Wider Tires = Less Grip ????????????????
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Wider Tires = Less Grip ????????????????
I went over a video on Youtube (Best Motoring International) where they were testing Honda S2000s in the Touge Battle Series.. The Amuse S2000 was the fastest, clipping corners with unbelievable speeds!!
The Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TapkhD6WHjM
After That they went over some analysis to explain how the car performed very well!! At 17:43(video time), the guy said "Even with extra wide 255 size tires that can result in grip loss due to increase in road contact area, the suspension has been setup for maximum traction for highest cornering speeds!!!!!!!"
NOW, i have always thought that the wider the tire, the more grip the car has because the car gets more road contact area, rather than slipping!!! How can fitting wider tires translate to less grip?????
I bought a set of wheels (18*9.5+22) for my IX, and I was going to put 265s to achieve what I thought "maximum grip", but now, IM SHOCKED!!
If anyone can give me better explanation on such theory, and whether this theory will apply on my car with 265 or even 255 tires, I would be more than thankful!!
-Waleed.
The Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TapkhD6WHjM
After That they went over some analysis to explain how the car performed very well!! At 17:43(video time), the guy said "Even with extra wide 255 size tires that can result in grip loss due to increase in road contact area, the suspension has been setup for maximum traction for highest cornering speeds!!!!!!!"
NOW, i have always thought that the wider the tire, the more grip the car has because the car gets more road contact area, rather than slipping!!! How can fitting wider tires translate to less grip?????
I bought a set of wheels (18*9.5+22) for my IX, and I was going to put 265s to achieve what I thought "maximum grip", but now, IM SHOCKED!!
If anyone can give me better explanation on such theory, and whether this theory will apply on my car with 265 or even 255 tires, I would be more than thankful!!
-Waleed.
Its about not being able to make use of the larger contact due to not being able to properly heat them up -increased area requires more heat to get to proper operating temps. There are often cases where a properly setup 245 can outdo a 265/275 tyre simply beacuse of this.
IMO....regardless of more or less grip....sometimes the smaller tire is just more fun. 
Lighter wheels and tire and a shorter sidewalll....i just think it's more fun than massive heavy wheels with way too wide tires, especially if you don't have the big power or the suspension to keep up with the grip.
More grip = more roll stiffness needed...if you don't have it then it will feel poopy (a 7 year old is watching what i type....)
- Andrew
Lighter wheels and tire and a shorter sidewalll....i just think it's more fun than massive heavy wheels with way too wide tires, especially if you don't have the big power or the suspension to keep up with the grip.
More grip = more roll stiffness needed...if you don't have it then it will feel poopy (a 7 year old is watching what i type....)
- Andrew
Last edited by GTWORX.com; Feb 15, 2010 at 07:38 PM.
Thread Starter
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From: UAE
Its about not being able to make use of the larger contact due to not being able to properly heat them up -increased area requires more heat to get to proper operating temps. There are often cases where a properly setup 245 can outdo a 265/275 tyre simply beacuse of this.
BTW, thank u very much for ur technical explanation
IMO....regardless of more or less grip....sometimes the smaller tire is just more fun.
Lighter wheels and tire and a shorter sidewalll....i just think it's more fun than massive heavy wheels with way too wide tires, especially if you don't have the big power or the suspension to keep up with the grip.
More grip = more roll stiffness needed...if you don't have it then it will feel poopy (a 7 year old is watching what i type....)
- Andrew
Lighter wheels and tire and a shorter sidewalll....i just think it's more fun than massive heavy wheels with way too wide tires, especially if you don't have the big power or the suspension to keep up with the grip.
More grip = more roll stiffness needed...if you don't have it then it will feel poopy (a 7 year old is watching what i type....)
- Andrew
My suspesion is too tight
stupid front swaybar, haha
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Don't forget the wider the tire the less pressure on each sq/in of contact patch. Once you reach a certain point the wider you go the less grip you'll have. There is obviously a happy medium, I'm just not the person who has the formula to calculate it 
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 311
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From: UAE
IMO....regardless of more or less grip....sometimes the smaller tire is just more fun.
Lighter wheels and tire and a shorter sidewalll....i just think it's more fun than massive heavy wheels with way too wide tires, especially if you don't have the big power or the suspension to keep up with the grip.
More grip = more roll stiffness needed...if you don't have it then it will feel poopy (a 7 year old is watching what i type....)
- Andrew
Lighter wheels and tire and a shorter sidewalll....i just think it's more fun than massive heavy wheels with way too wide tires, especially if you don't have the big power or the suspension to keep up with the grip.
More grip = more roll stiffness needed...if you don't have it then it will feel poopy (a 7 year old is watching what i type....)
- Andrew
Personally, fun is at max when Im sticking to the road like a magnet.. Im not into under/or oversteer.. Sometimes I like take a bit of a drift at a corner, but I totally enjoy driving when I take a clean entry/exist at any corner I go through!!
I drove the new GT-R the other day and I absolutely adored it.. theres no drama what so ever.. Just grip, grip and grip!!
Power-wise, I'll be pushing 400whp (BBK-Full) very soon, and I'll be on Swift Spec-Rs.. Will go for a KW V3 after that (as promised
)..Generally speaking, is the average number of Evos on 255s and 265s perform better or worse than the regular 235 Evos??
Last edited by NitrousOxide; Feb 15, 2010 at 01:59 PM.
Thread Starter
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From: UAE
ThanX
But he mentioned "to achieve maximum cornering speeds".. So loss of grip here is in regards to cornering and not maximum speed..
Last edited by NitrousOxide; Feb 15, 2010 at 01:57 PM.
by squared away I meant tuned properly. You can't just do some suspension mods and expect to get the full benefit. Time has to be taken to tune the suspension, alignment, especially when you change wheel and tire sizes.
A proper alignment can make all the difference in a single application, without it your just wasting rubber
A proper alignment can make all the difference in a single application, without it your just wasting rubber
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 311
Likes: 0
From: UAE
by squared away I meant tuned properly. You can't just do some suspension mods and expect to get the full benefit. Time has to be taken to tune the suspension, alignment, especially when you change wheel and tire sizes.
A proper alignment can make all the difference in a single application, without it your just wasting rubber
A proper alignment can make all the difference in a single application, without it your just wasting rubber
ThanX a lot BTW
My philosophy is .... buy the stickiest tire you can afford and run a semi normal tire size.
I like the BBS rims. They are super strong and very light and fairly cheap. Add on a Hoosier 245/45/17 or 255/40/17 R1 and the grip is just right for weekend track days.
What kind of tire do you plan to run? Big wide heavy rims with heavy tires require more power and more camber. I tried running an 18" wheel a few years back and hated it.
I like the BBS rims. They are super strong and very light and fairly cheap. Add on a Hoosier 245/45/17 or 255/40/17 R1 and the grip is just right for weekend track days.
What kind of tire do you plan to run? Big wide heavy rims with heavy tires require more power and more camber. I tried running an 18" wheel a few years back and hated it.