Low profile tyres

NickNickleby

Greetings, Motoring enthusiasts!

Can anyone tell me if the ride comfort differs between Low Profile tyres and 'standard' tyres. Some cars come with Low Profiles fitted as standard. Would it be primarily aesthetics, or do low profiles work better on small 'sporty' cars.

Cheers and thanks!

biko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54zevCSM3mY

NickNickleby

Thanks Biko.

It does seems somewhat 'intuitive' alright. I recently got rid of a 05 fiesta. When we originally purchased it nearly 10 years ago, it was both my wife's and my (obviously) subjective experience of a more 'thunky' type of feel on the road. I swapped them for new rims and standard tyres, and we both agreed it felt better. Road holding wouldn't really be noticeable at the speeds at which we drive. Anyway, last week we were trading it in for a 171 Fiesta, which had the Low Profile tyres. The salesman was adamant that we wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

To be honest, we can't! However, I have to admit we're treating it with kid gloves for now, so that could explain the smoother feel. Also, the suspension bits are bound to be a lot less worn , as the mileage is very low.

So, there you have it.

The obvious caveat here is the quality of the tyre. Perhaps the original LP tyres on the previous car had gone hard or were cheapos.

For now, I think we're happy enough with them. Fickle, aren't we!:eek::):)

mickdw

What sizes have you been running and whats on this car?
I would say 40 profile is about the limit for normal drivers on country roads.
The lower you go, the less sidewall movement in the tyre and the better the cornering feels. The down side is comfort goes away the lower you go.

bazz26

There is no one size fits all answer to this question. It depends on the car, it's suspension setup, the size of the wheels, the roads it's been driven on and also what the driver is used to.

Montage of Feck

The're a sourge that offer no advantages, other than aesthetics, to a road car.

se25

Montage of Feck wrote: »

The're a sourge that offer no advantages, other than aesthetics, to a road car.

Agree..have on a 152 Focus..brilliant on Motorway,, less so on back roads..

extra-ordinary_

Montage of Feck wrote: »

The're a sourge that offer no advantages, other than aesthetics, to a road car.

...as with their counterpart large wheels. For everyday driving all they're doing is increasing expense, increasing unsprung weight, and harshening the ride.

NickNickleby

mickdw wrote: »

What sizes have you been running and whats on this car?
I would say 40 profile is about the limit for normal drivers on country roads.
The lower you go, the less sidewall movement in the tyre and the better the cornering feels. The down side is comfort goes away the lower you go.

I've no idea what size the original LP tyres were on the now traded in Fiesta, I'll see if I can find the receipt for the 'normal' tyres I put on it, but basically they were run of the mill, not the most expensive, standard size tyres.

bazz26 wrote: »

There is no one size fits all answer to this question. It depends on the car, it's suspension setup, the size of the wheels, the roads it's been driven on and also what the driver is used to.

Yeah, that makes sense, and may be the reason our new Fiesta feels good.

Montage of Feck wrote: »

The're a sourge that offer no advantages, other than aesthetics, to a road car.

That's my own feeling on it. There's a suggestion that cornering may be better, but its a long time since I wore a rally jacket and drove a Cortina (rally drivers car of choice , eh?:pac:) with go-faster stripes, so cornering isn't a thing for me anymore.

se25 wrote: »

Agree..have on a 152 Focus..brilliant on Motorway,, less so on back roads..

The back roads between Artane and Swords are better than some of the city roads I drive - speed bumps and unfinished works being the main culprit, and these are definitely not LP friendly.

extra-ordinary_ wrote: »

...as with their counterpart large wheels. For everyday driving all they're doing is increasing expense, increasing unsprung weight, and harshening the ride.

I've never noticed the price difference between LP and normal tyres, must check it out.

Anyway, the new car is a 171 Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost 65PS. Continental ContiPremiiumContact 195/50/R16 (5016 year of man.) .Lovely driver, but with less engine power requires thinking about what gear to be in, especially on hills. Have had to drop a gear on Gracepark Road, something the Fiesta 1.25 wouldn't have even noticed.

Finally, to follow on , on my unscientific means of estimating fuel consumption, the fuel gauge hasn't moved since we bought it on Thursday . must try tapping it with my finger.

reubenreuben

se25 wrote: »

Agree..have on a 152 Focus..brilliant on Motorway,, less so on back roads..

Yes, drove one of this before. unforgiving on bumps, fine on motorway