Narrow or wide tires: which is better?
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Narrow or wide tires: which is better?

In many countries, car owners usually have two sets of car wheels. They use one for the summer and the other for the winter. Most often, discs with a larger diameter are used as a summer option than for winter.

What does the wheel width affect?

Here are the parameters depending on the width:

  • Road grip;
  • Ease of driving;
  • Noise while driving;
  • Comfort while driving;
  • Economical consumption.
Narrow or wide tires: which is better?

When wider counterparts are installed instead of narrow ones, this significantly increases resistance. This results in higher fuel consumption. For the summer, wide tires are set for aesthetic reasons: a car with wide rims looks more beautiful.

What should be considered when determining the width of the rubber?

The experts explain that when installing wheels with a non-standard diameter, it is necessary to pay attention to the profile height. If you put a model with a standard profile, but with a large radius, then at best the wheel will rub against the wheel arch liner.

Narrow or wide tires: which is better?

Worst of all, the rim simply won't fit and the purchased discs or tires will have to be replaced. Discs with a large diameter significantly reduce the turning radius (read about the importance of this parameter here).

The height of the profile is calculated as a percentage of height to width. The most common tire modification is narrow with a high profile. These tires are the easiest to find, as manufacturers focus on making these tires. For this reason, narrow tires are cheaper than similar wide ones.

Narrow or wide tires: which is better?

The interior volume of tires affects travel comfort. Narrow tires have less air, so the wheels will be stiffer, which can negatively affect the suspension elements. On the contrary, a high-profile tire has a larger volume, which will provide a softer ride compared to a low-profile tire.

Security

As far as safety is concerned, both types of tires have both advantages and disadvantages. The wider rubber provides better grip on dry asphalt for increased cornering stability. The disadvantage of such tires is revealed on wet asphalt - the risk of aquaplaning in this case is higher.

Narrow or wide tires: which is better?

In winter, a narrow option will be more practical. Such rubber will provide more pressure on the road surface with an unstable surface. The same applies to driving on fresh snow and ice. But on smooth asphalt, the wide tires offer the same stability as the wide summer tires.

Questions and answers:

What happens if you put a wide rubber on a narrow rim? In this case, the contact patch will change - the tire will be in contact with the road central part. If you reduce the pressure, then vice versa - more wear at the edges.

What happens if you put on a wider rubber? In this case, it will not be possible to provide a wider contact patch. If such tuning is done for the sake of better grip, then a wider disc must be installed.

Can I put less rubber? It is possible to do this, but not a single tire fitting will undertake such a job. Rubber, smaller than the disc itself, will wear out quickly, and a rush at high speed is fraught with an accident.

What happens if you put wider tires on a motorcycle? In this case, the wider tires will provide greater cornering stability. The wider the tire, the slower the motorcycle will react to the steering position.

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