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Tyres: Low profile
washiku
#1 Posted : Tuesday, December 25, 2012 9:45:16 PM
Rank: Chief


Joined: 5/9/2007
Posts: 13,095
I am thinking of changing my cars types from low profile ones that's came with n fit it with the bigger ones. For those who know, r there negative consequences on that? Does it affect the car's stability? When at it, how does spacers affect the car? Is it also true that in case of an accident insurance won't pay if a car is fitted with spaces?

Please let me know.
maka
#2 Posted : Wednesday, December 26, 2012 12:56:13 AM
Rank: Elder


Joined: 4/22/2010
Posts: 11,522
Location: Nairobi
washiku wrote:
I am thinking of changing my cars types from low profile ones that's came with n fit it with the bigger ones. For those who know, r there negative consequences on that? Does it affect the car's stability? When at it, how does spacers affect the car? Is it also true that in case of an accident insurance won't pay if a car is fitted with spaces?

Please let me know.

...actually you,ll be better off changing those tires for a smoother better steering ride,those low profile tyres r mo for aesthetic purposes than anything else...you cant get any negative issue changn them,for the spacers they are said to affect stability...mtu wa insurance jitokezee and tell us whether or not you,l settle a claim once u know i had fitted spacers.
possunt quia posse videntur
seppuku
#3 Posted : Wednesday, December 26, 2012 8:25:53 AM
Rank: Veteran


Joined: 5/11/2010
Posts: 918
Low profile tires also provide better lateral steering capability since they have stronger sidewalls. Though if you don't like to zoom through hairpin corners that's probably not a big deal. But like @maka says, you get a comfier ride with high profile tires since there's more air between your car body and the road. You'll need to change your rims to a smaller size though so that the overall wheel diameter remains the same. But if you ask me, unless your tires are very low profile - you know like 17 inches and above on a small car - I wouldn't bother with them.
Learn first to treat your time as you would your money, then treat your money as you do your time.
Impunity
#4 Posted : Wednesday, December 26, 2012 8:48:47 AM
Rank: Elder


Joined: 3/2/2009
Posts: 26,328
Location: Masada
seppuku wrote:
Low profile tires also provide better lateral steering capability since they have stronger sidewalls. Though if you don't like to zoom through hairpin corners that's probably not a big deal. But like @maka says, you get a comfier ride with high profile tires since there's more air between your car body and the road. You'll need to change your rims to a smaller size though so that the overall wheel diameter remains the same. But if you ask me, unless your tires are very low profile - you know like 17 inches and above on a small car - I wouldn't bother with them.


If you change the rims from say 17 to 15 I think you may also need to rig your speedometer.
Wapi engineers?
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xyzee
#5 Posted : Wednesday, December 26, 2012 3:35:14 PM
Rank: Veteran


Joined: 1/9/2009
Posts: 1,262
Insurance companies evaluates the circumstances sorrounding an accident to determine the level of compensation and rearly do spacers play a role, unless of cause you were cruising above 110 km/h at a corner of which you'll be blamed for overspeeding/reckless/dangerous driving and in this case if the insurer pays it will be on discretionary basis which in most cases is a % of the claim, since you share in the blame
washiku
#6 Posted : Wednesday, December 26, 2012 5:39:09 PM
Rank: Chief


Joined: 5/9/2007
Posts: 13,095
Thanks all. Always resourceful. I think changing them ultimately is the solution since I also travel shags quite oftenely and the roads there aint as good.
D32
#7 Posted : Wednesday, December 26, 2012 6:29:12 PM
Rank: Member


Joined: 2/16/2012
Posts: 808
@washiku

Low profiles are usually fitted in commercial and none-commercial vehicles to optimize the vehicle for on-road / track performance driving. In Kenyan roads, it would make more sense to have regular tyres due to the potholes and the gravel roads.

Since your primary concern is stability, then yes, by changing tyres to the regular ones, you would be compromising handling during performance driving, but not during regular driving. For regular driving, you just to ensure that your suspension is in good condition. You do not want much body-roll while cornering at normal speeds, neither do you want the vehicle to keep bouncing after driving over a bump - those are signs of worn-out suspensions.
Changing to regular tyres also adds comfort because the tyres will absorb small bumps and vibrations.

When changing to the regular ones, ensure that the overall tyre diameter stays the same size as recommended by the manufacture - you'd have to change the rims proportionately.

Regarding spacers, got no idea on its relationship with insurance.

The most common reasons for installing spacers are for appearance and performance.

With spacers, you get better handling, but there is also increased wear and tear on the components, thus more maintenance.

You would install spacers depending on what your handling or performance objective is. Different configurations meet different objectives, such as, the size of the offset, installing them on the rear tyres alone vs installing them on the front tyres alone vs installing them on all tyres.

