Sign in to follow this  
Followers 0
SmartDad

Wider tires make a big difference

12 posts in this topic

Hi, I was finally able to get some wider tires ( thanks Eddy!) here in Canada to fit on to the reasonably priced Alutec rims I purchased last spring ( Thanks Harald, Parts4Smarts). ContiPro Contact 2 and Alutec Cult Diamond Black rimsI was hoping to improve the car's handling in windy conditions. Wow! What a difference. The wider rubber really lets you relax on the highway and the car handles so much better at any speed. My wife could not believe how much of a difference these tires make to inspire confidence and help the car stick to the road. I did not go wild and only upgraded to the next size up... 175/55 front and 195/50 rear , on 15” rims.Now I dread going back to the Bridgestone winter wigglers in 2 months )-:Here are a few pics ... Regards, Steve in Montreal

post-4321-1253478928_thumb.jpg

post-4321-1253478955_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Those rims look sweet, Steve! I'm running 195/50/15s all 'round right now but don't think I'll go that big after these wear out. Probably will go back to 175s for less rolling resistance, more sidewall cushioning and less weight for snappier in-town acceleration. Not to mention better fuel economy.Truly, the 195s are really sticky, but I rarely drive the car outside my skill/comfort zone, which is not extreme enough to require super grabby tires.Great choice of wheels, cousin :thumbup:Bil :sun:

Edited by bilgladstone

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Nice wheels!Assuming the rolling circumference and diameter of your 195s is the same as the OE tires Bil, the sidewall height will be identical between the 175s and 195s.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Mmm nice wheels! Those look fantastic! Batman-like even :)I agree the wider tires make a noticeable difference, though I do have 17's all around on my smart hehe.. Uh, let's see though, currently I am running 225/35R-17's and 205/40R-17's for summer fun.. won't last long though, I am going back to 15's for winter so I don't scrape up the Lorinsers...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I like the way the spokes have the same open angle as the Tridion frame for visual continuity. I also really liked the cost... $750 for a set of 4 alloy rims. Dress up the car a bit without breaking the bank. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Nice wheels!Assuming the rolling circumference and diameter of your 195s is the same as the OE tires Bil, the sidewall height will be identical between the 175s and 195s.

True Mike, but the 175's should have a much lower load rating which will mean a softer ride due to a softer sidewall.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

True Mike, but the 175's should have a much lower load rating which will mean a softer ride due to a softer sidewall.

Yep :yes:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Haha, those rims remind me of a biohazard symbol. Wicked. When I was looking at getting a smart, I wanted to get a pure, but ended up getting the Brabus because of the difference in driving stability at highway speed. I think that the car should come stock with wider tires personally. Anyway, congrats!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Cool idea, Steve.If I was to do this all over again, I woud run spacers that let you bolt 4 or 5 bolt hole rims on, then save tons of money buying "normal bolt pattern rims".For the price or my 17/16" Brabus rims, you can get awesome rims that are also half the weight. (Brabus rims are very heavy)I mean, I'm running aluminum spacers anyway.......but just 3 holes.Steve

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi, I was finally able to get some wider tires ( thanks Eddy!) here in Canada to fit on to the reasonably priced Alutec rims I purchased last spring ( Thanks Harald, Parts4Smarts). ContiPro Contact 2 and Alutec Cult Diamond Black rimsI was hoping to improve the car's handling in windy conditions. Wow! What a difference. The wider rubber really lets you relax on the highway and the car handles so much better at any speed. My wife could not believe how much of a difference these tires make to inspire confidence and help the car stick to the road. I did not go wild and only upgraded to the next size up... 175/55 front and 195/50 rear , on 15” rims.Now I dread going back to the Bridgestone winter wigglers in 2 months )-:Here are a few pics ... Regards, Steve in Montreal

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You are really right in praising the use of a wider wheel/tire in front. I'm now running the 175/55 R 15's in front and the steering is vastly improved by. My car's steering always felt "nervous" and in strong crosswinds it sometimes felt down right dangerous. One trip from LA to Palm Springs was especially nerve wracking when we would hit canyon crosswinds. The car was literally all over the road and extremely difficult to keep in one lane.Now the steering feels nice and tight and the car tracks extremely well on the highway. It actually does feel like a baby Benz (okay maybe that's stretching it a bit). I can understand why Mercedes wants the car to understeer rather than oversteer but they went a little overboard in that direction. Frankly if you're going to go flying off the road when you've overcooked a corner, does it make much differerence if its front end or rear end first? Maybe it's because I learned to drive on rear engine cars (a Corvair for goodness sakes, a Renault Dauphine Princess, Fiat 850) but I've never experienced even a slight tendency for the smart to oversteer. Now if it had more power maybe . . .I think Mercedes still had a bad taste in their mouths from the A-Class elk test fiasco but they really should put something wider on the fronts as standard. That would be a big step in the right direction as far as safety goes in my opinion. With the standard front tires it simply is too scarey in crosswinds to be considered a safe car and the twitchy nervousness on the highway never inspired much confidence.Also, while I'm here just wanted to mention something I learned while talking to my friends at Smart Madness. Since I do a lot of long distance driving and will soon be driving from Atlanta to Chicago (moving home finally - hooray!) I've always been paranoid about having a flat tire in the middle of nowhere USA. Trying to find a tire in the middle of Tennessee or Kentucky could be a challenge and I've learned that they (Smart Madness) have an emergency tire kit available. It's wheel/tire combo, a jack and all the hardware necessary to change a tire if necessary. And a spare wheel will fit in the cargo quite nicely. The repair kit standard in the car just didn't give me any sense of confidence but with the tire change kit (and the wheel/tire price is fair) now I can breathe a little easier on the trip.Safe driving to everyone and it's nice to be on a site that can be helpful with questions about my smart. This from a disillusioned smartUSAinsider former member. I started thinking I was driving a Prius so had to move on. Cheers!Bad Wolf

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!


Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.


Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  
Followers 0

    Chatbox
    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More