FWD ultimate wheel set up. different size

[Dani Sordo]

I drive FWD car and I always want to neutralize its understeer and looking for the best solution.
I like to go quick around corners rather power on the straight, nimble, swift and light.

For those who pay attention to FWD vehicles, may aware of AUDI RS3' wider front tire set up.
for some argue that RS3 is not a FWD but AWD. then you would better check them up more closely by what i mean.

they use haldex 4 motion which is not always activate as all 4 wheels as normal AWD does but when it needs to grip corners then the rear throw power down. somewhat FWD with RWD part timer.

Audi is not an idiot that they do this for reason. so it make sense of using wider tire set up for the FWD-ish, AWD-ish RS3.
VW R32 is also same haldex systems but i don't think they have same tire set up like RS3.

Now back to my points. I have been using 225-50-16 for ma front and 205-50-16 for rear for my FWD car which is wider for the front and it grips way better than the used to be i could feel the initial acceleration difference.

my suspension is also 15 level adjustable aftermarket full coilovers. i put 10 for front 8 for rear.

here comes my question arises.

1. for many RWD muscle or racing machines uses softer dampening set up for the rear where power down on the ground.
examples like F:14, R:8 also less psi for their rear tyres. F:45psi, R:35 psi.

but many of my racing fellows who usues FWD for their cars for circuit put stiffer suspension for the front unlike the RWD cars. just like my FWD car, F:12, R:10 or something stiffer for front.

therefore I asked them why. they say if you loose your front suspension for the FWD, you loose your balance bc of heavy centered weight of FWD vehicles but I still wonders that why it doesn't work with FWD where as RWD does.

2. Bigger inch at the back for FWD?
i would like to kill the squat action from the beginning. As you seen many RWD stock vehicles got the bigger inch wheels at the back for many reasons like NISMO370 got 18inch for the front and 19 for the rear. I do understand that bigger and wider for RWD is necessary for its grip and stability and all the need.

what about putting this set up on FWD? i am not doing this for look nor show off. I don't inch up for looks nor I am not a rapper.

I do circuit runs and i drive for the performance not for looks. i will keep the wider set up of my FWD but just want to add 1 inch up for the rear and same width. it would be then 225-50-16, 205-50-17 something like this.

how it would improve my squat from the start and the aero of my car? an inch higher of my car on the rear may adds up some more physics towards the front.

any thoughts?

[Greg Locock]

It seems quite likely to me (from a parametric proprietary tire modelling program) that a 205/50 R17 will have a higher cornering stiffness than a 205/50 R16, if it has exactly the same construction. So this will not help to reduce your understeer, if that is really what you want. So what makes you think a 17 will have a lower CS?

[Dani Sordo]

First of all, thank you Greg for your comment.
The main reason why I would apply 17 on the back would be its competibility.
Unlike 16 inch tires there are more varieties and types for 17, so as long as it won't affect my driving performance
or if it enhence its performance then even better to have 17 at the back.
I have looking for 16" tire and wheels are not easy. I mean there are some but not what i want.
I have not tried asymetric front anf back wheel size yet and have not eyewitnessed one.
Ken block and Rossi put different front and back wheels and this seems common among some racers but they all uses same wheel sizes not different size. Of course they are 4x4 so they would not do that.
Well it seems like I will try and see what will does to my car.