Installing spacers may also require you to modify the body to accommodate the suspension and cornering wheel articulation.
They tried to bury us, they didn't know we were seeds.
washiku
#8 Posted : Wednesday, December 26, 2012 6:41:31 PM
Rank: Chief


Joined: 5/9/2007
Posts: 13,095
Thanks @D32. And would anyone one have an idea on where such change can be done by proffesionals and how much it would cost approximately? The current tyres are size 17.
mlefu
#9 Posted : Wednesday, December 26, 2012 6:50:03 PM
Rank: Elder


Joined: 2/11/2007
Posts: 1,680
Location: nairobi
Size 17..wow,that must be a big car..if you need to sell them and fit new ones...hurira thimu twarie.
bird_man
#10 Posted : Wednesday, December 26, 2012 11:07:15 PM
Rank: Veteran


Joined: 11/2/2006
Posts: 1,206
Location: Nairobi
@ washiku....if you want a safe & smooth ride dont install spacers.Also check on your drivers door iko some plate showing the tyres you should fit your car with.Stick to that.
Formally employed people often live their employers' dream & forget about their own.
Rahatupu
#11 Posted : Thursday, December 27, 2012 11:30:54 AM
Rank: Veteran


Joined: 12/4/2009
Posts: 1,982
Location: matano manne
washiku wrote:
Thanks @D32. And would anyone one have an idea on where such change can be done by proffesionals and how much it would cost approximately? The current tyres are size 17.
.

@Washiku, the most important factor IMHO will be your type of car, the use of car, and the roads used for driving your car.

1. Size 17 low profile tyres are expensive to maintain on regular Kenyan roads, they develop dumps on the sides too often even before they wear out. You must be one very careful driver to see the tyres through their normal life cycle. Potholes and stones in gravel roads also tend to bend the rims on such low profiles as size 17 and above.
2. The cost of replacement of these tyres is very high.
3. Stability is not affected by either normal size or low profile as long as the wheel diameter remains unchanged.

Final word: The depth of your pockets and nature of terrain used vis a vis whether car is SUV or sedan type.
D32
#12 Posted : Friday, December 28, 2012 6:46:18 PM
Rank: Member


Joined: 2/16/2012
Posts: 808
Rahatupu wrote:

3. Stability is not affected by either normal size or low profile as long as the wheel diameter remains unchanged.


This is true for regular driving, but not for road / track performance driving.
They tried to bury us, they didn't know we were seeds.
seppuku
#13 Posted : Thursday, January 03, 2013 3:58:16 PM
Rank: Veteran


Joined: 5/11/2010
Posts: 918
Impunity wrote:
seppuku wrote:
Low profile tires also provide better lateral steering capability since they have stronger sidewalls. Though if you don't like to zoom through hairpin corners that's probably not a big deal. But like @maka says, you get a comfier ride with high profile tires since there's more air between your car body and the road. You'll need to change your rims to a smaller size though so that the overall wheel diameter remains the same. But if you ask me, unless your tires are very low profile - you know like 17 inches and above on a small car - I wouldn't bother with them.


If you change the rims from say 17 to 15 I think you may also need to rig your speedometer.
Wapi engineers?


Not necessary if you shift to bigger aspect ratio tires to account for the difference in rim size. As long as the overall wheel diameter remains the same you should leave the speedometer and mileage counter alone. Otherwise you ought to have the car computer reconfigured accordingly. Changing overall wheel diameter by more than 2 inches is strongly discouraged though since it's likely to adversely affect the car's geometry. Not to say I am an engineer though.
smile
Learn first to treat your time as you would your money, then treat your money as you do your time.
XSK
#14 Posted : Thursday, January 03, 2013 4:58:54 PM
Rank: Veteran


Joined: 12/8/2009
Posts: 975
Location: Nairobi
seppuku wrote:
Impunity wrote:
seppuku wrote:
Low profile tires also provide better lateral steering capability since they have stronger sidewalls. Though if you don't like to zoom through hairpin corners that's probably not a big deal. But like @maka says, you get a comfier ride with high profile tires since there's more air between your car body and the road. You'll need to change your rims to a smaller size though so that the overall wheel diameter remains the same. But if you ask me, unless your tires are very low profile - you know like 17 inches and above on a small car - I wouldn't bother with them.


If you change the rims from say 17 to 15 I think you may also need to rig your speedometer.
Wapi engineers?


