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Will 17's effect my handeling


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as far as i'm aware there isn't anything you can do to correct it. the only way would be a new set of drive gears with the correct ratios and a full recalibration of the speedo unit.

 

i could be wrong so if anyone can tell the lad otherwise please speak up, but like i say thats the way i think it is ;(

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Any Ford dealer can have it re-adjusted for you, but it's not worth it, just keep under 70 mph on Motorways, and you will be fine, typicially its a 7% variation plus or minus depending, race with a mate at 40 mph in his car, and see what it says in yours is one option etc...............
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Personally, I would say that 17'' wheels will affect the handling of your car quite a bit.

 

This is only an educated guess, as I have never driven with 17's on - but when I changed from 14's to 15's I noticed a big difference, so can only assume that it would make more of a difference for you.

 

Wet and dry grip around corners is far higher, although the biggest difference now for me is the stopping power - deacceleration now is limited by the brakes not the tyres, ie I can brake as hards as I like (in the dry), and the wheels will not lock. It was very strange to experience this to start with.

 

Another way my Escort feels different is the stiffness of the car. Obviously the suspension hasnt changed, but the profile of the tyres is lower, meaning that there is less sidewall to absorb the bumps.

 

My 15's are slightly wider than the old 14's, so maybe that makes some of the difference noted above.

 

Finally, I dont understand why people say that changing wheels affects your speedo reading. If the overall diameter of the tyre remains the same (by obviously loweing the profile compensating for the larger wheel), then it makes no difference what so ever.

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Wet and dry grip around corners is far higher

granted in the dry grip is going to be improved due to the increase in rubber on the black stuff but normally in the wet wider tread leads to less grip due to a greater area covered by the tread and thus more water getting trapped underneath the tread.

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when I changed from 14's to 15's I noticed a big difference

don't take this the wrong way but most of it is purely psychological, a increase of 1" diameter really isn't going to effect your car in any great way.

 

it's like when i service someones car.......it runs fine when i get it in and it runs exactly the same when it goes out but because they know it's had new plugs, filters, fluids etc they think it's automatically improved the performance of the car. i've had no end of ppl come up thanking me for work and they say " oh it's much more responsive now" or it does this or that better now. still it's nice when ppl are pleased with the work though :D

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