Quote:
Originally Posted by Wally
.................I am also considering changing back to a 17"wheel as I feel the 18" are just a little too heavy for competition. I may regret it but I just need to see what it feels like again.
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Wally, You may be right about the wheel change. principally the larger the rim diameter the heavier the wheel/tyre combination is for the same o/a diameter. This would be of significance with the unsprung weight that will affect the damper performance and bearing in mind the sprung/unsprung weight ratio on the front of a strut bug. You could also look at a compression strut installation that Rob and i have talked about in the past as that will immediately turn the anti-roll bar into sprung mass rather than unsprung with a significant effect on the ratio.
It may be fashionable to fit large diameter rims with low profile tyres but the same overall diameter with a taller tyre is lighter (tyre wall rubber is lighter than aluminium wheel.
If you set the suspension travel to standard then a 17" tyre wheel combo will lower the front by 5-35mm depending on individual tyres that has to be beneficial whilst still maintaining the geometry.
I was going to suggest a crossply racing/road legal tyre but I could find any 17" ones just 15". You could revert to 15" and use crossplys to give that extra wall stiffness and keep the tread flatter but only if your brakes will accommodate the 15" wheel. you certainly have enough power to make them work.