[Soichiro]

So, I'll be in the market for a car in the coming months, and I was wondering exactly what the benefit of getting larger wheels/lower profile tires would be. It obviously costs more, so I'm thinking there would be some benefit, but I can't quite figure out what that is. Now, I'm not one of those guys who wants huge 22" tires just so I can say I have a "pimped out" ride. I'm looking for actual benefits like performance, gas mileage, etc. I know there are a lot of car enthusiasts around here, so I was hoping someone would know the answer to this.

[EmAn]

with low profile tires there is less rotational mass of rubber so it is easier to stop but remember you will have bigger wheels if you wish to have the same size (outer diameter) it will add a lot more rotational mass and in return you will need bigger brakes i.e. = more money

if anything go with these

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweel

[IAmMoen]

better handling (a bit) but harsher ride (because of the shorter sidewalls). You even have a bigger chance of bending the rim if you go over a sharp enough bump. Happened to my brothers rebuilt 1949 Ford pickup.

[daniel_dynasty]

If you get new rims, strive to get lighter ones.

But also remember that the larger the wheel, the more torque you lose because it takes more power to spin the wheel 360degrees.

Here is a forum thread I read, should answer your question quite clearly. http://www.teamsolcal.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7928

[Tyranos]

It depends on the car and it's characteristics. I used to be a market analyst for Discount Tire Co. before the Army. Got any questions? Ask

[Soichiro]

Well, I was mostly looking at compact cars with good gas mileage (since they're cheap and I can afford them ), like the Toyota Yaris and Honda Civic, if that helps give an idea of what we're looking at here. Those cars don't have very strong engines, so judging from the comments it looks like larger wheels wouldn't be that good of an idea.

[billb]

Originally Posted by Soichiro

I was wondering exactly what the benefit of getting larger wheels/lower profile tires would be.

If the overall diameter of the tire/wheel combo is increased, then there will be a larger contact patch with the pavement...more grip. And with low profile tires the sidewalls flex less so the tires respond faster to steering input. But as mentioned above, additional rotational mass (and also unsprung weight) can undo those benefits. For improved street performance a "package" approach will yield he best bang for the buck. Tires (wider, taller, stickier) shocks (stiffer), and sway bars (stiffer) will all contribute to a synergistic improvement.

SCCA Midwest Region champion, 2006

[Tyranos]

That's correct. Generally those cars are paired with 15 inch wheels even in the field of motorsports, but with specialized rubber. Well, the Yaris came out after I was at DTC, so I don't know much about that vehicle, but I'll take your word for it. You'd be surprised on how many special high performance "donuts" there are. Anyway, the increase in wheel size regarding height is usually a cosmetic one. Personally I'd recommend an adjustable suspension system for improved handling characteristics and the elimination of the fender well gap. One of the most silly trends for subcompacts is to have 20" tall, 1 inch wide (yes, an exaggeration) wheels and tires. People want the cosmetics of a tall wheel, but they don't realize that the offsets that most front wheel drive vehicles have severely limit the wheel and tire WIDTH. Increasing diameter does increase the contact patch SLIGHTLY, but width with the appropriate tread pattern is the better choice. My recommendation is to have a smaller wheel at the maximum (or close) width you can have fitted.

[Xenocide]

Don't get ultra low profile tires.

It can also hurt your suspension, alot. Ive seen people throw 19" rims on honda civics with stock shocks/struts and completely tear their suspension up in 10k miles.

Oh and, the larger wheels you have, and the wider they are you get to pay even more in tires (which are HELLA expensive for quality stuff)

[Xenocide]

Originally Posted by EmAn

with low profile tires there is less rotational mass of rubber so it is easier to stop but remember you will have bigger wheels if you wish to have the same size (outer diameter) it will add a lot more rotational mass and in return you will need bigger brakes i.e. = more money

if anything go with these

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweel

sorry not true. It will not add more rotational mass unless you have heavier wheels. Tires are not heavy. And also, you do not need bigger brakes just because you have bigger wheels. I used to have 18's on my mustang, It was half the "rotational weight" of my 15" wheels. The only reason i could ever see you needing bigger brakes just because you have bigger wheels is because you want the wider tread for traction on a track so you need more stopping power as well for the aggressive driving.

[Tyranos]

Originally Posted by Xenocide

Don't get ultra low profile tires.

