Low and High profile tire + Wide and Narrow tire - Effects on Performance 

it was hard to hear him but he actually taught me something

Low profile tires also allow installing larger brakes, which is important in sports cars as larger brakes heat up less and thus maintain better braking performance when being used a lot without sufficient time for cooling.

“Performance is always more important than aesthetics” Me: *looking through the corner of my eye after putting sports tire on my 1997 Toyota* 👀

There is also a big issue not adressed in the video: Unsprung mass Bigger rim diameter will add unsprung mass which has a negative effect on the power output of your car. You can compensate for that by using lighter wheels. Lighter because even same size rims from different manufacturers DO NOT weight the same. To get the best and most of your low profile setup you HAVE TO consider and compare wheel and rim combination. Even tyres do not weight the same. The less your combo weight will be the better your fuel economy and power output is going to be. If you ever experienced the feeling that your smaller rims allow you to go faster then your bigger ones (winter vs summer setup for example) then this is exactly the situation. Smaller rims and tyres usually weight less. And then there are multiple other factors to consider. Like tyre stretching. If you want little to no tyre deformation when cornering to give you the most control over your car behavior you can stretch your tyres a bit. The more you stretch them the more precise they will react to any changes deviating from a straight forward movement. You can overstretch your tyres as well leaving your car easy to drift. Cool if that is your aim but not so cool if that is not your main goal (as it may easily send you off the road into some ditch). Another thing to consider is your suspension. The stiffer yours is the more control it will give you. The softer it is the more forgiving it is. It highly depends on your target. What your aim is. You can have big wheels with soft suspension but also with stiff suspension. You can have the same with small wheels. Each combination will give you some benefits and some drawbacks as well. It is not hard to understand it completely and then look for legal (and reasonable) alternatives to your current car setup but it is definetly wise to resarch first and try later.

I was planning to change the 15'' alloy to 17'' alloy tiers but after watching your video I feel comfortable with the existing 15'' alloy tiers. Thank you...

The handling of low profile tires is much harder than stock tires. You can almost feel the concrete road in low profile tires versus the stock tires which offer a smooth & comfortable ride.

A big factor in traction is also the treadwear rating on the tire ( higher number = less traction and more life, the lower the number = better traction and less life)

I've watched tons of 20 minutes videos about this on RU-vid and this guy just taught me everything in 4 minutes. I guess the memes are true

I had a '96 Accord EX F22b1/5spd some years back, and if anybody remembers the factory 15"x5.5" wheels, they were HEAVY. The 195/60-15 tires were barely adequate for the way I drove, especially with the car's 3009lb curb weight, so I replaced them with 17"x7" wheels, 215/45-17 tires, and the difference was night and day. The new setup was about 20% lighter, rode WAY better, and even though they were roughly ¼" taller, which dropped highway revs by about 200 (no advantage to dropped revs on the 145hp 2.2l), I got better mileage, most likely due to the weight savings. To take it up another notch, I installed adjustable ball joints, since the original ones were starting to show wear, and replaced all sway bar bushings with polyurethane. Cornering was much better, as was braking, but to take up some of the space around those tiny brakes, I switched the front calipers & discs to those from the station wagon, along with braided stainless hoses, and slightly more aggressive EBC brake pads. From there, my car had better manners, and braking than was ever intended, making my everyday sedan a LOT more fun to drive.

Despite being a bit difficult to understand, all points valid. Low profile on generic cars is merely aesthetics which I see a lot in my country. As for me I will stay with my stock tyres as I rather keep performance and security in check

Previous owner of my toyota corolla -95 had changed wide low profile(195/50 r15) tires to the car. Didnt realise how terrible they are, before i switched to manufactor recomended tire(175/65 r14). What a difference in handling, noise and drivability on uneven surfaces!

