Harry P. Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 Not sure about EFI cars but in carbureted cars, it's simply because the less manifold vacuum that pulls less fuel from the jets. What in the world does that have to do with wheel diameter?
Craig Irwin Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 I vote for the 14 and 15 inch wheels to come back! A "G" machine looks just as much a clown car as a donk to me.
Harry P. Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 I may be wrong, but I thought that wheels have gotten steadily bigger in order for the manufacturers to fit bigger brakes behind them. Or am I off base here?
SuperStockAndy Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 What in the world does that have to do with wheel diameter? I don't...know. That's why I hate myself, I always make everything too hard.....
Joe Handley Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 (edited) I may be wrong, but I thought that wheels have gotten steadily bigger in order for the manufacturers to fit bigger brakes behind them. Or am I off base here? Nope, If bigger wheels mean bigger brakes, I'm all for it...........especially on high horsepower, 5000lb+ cars and SUV's! I wouldn't mind both on my Jeep in all honest, a little bit bigger rim means a little less sidewall to flex during cornering and should allow for better cornering ability on top of the better stopping and heat dissipation the bigger brakes would allow for. I wouldn't go any larger than the 17's like your Mustang has. I've seen XJ's with 20's and they don't look even remotely right, 18's look ok, but that big might be kinda pointless on it. Edited January 2, 2012 by Joe Handley
Joe Handley Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 (edited) sorry, accidentally quoted myself instead of editing my last post Edited January 2, 2012 by Joe Handley
ChrisPflug Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 Bigger brakes and lower profile tires can make for a safer, better performing vehicle- obviously there is a point at which the "real"benefits are eclipsed by appearance considerations.Any reduction in unsprung weight has a greatly magnified affect as far as performance and handling as well. The diameter of many of these large wheel/ super low profille tire combos isn't too far off from a 70's factory station wagon combo with some 15 inch JR78 whitewalls
Harry P. Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 sorry, accidentally quoted myself... Didn't your mother ever warn you about what happens if you do that?
Craig Irwin Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 Some whitewall JR78-15's would look better than those silly rubber-bands they sell now.
Harry P. Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 Bigger brakes and lower profile tires can make for a safer, better performing vehicle- obviously there is a point at which the "real"benefits are eclipsed by appearance considerations.Any reduction in unsprung weight has a greatly magnified affect as far as performance and handling as well. The diameter of many of these large wheel/ super low profille tire combos isn't too far off from a 70's factory station wagon combo with some 15 inch JR78 whitewalls Right, the diameter of the tire is pretty much the same, it's just that wheels have gotten bigger (and tires correspondingly have gotten lower profiles to allow for larger wheel diameters) so that the manufacturers can stick some bigger brakes behind the wheels. But once you get past 17-18 inch wheels, you're into clown car territory, if you ask me.
Rob Hall Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 Tires are wider today on average, esp. the performance tires, compared to the bicycle-tire width tires of olden days..
Rob Hall Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 For a modern car w/ modern-size wheels and tires, the Mustang w/ 19s looks about perfect to me..
Craig Irwin Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 It's ovious that no mater what the model companys do (short of including 2 tire / wheel sets) they are going to lose sales from one side or the other of this debate.
Craig Irwin Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 LOL! it's got the "exahust loudener" flatulance cannon too!
Longbox55 Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 For modern cars... Large Wheel = Lower RPM = Better Fuel Economy Larger wheels will not do that. Larger diameter TIRES will, though, by changing the effective final drive ratio. That can cause its own set of porblems, though, by making the drive ratio too high, requiring more feul to be burned to make enough power to get the vehicle moving, especially with smaller low power engines. BTW, this also applies to older cars, not just late models.
Longbox55 Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 I can vouch for that. On mine, when the speedo is reading 80, I'm actually doing around 110. Went from a 6.70-15 (about a 27" tire) to a 30x9.50x15.
Casey Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 For a modern car w/ modern-size wheels and tires, the Mustang w/ 19s looks about perfect to me.. I agree, and as you mentioned earlier, other modern cars such as Dodge's Challenger as designed to use 20" wheels, so it's all about using wheels which are proportionate to the vehicle.
Rob Hall Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 I agree, and as you mentioned earlier, other modern cars such as Dodge's Challenger as designed to use 20" wheels, so it's all about using wheels which are proportionate to the vehicle. Yes...and the Camaro...the new Camaro w/ factory 20s is drop dead sexy IMO...
MikeMc Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 Well don't tell my buddy Dave......these are 17" foose wheels....He does have the steelies and $300. SS stock hubcaps.....seems to be liked more with the mags.....
Rob Hall Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 That Olds is cool...would look great in 1:25th...
'08SEAL Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 I hate when p/u drivers lift their trucks and put mud tires on them but don't get bigger wheels.
SuperStockAndy Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 I hate when p/u drivers lift their trucks and put mud tires on them but don't get bigger wheels. That's what I'm doing with my truck...
'08SEAL Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 That's what I'm doing with my truck... Well I bet you're not gonna lift it like 2 feet and not get bigger wheels... bigger as in overall diameter or in width? Bigger in like, inches. Height, I think.
ChrisPflug Posted January 3, 2012 Posted January 3, 2012 Same diameter wheels with taller tires seem a much better idea for any kind of actual off road use- let the extra sidewall work for you (the opposite of a car set up for handling where a short, stiff sidewall helps will high speed cornering)
Joe Handley Posted January 3, 2012 Posted January 3, 2012 What kind of off roading though? Going to a larger diameter rim when upping tire size should allow for larger brakes (with bigger tires, bigger brakes should be a must), better sidewall stability in off camber situations, more control in case of a blow out, and quite frankly, won't look as stupid as a giant tire around a tiny rim.
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