Tires revisited

[mardak at cogeco.ca (Mark)]

Dan Smith wrote:
> Hence the asking of the question....... When I asked for pros and
> cons, I did so because I didn't know some of the cons would be less
> traction and cornering ability....


I'll explain my thoughts a bit further.  There'll be less acceleration 
and braking traction due to a narrower contact patch.  The cornering 
ability will also be reduced by the narrower contact patch, but more 
importantly the tire wasn't designed with the sidewall "rolled over" in 
a static position - so I would assume that the handling will not be what 
the tire manufacturer had in mind...  Along with less overall cornering 
ability, I would guess that "at the limit" handling would be less 
forgiving, and that tire breakaway would be sudden and less 
predictable...  You *may* end up even costing yourself more money in the 
long run, because the tire might wear differently (outsides wear quicker 
(?))


> The fender lips will be ground off as there isn't a whole lot left to
> them and if I tried to roll them, they'd probably just crumble. And
> yes, this car is getting a 2L turbo swap. However, it's going to
> mainly see streets and shows (eventually). Since I drive the speed
> limit and not like I'm on a road track, I don't mind giving up a
> little traction especially if I go with ultra high performance summer
> tires.


With a 2L turbo under the hood you're going to want as much traction as 
possible.  I'd fit the widest tires possible, cause you should have 
enough power to roast the tires in 1st through 3rd gears at will... 
Also, if this isn't for your daily driver, the wear rating of the tire 
shouldn't matter as much...


> Cornering, yes that I'm not as keen giving up as I'm aiming
> for a neutral, go-kart like handling. Th e car will never see an
> auto-x track 


Never say never!  :)


> and may someday see a road track (with different tires)
> and possibly an occasional Friday Night Test 'N Tune at the strip.
> 
> So, now that you see the reasoning behind my tire choices and engine
> choices and whatnot, maybe you'll understand why I'm exploring
> different tire options. Of course, with comments like 'not for the
> track' and 'going for street and show' I'm sure people will now
> question my car choice but whatever.


I still wouldn't let the price difference between two sizes of tire 
dictate your choice.  That's just me though - I've never regretted 
spending a few extra bucks for better performance, but I can't say the 
same thing for the flip side of that scenario...

Mark.
75
77
80 S
81 S  x3
81 Caddy