Do larger wheels affect handling?

Hi all,

Just been discussing with a mate of mine about getting some 18 inch wheels for my STI 1, 5 door. He commented that he thought that going beyond 16 inch was a bad idea, as it affected the handling, and made the car 'skip' about too much.

Any one confirm / deny this ? Cheers ....

If that were true, the BTCC guys wouldn't be using 20" rims "Skipping about" is more likely to be due to running too high tyre pressures or too hard suspension than anything to do with wheel diameter.

Brian

Yes, but the BTCC guys are running on super flat and smooth tarmac which is light years away from the average UK road with its potholes, drain covers, camber changes, roadkill etc.

Cheers

Ian

Well I test drove two Scoobies, one on 16's and one on 17's. I did prefer the 17's and opted for 17's when I bought mine.

I have zero complaints about the 17's. A friend of mine went from 16's to 17's and also agrees that the 17's are better - I'm sure he mentioned that the 17's tramline less. I've also heard that 17's give you better turn in - presumably due to the lower profile so there is less side wall flex.

One other thing, if you ever go for big brakes (and believe me, it's a strong possibility), I think you are limited if you are running 16's.

Besides, 17's look soooooo much nicer!!!!
Matt.

Thanks for the feedback, guys !

Mutant_matt, when I can afford to, I'll be going to at least 17 inchs - if I'm feeling brave, I'll try 18 's, although as my car appears to have been lowered, I'm not sure if this is a good idea !

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by paulhoubart:
<B>Thanks for the feedback, guys !

Mutant_matt, when I can afford to, I'll be going to at least 17 inchs - if I'm feeling brave, I'll try 18 's, although as my car appears to have been lowered, I'm not sure if this is a good idea !

[/quote]

You should see if you can find someone who has gone from 17 to 18inch wheels on a Scoob first. EVO did a review of the P1WR which has the optional 18inch wheels and they said that it was too harsh a ride and that 17 inchers were a better "all rounder".

Matt.

Seem to remember reading somewhere, that Prodrive reckoned the biggest single improvement you could make to the Scooby was to change from the standard 16" rims to 17s.

I've had Raceline RL7s fiited now for about 3 months and there is a noticable improvement (in fairness this also has to do with using decent tyres (40 profile SO2 PPs). The ultra low profile tyres don't do much for the ride quality, but it is bearable. The benefits I think are better turn and cornering and less tramlining. Although you feel the bumps more, the upside is that it does feel like a nicer car to drive if you are on the motorway / smooth roads (if you can find any at the moment ).

I think a lot comes down to personal choice. If you have the cash burning a hole in your pocket - give them a go. If you don't like them, you'll have no problem selling them on to somebody on this BBS.

Chris

I'm running 17"s now (for two days) and would say that there's quite a bit of difference. Despite the fact that the width is the same as the old 16"s, the car seems to soak up road conditions better - now to me this makes no sense...

The tyres do not tramline at all, which is a pleasant change, and seem to let go mroe progressively (PZeros against RE010s)