My 2 whacks at a horse that's already been beaten to death... Yes, you certainly tune a suspension to allow you to run 17"s without much damage... but your suspension would be so loose to compensate for lack of sidewall that your cornering would be adversely affected. Most of us around here are firm believers in the fact that the CRX is a car meant to be driven in the twisties... and a loose suspension and 17" rims don't lend themselves to that.
If you don't drive yours that way, then it's not an issue. To each his own. :) ~Matt > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Brian-SubCultureNM" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Ricky Crow" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 11:28 AM > Subject: Re: CRX: Re: Physics lesson, and a stop to all this bickering about > tires and sizes and hydroplaning. > > > > I'll admit to what you say - I'm not completely in-tune with the car > because > > it's my wife's DD. We'll have to agree to disagree on the street-handling > > issue, however, because I don't feel you're completely correct. As I said > in > > a previous post, a well-tuned suspension will allow you to run a 17" > > wheel/tire without too much worry of damage - that's why I run our Konis > at > > full soft on a regualr basis. If we're going up through the mountains > where > > I know we'll be pushing her a bit then I dial-in some extra resistance. > One > > final statement regarding tread design/compound - if you have a tread > design > > that adequately evaucuates water from its channels, then the compound can > > come into play. Those 555s never cease to amaze me and we would have them > on > > the CRX too if my former boss hadn't ordered the 450s instead (which are > > still a good tire.) > > > > Anyway, I can see that you do know what you're talking about (I knew it > > anyway as I talked with another list member, but I was just trying to goad > > you into establishing your credentials! LOL) You're choice of cars does > > impress me, by the way, as the S2000 is a car that I still haven't gotten > to > > drive! > > > > See ya, > > > > Brian > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Ricky Crow" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "Brian-SubCultureNM" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 10:24 AM > > Subject: Re: CRX: Re: Physics lesson, and a stop to all this bickering > about > > tires and sizes and hydroplaning. > > > > > > > On Fri, 31 Jan 2003, Brian-SubCultureNM wrote: > > > > > > > Thanks for discussing this, Ricky - maybe we can clear the air a bit. > > > > > > > > It's not that I don't understand these concepts, it's just that I > don't > > > > agree with your general statement that ALL wheel/tire combos over 16" > > will > > > > negatively impact handling. I also can't seem to make you guys realize > > that > > > > > > That's correct... Not all wheel/tire combos over 16" will negatively > > > affect handling. My M3 that I used to have, had 17" rims from the > > > factory... That's because it needed it to clear the brake calipers. > But > > > on a CRX, yes, anything over 16" gives diminishing returns. You > honestly > > > cannot dispute this fact unless you drive on nothing but freshly paved > > > roads with no bumps in them. > > > > > > > tire treads and compounds play a much larger part than you are > allowing. > > The > > > > > > Tire compounds have little to do with hydroplaning characteristics of a > > > tire. The tread design is the only thing that helps in hydroplaning > > > (where the tire is no longer making contact with the pavement). > > > > > > > reason I brought the truck into play was to demonstrate a scenario > where > > the > > > > compound/tread pattern combo played a major role in saving me from my > > own > > > > driving mistake, especially concerning the major handicap of driving a > > truck > > > > that DOESN'T handle. Yeah, this is a CRX list, but I didn't realize > that > > > > meant that there are only CRXs on the road. I didn't ask Jeremy to > bring > > my > > > > truck into his "physics" lesson, but he did, and his reasoning > > concerning > > > > the truck was not just majorly flawed, but completely wrong. If his > > > > statement that the truck handles better because it's heavy were true, > > then > > > > the best-handling vehicle in the world would be something along the > > lines of > > > > a Ford Superduty or Excursion, or hell, even a D9 Cat - remember, he > > made no > > > > statement other than the truck handled better in the rain because it's > > much > > > > heavier than a CRX. > > > > > > Water doesn't care how much the vehicle weighs. If the contact patch is > > > large enough to lower the pounds per square inch on the contact patch > and > > > the vehicle is travelling fast enough to where the water cannot be > > > channeled out of the way quickly enough, the tire will lose contact with > > > the pavement. That's all there is to it. > > > > > > > Now, you're probably saying to yourself that, again, I'm just arguing > to > > > > argue, but I assure you that's not the case. Check my facts and you'll > > see > > > > that I am completely correct. I do apologize if I stated any of my > > > > facts/opinions in a condescending manner (sometimes I do it without > > > > realizing) but that doesn't condemn the basic reasoning behind my > > argument. > > > > And yes, as I have stated like twice already, I would not run 17" inch > > > > wheels on a drag- or autocross-racer. I assumed that we were talking > > about > > > > street driving (where 99% of all of our driving occurs) and on the > > street > > > > > > 17" tires are still not very good for street use, either. I have a > friend > > > of mine that bend ALL FOUR of his 16" rims on his CRX by hitting a bad > > > section of pavement where they had stripped the road surface at one > point, > > > but had fresh pavement at another point. The sudden "cut" or bump in > the > > > pavement, when hitting it on a highway onramp at 65mph, bent all 4 of > his > > > wheels. 15s didn't have this problem. Not to mention, 15s are going to > > > help the car accelerate quicker and will provide more stability on most > > > roads out there, since the sidewall flexes slightly more, to allow for > > > uneven parts of the road. > > > > > > > I'd hate to encounter you and your car if you're driving it to the > point > > > > that the difference in handling between a 17" wheel/tire and a 15" > > > > wheel/tire become apparent. If that's the case then you have a hell of > a > > lot > > > > more to worry about than hydroplaning at 55 mph! > > > > > > I don't drive like that in the rain. Honestly, you probably would soil > > > yourself if you were riding in a car with me. I can hang the tail out > on > > > my S2000 around a turn going up to my apartment at 75mph and not even > > > leave my own lane. That is car control at the absolute limits. Yes, a > > > difference between 16" and 17" rims would be extremely noticeable in a > > > situation like that. Yes, I drive at some sort of accleration, braking, > > > or cornering limit every time I get behind the wheel of my car when I am > > > driving by myself (coworkers don't always like it, though). No, I don't > > > worry about what my car is going to do, because I have been at just > about > > > every possible limit on various tracks in many different types of cars > > > over the last 5 years and I know what to expect out of the car. > > > > > > I'm not bragging or trying to impress you or anybody else, I'm simply > > > stating that yes, because I am *extremely* in-tune with my car and what > it > > > is feeding back to me, I CAN drive at the limits and I do notice things > > > like that. My mom, on the other hand, probably wouldn't even notice if a > > > tire was 8psi too low, and probably would never feel a difference > between > > > 12" wheels and 22" wheels. Different strokes for different folks, but > the > > > bottom line is, if you were in-tune with your car, you truly WOULD > notice > > > a huge difference between 14s, 15s, and 17s. > > > > > > Ricky > > > > > >
