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Date:         Fri, 21 May 2004 09:32:33 +0200
Reply-To:     Calle Fallberg <calle.fallberg@TELIA.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Calle Fallberg <calle.fallberg@TELIA.COM>
Subject:      Re: tire and wheel width matching
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

if not, what are the performance implications of > mounting a given tire on a wider or narrower rim? > > thanks! > > Ben.

Hi Ben

If you put a wide tire on a narrow rim you get the tirewalls to protect the rim from being damaged, probably better load capacity and better flotation on sand, mud and snow with low airpressure ( ok, ok I´m an offroader too). The drawbacks are that it allows the rim to slightly move around in the tyres which feels like innacurate steering, sliding when cornering and sensibility to sidewinds. It´s not as much a fact as a feeling and could often be cured by raising the airpressure but then you´ll have a bumpier ride With matching or narrower tyres on wide rims you get the sidewalls stiff which does the opposit to the above, you´ll get a accurate steering and so on, compare with a sportscar ( no not some streetrodder, NASCAR or INDY - or a Porsche ) and you´ll see that they have almost no rubber outside the edge on the rim ! Then, if it´s on a Vanagon, this is off small importance since you never put that much G-forces on your wheels but you should try to match wheels and tyres, make a decision about which is the more important - loadcapacity or soft ride - and buy tires according to this if you´re allowed to by the laws where you live. The manufacturer of the car has often optimized the wheels with the handling and overall transmissionratio though, to get as good capacity and economy as possible so try to stick with something that is not too far away from original !

Calle -88 Volgon Mullhyttan, Sweden


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