Found this little gem about wheels & tyres while browsing on PH
http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible_pg2.html
I reckon this will add some fuel to the debate about 185/55 & 195/50 profile tyres on the willy's & valvers 8)
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Found this little gem about wheels & tyres while browsing on PH
http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible_pg2.html
I reckon this will add some fuel to the debate about 185/55 & 195/50 profile tyres on the willy's & valvers 8)
Your right Paddy you do get a eureka moment when you read it, welldone mate :wink: :shock:
It looks like a good article, but I'm too busy to read through it all. Can someone summarise what it suggests in relation to mk1 Clio vs Willy wheels and whether / why this is contovertable please.
You should really read it, to summarize, the information & little calculators in it will basically help you find the truth from the bullshit with changing the size(s) of wheels & tyres and their effects on the cars handling, acceleration, rolling resistance and accuracy of your speedo :wink:Quote:
Originally Posted by GabrielKnight
so what will be your next tire?
:lol: I'm quite happy to stick with my 195 50 15 paradas & R888's :twisted:
It's pretty much basics tbh just advising on what different markings and standards mean and how they're constructed. The only bit that touchs on tyre width and hiow varying it affects performance is:
"Too wide or too narrow - does it make a difference?
Given all the information above, you ought to know one last thing.
A rim that is too narrow in relation to the tyre width will allow the tyre to distort excessively sideways under fast cornering. On the other hand, unduly wide rims on an ordinary car tend to give rather a harsh ride because the sidewalls have not got enough curvature to make them flex over bumps and potholes. That's why there is a range of rim sizes for each tyre size in my Rimwidthulator above. Put a 185/65R14 tyre on a rim narrower than 5inches or wider than 6.5inches and suffer the consequences.
Read more: http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible_pg4.html#ixzz0yNbk1yJK"
Tyres are a black art. Some of you probably already realise that grip isn't proportional to tyre width - for the same weight of vehicle the grip will be the same for varying widths of tyres with the same coefficient of grip (i.e. the same stickiness). Wider tyres do change the slip angle at the limit of grip which is to do with the amount of distortion in the tyre (When a tyres turned with a moving vehicle the contact patch twists, the angle of twist id the slip angle) The different slip angle means slightly more grip just on the limit of grip however you also lose feel from the tyres - they snap away less predictably where as with thinner tyres you can feel the limit of grip aproaching.
With the williams the 185 tyres (compared to 195) have a larger side wall which adds to the damping / suspension giving a smoother ride, and more grip on roads that aren't flat.
I've run 195 width tyres on my clios for years and have recently fitted a set of 185s - now the car feels amazing, like the perfect beast everyone raves about. If you want to experience your Williams as nature intended I'd recomend 185/55/15s all day long.
Would love to do a proper experiment comparing the two different widths on a track with the same car to see how laptimes vary, I'm due to be hillclimbing mine in standard production class this month and will be using the 185s for that (They seem to be lighter too which should aid acceleration and deceleration)
185 Fanboi here!