Is there a reason for low profile tyres (apart from bling)?

[Pipeliner]

Do low profile tyres have any advantages as far as driving a car is concerned?  Certainly not for offroad use, as was demonstrated in a Top Gear episode when Richard raced down a mountain dirt road in a Porche Cayenne - his main complaint was how useless the tyres were.  And you would think that if they inproved performance on the road the racing teams would use them, but they all seem to use a reasonably normal profile. V8 Supercars use 285/40R17, which is fairly low profile but nothing like the tyres you sometimes see on Hummers for instance, or even on BMWs and similar performance cars.

Are low profile tyres actually an advantage for performance cars?  Or are they only fitted by bling enthusiasts?

[Brucer]

I can sorta see the attraction in lowered street cars, but I don't understand why anyone would put them on a 4WD. You see alot on Hummers but also occasionally on Landcruisers, Pathfinders, etc. Obviously these vehicles are not used offroad but you'd think anyone wanting street bling would start with a different car to begin with.

[gadgetman]

I'm not sure about performance but from experience they are much noisier.

[Bird]

I can sorta see the attraction in lowered street cars, but I don't understand why anyone would put them on a 4WD. You see alot on Hummers but also occasionally on Landcruisers, Pathfinders, etc. Obviously these vehicles are not used offroad but you'd think anyone wanting street bling would start with a different car to begin with.

you'd think so


they are also not usually rated for the weight utes carry...



In sports cars, they are for better handling...

[cruisindub]

Yeah, too often see new model hiluxes with low profile tyres and chromed/blinged up rims.

They wouldnt fare too well on my driveway, let alone on any other road or track..........

They do make the owners of such set ups look like twats, if thats what they're trying to achieve.

Anyone say cashed up bogan?

[Fathom]

I was under the impression... For handling, in say a sports car a lower profile tyre is better.. Being that the less sidewall... The less "flex" in the tyre..making the whole set up more rigid... Making it better for cornering etc..
That's without going into tyre pressures... Tread patterns.. Intended use of the vehicle or how "low" is too low" etc....
On a 4wd I would think  its slightly more than useless. You lose the ability to "bag" the tyre when you want to, ie.. No real side walls... No bagging.
So completely pointless on a 4wd.

[Jeepers Creepers]

We started out with wagon wheels and now we're back there. What's old is new again.

[Mace]

Apart from design and performance  Parameters, larger wheel rims allow fitment of bigger/better/much more efficient brake componentry. It has a major safety component.

[Bird]

We started out with wagon wheels and now we're back there. What's old is new again.

what size brakes?

[dazzler]

In 4wd's a psychiatrist once told me that the size of the tyre is inverse to the size of the owners pee pee.   

[Mallory Black]

depends on the design of the car's suspension and the aspect ratio of the actual tyre..
But generally too low a profile and it's nothing but a wank because our roads are not like billiard tables
mostly for looks

[Ynot]

Top gear or one of those shows did a test and found that once you drop below a 40 series tyre performance also drops (I am sure it was a scientific test...)

Probably why most of the race cars don't run the super low profiles

[wholehog]

yes,supposedly,lower profile, less side wall flex means better handling,but from my experience,every car that i have had with low profile tyres used to "tramline" very badly on our less than pristine roads

[Gubeaut]

Nit as much roll when cornering but they do tram line a fair bit. Funny seeing a pic of my ute above. Don't run the tyres but still have them. Yes mainly for looks but they were bought for me by a guy i worked for as a bonus along with a 3"  exhaust system and a set of 36" swampers for Offroad. I always swapped tyres before I went Offroad as we always drove hard tracks and a few comps so I never needed a/t or m/t. They are 33" tyres on 22" rims and all legal and load rated. The photo was taken 2 days after a 4wd event. Never cared if anyone did or didn't like them but always prided myself on the fact that I drove my ute fairly hard in comps and looked clean on road.

[jwb]

Heeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gubeaut]

Hello mr bird. Thought I should respond

[GeoffA]

Apart from design and performance  Parameters, larger wheel rims allow fitment of bigger/better/much more efficient brake componentry. It has a major safety component.

On the money, once again Mace.......

[Symon]

Also since you don't get much flex in the sidewall they have a lower rolling resistance, so save fuel.

[D4D]

Now they're even fitting them to prams...



http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/mega-man-pram-fit-for-a-king/story-fnet08xa-1226686407437

[Marschy]

I've just traded my FG Falcon XR6 that had 245/45R17 tyres for a new Territory with 235/60R17 tyres.

The suspension on the Territory is not as stiff as it was on the Falcon, but the lower profile tyres were a pain in the proverbial for numerous reasons.

1. They were much more expensive.
2. 245 widths have few choices of manufacturer in that configuration if you were after a tyre that wasn't a soft compound.
3. The choices of tyres that weren't noisy directional tread were limited and expensive.
4. If you hit a pothole, you run the risk of damaging your rim and tyre more so than a tyre with a higher profile.

And finally, the ride is just soooooooo much nicer with that bit more cushioning

[Mace]

^^^^^^^

Agree.

I used to refuse to get into the passenger seat of the VX Commodore for the drive home if I had a hangover. SHMBO made sure she hit every bump, pothole or corrugation! More than once I regretted the upgrade from 16s to 17s becoz of this.