16s are more comfortable than 17s, right?

[Micks]

My VZ has a spacesaver from a HSV bought it to fit over my larger brakes, dreading the possibility of having to use it one day as they are absolute scooter tyres!!

[whitels1ss]

My VZ has a spacesaver from a HSV bought it to fit over my larger brakes, dreading the possibility of having to use it one day as they are absolute scooter tyres!!

Wouldn't like to use it with a heavy load Mick!

[BLACK 346]

My VZ has a spacesaver from a HSV bought it to fit over my larger brakes, dreading the possibility of having to use it one day as they are absolute scooter tyres!!

I had to put the space saver on the daughter's Golf a while back when one of her rims was in being repaired. Looked like a wheelbarrow wheel and tyre had found it's way onto the car lol. Yet I regularly see people driving around on them and they are usually the one's going hell for leather.

[BLACK 346]

It's a wonder they haven't perished - be bloody dangerous to drive on now due to risk of failure no matter how little kms they may have done.

Two separate tyre places have told me that 5 years maximum is the life expectancy of a tyre.

[redvxr8clubby]

Two separate tyre places have told me that 5 years maximum is the life expectancy of a tyre.

Same here, my VX Clubby does so little kms that I don't get even close to wearing the tyres out. The VX kills the rears, inside wall of the tyres start cracking. I had this back in about 2010 and again a month or so ago.

[Inter State Man]

They’re pretty cracked up but only half worn sturdy Michelins. Haven’t driven it much in the last 5 years. They’re in much better condition than the tyres I careened around on 40 years ago. At 100 hp and 1000 kgs the cars not exactly a tire shredder

[keith reed]

Thanks. I will go and have a chat to he guys in my local tire shop soon, I’ll post what they tell me about range and prices of 16s vs 17s. I guess another advantage of 17s is that I might be able to get bigger front brakes in there when they are next due.

You have a number of options regarding a brake upgrade. Firstly you can change your pads to ceramic. This will make a difference. If you wish to fit 4 pot callipers to 16" rims there are adapters that will allow the callipers off a Nissan r32/r34 to fit. If you do decide to go too 17" rims the pre ve gts callipers with 243 mm rotors will fit. If you then decided to put the pre gts 4 pot callipers on the back you might find that that you have to get a modified backing plate. I had to on my vh. The fronts from vb-vz are the same.

[Inter State Man]

That’s great info - thanks!

[Micks]

Bear in mind any brake upgrade not available to your series/model from GM will require an engineers certificate to comply. I found this recently when fitted up Harrops to my VF2

[Inter State Man]

So do you think I would need a certificate to fit Caprice brakes in there (I am assuming Caprices has bigger brakes along with the larger wheels)?
I would hope so, as I have said the Statesman brakes aren’t dynamite

[whitels1ss]

The Caprice had exactly the same brakes as the Statesman from the factory.

[whitels1ss]

From what you have posted in the past about how you use & drive your car,

(It sound's as though it's dead standard mechanically, you really mostly use it for long country drives at sensible speeds & no track work,)

I would expect the standard brakes should be fine.

There is no real need for race brakes on a car that's not raced or driven hard IMHO.

[Inter State Man]

How about that? I expected the reason for the larger wheels on Caprices was larger brakes (I thought it was the ‘sporty’ Statesman). The standard brakes are fine for my purposes. I do keep them in good nic.
As I said before, I would think the difference between 16 and 17s 15 years ago would be much greater than the difference now, relative to the best wheel tire combo you could fit

[jc_sv8]

IMO if you can press the peddle hard enough to make ABS cut in there is no need to go bigger. Decent pads would be a good upgrade.
As the guys said, if your not doing any track work, fade shouldn't be a problem. Hopefully you rarely have to press the peddle that hard.

[BLACK 346]

IMO if you can press the peddle hard enough to make ABS cut in there is no need to go bigger. Decent pads would be a good upgrade.
As the guys said, if your not doing any track work, fade shouldn't be a problem. Hopefully you rarely have to press the peddle that hard.

A lot of people don't realise how much a decent set of pads and a fluid change improves braking.