Best wheel width for handling?
Best wheel width for handling? Well I am now currently in the market for a set of ZR1's. My only question to you guys is which would be better for ripping through some corners? Going with 9.5's on all 4 corners? or just up front with the 11.5's in the back? I like the look of the 11.5's in the back obviously, but i figured having 9.5's on all 4 corners would be a better set-up. Correct me if i'm wrong. Thanks guys!
Yea I think i might do 275's all the way around. Cheaper that way. I do love the look of 315's as does any normal human being lol, but i dont want to have to worry about fitting issues, especially when I lower the car.
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After using 315's for racing, 275's on the street seem like spare tires. 315/35/17's w/ 50mm backspacing on a 17x11-12 wheel and 7/32" wheel spacers. Just minor rubbing on the front inner fender on full lock turns. Use the big hammer mod on inner rear fender and/or non-tubular LCA's for clearancing.
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Verdad Gallardo Yea I have BMR sways (HUGE handling improvement), LCA's, adjustable PHR, BMR torque arm, but i have salad shooters, street tires up front, and Nitto DR's out back....not the best wheels/tires for carving corners. Need an upgrade. Then i'm probably just gona get a set of Koni adjustables, lower purch setting, with the heater hose mod in the back on stock springs all around. Should get this thing handling VERY well, yet maintain and somewhat nice ride.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
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From: St.Charles MO
Yea I have BMR sways (HUGE handling improvement), LCA's, adjustable PHR, BMR torque arm, but i have salad shooters, street tires up front, and Nitto DR's out back....not the best wheels/tires for carving corners. Need an upgrade. Then i'm probably just gona get a set of Koni adjustables, lower purch setting, with the heater hose mod in the back on stock springs all around. Should get this thing handling VERY well, yet maintain and somewhat nice ride.
BTW your car will ride better than stock.
Yea I know I cant wait! Damn weather here in Illinois blooows. Car isnt my daily driver, so shes hibernating for a few months. Cant wait to get those Koni's in there though....things are damn expensive though. Worth it I know, but expensive.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: May 2007
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275s all around are stock for WS6.
Not all that great. It doesn't exactly suck, but the front will still plow a little if you really push it. Even with Koni's, the lower perch/heater hose "mod", UMI rod end PHB, and a "performance" alignment.
I'm looking to (eventually) tuck as much up front as I possibly can. 285 at an absolute minimum. (planning on a set of Strano sways first, and possibly some Strano springs at some point as well - and lighter rims if I can find them, too)
Not all that great. It doesn't exactly suck, but the front will still plow a little if you really push it. Even with Koni's, the lower perch/heater hose "mod", UMI rod end PHB, and a "performance" alignment.
I'm looking to (eventually) tuck as much up front as I possibly can. 285 at an absolute minimum. (planning on a set of Strano sways first, and possibly some Strano springs at some point as well - and lighter rims if I can find them, too)
I have 275-35-18 in front and 295-35-18s in the rear. I think it handles very well. once i put the bilsteins and Strano sways, there was almost no under steer. I want to go to strano's springs and some Konis soon though. Myabe when these tires need changing I'll go a little wider. However there arent many cars out there with tires that wide up front. The new C6 Z06s have 275-35-18s up front and they handle amazingly and they arent that much lighter than our cars. Sooo, I dont know.
Actually I'm trying to think of as many sports cars as I can with a tire that is 275+ up front and I think theres:
*4th gen f-bodies
*C6 Z06s
*Vipers
is there really anything else?
Because for autox and road race, Nitto NT-01 and RII's are great. And for the street, especially at my HP level. RII's are awesome for daily driving and ripping corners, provided it's not TOO wet out. NT-01's are better suited for the track but can function as dailies but will wear out quick. I guess I assumed when he asked about corner carving he meant good tires too. I also assumed he meant 17", I didn't even think about 18's. You have a great point, not many cars have as good a footprint as we do.
Because for autox and road race, Nitto NT-01 and RII's are great. And for the street, especially at my HP level. RII's are awesome for daily driving and ripping corners, provided it's not TOO wet out. NT-01's are better suited for the track but can function as dailies but will wear out quick. I guess I assumed when he asked about corner carving he meant good tires too. I also assumed he meant 17", I didn't even think about 18's. You have a great point, not many cars have as good a footprint as we do.
I'd stick with 9.5s all around for 2 reasons. This is for the street, so you'll be wearing the tires out with regularity. Having the same all around means you get to rotate tires front-to-back. Also, 275s are much easier to find sizes for in street tires, espeically when cost is a factor.
Now, one quick statement about putting wider tires at the rear. It DOES NOT "increase" understeer. Let me explain. Let's say you can go in a circle around a skidpad at 60mph with 275 tires all around. Any more than 60 and you begin to push due to understeer. So, you come in and put 315s on the back. When you go back out, you will still be able to do exactly 60mph, no more. And, it makes sense - you were losing traction at the front. So, you didn't change a single thing up front and therefore your traction won't change either.
The reason that people think that it "increases understeer" is because of another scenario. Like above, you can do 60 around the skidpad with 275s all around. Except, because of your setup, the rear starts coming out, causing oversteer. You come in and put on 315s in the back. Now, when you go out, you find that you can do 65, but anything above that makes the front understeer. People will say that means that the wider rear tires have "increased understeer". But, you've actually "reduced oversteer" which makes "understeer" more of a problem. You've increased the overall grip on your car, and have identified another area that is limiting your grip.
Now, one quick statement about putting wider tires at the rear. It DOES NOT "increase" understeer. Let me explain. Let's say you can go in a circle around a skidpad at 60mph with 275 tires all around. Any more than 60 and you begin to push due to understeer. So, you come in and put 315s on the back. When you go back out, you will still be able to do exactly 60mph, no more. And, it makes sense - you were losing traction at the front. So, you didn't change a single thing up front and therefore your traction won't change either.
The reason that people think that it "increases understeer" is because of another scenario. Like above, you can do 60 around the skidpad with 275s all around. Except, because of your setup, the rear starts coming out, causing oversteer. You come in and put on 315s in the back. Now, when you go out, you find that you can do 65, but anything above that makes the front understeer. People will say that means that the wider rear tires have "increased understeer". But, you've actually "reduced oversteer" which makes "understeer" more of a problem. You've increased the overall grip on your car, and have identified another area that is limiting your grip.