Quote:
Originally Posted by dcb
Sarcasm noted, clarification offered:
wider tires scrub more when not going in a straight line, and have more aerodynamic and rolling resistance (to a point).
If you start coasting for the corner sooner on narrower tires and take it at something less than 1G, it will more than make up for the scrubbing and hysteresis and constant loss of wider tires.
|
Yup, definitely more aerodynamic and rolling drag. I lost about 5% efficiency with this latest tire change, but to me it was worth it. You assume scrubbing, but I don't really have any understeer to worry about- more grip for me means more braking and higher turning speeds. My primary priority is grip and handling- any gains I can make towards economy are a bonus that I try to achieve later with driving habits and drafting on long trips.
I went from 225/50-16 front and 245/45-16 rear to 255/40-17 all around with a 140 treadwear rating and I absolutely love it.
As far as wider tires being a conspiracy- I think NO. Car manufacturers try to design their cars to hit certain performance/efficiency targets, so they try to size their tire selection accordingly. Usually a larger diameter tire will net efficiency gains in the drivetrain by allowing lower rotation speeds before the wheel, and larger wheels look better for the consumer, plus clear larger brakes for heavier cars with more safety equipment and cargo capacity...
I guess we could all go back to the original Minis with their 10" wheels.
