Are bigger rims a good idea

[wizzer]

What are your thoughts on larger rims? Current car is running on 16's and I've seen a nice set of 18's

I've checked the clearances and pcds and all that and they will fit ok.

Will I need to change my speedo? Will it ruin the handling like some people claim it will? What is it like to drive a car on bigger rims?

 

[drovid]

You need keep same height and will be ok with speedo.

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

You will need to go to a lower aspect tyre to keep the rolling diameter as close as possible to the factory wheel and tyre combination.

The ride will become a bit more harsh due to the lack flex in low aspect tyre sidewalls and the rims will be prone to damage.

One thing that is overlooked is the wheel/tyre weight that may require revalved dampers to better control the increase in unsprung weight.

 

[Dale69]

my thoughts,
bigger wheels can be good to a certain extent, too big or too wide and you have dramas.
# keep the offset as close to possible to oem wheels so rims and tyres don't hit suspension
# use an online tyre size calculator to determine the correct tyre size and profile compared to originals for your speedo
#check the said tyre prices locally to see if it is worth the money *** this is important if you are restricted to maximum widths, ie my 1991 daihatsu charade can only go to 185 width on the rear without modifying the guard and tyres in 17" are $340 compare to similar sized 14" being under $100
# you may need to put flares on the guards if they poke out too far from the guards, best to check with local transport dept what is and what isn't legal
# if they are secondhand best to get them checked for buckles, cracks, roundness and previous repairs, nothing worse than driving along and hearing wobwobwob from an "egg buckle" plus it ruins tyres quicker,
as for the ride quality yes it will suffer a bit and be a bit bumpier but unless you are going to a sprayon type tyre ie 30 profile and below, it shouldn't be too bad, your handling may change but would not be really noticable without suspension mods.
also just for interest, every time i have gone wider wheels my fuel economy does suffer, sometimes not too much other times quite dramatically.

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

Max legal track increase is +25mm IIRC

 

[HDi fun]

Who is wizzer?

 

[herb]

Who is wizzer?

He's the chap who made the original post

 

[Monty71]

It can be a good thing for the looks but two things keep in mind. It can affect the pick up of the car and at the same time will increase the fuel consumption of the vehicle. If you get something good looking in default size of the car that would be better.

 

[OriginalVirgo]

I assume a lower profile would allow for an inch or two bigger rim, it seems obvious to me but i am a naive dunce. I think my 206 has 14's and would like to go just a bit bigger. Nothing showy but a more full arch compartment?

 

[old-git]

I assume a lower profile would allow for an inch or two bigger rim, it seems obvious to me but i am a naive dunce. I think my 206 has 14's and would like to go just a bit bigger. Nothing showy but a more full arch compartment?

Yes. If fitting 15s in replace of 14s you will need a tyre with lower aspect ratio in order to keep the overall diameter the same as the original tyre. If you end up with a bigger diameter tyre your speedo will read slow, which could be a problem if you drive at the posted speed limits.

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

To put it simply when you increase the DIAMETER of the wheel you will need to fit a tyre with a smaller ASPECT RATIO to maintain the same or very close to the factory fitted tyres ROLLING DIAMETER to maintain speedo accuracy

My car had 215/60/15 tyres on 15 inch rims it now has 225/45/17 tyres on 17 inch rims to keep the rolling diameter as close as possible to the factory tyres RD to keep the speedo accurate.

 

[old-git]

However, as modern cars are being fitted with electronic rather than mechanical speedometers, they can usually be recalibrated, often by owners.

 

[obi_waynne]

Some cars are easier than others. I think most VAG group cars can be done via the OBDII port using vagcom or similar, there are settings already stored for all the rim sizes the manufacturers offer in the VAG range.