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I mean, your points are sorta valid & everything, but I'm not sure they apply to what Henry's trying to do.
1) He's looking at lowering the speed rating, not the "performance rating." He's still looking at tires with top performance marks in road adhesion & temperature dissipation. If his wife's not going over 80mph, then top speed capability is of minimal concern.
2) A narrower tire will actually offer better control in rain, slush & snow, as the slimmer frontal wedge (where the rolling tire meets the ground) will slice thru the crud better. He's not changing the weight of the vehicle, so his contact patch's "bad weather" shape will actually improve by getting narrower & longer. Driving appropriately for the conditions is key, wouldn't you agree?
3) Lower speed ratings don't automatically mean harder tread compounds. That's got more to do with the style (or "class") of the tire, rather than being strictly speed rating related. Generally speaking, people who buy "high performance" tires tend to have driving styles that generate more lateral forces. Tire makers realize this & make tires with softer compounds (better lateral adhesion), & treads with lower initial heights (less squirm & better response). Finding the softest compounds won't make it the best tire, & depending on driving style, may make it worse than other choices.
So, what SHOULD he consider?
1) Load rating. Just make sure the tire's capable of carrying whatever the maximum load of the car, passengers & cargo will be.
2) Handling & "road feel." If he's coming from 225/55s, then 205/60s are a near perfect size match. This will give crisper slow speed handling. But if he's coming from 215/55s, then the 205/60s are going to be taller. Noticeably taller. This will be bad for both handling & "road feel." And acceleration. (Well, maybe. Other factors come into play during acceleration, possibly mitigating the problem.)
I'm sure there are other things to consider, but my point here is that tires choices are more complex than "just use what the manufacturer used." But you already discovered this from your trials of out-of-spec motor oil, right?
-Greg
posted by 32.103.2...
, Wed, 11 Jun 2003 20:51:36, Wed, 11 Jun 2003 20:53:13
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