Hi all

Just changed from the standard 18s down to 16s which are 7" wide with an et49. 

 

All i can say is wow. Tyre noise fuel economy and the ride. Can't understanding why this car had 18s.

The cars suspension is just too stiff for 18s.

 

Tyre noise has literally disappeared. 

And comfort is nice. 

 

I know the 16s look crap for those of us that really are conscious but after the benefits i couldn't care less. 

 

34 minutes ago, foru2justnv said:

 

All i can say is wow. Tyre noise fuel economy and the ride. Can't understanding why this car had 18s.

The cars suspension is just too stiff for 18s.

 

Tyre noise has literally disappeared. 

And comfort is nice. 

 

I know the 16s look crap for those of us that really are conscious but after the benefits i couldn't care less. 

 

 

Thanks for confirming what I suspected all along. The 18 inch P7 on my mk3 make for the most road noisy and bumpy/crashy ride (even with DCC) of any car I've owned. Wish I'd downgraded to 17 inch when ordering.

 

The road noise drives me insane, white noise dependent on road surface but there all the time. Half the time I'm thinking/stressing a wheel or diff bearing has gone!

 

 

Ah, big rims and rubber band/liqourice-thin rubber - 'tis the modern price we pay for aesthetics!

 

Purely out of curiosity, have you noticed much of a change - for better or worse - in terms of handling, grip etc since you swapped?

 

I'm hardcore and prepared to put up with the stiffer ride but it's great to hear you've found ride comfort Nirvana.

 

D

 

 

The other benefit of having higher profile tyres on 16" rims is tyre life. I'm getting well over 35k miles out of a set of tyres on my poverty spec which was fitted with 205/55 R16's from new. Now fitted with Crossclimates the road noise is even lower

29 minutes ago, ethel said:

Ah, big rims and rubber band/liqourice-thin rubber - 'tis the modern price we pay for aesthetics!

 

Purely out of curiosity, have you noticed much of a change - for better or worse - in terms of handling, grip etc since you swapped?

 

I'm hardcore and prepared to put up with the stiffer ride but it's great to hear you've found ride comfort Nirvana.

 

D

 

 

No difference in handling or at least not noticeable. A lot of people will just pick up a set of 16s that are usually 6.5" rims which i would imagine would have a difference in handling. Not major but half an inch to 7" i cant notice any difference. 

But so far its just all pros. For me the biggest one was ride quality. 18 setup was just too hard for the car and i always managed to find the crappest of potholes and ruts. 

I am however wondering if the standard 18 setup is stiffer anyway as opposed to the stick 16 setup which is probably softer and more dampier

Ah, interesting, cheers.

 

I'm guessing that you're correct in that models with the smaller wheels as standard will likely have suspension tuned to match but I'm sure there are others on here far better qualified to comment than I am.

 

Either way - it's good that you've found a nice compromise. I'm forever wincing as I hit yet another pothole/crater and wondering how long it'll be before a wheel needs straightening or the tracking needs fixed. Again..

 

 

1 minute ago, ethel said:

Ah, interesting, cheers.

 

I'm guessing that you're correct in that models with the smaller wheels as standard will likely have suspension tuned to match but I'm sure there are others on here far better qualified to comment than I am.

 

Either way - it's good that you've found a nice compromise. I'm forever wincing as I hit yet another pothole/crater and wondering how long it'll be before a wheel needs straightening or the tracking needs fixed. Again..

 

 

I think the 17s are the 2nd best option. 18s are just too much for tgat car. 225 40 profile is just not right. Even the 17s with 225 45 is quite low.

Can't understand why they didn't just put 225 55 17s the same as the audi a6, would have been so much more comfortable. 

 

I think any profile in my old fashioned way of thinking is a very flat squared profile and that will always need precise alignment as they will always give uneven wear for the smallest of offsets. 

 

205 and under will have less tyre to road and a far higher tolerance of out of alignment issues

39 minutes ago, ethel said:

Ah, big rims and rubber band/liqourice-thin rubber - 'tis the modern price we pay for aesthetics!

 

Purely out of curiosity, have you noticed much of a change - for better or worse - in terms of handling, grip etc since you swapped?

 

I'm hardcore and prepared to put up with the stiffer ride but it's great to hear you've found ride comfort Nirvana.

 

D

 

 

No difference in handling or at least not noticeable. A lot of people will just pick up a set of 16s that are usually 6.5" rims which i would imagine would have a difference in handling. Not major but half an inch to 7" i cant notice any difference. 

But so far its just all pros. For me the biggest one was ride quality. 18 setup was just too hard for the car and i always managed to find the crappest of potholes and ruts. 

I am however wondering if the standard 18 setup is stiffer anyway as opposed to the stick 16 setup which is probably softer and more dampier

I went 225/50r17 from 225/40r18 and was astounded. Felt like I was riding on clouds. Can only imagine what 16's are like. Been tempted to get 16's as a winter set. Chains won't fit on mine. 

Initially I noticed a handling difference, but I don't drive hard enough to care or notice any more. 

Edited 16 July, 20214 yr by Rkdee

Man I wish I had a chance to try 225-40-18 before buying them, it's horrible! But man does it make the car look 100x better with lowering springs. Do you guys think 225-45-18 would be a good option once the 40's wear out?

12 minutes ago, Rkdee said:

I went 225/50r17 from 225/40r18 and was astounded. Felt like I was riding on clouds. Can only imagine what 16's are like. Been tempted to get 16's as a winter set. Chains won't fit on mine. 

Initially I noticed a handling difference, but I don't drive hard enough to care or notice any more. 

Wow that is really out in terms of gearing. Tyre size calculator app is what i use and thats showing as being miles out 4.4%

215 50 17 would be a better option

On 16/07/2021 at 20:15, foru2justnv said:

Wow that is really out in terms of gearing. Tyre size calculator app is what i use and thats showing as being miles out 4.4%

My gps and Speedo are in harmony. 
my fuel economy is averaging 5.8/100km

not missing much in poke if  I want it.

 

On 16/07/2021 at 20:16, foru2justnv said:

215 50 17 would be a better option

I agree and will probably move to this size, when I need new tyres. 
I found that turning on full lock on a steep hill will weight the inside wheel and it does touch the wheel arch. Very rare to be in that position though.

will lose about 5mm in tyre sidewall. 

This topic has come up so often I should cut and paste my reply.

 

I had a set of 16" steels for winter use. 

After 4 years the 18" never went back on and in fact i should sell the,.

I was replacing two 18" tyres one year and four the next, not counting two more that were written off by a pot hole and one complete rim and the L&K wheels were not cheap (now have six of them)

I found breaking distance /grip to be very slightly worse but comfort, fuel economy, tyre and wheel economy, noise all substantially improved.

Oh and aesthetics took a dive too.

 

I would consider another superb in the future but certainly would remove the 19" wheels immediately and replace with 16" again.