165/55x13

[Cultist]

Has anyone fitted these to the Sportif wheels? If so is it a cheap and cheerful way to lower and improve handling?

http://www.willtheyfit.com/index.php?width...p;Submit=Submit

[Asad]

where abouts you from? ive got loads of standard fit tyres if your interested?

[d-a-n]

They'll fit for sure and you'll be in for a 25mm drop with less sidewall flex! The only obvious downside would be the speedo being out (reads 70 when your only doing 63) and the wheels looking a bit tiny in the arches, plus a bit of worse ride quality. What brand do you have in mind?

[shorty]

well you say you will have a drop, the physical roof height of the car will be lower yes but the wheel will sit no lower in the arch so isnt realy any benifit what so ever, ride height is determind buy the springs or coilover collers. buying lower profile tyres is just a waste of money unless you just need new tyres tbh.

[Guest Enzo]

totaly disagree, the lower sidewall will stop sidewall flex and float, will sharpen up stearing response,

[d-a-n]

You'll be bringing the whole car and its weight/centre of gravity closer to the ground which is the entire point of lowering from a handling perspective. I'm making an assumption that the OP does not want to go for a lowering kit so the smaller sidewall idea will lower the car but will not compromise the wheel geometry of the original suspension set up like a set of chopped springs will!

[Cultist]

<br />You'll be bringing the whole car and its weight/centre of gravity closer to the ground which is the entire point of lowering from a handling perspective. I'm making an assumption that the OP does not want to go for a lowering kit so the smaller sidewall idea will lower the car but will not compromise the wheel geometry of the original suspension set up like a set of chopped springs will!<br />

<br /><br /><br />

I was thinking this. I can't afford to do much but smaller tyres and either a red or black rattlecan on the alloys would look cool, but it's the handling gains I want.

My only concern is bottoming out. Will the stroke need to be limited somehow? Is there an easy way to do this?

[d-a-n]

By stroke, do you mean the travel of the damper? If you're retaining original springs and dampers but going for the smaller diameter tyres then you'll not need to worry about this.

[Cultist]

I intend to keep the rest of the suspension (apart from an anti-lift and a rear ARB) standard at this stage of tune. Because the bottom of the car is closer to the bottom of the tyres, under full compression won't this pull the bottom of the tyres past the bottom of the car? Or will the standard bump stops work all the same regardless of wheel diameter?

[d-a-n]

You will not have any issues with the underside of the body bottoming out and scraping down the road! When you lower a car 60mm on springs, its floorpan will be 60 mm closer to the ground and even on standard dampers you'd be hitting bump stops occasionally, you'll never reach the point you're thinking of!