Great Video! I believe one thing can be added. Narrow tires INCREASE grip on loose surfaces, because they dig in much quicker. When a car is driving on a dirt (or snow) road, there's typically a layer of uncompacted soil (or snow) on top, a car basically floats on that layer, having next to no grip. A narrow tire with large treads will quickly throw away all that soil and grip to a much more dense layer beneath it. What's more, according to the law of conservation of momentum, soil launched rearwards by the car propells that car forward. I recommend checking out some footage from rally racing to see how that works. Rally cars spend most of their life is a slide to get more grip by digging in as fast as possible. And their dirt and snow(especially snow) tires are very narrow, too.

another thing to consider is total mass or the wheel, as rotating mass is more significant and smaller rims usually result in lower rotating weight on the vehicle as tires are in general lighter than even most alloy wheels, making the vehicle more nimble

I fully understand the theory explained in this video, but reality is that most UHP tire are wider than their touring counterparts. If you switch from standard or touring tires to Ultra High High Performance summer tires with a slightly wider and lower profile size you will definitely feel a big performance difference. It’s mostly a matter of the compound and tread pattern, but in the end you get a big boost in performance.

“Performance is more important than aesthetics” Stance community: no🗿

This has been one of the most helpful/ informational videos I’ve ever watched on this subject, thank you

I wish I saw this video 2 weeks ago before I fitted new tires but thankfully I think I got the perfect purpose fitment anyway. Great video

I was hoping to hear about the moment of inertia for various tire/rim combinations and their impact on performance.

im buying 5 years tires from tire4coin

That Model S in your video is my car with 21” wheels. LOL. I’ve had my share of flat tires, so I switched them out for 19” wheels. I’m a happier camper now.

That was Great thanks Chief Keep going !

Put the playback speed at 0.75 Youll thank me when you do. Great info tho!

Short, simple and to the point. Excellent

Thank you for such thorough description. Wish I saw before I got my new wheels and rubber. I hope just 2cm wont cause significant disadvantage on the new wheels I have on. Went from 225 ( stock) to 245 width

My old car had 175/70R13 It was super comfy ride. Friends and colleges always asked me to put 15s on it.

This was clear and concise. It totally eases my mind and I'm finally settled on selling my 19s and reinstalling the factory 15s. Thank you.

I changed from wider tires to stock tires and the handling of my car is much better. Civic VIII has stiff suspension so before the change i could feel every single bump in the road. Now its much better and driving the car is pure joy. Good vid.

So that's why some heavy vehicles have a set of tires that are floating. This video was very insightful.

Having wider/low profile wheel set on your not so sports car may also improve braking.

After hearing the last line........ Me looking out the window at my car with 22 inch aftermarket rims 😂

Offroaders typically prefer bigger tyres over wider tyres as that gives more contact patch when deflated.

Thank you for the detailed and Short video! I have learned a lot on the way Downforce on sports cars plays a key role together with Wide Tyres! Absolutely worth the watch!👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

I have had both, but honestly if you want a smoother ride, you have to go with high profile tires because you get a much comfortable ride and won't feel those bumps on the road like with low profile tires.

I’m of the opinion that this information applies to 4WD’s as well as on-road vehicles. The key points being; 1. Downward force on standard tires = less chance of wheel spin (except where the vehicle is operating close to and/or fully loaded at all times, one or two tire sizes above standard would be advantageous as there is a higher downward force) 2. Wider tires are going to strike more obstacles on the track therefore stressing mechanical components and greater chances of a tire puncture 3. When the tires sink / break through the track surface they need to push more mud / snow / sand out of the way there slowing or stopping forward progress 4. Wider wheels / tires add to the vehicles kerb weight giving less carrying capacity 5. Wider wheels / tires cost more and decrease fuel efficiency = more time at work and less time enjoying your life !

Yeah, when I put wide wheels and wide tires on my Prelude, I loved how it drove.

