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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

Tyre Width


wesmi01

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I would suggest getting a really wide set up as the supra could really benefit from the extra traction!! especially if you are pushing over 400 horses! I use 18-9.5 with 275 up front and 18-11 with 295 rears and I get awesome traction. Takeoffs are a lot faster, braking is better and conering too is improved.:)

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Originally posted by randy

I would suggest getting a really wide set up as the supra could really benefit from the extra traction!! especially if you are pushing over 400 horses! I use 18-9.5 with 275 up front and 18-11 with 295 rears and I get awesome traction. Takeoffs are a lot faster, braking is better and conering too is improved.:)

275 seem big up front whats it like on steering. and the 11" rims on rear do you have any problems with wheels sticking out or catching on arch.
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think i will eventually have to consider smaller width (and/or bigger profile) tyres and maybe even a size smaller rims to banish the handling gremlins i'm facing right now. i guess it is safe to assume that any change in suspension components will not affect this tramlining effect ?

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Originally posted by Roy

think i will eventually have to consider smaller width (and/or bigger profile) tyres and maybe even a size smaller rims to banish the handling gremlins i'm facing right now. i guess it is safe to assume that any change in suspension components will not affect this tramlining effect ?

 

I have re posted something I wrote a while back, may help, or you may already have seen it, in which case, sorry :innocent:

 

Hmm, this will be controversial, but here goes. Most road cars

haven't got good enough camber control to truly make good usage

of ultra low profile tyres, so if you go up more than say 1 size

in diameter on stock rims, and have to come DOWN on aspect ratio

(sidewall height) handling suffers. Supras have already gone from

16 to 17 inch rims, to accommodate bigger UK / US brakes.

 

Why do makers fit big diameter rims? Style. Ask any handling

engineer, and if he is truthful he will say the cars are

generally better on a higher profile tyre. If camber control

is poor (and 90% of road cars roll too much to have good

camber control) then they pick up the edges of ultra low

profile tyres. However, when fitted from new, factory stock,

the suspension engineers have hopefully tuned the whole of

the suspensions kinematics and compliance to use said larger

rims. It's a VERY different kettle of fish when the end user

decides to bolt on some larger diameter rims, and leaves the

rest of the suspension alone....The stock suspension bushings

hysterisis is also too soft to effectively control the loadings

from ultra low profile tyres, this is why a car designed to

run on 50 or 55 profiles feels edgy and follows tyre ruts,

surface breaks and camber changes so much when fitted with

say 35 profile tyres. Until you start to radically modify a

cars suspension to utilize ultra low profile tyres it's better,

IMO, to stay with near stock wheel and tyre sizes.

 

Reality check :- With respect a lot of drivers neither know

nor care whether the handling is the same, better, or worse,

so the above doesn't apply, they merely like the looks of

certain style and size of wheels and tyres, and that's fine

by me, but as you asked.... :-)

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thanks chris. i think i understand the crux of what you are getting at. if i may, can i ask what your suggestions would be as to what the best recourse is on this ? ie what are my options in trying to reign in this handling issue ? just for clarification, these rims/tyres were already on the car when i got it. from my limited knowledge of supras and experience garnered on test drives prior to purchasing, they don't really have major handling quirks and are quite staright forward in the handling department. thanks.

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Originally posted by Roy

thanks chris. i think i understand the crux of what you are getting at. if i may, can i ask what your suggestions would be as to what the best recourse is on this ? ie what are my options in trying to reign in this handling issue ? just for clarification, these rims/tyres were already on the car when i got it. from my limited knowledge of supras and experience garnered on test drives prior to purchasing, they don't really have major handling quirks and are quite staright forward in the handling department. thanks.

 

I've come in on the tail end of this, but unless you have bigger than UK brakes why not just fit some stock 16 or 17 inch rims?

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yeah - having digested your earlier explanation, i was kinda/sorta coming to the very same conclusion (obviously it took a while longer to sink in). when i manage to thrash this set, then i will probably re-consider the issue of the 17"ers. or......might get cheeky and get bigger brakes and then whinge around with the excuse of having to change rims for another set of 18"ers (better stuff as in lighter but on better rolling stock - still a pipe dream though...). anyways, thanks for the sage advice.

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Originally posted by Roy

yeah - having digested your earlier explanation, i was kinda/sorta coming to the very same conclusion (obviously it took a while longer to sink in). when i manage to thrash this set, then i will probably re-consider the issue of the 17"ers. or......might get cheeky and get bigger brakes and then whinge around with the excuse of having to change rims for another set of 18"ers (better stuff as in lighter but on better rolling stock - still a pipe dream though...). anyways, thanks for the sage advice.

 

Beg or borrow (but don't steal :eek: ) a set of stock rims and tyres and see if that cures your ills. Otherwise visit for a check out! :D

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hi alex - agreed. believe i have some older dunlops on the front and newish falkens on the back. gotta wait for them to give up the ghost before switching. at least this gives me the excuse to shorten their lifespans by being sideways as much as possible ! great way to find out the handling characteristics of the car also.

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