Increased drag with wider tires
 

I noticed since joining that a lot of members go with wider tires. Now that the contact patch is increased does this in itself not add greater resistance and added drag which in essence puts more strain on drive train and steering components as well as lower car and lower mpg?

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yah, there is more drag... but you have to look at the total picture. is giving up a little mpg for better grip worth it, etc.

.. id be more concerned about running those heavy arse wheels on our sports cars... :ugh:

you mean like 20" hamster wheels with a 3 inch drop?

haha, yah, with gaping void between the rotor and wheel barrel... :ugh:

Shoulda bought a prius if your concerned about fuel economy.

As for strain on the drivetrain, if a boosted Z ain breaking it wider tires wont :p

What a weak respsonse. As I was merely talking about non stock rubbers. I wasn't complaining about stock mpg now was I?



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Yes, with wider tires come more rolling resistance. Also, with a wider wheel "typically" comes more rotating weight causing a need for more power than stock to maintain velocities along with accelerating.

Wider tires can put more strain on the steering and a heavier tire can affect handling but speed/accelleration/mpg are not affected that much (from a DD POV) unless you make a big change. If they'll fit in the fender wells, you should be OK.

I was being sarastic as more of a haha sort of thing. Guess I should have added another smiley face. but No sir you were not. You were worried about wider tires hurting your mpg.

However I think going from say a 285 to a 305 in terms of rolling resistance probably works out to about the same drag as adding an aftermarket spointer or spats to the car.

I doubt you would be able to take before and after mpg readings with any sort of reliability.


As far as the power steering, you might notice a bit more resistance, however with my setup I didnt notice much at all personally. If one was worried about it they could add another PS cooler.

I bet if you ran the max values on the tires you would actually increase the economy of the car. Good for mpg, bad for safety and tire wear.

Not sure where you got the idea that I was going to go for wider tires. Just because one posts a question it doesn't necessarily mean one will be doing that.

When my current stock tires go down I may change to 295 at the back.

Either way I appreciate your comments, thank you. ;-)

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Sorry if I misunderstood the direction of your thread. I suggest at least taking a look at 305s in the rear. They look good imo.

Just don't camber it out and we can stay friends. haha

I'm always friends. Trust me.

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It is a loaded question. Too many variables in the equation that is not mentioned. Wider, narrower, heavier, lighter, taller, shorter tires will result to change in performance. What is important to you and what is your intended purpose? Track or street? Looks or function? If it is for track, there's a spec that brings the car at its best. Suspension is just as important and part of the equation. Anything more in terms of size and weight will diminish returns. If it's for the street, it really does not matter that much. Do you really know what you gain by switching from 305 to a 295? If you have the metrics and see that the gains are significant enough for you, why not. For many, it is negligible. The car can handle it easily.