Wheel sizes, What is best per Car & Driver test results

[Ausmartin1]

Hi All,
Intersing article where C&R used a Golf to test different wheel sizes.

Looks like the best performance sizes are 17-18" Rims - otherwise it could slow you down.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...d-tires-tested

Cheers,
Martin

[brasher]

reminds me when I put up a pic of a mates VE GTS with 18's on it.

people went spastic. Function over form.

[surfwagon]

When HSV built the VZ HRT/HDT editions they said that 17/18" was the best comination for weight of the wheel plus weight of tyre.
Smaller wheels meant the bigger carcass tyre was heavier than the loss of weight with the smaller wheel.
Larger wheels meant the wheels were heavier and by a considerable margin over what the tyre lost in weight with less side wall.
Maybe the performance and overall weight of 18's is why Merc Benz fit 18" to the C& E63's as std with 19's as an option.

[IJ.]

I tried a set of 19" VE SSV's on my Adventra, very noticable decrease in acceleration and an increase in stopping distances compared to the Factory 17".

[Angeldust]

When HSV built the VZ HRT/HDT editions they said that 17/18" was the best comination for weight of the wheel plus weight of tyre.
Smaller wheels meant the bigger carcass tyre was heavier than the loss of weight with the smaller wheel.
Larger wheels meant the wheels were heavier and by a considerable margin over what the tyre lost in weight with less side wall.
Maybe the performance and overall weight of 18's is why Merc Benz fit 18" to the C& E63's as std with 19's as an option.

i have one of those


really though its just logical.

[bozodos]

I knew anecdotally this was the case, and therefore am always perplexed when people have high power Commodores with huge wheels and liquorice strap tyres (the subjective question of aesthetics aside)

[Wonky]

In my case my 20s are purely for the look. I never race on the road so any decrease in performance is neither here nor there.

[mjrandom]

It all depends on what diameter wheel/tyre the car is designed to run. As the article says the tests were done on a Golf. You would be stuffed if you tried to fit 17" wheels to an old mini. The article would have been better focused on tyre profile rather than rim diameter. And again depending on the width that will vary too. If a 45 or 40 profile tyre is the optimun size in a tyre that is 245 wide that wont be the case for a 345 because the amount of rubber between the rim and road will be excessive. Bit too generalised.

Having said that on the Clubbies there is no doubt and is my experience that the 19s (E1 standard wheels) handle better tyre for tyre (same tyre even though there are compound changes between 19s and 20s) than the 20s (the W427 wheels I have on my E2)

[bozodos]

In my case my 20s are purely for the look. I never race on the road so any decrease in performance is neither here nor there.

I don't intend to either. I just prefer function over form and less unsprung mass where I can! That and with some of the goat track roads around here I don't think a lower profile tyre would cope all that well!

[Angeldust]

as long as they clear those 'big' brakes, 18's are enough!


The funniest thing is when you have 4cyl ordinary cars with huge rims.

Slower, more stress on the driveline components (axles, bearings, steering rack etc), larger fuel consumption, reduced braking..the list goes on.
But they look good! Well NOT on lancers with rusty drum brakes on the rear lol!

[Jag530G]

From memory I think Motor magazine commented that Late VX and VY HSV GTS on 19s had slower lap times than earlier 300Kw GTS on 18s, their comment was the 35 profile tyres had too soft sidewalls (soft to give some sort of bump absorbancy) compared with the 40 series tyres used on the 18" rims.

Having done quite a bit of driving on the goat tracks that pass for the Bruce and Newell Highways, I think 18" with 40 series tyres are the absolute limit I'd go to on my Monaro. Admitly the VE uses higher profile tyres for the same wheel size of a VT-VZ, so maybe 40 series tyres on 19s for a VE would be acceptable.

Cheers, Matthew

[QIKMIK]

I remember Top Gear Oz testing the red Walkinshaw-blown Clubby with 22s then testing again with the stock rims and it being a few seconds quicker around their track.

Agree with you Matt re the quality of the local highways. I remember hesitating to purchase 17" rims for my VN many years ago for that very reason.

Mick

[surfwagon]

My mate has AMG wheels on his merc wagon. 18's 8+9's with 235/40 & 255/35 tyres and have been thinking of doing same on my senator if I could find some decent staggered 18's, looks like a good combo.

[SimonNQ]

I went with the forged Redline wheels on my SSV, they clear my HSV brakes just fine and I noticed that the car felt a bit more nimble after fitting. Side by saide ther was quite a difference in weight of the wheels alone with the Redlines being quite a bit lighter!. For me and how I drive I am quite happy with the Redline wheels. I initially didn't like the look very much, but it has grown on me and now I really like it !

[IJ.]

From memory I think Motor magazine commented that Late VX and VY HSV GTS on 19s had slower lap times than earlier 300Kw GTS on 18s, their comment was the 35 profile tyres had too soft sidewalls (soft to give some sort of bump absorbancy) compared with the 40 series tyres used on the 18" rims.

Having done quite a bit of driving on the goat tracks that pass for the Bruce and Newell Highways, I think 18" with 40 series tyres are the absolute limit I'd go to on my Monaro. Admitly the VE uses higher profile tyres for the same wheel size of a VT-VZ, so maybe 40 series tyres on 19s for a VE would be acceptable.

Cheers, Matthew

I run 255/40/19 on me SSV's on my VZ Tonner it being AWD gives a slight increase in gearing as there are no alternate front diff ratios's available, acceleration/braking aren't a problem on this car compared to the Stock Adventra, also gives me some more sidewall so I'm not flatspotting rims on the cattle tracks/roads here in Vic.