Large Wheels uncomfortable - why ?

BOWFER

NaughtiusMaximus said:

BOWFER said:

GeordieGeorge said:

High performance cars have big wheels to be able to fit bigger brake discs, which is why they’ve come to be seen as “sporty” and fashionable.

Yup, but the fashion has now spilled over into less sporty cars and you're seeing teeny tiny discs through the wheels.

Or even sillier, low profile alloys which show off drum brakes.

True but the downside of this is that people 'want' to see discs on the backs of ordinary cars, and they are a pain in the behind.
They just don't get enough use, end up seizing and it's now very common to see rear discs replaced long before fronts because of the seized calipers.
I was sitting beside a relatively new VW Tiguan just the other day and noticed his rear discs were completelt covered in surface rust, meaning they were doing literally nothing.
Drums are far more sensible on the back of any run-of-the-mill car, they won't seize through the lack of movement in the same way.
Alloys have got a lot to answer for.

macman

But huge alloys and low-profile tyres are way cool, innit?
No matter if they shatter your spine every time you hit a small pothole...

BOWFER

macman said:

But huge alloys and low-profile tyres are way cool, innit?
No matter if they shatter your spine every time you hit a small pothole...

They do have performance advantages, but I concede your average owner won't appreciate these.
And they are definitely a risk on Britain's roads, my Alpina BMW's 19 inch alloys were getting dent repairs every other week and I actually started avoiding certain routes where I live.
It's crazy that fear of wheel damage can dictate the route you take.

mrprosser

Ditzy_Mitzy said:

Suspension is much harder than it used to be, in addition to wheels getting bigger, meaning that ride comfort has a tendency to decrease.  

That is why F1 cars only have 13" wheels but massive tyres, more than half the suspension travel on an F1 car is the tyre compressing before the suspension

EssexExile

mrprosser said:

Ditzy_Mitzy said:

Suspension is much harder than it used to be, in addition to wheels getting bigger, meaning that ride comfort has a tendency to decrease.  

That is why F1 cars only have 13" wheels but massive tyres, more than half the suspension travel on an F1 car is the tyre compressing before the suspension

Aren't they changing that next years? Bigger wheels and thinner tyres.

Supersonos

justworriedabit said:

Supersonos said:

My car has 18" wheels with tyres that have 7" of sidewall and it needs to be a pretty large bump for me to feel it.  I also have air suspension so the ride is incredibly smooth.

As good as they look, low profile tyres and cars with sports suspension make for very unrefined, jiggly cars to use day-to-day.  I used to have a BMW M4.  Sold it after just a few months as the ride was just too hard for me.

That's interesting. Please could you advise what car you have and the tyre size please as your car sounds comfy.
Many thanks.

It's a Land Rover Defender.  Drives like an absolute dream.  

BOWFER

Supersonos said:

It's a Land Rover Defender.  Drives like an absolute dream.  

Our Evoque came with relatively small 17 inch wheels and big 'balloon' tyres, and I was very glad of it.
Very comfy and no worries.

mrprosser

EssexExile said:

mrprosser said:

Ditzy_Mitzy said:

Suspension is much harder than it used to be, in addition to wheels getting bigger, meaning that ride comfort has a tendency to decrease.  

That is why F1 cars only have 13" wheels but massive tyres, more than half the suspension travel on an F1 car is the tyre compressing before the suspension

Aren't they changing that next years? Bigger wheels and thinner tyres.

Yes, as the FIA and Pirelli want to use tyres that more represent real world motoring.  The teams are not (or were not) happy as it has meant they have had to redesign the whole suspension system (when in the past it might just have been a small tweak between seasons)

bartelbe

The problem is too many car buyers have bought into what car reviewers say. Reviewers take the car out onto a race track, rag it to the limit and condemn any car which is setup for comfort/ride.

In the real world, it is impossible to take most cars anywhere near the limit, safely, on a public road. Even if it was possible most drivers lack the talent to do so anyway.

Yet buyers insist on buying cars with rubber bands for tyres and with extremely firm suspension, as if they are going to do laps on the Nurburgring, instead of going to their local Tesco.

In the real world ride comfort is more important than on the limit handling.

NaughtiusMaximus

bartelbe said:

The problem is too many car buyers have bought into what car reviewers say. Reviewers take the car out onto a race track, rag it to the limit and condemn any car which is setup for comfort/ride.

In the real world, it is impossible to take most cars anywhere near the limit, safely, on a public road. Even if it was possible most drivers lack the talent to do so anyway.

Yet buyers insist on buying cars with rubber bands for tyres and with extremely firm suspension, as if they are going to do laps on the Nurburgring, instead of going to their local Tesco.

In the real world ride comfort is more important than on the limit handling.

That's only a small part of the problem, the major element is manufacturers not giving buyers the choice. I would have happily paid extra to have had smaller rims with deeper tyres when I bought mine but that option simply wasn't there.