Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[robnobrakes]

What effects would 18" rims have on the handling and ride quality on an MV6, compaired to the 17's?

[MV6Matt]

Is your suspension standard MV6 or have you changed it?

If it's unchanged - as long as you keep the rubber the correct size (and don't use FK 452's) shouldn't be any different.

I lowered and stiffened my 98 PFL Estate (CDX - squishy ride) for an Eibach/Bilstein firm ride. It was ok with 17" rims.
It was unbearably harsh with 19"s (more wheel less rubber) and I've returned to 17" wheels.

Handling is very much improved with the changed suspension (whatever the wheel size).

18" shouldn't make that much difference I'd have thought - just much more expensive tyres!
I drove Sereks 3.2 saloon (with Irmscher 18"s) last year - great ride and handling - it might be worth PMing him?

HTH
Matthew

[feeutfo]

First point of suspension is the tyre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIKQv_sW-Co&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Having said that 18's are fine over the 17 standard size, possibly due to the extra width on my 18' sport stars giving more grip over the 17. I have not noticed any harshness attributable to the wheel size, but then i have firmer suspension.
Just don't go to 19.

I'd say 18 don't give any attributable down side, but 19 is a step too far.

Tyre prices are the main concern. Check these in your size before taking the plunge.

[robnobrakes]

Many thanks for your advice chaps.  I would not be interested in 19 inch rims.

[twiglet]

I've gone from standard 17's with 235/45x17 tyres, to 18's with 235/40x18 tyres on my facelift 3.2 elite estate, and there was no noticeable difference in ride quality.

As said, 18's should be fine, but 19's are a step too far due to the very low profile tyre required in order to keep the overall rolling radius correct. 

[grannon_mv6]

sorry to jump on this but if cost of rubbers and rolling radius not a concern would 19" be a winner? I thinking of dropping my mv6 on to bilstein shocks and H&R springs (40mm drop). Sorry again robnobreaks

[MV6Matt]

The 19" option like everything else is purely a personal matter of taste.
If things like cost are not a concern, why not try it and see?

I'd be careful of going too low with 19's - as I said above a 20mm drop and 19's I found far too harsh for 'regular/everyday' roads and have gone back to 17's. From personal experience and as Twiglet pointed out above, the depth of rubber between you and road gets lower (the the tyre profile reduces as your rim increases) and this increases the risk of tyre damage (as I discovered to my cost) with all the rubbish road surfaces and potholes around.

If I could afford to keep an Omega as a track car I'd like to put 19's on it, but I think that's unlikely to happen..........

As I said, why not give it a go and see if you like it?

[2woody]

both handling and ride comfort depend on a decent height of tyre, so the answer would be worse for both.

Handling is the ability to change the car's attitude frum the driver's seat using steering, throttle and brakes. You're transferring the driver's intent into the car's motion, sort of as a spin bowler would to a cricket ball. The majority of the movement is in deflection of the tyre, which is easier the taller the tyre. You have to fit lower-profile tyres with larger wheels, so the handling diminishes. If this is hard to understand, I'm not surprised - the car industry has been "selling" large wheels and low-profile tyres for decades, purely because they look like racing cars. Don't forget also that the best-handling car of all time was generally agreed as the original Lotus Elan, and that had 155/82 tyres on it ( and no anti-roll bars ).

It's not all doom and gloom, tho. The grip level that you'll be getting will go up with wider and lower-profile tyres.

[albitz]

A good explanation. Its amazing how often level of grip is confused with handling, ie, lots of grip automatically equates to good handling, and the opposite also thought to be true.

[2woody]

it's almost exactly the opposite way - more grip, less handling and vice versa

[albitz]

Certainly, a very high level of grip (a level which the power of the engine is incapable of exceeding in normal conditions) wont allow the handling characteristics of the chassis to be explored/discovered. Or thats my completely uneducated understanding of it. 

[markrnorton]

the main thing when moving to lower profile tyres is matching your suspension to compensate with the reduction in sidewall deflection (if you want to maintain ride comfort)

not sure i agree with previous descriptions of 'handling' either.

but if you go 19"'s , match your suspension to the wheel/tyre combination.

[2woody]

unfortunately, in these days of "over-tyred" cars, we've by-and-large forgotten what handling is.

I have an Omega track car, which is on 235 tyres and 18" wheels, the ones it was supplied with. On the track, I can just get the thing to move around a bit and display some handling traits, but that's with 100% effort. On the road, it's a liability really, there's no way of getting going fast enough to get any movement. The previous track car was an ex-plod Senator, on 205/65s, which you could point in just about any direction you wanted with just the throttle. It was as quick, too.

[feeutfo]

sorry to jump on this but if cost of rubbers and rolling radius not a concern would 19" be a winner? I thinking of dropping my mv6 on to bilstein shocks and H&R springs (40mm drop). Sorry again robnobreaks

face lift mv6 is already 15mm lower than standard.
But assuming the quoted drop of 40mm is for a standard omega, your pushing the boundaries of what will work. If for appearance only it's a pointless conversation. If for performance road use with an element of practicality for load carrying. 40mm drop is "potentially" asking for trouble IMO. Or is at least approaching limits.

Expect issues with excess camber giving inner edge tyre wear, and quite possibly an un achievable desired camber setting when setting up that may need eccentric trailing arm  bushes to correct. I don't think the camber correction bars have enough scope for adjustment for toe and camber at that ride height. But it may be ok.

In theory the suspension "could" lock, given the way the correction bar pulls on the suspension, with the nearest available compromise setting.
It's not a theory I've tested though.

Stay above 30mm drop IMO. Even of its just for ground clearance. Mine is 30mm lower and I want to raise the back with an air bladder system in the springs connected to the on board self levelling  for when the car is loaded.
I suspect the car would benefit from a 10mm rise at the back anyway tbh.

Stock mv6 lowered sports chassis is pretty good tbh. I wouldn't consider changing it unless a component has failed...?

[grannon_mv6]

The 40mm drop was quoted for the 2.6 but not sure if that is solely for the mv6 which would take the drop to 55mm over standard if it was. I want it to have an element of practicality but its looks i want, on the other hand im one these that wont change a part until its dead.