Re: Why more 17& 18 inch wheels on new vehicles

"Daryl Walford" <dwalford@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:9pmdnd0_U5y-3bvVnZ2dnUVZ_rrinZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Kwyjibo wrote:
> > "Daryl Walford" <dwalford@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> > news:zsydnUjwaOHVHrjVnZ2dnUVZ_v3inZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> George W. Frost wrote:
> >>> "Just JT" <JohnnyThor@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> >>> news:482508a8$0$32478$9a6e19ea@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >>>> "Pit" <spamlister@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >>>>> Just doing some tyre kicking and notice  a lot more vehicles now
> >>>>> coming out with 17 & 18 inch tyre sizes .
> >>>>>
> >>>>> In reality what are the advantages over 16 inch .Which have a lot
less
> >>>>> orphan sizes and far cheaper to  run .
> >>>>> $98.00 for decent safe 16  inch tyre against $259 for  17 inch
> >>>>>
> >>>>> going through 2 or 3 full sets of tyres  a year   this all adds up
.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Serious question based on tyre size ignorance .
> >>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >>>> That's why I opted for 16" wheels on my baby Lexus instead of the
17"
> >>>> and 18" ones.
> >>>>
> >>>> --
> >>>> Cheaper.to.replace.and.better.ride.quality.
> >>>
> >>> Wrong, better ride quality on the larger wheels
> >> I'd say the opposite is true because on cars bigger wheels usually
have
> >> low profile tyres which usually give a poorer ride.
> >
> > We must all be wrong though, as Noddy says otherwise........
> >
> I think what Noddy meant was that a bigger dia wheel and tyre
> combination ride over rough stuff better and I agree but the effect of
> the larger wheel tyre combo is negated by lowering the OD by fitting low
> profile tyres.

I dont know about anyone else, but the best *ride* I've experienced have
been 225/14/65 on 7" front and 245/14/65 on 10" rear on the LTD. No nasty
pothole damage on trips. A bit like a tractor to look at tho. OTOH,
155/15/75 (I think they were 75s) on a Renault 10, Michelin X, more than
once suffered tyre side-wall pinching against the rim with the tyre a
write-off. Totally hopeless tyre/rim combination. The rims were steelies,
but must have been only just steel, as they would dent the rim-lip *very*
easily.

Jason