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Mad Roger Mad Roger is offline
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Default What's the performance difference between 15 inch, 16 inch and 17 inch tires (all else equal)?

On Wed, 19 Jul 2017 08:55:29 -0400,
Frank wrote:

https://www.cars.com/articles/what-d...1420680318902/


Thank you for that article, where the 3 main takeaways are...

"If the wheel diameter increases by one inch, the height of the tire
should decrease accordingly to compensate, in order to keep the overall
diameter the same."

"With larger wheels and lower profile tires ˇX and the resultant shorter
sidewalls ˇX theyˇ¦re stiffer and thereˇ¦s less of an air and rubber cushion
than before, increasing the chances that hitting a large pothole could
damage the tire, wheel or both."

"An 18-inch tire, for example, will probably weigh at least a couple of
pounds more than a 16- or 17-inch tire. That could also be true of a larger
wheel."

To summarize what the article said for moving to larger-diameter wheels...
+ The overall vehicle suspension remains at the same ride height
+ Tire air "cushioning" is greatly reduced
+ Unsprung weight goes up appreciably