tyre size

[rickyquicky]

hi all,

my willy 2 has 185/55/15 tyres on, so i presume this is factory standard?

has anyone tried a different tyre size such as a 185/50/15 or similar?

i think lower-profile might look a little better as i want to keep the car as standard as poss, but will it have a beneficial/detrimental effect on handling?

any recommendations?

[Wobba]

A lot of people rate 195/50/15 with Willy wheels mate, some go for lower profile but it's all down to personal taste I reckon.

[Coops]

i run 195/50 r15 mate, bit more grip from extra width and bit better round corners with shorted walls

but as said its personal taste and viewpoints

[rickyquicky]

i never knew a 195 tyre could fir on a rim designed for 185!

so does the tyre fit well or can you tell it wasnt really designed for it?

[talkingfish]

tyres have been discussed on here at length many times before.... I did have 195/50's on my Williams but whilst the grip was good I found the ride too harsh.... I have recently changed to 185/55's and am much happier with the results.... as already has been said, all down to personal taste really... but if Renault had wanted to car to be on 195's, it would have fitted them as standard eh????

[Coops]

no mate, if renault wanted a compromise between comfort and handling they would fit a 185/55

i find the 195/50 better for fast road/track use

i have seen 205/45 fitted aswell on 7J wheels aswell, too harsh for me tho 45 profile

and yes 195 fit fine, its only a matter of 1cm. tbh if you go on width, 185 is too big aswell as a 7j (7 inch wheel) is only 178mm :P

[rickyquicky]

sweet, thanks for the info

when these need relacing im gonna try 195/50's all round

only drive the car rarely, so i can put up with a harsh ride!

[eternalife]

A lot of people go for the 195 50 15 tyres due to them being some £25 cheaper a corner (compared for Mich PE2's which imo are an AWESOME road tyre).

The 'handling' of a car can never be ideal for every situation a long sweeping corner favours one set up, and a couple of chicanes will favour another. Similarly, this can be said about the surfaces you drive on - road with pot holes and bumps, compared to a smooth track - hence making the intention for what you are intending to use the car an important factor in your decision.

Fact - Renault fitted 185 55 15 tyres to the Clio Williams.
Fact - Renault fitted 195 50 15 tyres to the 172 Mk1.

Although, what Coops said about renault compromising may be feasible I have seen no evidence of this. Also, as the Williams was a performance car (and originally only to have a very few number made) Renault may not have thought compromising on the handling for comfort to be a good idea, again I have seen no proof for-or-against this argument.

I personally do not believe that Renault were willing to compromise handling for comfort on the Williams yet chose not to do this on the 172, the Williams being a far more exclusive, orientated and (originally anticipated) limited run car, they would more likely not compromise on its handling for comfort. And as always there is more to the argument than just the tyre size difference.

Next, when porsche were employed by Audi for design input of the Audi RS2 (an estate car which did 0-30 faster than a McLaren F1!) they used narrower tyres in their set up which improved the handling. Although, bearing in mind many other changes occured, the car came with narrower tyres specifically for the fact it improved the handling.

The extra width/road contact argument also has many levels of discussion. Pressure needs to be considered accordingly for one. Also, the dynamics of having a wider contact region as opposed to a longer contact region also has huge implications and again is open to debate.

Finally, IMO the best thing to do is maybe get a passenger ride or (if somene is willing) drive a car on the 195 50 15 tyres and see what works for you. At the end of the day, 'each to their own' its your car and no one will know how you want your car to 'feel' more so than yourself.

Hope this helps.

[Coops]

okay i admit some applications may have different results, but for me the extra contact patch and runnin slightly lower pressures is a necessity of running lots of power and 15" wheels

[eternalife]

okay i admit some applications may have different results, but for me the extra contact patch and runnin slightly lower pressures is a necessity of running lots of power and 15" wheels

- my post wasnt to contradict you fella, just to make sure the questions surrounding the whole debarcle are noted.

PS: your car is bird poo metallic