Alloy Wheels - How much does size affect ride?

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Paul1977

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Topic # 165687 17-Feb-2015 12:03

Hi all,

I'm looking at upgrading my factory wheels. I currently have 16' alloys (16x7 with 215/60R16 tyres).

I'm not sure whether I should go 18" or 19". I like the look of 19" more, but am concerned the ride ride will be too firm?

What are everyone's thoughts on this? How much difference does it make to the firmness of the ride?

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Reply # 1240745 17-Feb-2015 12:07

Car forum?

Paul1977

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Reply # 1240759 17-Feb-2015 12:21

I'm not a car enthusiast and am after the opinion of regular drivers as opposed to boy racers etc.

scuwp

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Reply # 1240762 17-Feb-2015 12:24

Tyres are an integral part of the cars suspension system. If you reduce the depth using lower profile tyres then you can expect a 'harsher' ride. How much depends on the car and the rest of the suspension. You may also need to get the speedo re calibrated depending on the end rolling circumference.

Forgot to mention probably increased road noise in some cases.

I use to be a fan of big feet , but prefer to stick a bit closer to manufacturers specs these days.

Always be yourself, unless you can be Batman, then always be the Batman

Paul1977

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Reply # 1240776 17-Feb-2015 12:37

scuwp: Tyres are an integral part of the cars suspension system. If you reduce the depth using lower profile tyres then you can expect a 'harsher' ride. How much depends on the car and the rest of the suspension. You may also need to get the speedo re calibrated depending on the end rolling circumference.

Forgot to mention probably increased road noise in some cases.

I use to be a fan of big feet , but prefer to stick a bit closer to manufacturers specs these days.

Yeah, I'm pretty torn. It's purely for aesthetics. I want it to look nice, but not look like a try-hard.

Wade

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Reply # 1240782 17-Feb-2015 12:40

As a hard and fast rule you can usually go +1" with little side effect, +2" you will feel quite a difference, +3" can be extreme :P

Bigger mass market wheels are usually heavier than stock so centrifical forces kick in reducing acceleration and braking efficiency, wider tires = more rolling resistance again negatively affecting performance and economy

On the plus side more rubber can mean more grip

Lower profile tires will increase harshness. one aspect to consider is the current suspension, cars come out of the factory with suspension tuned to the wheels, type of car etc, get this balance wrong and things can get ugly and expensive to correct

jonathan18

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Reply # 1240783 17-Feb-2015 12:40

Certainly many reviews of cars I've read often point towards a more standard profile tyre offering a better compromise between comfort and handling, eg not recommending the top-spec model of a range due to the firmness of the ride with large wheels.

Our car has factory-fitted 19" wheels, and I've just driven PN <> Akld this last weekend so have just been thinking about this question. Certainly the ride is on the firm side, but personally I'm ok with this; if anything it's the noise on the standard NZ chip road that drove me slightly bonkers (perfectly quiet on the smooth surface), but I guess that could be managed by better tyre choice?

Then again, the look of our car with 19" wheels is worth it! It looks that much more stylish and aggressive than the lower-spec'd models.

Paul1977

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Reply # 1240793 17-Feb-2015 12:48

Wade: As a hard and fast rule you can usually go +1" with little side effect, +2" you will feel quite a difference, +3" can be extreme :P

Going from 16" to 19" might be a bit much then?

mrdrifter

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Reply # 1240795 17-Feb-2015 12:53

I had 19" wheels on my last car, it was a firm ride but the car handled exceptionally. The biggest downside was the price to replace tyres.

Wade

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Reply # 1240797 17-Feb-2015 12:55

Paul1977:
Wade: As a hard and fast rule you can usually go +1" with little side effect, +2" you will feel quite a difference, +3" can be extreme :P

Going from 16" to 19" might be a bit much then?

What model car are we talking about?

A 215/60R16 equates to something like a 235/45R18 or 235/40R19 which is not a crazy low profile so ride comfort should not be severely compromised

Paul1977

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Reply # 1240799 17-Feb-2015 12:58

Wade:

What model car are we talking about?

A 215/60R16 equates to something like a 235/45R18 or 235/40R19 which is not a crazy low profile so ride comfort should not be severely compromised

Toyota Mark X

Stu

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Reply # 1240815 17-Feb-2015 13:17

Moved to the correct forum.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

blakamin

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Reply # 1240841 17-Feb-2015 13:49

Another thing to watch for with big rims is potholes.
Guy at work has just replaced 2 cracked 19s on his falcon after hitting a pothole and last year, I totally wrecked 2 18s on my last car with a pothole. I couldn't find matching replacements (22 year old BMW rims) without it costing me more than the car.
I've left the factory 16s on this car (235/60x16) and enjoy a much more comfortable ride. I do see a lot of BMW E38s with 20s though, and they look awesome.
If there's heaps of potholes in your area, I'd think twice. EDIT: Unless you're buying expensive rims. Cheaper ones crack easier.

Wade

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Reply # 1240842 17-Feb-2015 13:50

Paul1977:
Wade:

What model car are we talking about?

A 215/60R16 equates to something like a 235/45R18 or 235/40R19 which is not a crazy low profile so ride comfort should not be severely compromised

Toyota Mark X

There's plenty of people running big rims on those and i suspect there is versions running 17's or 18's straight out of the factory, I doubt you will have a problem with running either 18's or 19's

JimmyC

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Reply # 1240850 17-Feb-2015 13:59

Having done it once to a Suzuki Swift going from 14" to 17" it didn't just make for a harder ride, but a big increase in road noise as well.

Other issue is going to the car one morning and finding it jacked up with no wheels left attached... Won't be bothering with that type of bling again :-)

ratsun81

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Reply # 1240852 17-Feb-2015 14:00

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Wade:
Paul1977:
Wade:

What model car are we talking about?

A 215/60R16 equates to something like a 235/45R18 or 235/40R19 which is not a crazy low profile so ride comfort should not be severely compromised

Toyota Mark X

There's plenty of people running big rims on those and i suspect there is versions running 17's or 18's straight out of the factory, I doubt you will have a problem with running either 18's or 19's

Former Boy-racer and tyre shop worker here.

The big things you need to think about are:

1. Keeping the correct aspect ratio as has already been mentioned, best to search for a tyre size calculator online to figure out the correct size you will need to fit based on the manufacturers specs.
2. Maintenance of wider tyres, it becomes a lot more important to perform regular wheel alignments with the wider tyres as nothing sucks more than having to replace a tyre that is overall in good condition but stuffed due to wear on the inside/outside.
3. Unsprung weight, buying cheap rims will increase the unsprung weight the car has to haul around impacting acceleration, deceleration and fuel economy.
4. Price of tyres in the long run. bigger/lower profile = $$$$. Also means that you may be more inclined to buy a cheaper noisier crappier tyre.
5. Lower profile tyres will giver a harsher ride, the lower you go on profile the less "cushioning" the tyre will provide which comes to the other points that have been made about rims getting wrecked by potholes etc....

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