Thanks for your detailed response. I'll be looking up the Hoosier website.
I drive a '97 318i. The power drop is considerable comparing it to the Talon
Tsi I had before. Specs are 138hp with torque 133lbs/ft with an automatic
transmission. You are right though, I do need a lot of seat time. I want to
wear down my current tires before upgrading. The Pilots still have thousands
of miles to go.
So going up to 16" will put me in a different class? The 15s are stock I
believe and I am currently in H-Stock.
btw, I ordered my SoloII rules handbook earlier this morning...
-Arnold
"Gee, Brain. What are we going to do tonight?"
"Same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try and take over the world!"
>From: Randy Noll <rnoll98@yahoo.com>
>To: Clifford Richardson <the_brain7@hotmail.com>
>Subject: Re: 15' front, 16' rear...better performance?
>Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 13:48:05 -0700 (PDT)
>
>I don't remember what type of car you have.
>
>Basically a wider tire will give you more traction. Wider in back and
>narrower up front would give the rears more traction and make the car
>"push" a little more. The opposite might make the back end slide a
>little easier. If you're running stock you need to keep the stock sized
>rims.
>
>Depending on the power of your car. Tire diameter may be a factor. A
>225/50/15 will have a smaller outer diameter than a 225/50/16. You
>might want a smaller tire on a car with low torque (like a miata or
>honda civic--that's why a lot of the SP guys run the 13" rims). The
>smaller outer diameter basically changes the gearing of the car
>slightly (lowering each gear a little--if you were clocked by a radar
>gun at 60mph at redline in 2nd, with a smaller outer diameter tire you
>might be clocked at 55mph--your in-car spedometer will not change,
>it'll just be a little off). On the other hand, if you have a very
>powerful car and find yourself hitting the rev limiter in 2nd gear, a
>larger diameter tire might help you out by raising the gearing a little
>bit and making it so you wouldn't hit the rev limiter as quickly.
>
>The twist: the two tires you mention below (205/60-15 and 225/50-16)
>will have approximately the same outer diameter, since the narrower
>tire has a taller sidewall than the wider tire and will most likely
>compensate for the change in rim size (check the Hoosier website, they
>list outer diameters on all their tires).
>
>So, in making the switch on the rears only you will most likely gain
>traction in the back due to the wider tire. The shorter sidewall may
>give you more stiffness as well which may help traction.
>
>In the grand scheme of things it won't make a substantial difference.
>If you're switching rims for looks, go for it. If you're hoping it'll
>gain you a second on the track, I doubt it. Plus, the more changes you
>make to your car the harder it'll be to learn what you are doing right
>and wrong.
>
>Seat time. Seat time. Seat time.
>
>Randy
>
>
>--- Clifford Richardson <the_brain7@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Question: How does having larger rear tires on a rwd vehicle affect
> > it's
> > performance? I don't mean wider although I'd love to hear inputs
> > about that
> > too. Although I've been planning to upgrade to wider tires all around
> > for
> > some time now, a thought just occurred to me: just upgrading the
> > rears from
> > 205/60-15 to 225/50-16. Will the smaller wheels up front give me
> > "better"
> > steering while bigger ones in the rear put more power to the road?
> >
> > -Arnold
> > "Gee, Brain. What are we going to do tonight?"
> > "Same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try and take over the world!"
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
>Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail
>http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
_________________________________________________________________
|