafuncar 01/20/2015 at 21:57

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So long as the wheel tire combo was lighter, and the weight radius in vs out

BJ > TopSirloin 01/20/2015 at 22:43

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It comes down to what you want to acheive from your car. If your intent is to look cool no matter what, maybe 19" tires are for you. If you want a soft and comfortable ride, stay small. If you want the maximum in performance (from your car and the tires) get the stickiest rubber you can in a smaller size, but perhaps not the smallest size.

The article does mention that the 18" tires seem to hit a sweet spot between overall performance and looks.

BJ > HammerheadFistpunch 01/20/2015 at 22:46

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From the article:

And although it didn't register on the dBA-meter, the 15- and 16-inch arrangements had a more pleasant sound quality than the larger tires.

Wider tires may not be louder but they can make a bit of a "whomp" on the bumps. The difference in whompiness between my 16" winter tires and 17" summer tires is significant, although some of that difference can probably be attributed to the construction of the tires.

Funktheduck > dogisbadob 01/20/2015 at 22:51

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My mazda3 comes with 16s. The 2.5L comes with 18s I think.

TopSirloin > BJ 01/20/2015 at 22:52

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Agree completely. 19" wheels look to big on my car, and 17" look to small, so depending on your taste, there's a sweet spot aesthetically speaking as well.

dogisbadob > Funktheduck 01/20/2015 at 22:54

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Yup, that's excessive, and the tires are expensive and don't last very long, the last things you want on an economy car :(

DrScientist > dogisbadob 01/21/2015 at 01:39

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just to make sure im following this is only for economy appliances?

and for performance cars that require bigger brakes?

what about older performance cars that were manufactured prior to the development of stiff sidewall low profile cars? the subtle improvement that can be had by upsizing a wheel from a 15 to a 17 is a great way to achieve less squish in a car's handling characteristics without resorting to adjusting suspension specifications.

dogisbadob > DrScientist 01/21/2015 at 17:48

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Correct.

I specifically said *excluding* performance cars...

Yeah you can retrofit the new sizes onto older cars, but even that isn't necessary due to the rapid advances in tire technology. Today's tires are MUCH better than those from 20 years ago, even from tires of the same size.

DrScientist > dogisbadob 01/21/2015 at 18:00

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i agree for non performance cars.

though the benefit added on a car with any sporting intention is more than reasonable. and usually also cheaper than large sidewall tires with high speed ratings.