considering a change in tire size?
October 22nd, 2005We’ve been using this link for about a decade now to check:
sidewall (height) – Aesthetically you want at least twice the sidewall height as there is ‘gap’ between the fender and the top of the tire’s sidewall – any more and the car appears ‘lifted’ a la Infiniti G35x, E-class 4MATIC, etc. Translation: going to a lower profile may cause the car to look higher, meaning you’ll be tempted to change the springs, which most often requires you change the shocks, which may lead to your hating the way your car ends up feeling…)
difference (in circumference) – A positive change will effectively raise the car’s final drive ratio, slowing acceleration and responsiveness. A negative change has the opposite effect, helping the car accelerate quicker. (We’ve been able to tell a difference of less than 2%; don’t be surprised if you can too…)
UPDATE: Here is another calculator worth checking out…