Somewhat agree, just like you said if you don't change the dimensions of the wheel dramatically then it's ok. Like for example if going from a 185 or 195 to a 205 or 215 tyre in width it will increase braking performance and more stability and fuel consumptions mostly depends on the tyre compound and the brand of the tyre if you step up 10-20mm in width. If you buy a better quality tyre which is wider it might get better fuel consumption with increased grip, stability in cornering, better acceleration and better braking. Decreasing your sidewall a little bit will help with increasing performance without sacrificing a significant amount of comfort. Comfort depends on sidewall height, tyre quality, shock absorbers and suspension travel, and most importantly vehicle weight. You can't drive a Golf and expect a smooth ride, or a Chevrolet Spark. There is a reason why bigger and luxurious cars have a smoother ride. Also here's more complexity to this question, if you increase the quality of the tyre, for example you drive RoadX tyres which are low budget and switch to Michelins with a smaller sidewall and a bigger rim you might experience better bump handling and a smoother ride because the Michelin is a better quality tyre. Putting sportier tyres on your nonsporty vehicle will make it handle better but you will need other parts upgraded as well like brakes and shocks, because it's useless driving a monster truck of a car with sporty tyres. It's a somewhat complex question, you really need knowledge to find the right tyre for your vehicle. Stay safe out there.

U made tyre basics super clear man thanks for sharing your knowledge

Ones is theory and another is practice. You’ll have noticeably more grip on a slow car turning fast on wider wheels with low profiles then stock wheels. It does consume more fuel and you need to calculate fitment. But performance is definitely noticed when getting wider wheels turning around corners

We use the low profile tires for many reason, but one it to help prevent the tire from getting ripped off the rim when doing 80mph + around a bend/turn.

the lift axle BLEW my mind I had no idea it's purpose was to save fuel by avoiding unnecessary rolling resistance, that is beautiful!

In a very simple situation where tire width is increased from say 195 to 205, there is a HUGE benefit in handling performance if all other factors are kept the same. I noticed this on my 500 Abarth, and I can safely say I made the better choice. Car feels more stable at high speeds (80MPH+) and cornering grip increased dramatically from the wider contact patch. I believe this video is touching extreme case scenarios, and not everyday enthusiast performance upgrades. If it was meant to steer people away from such upgrades, then this guy should try it on his own car and then remake this video.

Good video. The only benefit with low profile tyres is the aesthetics. Most of us don't need the low profile tyres to do "high speed cornering" in our everyday cars. On the other hand, the comfort goes south with low profile tyres. Amazing how so many people walk into a tyre and wheel shop to downgrade their cars.

I remember reading somewhere that the contact patch area is the same no matter the width of the tyre because the weight of the vehicle is he same. How it works is in narrower tyres, the width is narrower, but the length of the contact patch is longer. In wider tyres, the width is wider, but the contact patch length is shorter.

"Performance is more important than aesthetics." Gold! 4:16

Fantastic, very dense with information and covered many key areas. Exactly what I was looking for.

I have a 2019 Elantra base model. It's a slow econobox that came with 15in steelies. I swapped them out for some Veloster wheels 18in. They're on low profile tires and a bit wider than the 15in. I did it for the looks but was surprised to notice a HUGE improvement in handling. It corners so much better and the car feels much more planted and stable overall. MPG did go down a hair but the handling improvement is worth it.

Is incredible how most people (even engineers) think that wide tires offer more grip and they consider me crazy for telling (and explaining) them why they are wrong. A clear example of everything you explained is 70s F1 cars, that mounted narrow and small front tires and wide and large rear tires (a lot of power and heat to distribute well)

How affects this on breaking On all terrain

wow, the quality of that video just amazed me, the way is edited,the sound quality, AMAZING.

The punch line is great "Performance is always more important than aesthetic"

There are many more factors to consider though. Rotational weight, for example. Another commenter mentioned larger wheels facilitating larger brakes. Basically there's a break-even point that will vary depending upon your goals and budget. As far as performance ALWAYS being more important than aesthetics, that is 100% subjective. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Depends on what you calling "low" profile. IMO most passenger cars should have a sidewall of between 90-100mm. I've changed my ford focus 2ltd from 205/60r16 to 235/40r18 which has changed sidewall from 123mm down to 94mm and given me 30mm wider, best thing I've done so far. But I don't consider that low for driving in Australia.

