I currently have a rwd car running 18" wheels with 245mm and 225mm wide tires. I am considering getting larger wheels and tires so I would be running 275 and 255 wide tires respectively. Wheel diameter will stay the same. Are there any downsides to doing this? Clearance and fitment issues aside (I know they will fit my car). From my understanding wider tires mean more grip which is better. Do the benefits out weigh the downsides?
they only provide more grip if your engine is powerful enough to break them free.
However , they will improve braking.
more rotating mass = less acceleration, more brake pad wear
larger contact patch = more rolling resistance (fuel consumption), more aquaplaning, more road noise, poor snow traction
They can also sling more debris at the rocker panels.
@mountainmanjoe it seems like the only major downside to upsizing would be wet handling. The weight gained would only be a few pounds so I can't see the acceleration difference being noticeable. Plus in this test the wider tires were faster on the track. Also in my case I think wider looks better so I will probably end up getting larger tires.
rotating mass has a much bigger impact than static mass. I definitely noticed a difference with bigger tires.
Slower acceleration & worse mpg.
@inthrustwetrust Do you think the acceleration loss would be noticeable? Each tire/wheel would likely be about 4-6lbs heavier.
You didn’t mention the make & model of your vehicle, but 30mm is significant enough to cause a perceptible difference in acceleration, in my opinion. Again, if you’re after looks, nothing else will dissuade you.
unless your having traction issues it’s not worth it. It’ll take away more than it improves