Not necessary if you shift to bigger aspect ratio tires to account for the difference in rim size. As long as the overall wheel diameter remains the same you should leave the speedometer and mileage counter alone. Otherwise you ought to have the car computer reconfigured accordingly. Changing overall wheel diameter by more than 2 inches is strongly discouraged though since it's likely to adversely affect the car's geometry. Not to say I am an engineer though.
smile


@seppuku

Interesting smile

Say i have changed my tyres from 195/60/15 to 205/65/15. What needs to be done to the speedo?
You will know that you have arrived when money and time are not mutually exclusive "events" in you life!
nakujua
#15 Posted : Thursday, January 03, 2013 10:37:01 PM
Rank: Elder


Joined: 12/17/2009
Posts: 3,583
Location: Kenya
XSK wrote:
seppuku wrote:
Impunity wrote:
seppuku wrote:
Low profile tires also provide better lateral steering capability since they have stronger sidewalls. Though if you don't like to zoom through hairpin corners that's probably not a big deal. But like @maka says, you get a comfier ride with high profile tires since there's more air between your car body and the road. You'll need to change your rims to a smaller size though so that the overall wheel diameter remains the same. But if you ask me, unless your tires are very low profile - you know like 17 inches and above on a small car - I wouldn't bother with them.


If you change the rims from say 17 to 15 I think you may also need to rig your speedometer.
Wapi engineers?


Not necessary if you shift to bigger aspect ratio tires to account for the difference in rim size. As long as the overall wheel diameter remains the same you should leave the speedometer and mileage counter alone. Otherwise you ought to have the car computer reconfigured accordingly. Changing overall wheel diameter by more than 2 inches is strongly discouraged though since it's likely to adversely affect the car's geometry. Not to say I am an engineer though.
smile


@seppuku

Interesting smile

Say i have changed my tyres from 195/60/15 to 205/65/15. What needs to be done to the speedo?


reduced by 5.3%
seppuku
#16 Posted : Friday, January 04, 2013 8:59:21 AM
Rank: Veteran


Joined: 5/11/2010
Posts: 918
nakujua wrote:
XSK wrote:
seppuku wrote:
Impunity wrote:
seppuku wrote:
Low profile tires also provide better lateral steering capability since they have stronger sidewalls. Though if you don't like to zoom through hairpin corners that's probably not a big deal. But like @maka says, you get a comfier ride with high profile tires since there's more air between your car body and the road. You'll need to change your rims to a smaller size though so that the overall wheel diameter remains the same. But if you ask me, unless your tires are very low profile - you know like 17 inches and above on a small car - I wouldn't bother with them.


If you change the rims from say 17 to 15 I think you may also need to rig your speedometer.
Wapi engineers?


Not necessary if you shift to bigger aspect ratio tires to account for the difference in rim size. As long as the overall wheel diameter remains the same you should leave the speedometer and mileage counter alone. Otherwise you ought to have the car computer reconfigured accordingly. Changing overall wheel diameter by more than 2 inches is strongly discouraged though since it's likely to adversely affect the car's geometry. Not to say I am an engineer though.
smile


@seppuku

Interesting smile

Say i have changed my tyres from 195/60/15 to 205/65/15. What needs to be done to the speedo?


reduced by 5.3%


Precisely. The said change will raise your overall tire diameter from 24.21 inches to 25.49 inches and therefore increase the circumference by approximately 5.3%.
Learn first to treat your time as you would your money, then treat your money as you do your time.
seppuku
#17 Posted : Friday, January 04, 2013 9:03:31 AM
Rank: Veteran


Joined: 5/11/2010
Posts: 918
seppuku wrote:
nakujua wrote:
XSK wrote:
seppuku wrote:
Impunity wrote:
seppuku wrote:
Low profile tires also provide better lateral steering capability since they have stronger sidewalls. Though if you don't like to zoom through hairpin corners that's probably not a big deal. But like @maka says, you get a comfier ride with high profile tires since there's more air between your car body and the road. You'll need to change your rims to a smaller size though so that the overall wheel diameter remains the same. But if you ask me, unless your tires are very low profile - you know like 17 inches and above on a small car - I wouldn't bother with them.


If you change the rims from say 17 to 15 I think you may also need to rig your speedometer.
Wapi engineers?


Not necessary if you shift to bigger aspect ratio tires to account for the difference in rim size. As long as the overall wheel diameter remains the same you should leave the speedometer and mileage counter alone. Otherwise you ought to have the car computer reconfigured accordingly. Changing overall wheel diameter by more than 2 inches is strongly discouraged though since it's likely to adversely affect the car's geometry. Not to say I am an engineer though.
smile


@seppuku

Interesting smile

Say i have changed my tyres from 195/60/15 to 205/65/15. What needs to be done to the speedo?


reduced by 5.3%


Precisely. The said change will raise your overall tire diameter from 24.21 inches to 25.49 inches and therefore increase the circumference by approximately 5.3%.


Tire math is fairly straightforward. What complicates it is the fact that all the numbers are expressed in different units. The width is expressed in millimeters, the cross-sectional
height as a ratio and the rim radius in inches. You can always work out the overall tire diameter with these values though.
Learn first to treat your time as you would your money, then treat your money as you do your time.
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