Higher Profile Tire for Higher Gear Ratio?

VelvetFoot

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 17, 2001
Location
Sand Lake, NY
TDI
NB, 2000, Yellow
What does the collective think about changing my NB's tires (when they wear out) from 205 55 16 to 205 60 16 ?

Will handling suffer? I'd appreciate even a little more ground clearance, but my speedo will be off.

Thanks
 

godlike242

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2000
Location
Bellevue, Wa
Personally, i wouldn't do it. The handling will suffer somewhat. If you need ground clearance, i'd say to pick up an old rabbit or something and use that where you need the clearance, but use the TDi where you want the niceness.
 

Oldman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 3, 2001
Location
Leander,TX,USA
kind of funny in the sense that I can remember when 70 series biasply sidewalls were the performance tire, now with a far better radial tire, "we're" worried about 60 series as not being good enough for overall performance. I like the ride better on 60s, less noise also. No it won't turn like a road race Z28 Camaro.
 

VelvetFoot

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 17, 2001
Location
Sand Lake, NY
TDI
NB, 2000, Yellow
I used to think that car makers put strange-sized tires on their cars so you'd have to get a certain more high-priced tire.
 

fincoop

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2001
Location
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Probably the case with the 17s. I avoided them for that reason alone.

I'm curious, maybe Oldman can answer this one for me.. The Eagle LS on my car are running a bit higher than stock at around 40 psi hot. I want to max them out. Will this cause premature wear down the middle? If the max is say 44, is that cold or hot?

Thanks!
 

Oldman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 3, 2001
Location
Leander,TX,USA
IMO, my car is at 44/44 PSI cold, 6500 miles, look like new. My camaro with 245/50s I ran the same 44/44 cold, 30,000 miles, no strange tire wear, Wife's Corolla 27,000 miles, 36/40 no strange tire wear. Don't know but for me. I pump them up to max pressure cold. Handling if anything is better, it is hype IMO that wet weather will be poorer, snow: well I'm from Hawaii, I've never seen the stuff. Ride goes down above 40 PSI, but for me I like the firmer feel. Noise, seems louder but this is a quite car to begin with.
 

Jackmc

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2000
Location
Waxhaw NC
TDI
2012 Sportwagen
A taller tire with the same section width should have a larger patch of rubber on the ground and should improve traction.

Lateral forces would cause more flex however so adding more air like Oldman would help that.
 

fincoop

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2001
Location
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
More air also decreases contact patch but for higher profile tires (55+), it increases sidewall stiffness and returns benefits like quicker turn-in and less sidewall contact in the slalom.

At autocross school we use chalk/white polish on the area where the tread meets the sidewall. Inflate to the point where you go no further than tread and that is the best for a racing application. Perhaps not ideal for the street, i.e. G-Force 55 series are best at 18psi
.

Are all radials immune to strange wear issues? Oldman, do you spend a lot of time on the sidewalls wearing the rubber evenly?


Thx for the tips.
coop

[ June 14, 2001: Message edited by: fincoop ]
 
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