It can also hurt your suspension, alot. Ive seen people throw 19" rims on honda civics with stock shocks/struts and completely tear their suspension up in 10k miles.

Oh and, the larger wheels you have, and the wider they are you get to pay even more in tires (which are HELLA expensive for quality stuff)

I don't know how many studs I've had to grind, splash guards I had to cut, because of huge wheels.

If you ARE willing to pay the price for GOOD rubber, you can get race tires with sidewalls 2 inches tall, but stiffness like a runflat goodyear off of a corvette. Needless to say, dry flat surfaces only.

[Maviryk]

The bigger wheels have less sidewall and increases handling at the cost of a stiffer ride. They also increase your rolling friction and affect gas mileage.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=29

[daniel_dynasty]

Yarus or Civic.. have you looked at the Fit? Maybe even a Scion tc? If you want better 'street performance' like billb said, struts are your best bet. Affordable, easy, and absolutely no maintenance after installation. After that would either be lowering springs (don't cheap out on these), anything more than 2.5 inches (lowered 2.5 inches) is going to be an extremely hard ride; or an aftermarket intake (smog legal).

It really comes down to what you want to achieve, the tricky part is knowing when to stop before your car becomes rice with a fart can in the back.

[techun]

as a rule, larger wheels = worse handling, acceleration, and braking distances.


If you get lighter wheels, then it will help in those aspects.

[Soichiro]

Originally Posted by daniel_dynasty

Yarus or Civic.. have you looked at the Fit? Maybe even a Scion tc?

I've heard of the Fit before but have always seemed to bypass it when looking at Honda's site. Looking at it now, it seems like an interesting design, like a hybrid between a compact and an SUV. The Scion TC looks a bit more rectangular (not round like the Fit), and I don't really like that. Besides, I don't know of any Scion dealers around here, so buying one would be a bit more difficult than buying a Honda or Toyota.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm just going to keep the stock wheels, or maybe find some lighter wheels to put on. One of the main attributes I was looking for is acceleration, and it seems like that's what takes the biggest hit by using bigger wheels from reading these posts and links.

[techun]

Originally Posted by Soichiro

The Scion TC looks a bit more rectangular (not round like the Fit), and I don't really like that. Besides, I don't know of any Scion dealers around here, so buying one would be a bit more difficult than buying a Honda or Toyota.

The first sentence is wrong.

I think you can buy scion cars at any toyota dealers, but Im not sure

[daniel_dynasty]

The Honda Fit has a pretty large aftermarket market for a car that is relatively new. If you want better acceleration, an intake would be your first upgrade.

If your pockets are deeper, the Civic Si has great acceleration :P. Of course your insurance would run higher, and from the looks of it you want an affordable new car.

[Soichiro]

Well, my priorities run in this order: Gas mileage, cost (closely related to gas mileage), acceleration, everything else (unimportant stuff). Since the place I'll be working at is about 5 miles from my house (in city traffic with construction everywhere, no less), and especially when I go to college (since I'll need to visit my parents every once in a while ), I'll need good gas mileage. If intake = acceleration, then which upgrade would provide the greatest increase in gas mileage? And yes, I am looking for something affordable. I'm looking to spend about $15,000 on the car, and no more than 1-2 thousand on upgrades.

I figure that faster acceleration could actually increase my gas mileage, since I would get back up to full speed faster instead of wasting gas at a stoplight, but I can imagine there would be other upgrades that would show a more noticeable difference in gas mileage.

Edit: In case you're all wondering, no I'm not a complete noob when it comes to cars, but... let's just say I'm nowhere near as good as I am with computers. I know I'm probably making myself look like a noob with this thread though.

[daniel_dynasty]

Intake increases fuel efficiency because the more/cleaner/colder air results with fuel burning much better. So an intake would increase horsepower, torque and mileage. Don't expect it to be a miracle though, any boost in performance is a good one. I do not know the exact increase you will get with your car, best to look it up with owners that have the car.

[Scott9027]

Yeah, I agree with daniel_dynasty, I think the Honda Fit would be perfect for you. It's a really light car with great mileage. And it's relatively easy to modify if you want to get into that. My friend has a Civic that he has modified pretty heavily, including an Acura engine, and Honda's are pretty easy to work on and find parts for. There are lots of other cars that would be a good fit (no pun intended) for you and you should definitely be sure to do extensive research before you make your decision.