Moment of inertia (energy required to acellerate/decelerate it about a central point) of the wheel & tire combination increases with bigger weight, width, and the square of the radius. Also, outside diameter of wheel/tire may change the effective gear ratio. For economy, lightweight wheels(as long as they'll handle the the load) as close to the brakes as possible and a narrow tire will also have better fuel economy, bonus if it's a 'disc' style for a little bit of aero too...

Most low profile tires are used for most builds to also prevent rubbing when turning. But now getting a wider tires will usually involve smaller sidewalls unless they are off-road tires

I agree to some extent.. I did run low profile winter a 2 years ago they performed better because of a wide contact.. especially when I hit a chunk of snow on the road o could not feel the push back or the steering trying to spin

expecting this guy to say hi my names kevin and your computer has a virus

Transcription: Everyone likes buying low profile tires like sports cars. When you (?) put it on you are not so sports car (?) to look cool, you can feel every road imperfections, get a load of flat tires, and a fuel drinking monster. So after spending so much money you get the question: Why do these tires even exist? And do they offer any performance advantage? Why do sports cars use it at all? In this video, we'll answer all these questions. So, let's untangle how low vs high profile tires and wide vs narrow tires vary in performance. To understand the effects of low and high profile tires, let's compare two wheels of the same outer diameter but one with bigger rims and low profile tires, and another with smaller wheels and high profile tires. Rubber is like zewel (?) having more or less of it has its own advantages and disadvantages. High profile tires has more flexibility. So on boat holds (?), speed bumps, and bad roads, the tire itself absorbs more shock. That's why most cars, trucks, and offroaders use high profile tires. The high profile tires also has its own disadvantages due to more flexibility, like wrinkling at high acceleration, which is just not good for tire life, and tire deflection and cornering,

I was trying to research this info a few hours ago. And it just popped up in my RU-vid feed. Thank you!! Super helpful!

As someone that runs both, low profile tires give you much more feeling of the car under you, so you can understand how your rear wheels are doing.

I disagree on handling part of wide tires because when you're doing performance driving on twisty roads wider tyres keep the car more in control while taking corners from but there is thing about going too wide as it does increase unnecsessary fuel consumption and this annoying deadzone on the steering wheel so finding the right width for your specific car and your driving skills is important

It was hard to hear his pronunciation but his information is quite valuable

Wider tires do not need downforce to provide more traction than narrower width tires in dry conditions. There is less tire deformation to the surface but the added contact patch more than makes up for it. There's a reason that autocross classes have restrictions on tire width because wider almost always means more traction. Look up tire load sensitivity.

So informative, I've always had that curiosity about tyre differences in cars.... Now I understand 🙏🙏

Very very informative. Thank you! Now I know why I crashed after 7 years

This was actually a really good explanation, I’m pleasantly surprised

Absolutely agree / car manufacturers know, which tires are the best 👍

Thanks for explaining that! Learnt a lot. 👍😁

Really thoroughly explained. Good video.

Ricers left the chat at 4:17

The one thing not addressed is the 'coolness' factor of the low vs high profile tires. In all seriousness, this is a great educational video that most males (and yes, some females as well) 16 - 25 years old should watch.

Performance is more important than aesthetics, thank you🙂

Clean and simple 🔥

I always wondered why group 4 rally cars used pretty wide tyres in asphalt stages but used much narrower tyres in icy and snowy stages

Very informative and the video editing is superb. I love it all. This will certainly help us newbie here in YT.

You rock man, that was a beautiful explanation

Though there is less pressure per unit area of contact patch of the tire, the overall traction available will be greater with a wider tire.

