Why use wider tires

This was confusing as hell. Maybe give it a once-over and try it again? That setup is the 2nd on the picture, with the lowest lap time. The lack of grip in the front did it, which would cause the understeer you mentioned.

Other than the wet lap times, the widest combination provided the best results in every single metric. So the simple answer, according to this test, is that wider IS better and that definitely going to 's front and back will make the i a handling GOD.

The A. By Kristen Lee. If you want your car to look more aggressive, then a wider tyre is an easy way to achieve this. If you want any more than this, then you will need to change the rims to accommodate the wider tyre.

The best option is to talk to a qualified tyre technician to work out your options. Darren is an expert on driving and transport, and is a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

However much you are fond of your car, sooner or later it will decay to the point of uselessness unless Are wider tyres better than narrower tyres?

Advantages of wider tyres Wider tyres generally give better lateral grip even though the same weight of the car is spread over a wider area Wider tyres often look more aggressive Wider tyres tend to mean more effective braking performance as there is more rubber in contact with the road Wider tyres can give more grip when accelerating, meaning less likelihood of wheelspin.

Although the grooves in a wide tire are larger, allowing for better channeling of water away from the treadblocks, with more surface area the potential for hydroplaning when hitting standing water on the road is greater. On a snow-covered road, the increased surface area of a wide tire is less effective at cutting through the white stuff as compared to a narrower option, which is why some people choose to install a smaller tire during the winter months.

If you're installing a wider tire than what you car was originally designed to accommodate, you may encounter a situation where the rubber doesn't quite fit under the lip of your fender. Most of the time, a wider tire that needs rolled fenders will be installed on a vehicle that rides on a lowered suspension, which brings the fender lip even closer to the rubber. The most common way to deal with this issue is to 'roll' the fender lip. Since it's usually the inner fender lip that is making contact with a wider tire, you need to use a roller, either a specialized tool that mounts to the hub, providing you with a controlled arc, or even a heat gun and a cylindrical hand-roller, to gently push it back away from the tire.

By flattening the metal in this way, it prevents gouging of the tire, or damage to the fender due to suspension travel. What if rolling still won't accommodate your wider tire? The next option is to install a set of fender flares. If you own an extremely low car and are using seriously wide tires, flares may be your only option.

Likewise, if you're driving a lifted truck and want to install taller, wider mud or off-road tires, and are concerned about fender contact at full suspension compression, you'll also want to look at flares. This process is a little more involved than fender rolling, because you'll most likely have to cut metal from your wheel wells to accommodate the tire, and then conceal those cuts with the new flares.

If you're installing a wider tire, you may also have to consider more than just its impact on your body panels. Depending on the offset of the wheel you are using, and the position of the suspension components, wheel spacers could be a part of the conversation, too. Some wider tires look fine when the front wheels are pointed straight, but when the steering is turned at full lock they can come into contact with the vehicle's chassis. It's here that wheel spacers come in, adding extra millimeters between the wheel and the hub in order to provide you with the clearance that you need.

Keep in mind your application when shopping for spacers. You'll want to make sure that the parts you buy are strong enough for off-roading or high performance driving, as some spacers are simply intended for the 'hard parked' crew that won't be doing anything more strenuous than street driving. You'll also want to consider adding longer aftermarket wheel studs, because as the spacers push your wheel away from the hub it also reduces the number of threads available for your lug nuts to grab onto.

Some wheel spacers offer a bolt-on design that actually extends the hub, helping to strengthen your wheel's connection.