How tyre size affects performance

Tyres are a car’s only contact with the tarmac, and the only way to lay down its performance on the road. Performance in itself is subjective; for some, it is acceleration, for some, it is grip while for many it is fuel economy and for a few, it is the comfort or noise. Here is how it pans out.

The standard tyre size provided by the company is meant to provide optimum grip and comfort with the primary focus being fuel economy. Yes, you can opt for tyres with a wider tread, higher profile, or a larger rim size depending on what you want.

A wider tread means a larger contact patch which means more grip. If you are an enthusiastic driver, you will enjoy this grip as it will let you accelerate or brake faster and carry more speed through the corners. But then, the extra grip means that more power will be spent on overcoming the additional friction forces thus lowering the fuel economy.

You would opt for the higher-profile tyres for added comfort as the larger side walls will offer a better cushioning effect. The downside here is a lack of cornering grip as the same tall sidewalls will get overstressed by the cornering forces. A larger profile will mean an increased tyre radius and in the case of cars with smaller engines, you may feel a little drop in performance due to the reduction in the torque transferred to the road.

If you opt for a larger rim size, you will have to go for low-profile tyres so as to manage the overall size of the wheels lest they brush the bodywork. Low profile tyres offer excellent cornering performance as the short side-walls provide more stiffness and a wider contact patch, offered by the flat tread. The downside to this is a jittery ride because any road surface imperfection will be transferred to the suspension unfiltered.

The individual effects on performance due to each of the variables apply to a combination of changes as well and this should help you choose the right balance of ride, grip, and fuel economy that suits your choices.

Know more about tyres here.