[azsweepay]

Ok, I have been thinking about changing my tire size...down. I e-mailed a guy at Tire Rack and he said that 205/55R-16 should fit on the rims.

My thought process is this. By reducing the tire diameter by almost 2 inches it will be like running shorter gears and equal better acceleration. And, by having shorter sidewalls I will get better cornering. The last thing is probably going to create some contravercy. I figured that by reducing the contact patch it will allow more tire spin which may actually help acceleration. I think too often people end up with too much bite and it causes the engine to bog down. I am hoping that I will get a good burn out off the line and get some spin through at least second.

Opinions?

 

[1mz-fe]

if you're spinning the tires you're not getting traction, obviously. yes, the engine is spinning faster but if you are not transferring this power to the ground you're not going anywhere fast. it'd be like pounding it on ice. the wheels spin and you don't go anywhere. you'd probably have to feather the throttle to get the tires to stick and by then the engine will have slowed down again. i also wouldn't go with tires that small if you are going to be doing any snow driving.

 

[SPOOK R/T]

I went from a p255/55r17 to p255/45r17 it made difference. It was about 1 inch shorter in height than stock tires. One bad thing is you well get lower gas mpg. And it well spin the tires in rain and snow. So you have to watch it.

 

[azsweepay]

I agree that if you have too much spin it is bad, but I think that American automakers tend to "overtire" their cars. Here is a list of more powerfull, quicker cars and what tires they have.

Acura TL3.2 205/60R-16
Nissan Maxima SE 215/55R-16
BMW 330i 205/50R-17
M-B E320 215/55R-16

If we needed all 225 mm of width, don't you think they would too?

 

[97purple_trep]

absolutely not... those cars are much smaller and lighter than ours [ok im just guessing there] and more rubber on the ground means better cornering and better traction.

Im not saying dont do it, each to his own, but jus consider your logic. Look at a Corvette and tell me wider tires arent better... plus I notice that alot of "ricers" or other owners of the kind of cars formentioned [exluding mabey the bimmer] put wider wheels and tires on anyway!

 

[azsweepay]

I did pick cars that were around the same size, but you are right about car guys upgrading rubber on these cars. Besides the better handling, they just look better. I guess I was just trying to figure ways to get better numbers from a car that seems to be limited. Maybe I should just stick with the 225 width and go with a lower profile to get a better mechanical advantage.

Plus, maybe find a way to shed a few pounds. I figure that losing 100lbs is like gaining 6 hp.

I really dig the idea of free horsepower.

 

[babyalex27]

Originally posted by 97purple_trep:
absolutely not... those cars are much smaller and lighter than ours [ok im just guessing there] and more rubber on the ground means better cornering and better traction.

Im not saying dont do it, each to his own, but jus consider your logic. Look at a Corvette and tell me wider tires arent better... plus I notice that alot of "ricers" or other owners of the kind of cars formentioned [exluding mabey the bimmer] put wider wheels and tires on anyway!

hey, do you have any pictures

 

[babyalex27]

do any body have pictures of their ride? I DO.

 

[Don Hardy]

azsweepay - I too think that a smaller low profile wheel/tire HAS to improve this cars off-the-line performance. The biggie for Prowler owners is a new gear set to lower the overall (or is it raise?) gear ratio. The gears fit our cars, but it would be an all day everyday conversion. Plus the gear cover is in a place that would make it very tough to get to. Then there is the $1,500 or so just for the gears. We will have a dragstrip here soon and I will test my theory ....15" wheels with the lowest and widest tires I can fit on the "donor" rims. Lower to get it off the line and wide to help from spinning too much. Think semi-bald tires, poor man's slicks.

 

[Lafrad]

I thought the prowlers were RWD? how does the gear work in the 'trep?

 

[azsweepay]

Well, I have changed my mind about narrower tires...

With the 225's on I powerbraked to 2000rpm and then proceeded to light them up across most of the intersection. Back to the drawing board.

 

[Fluid]

You are not considering all the elements of traction. Tread width is NOT the only consideration, and neither is the tire's rolling radius. But I'd agree that narrower tires are probably not the best way to go. Here is another possibility, and one which will give markedly better performance:

LS 225/55Rx16 26.6" diameter (stock)
LS 205/55Rx16 24.8"
GS-A 225/50Rx16 24.8"

The latter tire will not only give a shorter tire and effective gear ratio, it will give the same size foorprint with a stickier compound to further improve traction. Now a GS-1 may not be the 'best' drag racing tire, but it's rubber is far better than the hard LS tire uses. Wider is NOT always better - you can have the same width in a stickier rubber and not be able to break traciton at all.

Just because the rice boys run wide tires doesn't mean that is the best for performance driving!! Most of them are far more interested in style than in performance anyway. Note the tires the really fast FWD drag racers are using - shorter drag slicks which may or may not be wider than stock. The width is a tuning aid and depends on engine horsepower, gearing and suspension, NOT on style!

 

[Don Hardy]

Jeeeeez - come on guys! You're probably more gearheads than I am and I know the Prowler uses our transmission only mounted at the rear, kinda like the 'Vette does. Look into it. I also agree with FluidES about not going to a skinny smaller diameter wheel/tire (read my post) but a smaller wheel with enough tire should get the car off the line better.