General Wheel size for best ride

[harryhotdog]

Have just bought a Pop with the standard steel wheels. Which size of alloy would the experts recommend for the safest smoothest ride. The car has the upgraded rear suspension. Is a 14" alloy using the present tyres a cheap option?

 

[Zakt]

Have just bought a Pop with the standard steel wheels. Which size of alloy would the experts recommend for the safest smoothest ride. The car has the upgraded rear suspension. Is a 14" alloy using the present tyres a cheap option?

You won't find any experts on this site!

I believe your current wheel/tyre size would probably give the softest ride, what with the tyres' larger sidewalls, but are you sure you'd want to invest in 14 inch alloys? You may find that there's a limited choice of styles available to you in that size. If I were in your position I'd just keep what you've got until the tyres wear down, and then consider your options when it's time to replace

 

[306maxi]

You won't find any experts on this site!

I believe your current wheel/tyre size would probably give the softest ride, what with the tyres' larger sidewalls, but are you sure you'd want to invest in 14 inch alloys? You may find that there's a limited choice of styles available to you in that size. If I were in your position I'd just keep what you've got until the tyres wear down, and then consider your options when it's time to replace

I'd tend to agree with Zakt

I have 14" steel wheels for winter tyres and 16" multispokes with summer rubber on. The 14" steelies are certainly less jarring in terms of ride quality.

 

[jnoiles]

I have 16" O spokes and the ride is crashy. When I put the track tyres on I use 15" wheels with slightly higher profile tyres. The ride is much better with 15"s.

 

[zanes]

If you're selling your steelies, put an ad on here and I'm sure someone will buy them for putting winter tyres on.

Zakt, from what I've seen most decent manufacturers will make alloys down to 14" at least (think Oz do superturismos from something like 13" to 19"!) but finding stock might be more difficult than chav-tastic 17" multi fits.

 

[harryhotdog]

Thanks for the excellent feedback. Will stick with the steelies for now and see how the tyres wear.

 

[jrkitching]

Thanks for the excellent feedback. Will stick with the steelies for now and see how the tyres wear.

Good choice IMHO. I have a 500 lounge and a spare set of standard wheels/tyres from a 500 pop. On the 14" steelies, the car rides noticeably better, and is also quieter.

My friend has a stock lounge, bought at the same time, and commented without prompting on how much smoother and quieter my car is.

Both are 2010 cars with the revised suspension.

The steelies will likely give you better fuel economy too. The tyres will cost less to replace when the time comes, and if you are unfortunate and crunch the wheel in a pothole, a replacement wheel will be *much* less expensive.

For me, the icing on the cake is that I actually prefer the look of the stock pop wheels as, IMHO, they are more in keeping with the retro look of the car.

 

[DraigFlag87]

17" on the Abarth, no ride/road noise issues so i don't see why people fuss over this much...

 

[Mollie]

I have a 1.2 Sport with 16" multispokes. I just drive and enjoy (and they look great).

 

[Ped90]

15's on me 1.2 pop perfect and smooth but 17's on me abarth way harsher but look way coolerr

 

[306maxi]

17" on the Abarth, no ride/road noise issues so i don't see why people fuss over this much...

Well the standard hatchback with 16" wheels has bad ride quality so the Abarth with 17" wheels isn't going to be a magic carpet ride.

 

[DraigFlag87]

Well the standard hatchback with 16" wheels has bad ride quality so the Abarth with 17" wheels isn't going to be a magic carpet ride.

Never noticed it when i had the 1.4 pop with steelies, then switching back to the Abarth. Guess it's something you only notice if you're quite a fussy person.

 

[Murano16v]

Well the standard hatchback with 16" wheels has bad ride quality so the Abarth with 17" wheels isn't going to be a magic carpet ride.

Actually the Abarth on 17s is not at all bad, far less fidgety than my 1.2 with 15s. The panda 100HP, now that is a bit harsh and that also rides on 15s, but really none of them are dreadful.

 

[Ulpian]

The Panda100 I drove was dreadful

 

[grimwau]

You won't find any experts on this site!

On the contrary, there are quite a few "experts" who offer valuable help and assistance.

However, I don't think that this topic can be considered to have anything but purely personal opinions, so another superfluous posting from you in an effort to stir things up.

ps. I assume that when you say there are no experts on here you are including yourself?

 

[trphil]

The Panda100 I drove was dreadful

There's a Panda 100 down the road from us that has directional tyres fitted (don't know whether they're standard?) but they are on the wrong way round. I can't imagine that would do wonders for the handling or ride...

 

[306maxi]

There's a Panda 100 down the road from us that has directional tyres fitted (don't know whether they're standard?) but they are on the wrong way round. I can't imagine that would do wonders for the handling or ride...

Strangely enough no, I asked my tyre testing friend about this once because I was curious. The only thing that will be affected and be affected I mean it's really really bad is water dispersion because rather than throwing water out the sides the tyre will suck it into the middle and will be REALLY bad if there's any standing water at all.

 

[jrkitching]

This is what happens if you swap directional tyres across the car (nearside <> offside). Easily fixed by swapping back again. If the spare is directional, there's a 50% chance it will be "wrong way round" if you need to use it.

 

[306maxi]

This is what happens if you swap directional tyres across the car (nearside <> offside). Easily fixed by swapping back again. If the spare is directional, there's a 50% chance it will be "wrong way round" if you need to use it.

Of course, but most people won't be aware that they've done it. Spare are never directional for this very reason.

 

[jrkitching]

Hopefully not, when they've been supplied by the manufacturers. And a warning to anyone considering relegating a part worn directional tyre to use as a spare!