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I'm thinking of getting the smallest possible wheels I can - good idea or bad idea?
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01-24-2019, 12:05 AM | #1 |
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I'm thinking of getting the smallest possible wheels I can - good idea or bad idea?
I have a 2009 e93. I love the car, but man does it take a beating on New Jersey's horrible roads.
I'm on my winter tires right now on 17" wheels from Tire Rack. 3 out of 4 wheels are bent. My OEM 18" wheels - 2 out of 4 are bent. Hitting any pothole is a mentally excruciating experience (on top of whatever seen or unseen damage it's causing), so on my commute to and from work I'm hyper alert to every little indentation on the road, making an otherwise easy commute really stressful. My thought, and what I would like some feedback on: I don't care about "looks" and just want a comfortable ride. According to what I can configure on TireRack, it seems I can go down to 16" wheels and use the extra space to get some more rubber between the wheel and the road. My hope is that by this, there's a little bit more tolerance for hitting the inevitable pothole, and a reduced chance of breaking/bending more wheels. Am I misguided in this assumption, or has anyone else gone down a similar path?
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01-24-2019, 12:24 AM | #2 |
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Theoretically, yes, a smaller diameter rim with more available tire sidewall will offer more cushion against potholes, thereby mitigating how much of the impact energy is sent to the rims...
That said, if you're bending 17" wheels wrapped in soft winter tires, I don't think 16s are going to be your saving grace. Perhaps being more vigilant on road conditions and avoiding the potholes when possible is a more concrete solution. If you haven't already, I'd start with ditching runflat tires.
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01-24-2019, 11:49 AM | #3 |
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Smaller wheels AND taller tires will definitely help.
Also, if you are on stock dampers, you're probably crashing into the bump stops as well...that likely isn't helping. Upgrade your dampers to something different as well and you'll see a world of improvement. |
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02-06-2019, 12:49 PM | #4 |
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I assume the 17s are aftermarket? In theory smaller wheels will help for sure, but sometimes it won't matter if the pothole is big enough. I cracked a 16 on a hole in NYC.
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02-06-2019, 02:52 PM | #5 |
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Sounds like you need a jeep where you live...
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