Dynamics difference between 16inch 205s and 17inch 215s tyres
 

Hey guys,

Was wondering if anyone has driven both specs of the car to the edge?

Really interested in what the difference in dynamics are between the 16inch 205s vs the 17 inch 215s tyres are. Most of the reviews of the car are on the 17inch "Prius" tyres.

I have the 16inch Yokohama Db 205s and they grip like crazy and then give way pretty quickly.

Haven't driven an 86 with 16's yet. Spoke to Desmond from Nelspruit Toyota at the breakfast run and he said that they've had 2 std spec demos, one gripped like hell and the other didn't so there could be possible variations in the different batches of tyres.

Well, mine gripped pretty well on the breakfast run, ask Sav his opinion, he was behind me riding on 17's....

I've got 16's with Yokohamas and I'm quite happy with the grip they've got.

I remember reading an Australian review (they also get the STD spec we get) where they mentioned that you really want the 16" wheels for the sake of comfort.

On the edge, the wider tyre with less side wall (i.e. the 17") will almost definitely offer better grip.

That said, My money's on better compounds. Basically: I reckon you'll see better laptime improvements by switching from the stock tyre to a proper sports tyre than you would by switching between stock-16" and stock 17"

@BentAnat, I'm in agreement as these stock tyres all seem to be energy saving biased rather than grip. The stock 16's take punishment I have to say! Personally would change to different compound and tread for more confidence in the wet.

Yep, very planted!

17" is comfortable enough for me, I didn't buy the car expecting Merc levels of comfort. :D

Im pretty comfortable on my 225/40/18's

Yep, I couldn't tell any difference in comfort between yours and OEM.

I can't say that I have driven one with 17" on it, but the 16s I test drove the 86 with were grippy enough for day-to-day stuff, and loose enough to have fun with.

The car was still super responsive, and I didn't feel the need to add bigger wheels. ESPECIALLY not with me having lost tyres and rims to potholes before. 16"=more sidewall=damage limitation when you hit a pothole.

But I suppose that's an argument that's not really the subject right now.
Dynamically, a 17" 215 section will provide a bigger contact patch and smaller sidewall (i.e. less deformation) when compared to a 205R16, and as such WILL be superior on a track.

the only possible counter argument that can be made is the weight of the wheel, and the possibility of the whole thing becoming too heavy for the gears to turn it all.

Track tests have shown that changing to sports tyres shaves a couple of seconds off a lap time, whereas changing 17" to 18" doesn't change much.

Would be cool to change to a slightly wider 16 inch sports tyre, but the 205's are already bulging quite a bit on the stock 6inch wide rims. Any ideas? Has anyone replaced their stock tires yet?

Just get wider rims?
I know a good few people that have race cars with 16" wheels on them. Wide ones.
They'd possibly be a bit heavier (unless you buy some light weight ones - not sure about weights at all), but you'd get extra grip.
When you do that, expect the tail not to come loose that quickly, though.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...heel+fit+guide

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...heel+fit+guide