pros and cons of wider tyres?

[gaz197]

Hi, i running 205/45/17 on my 207 gti. I initially posted about tyre recommendations however the brands im after 215/45/17 are not in stock. I wanted the slightly wider width simply to lip the rim a bit and any potential extra grip, however faced with the stock issue do I wait and get the slightly wider or stick with the original size? tyres is something ive never messed around with. Thanks....ps its Camskill . co.uk and toyo proxes x4's I was after

 

[Mark83]

Wider tyres don't necessarily mean more grip. They just change the shape of the contact patch. The size of the contact patch is related to the weight on the wheel and tyre pressure.

 

[BenW]

You will get more tram-lining with a wider tyre

 

[Mark83]

You will get more tram-lining with a wider tyre

More chance of aquaplaning in the wet and can't clear snow as well

I'm tempted to put 225/45/17 on my 200, but that's purely beause that's the only size Bridgestone RE070s come in for 17s. They were the OEM tyre on my Impreza STI and were truely fantastic on road and track. However, they're designed for a car 300kg heavier than the Clio, so I'm not sure how the stiff sidewalls will affect handling.

 

[BenW]

Stiff sidewalls are generally good, they'll give you a bit more feel through the steering. I have extra load sport contact 3s on the front of my 197

 

[Mark83]

Stiff sidewalls are generally good, they'll give you a bit more feel through the steering. I have extra load sport contact 3s on the front of my 197

I'm getting old and boring and want some compliance in my road car so a Cup chassis coupled with stiff sidewalls could lead to a bone shaking ride on the road. The car might fall apart

 

[GrumpyTwig]

I'm getting old and boring and want some compliance in my road car so a Cup chassis coupled with stiff sidewalls could lead to a bone shaking ride on the road. The car might fall apart

Might?

I figure an extra 10mm isn't going to completely change the cars feel and I'm sure it's better to match the tyre width to the wheel width.

 

[mark_1873]

Wider tyres don't necessarily mean more grip. They just change the shape of the contact patch. The size of the contact patch is related to the weight on the wheel and tyre pressure.

Spot on, it's actually very strange and hard to get your head around to begin with.

 

[Mark83]

Spot on, it's actually very strange and hard to get your head around to begin with.

Yep, it starts getting complicated; involving compounds, friction coefficients, weight, heat and other things not meant for a friday night after a few beers.