4 replies to this topic

[rexy]

Hi everyone,

 

This topic has come up for me recently after a semi planned change.

 

Browsing facebook marketplace I found some very cheap 15 x 10 and 15 x 7 weld draglites. So cheap I had to have them.

They were just the right size to try on the hatch.

 

The fronts had near new 205/60 tyres and the rears older 275/50 tyres.

 

These replaced the 17 inch hotwires with 40 series rear and 35 series front tyres.

 

The change in driving experience was amazing. The car is now much more comfortable for around town work and doesnt tramtrack like it used to. I have driven it a lot more since the change.

 

Im interested to hear others experience with their choices and how they use their cars.

 

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I tried some larger 225/50 on an 8 inch wheel but they were juuuust too big and scraped.

 

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[76lxhatch]

There's definitely a difference in ride quality, but the taller sidewalls also significantly dull the cornering performance especially initial turn-in. Biggest problem though is the same old thing - need 17" minimum to get proper performance tyres.

 

I run different wheel alignment with lower profile tyres, less negative camber which probably has an effect on the tram-tracking. But then I have 255/40/17 on the front which gives a bit more sidewall, along with 6.5 degrees of caster and power steering.

 

It wouldn't take much to make the 225/50/15s fit properly. At the end of the day if you enjoy driving it more then it was the right choice.

[axistr]

Some tyre brands  cause more tram tracking than others. Tyre pressure also plays a big role in both tracking pull and handling. But one of the big causes of tram tracking is the rim offset. The more negative offset the rim has the more leverage the wheel pulls to the ruts in the road. Adding HQ stub axles can make this effect even worse due to the difference in king pin inclination. The lower the K.P.I the more it effects the scrub radius which will give a greater leverage from moving the scrub radius further inwards. For those that aren't familiar with scrub radius, it's the angle of the top and bottom ball joints to stub axle horizontal plane. If you plot a line the ball joints to where it intersects on the road surface at ride height. If the plotted line meets in the middle of the tyre tread on the road it has a zero scrub radius. Hmm, probable confused everyone, but that's how it works.         

[LXCHEV]

Visually - that first photo you posted ticks all the right boxes for me. Absolutely perfect. That’s what a Torana should look like. Those Welds look so good with your colour combo.

[Shiney005]

 Biggest problem though is the same old thing - need 17" minimum to get proper performance tyres.

And it helps with decent sized brakes as well.      Power steering would definitely help with the tramlining. I had some crazy offset rims on my Statesman years ago, but it still drove like a dream.

 

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