Many car owners, in pursuit of the appearance of the car, install disks that differ significantly in diameter from those prescribed by the manufacturer. This is one of the simplest ways to visually “pump up” any car, giving it a more aggressive and modern look. In addition to the aesthetic effect, changing the size of the wheels entails much more significant consequences. Before radically changing car disks , you should pay special attention to choosing the optimal parameters that can provide an ideal balance of all the performance characteristics of a particular model.
Characteristics of small wheels
Mounting high-profile tires with a tread of 60% or more on small-diameter wheels is a fairly common solution. Due to the increased internal volume, such wheels effectively dampen the relief of the road surface, ensuring a smooth ride and passenger comfort. The flexible sidewall adapts better to the profile of the supporting surface, thereby increasing cross-country ability. However, due to the high profile, traction with the road worsens, especially on turns, and the braking distance increases. In addition, the softness of high-profile tires negatively affects the accuracy and informativeness of the steering.
Advantages and disadvantages of large diameter discs
Large wheels with wide rubber improve the vehicle’s dynamics. They provide increased stability and control, as well as more stable movement at high speeds. Wide low-profile rubber has an increased contact area with the road, which has a positive effect on braking performance. In addition to improving technical parameters, large wheels give the car a more impressive and sporty appearance.
The installation of low-profile tires and large-diameter wheels also has a number of disadvantages that should be taken into account when choosing components:
- Poor damping of road irregularities. This leads to strong shaking in the cabin and discomfort for passengers when driving on rough roads.
- Increased loads on suspension elements, rapid wear of the chassis. The overall service life of tires is reduced.
- High rolling noise level due to larger contact area with the road.
- Increased risk of aquaplaning on wet roads, deterioration of controllability.
- High sensitivity to internal tire pressure, loss of performance properties when deviating from the norm.
- Higher cost of the tires themselves and the work of mounting/dismounting them.
What size wheels to choose
The ideal option is to select products of the diameter prescribed by the car manufacturer in the operating documentation for a specific model. Deviations within one inch are permissible without significant loss of properties. When choosing a size, you should take into account the purpose of the car. For SUVs, it is better to slightly underestimate the parameters, and for sports cars, you can use a slightly larger diameter.