Wider Tire Question?
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Joined: Apr 2002
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From: SmartAss, Ca
Wider Tire Question? I recently bought 18 x 9.5 and 18 x 10.5 ZO6 rims for my LS1...im running 275/35/18 in the front and 285/35/18 in the rear, Nitto 555's on all four corners....looks cool, however, it seems like my car runs sluggish from take off, normal driving that is....and my gas mileage went down....is that cuz of the drag from the wider tires in front, or is my car playing tricks on me again??
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Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Imperial, CA
I basically have the same set up as you, except I have different tire sizes on it, but I also have noticed a dip in my mileage also, but damn the wheels look great and they many times better than the stockers I had on there
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From: Shelton Ct
The slugish problem is probably from the added weight from switching to 18". You now have more rotational mass and it is going to take a little more to get them moving. Do you guys know the wieght of your new wheels compared to your stockers?
gas mileage Are these tires taller than the stock ones? If you did not adjust your speedometer (digitally or mechanically) then your reduction in mileage might just be due to the speedometer reading to slow. You are getting the same gas mileage, but your car does not register the full distance.
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TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: SmartAss, Ca
Actually, my speedometer did not change....with my stockers, i cranked out 2000 rpms at 80 mph, and it still shows that now with my 18's....the sluggish or drag is noticable tho....i wanna lower my front end more tho
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Verdad Gallardo OF course your speedo and tach will agree. The car does not know that your tire hieght has changed, just that the ratio of engine rpms to tire rpms yeild a predetermined MPH reading... which is likely wrong.
You need to test the accuracy of your speedometer. Find several miles of striaght highway, set your cruise to 60 and travel 5 or 10 miles using the mile markers to determine how far you have traveled. IF you travel 10 miles in 10 minutes and your odometer reads 10 miles, then the speedo is still calibrated. But if the odometer does not read exactly 10 miles, and it did not take exactly 10 minutes, then the change in tire hieght requires a recalibration of your instruments. That would accound for a preceived change in gas mileage, etc....
You need to test the accuracy of your speedometer. Find several miles of striaght highway, set your cruise to 60 and travel 5 or 10 miles using the mile markers to determine how far you have traveled. IF you travel 10 miles in 10 minutes and your odometer reads 10 miles, then the speedo is still calibrated. But if the odometer does not read exactly 10 miles, and it did not take exactly 10 minutes, then the change in tire hieght requires a recalibration of your instruments. That would accound for a preceived change in gas mileage, etc....