Good video but I was hoping to hear about narrow tires and how they perform better in mud vs wide tires

Replaced 205/55R16 with 225/40R18 wheels with fresh tires on not-so-sporty sedan. Result is more stable cornering, better grip, less road noise. The only observed negative effect is increased lateral torque on the wheels, as evidenced by more tug on the steering wheel when on uneven roads.

I punctured a low profile tire in front right at 120kph. Non accident because the car drives normally. Most importantly, it carriednus foe the next 80nkolometers without air. I was still able to use in the next four days with no air. Amazing

Fascinating video. Learned a lot today.

Very good!!! Brazil/Paraná/Curitiba

Ok, my BMW X5 has 19" diameter rims, the front is 9" wide and the rear are 10" wide. The car is an all-wheel-drive diesel 3 ltr 6 cyl and whilst it does have a transfer case it does not have high or low ratios. The drive split is 49/51 front/rear and the weight is just over 2 tonnes without passengers or load. It handles like a sports car, except for the ride height and runs on 255/50R19 front 285/35R19 rear. By driving sensibly, I have already defied the book's figures in relation to fuel consumption. I definitely agree with you on your analysis of oversizing your wheels for looks will cost you at the fuel pump and the comfort, I have been through that phase myself and experienced exactly as you said. I soon changed to a point I believed was the sweet spot between looks and economy back then. But now, I am truly baffled by this offset wheel assembly that is a factory fitting and on an all-wheel-drive vehicle. Also the ability to get better than stated fuel economy and not by any onboard computer, but by measured mileage and refill data. If you have any views, I would be glad to hear them.

Holy shhh that video was short and straight to the point. best one I found on the subject. Thank you so much!!!

Performance is not always more important than aesthetics! Enjoying your vehicle is most important

aesthetics is also important...best to strike balance

My stock wheel was 185/55/r16. Stock rim was only 6 inches wide. Feel comfortable but less traction in the corner. I changed to 195/50/r16 and rim also change to 7 inches wide. Bit wider but less height. I feel confidence when take cornering, more grip. For the fuel consumption, no change at all

My Merc has narrow wheels typical of 90's cars so I'll be putting some 18" monoblocks on it soon as technology has changed since . Although you're right when you say don't go to far lol there's some ridiculous wheel choices around hahaaa

Question. If I increase the tire width for the rear wheel mostly and a tiny bit for the front, what performance effect will occur?

actually a really nice video, well done :)

For variable conditions tyre rasio 60 is still the best. Semi offroad, high speed way, comford, stability, load, general use.

I have 300s on my car, on dry tarmac I can feel the added grip, especially at high speeds. I have taken some turns that would have surely killed me with thinner ones. Huge disadvantage is in the rain, I just can feel the rear of the car going from left to right at every puddle. Also the fuel consumption went up by 2 or 3 liters/100kms, no joke. Looks dope tho.

"On Ur Not So Sports Car"

I've been thinking about installing 225/45R15 on my non sport shit box and this video make me reconsider .

Keep in mind that tire compounds all weigh about the same give or take few pounds but if you have the money you can cut dozens of pounds with forged wheels. At that point less tire and more wheel would actually be the lighter option.

Great video 👍🏼

Higher profile does offer more grip. Its all about sweet spot and you have to relate it with suspension which is super hard if non-existant in F1 and dragcars. But lets say about me that even i drive sporty i definitely prefer higher profile tires as 195x65r15.

There’s an amazing example of the downforce to grip effect. Look up videos of the Lotus-STP Turbocar driving around the Indianapolis motor speedway. The turbine exhaust was always pointed up, producing a lot of downforce even at slow speeds. Within three laps, it had gone from sixth running to first, and started lapping the pack on the outside track. Banned immediately after, of course, because large super car companies can’t handle actual change. But it definitely proved a great working principle.

Nice vid, I learned a lot from it

I keep my tyres and wheels ' stock ' as I'm not an automotive engineer.

Camber and caster needs to be explained aswel, cause they play mayor parts in this story