What is the difference between low profile tires and regular tires? Low profile car tires

You know, I honestly don't understand the many "types" of tuners who put low profile tires on their cars! We have already been accustomed to a radius of 16 inches, although I think this is also a lot for our roads. But if I see, let's say, some Priora pumped “to death”, already on 17 - 18 wheels, goosebumps run down my skin! In general, today I decided to think about low-profile tires, namely, about the main pros and cons - is it worth installing in our realities or not? Like Shakespeare - to be or not to be ...

I asked folk tuners who install discs that are not the right size - WHY? There is only one question - well, it’s beautiful, “like very” cool! No doubt, but guys everything should be in moderation, well, our Priora is not designed, whatever one may say on wheels of 17 or even more so 18 inches, and many of them cut out arches to put such rollers in there! But let's sort it out in order.

About manufacturer's approvals

Any car is sharpened to fit its wheel size and you don’t have to think if you put a low profile and big wheels your car will simply “shoot”. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of the issue.

The point here is this - each manufacturer lays down their tolerances in the suspension - these are the characteristics of the shock absorber struts, and stabilizers, and all kinds of bushings, etc., the profile here plays an important indicator. After all, if you choose too low, then the suspension will simply break quickly - its resource will be reduced many times, if not dozens of times.

Therefore, we remember - do not neglect the "run-up" that the manufacturer recommends to you, usually on the body you can find the profile size from and to. So put it on - if you want more, then in a good way you need to upgrade the suspension - racks, rubber bands, etc.

Understatement of rubber

What entails an increase in the radius of the disk - yes, everything is simple, by understating the rubber profile. After all, the overall size of the wheel almost always remains unchanged. For example - on a 15 inch wheel, the rubber will be higher, but the size, say, will remain within 63 cm. If we change to 17 inch, the disk size grows, but the rubber profile decreases - but the overall size also remains within - 63 cm .

Thus, we increase the rigidity of the wheel by reducing the profile. Why is this done, what advantages can be squeezed out of this tuning?

Low Profile Pros

If you follow the dimensions, for example, you had 14 disks, and you set 16 (the manufacturer allows this), then you will need to lower the profile.

But there are still positive points, I will list the points:

• This is a lower fuel consumption, especially the owners of mechanics will feel it. Since the wheel has become stiffer, it slips less (cushion effect), the car will coast perfectly. Accordingly, the consumption will fall - albeit not much to 5%, but the fact remains.
• Better handling - if you take a test of the car for demolition in corners, then with a larger wheel profile, you need to slow down the speed, already at 55 - 60 km / h the car goes into a skid. With a smaller profile, the disk is installed more - which means the rigidity of the wheel grows. A car with such wheels can enter turns at high speeds, up to 75 km / h. Such an increase in handling is just given by 2 inches.
• Well, probably the last thing is the external effect. Really big wheels look more spectacular than their "small" counterparts, and if chrome is still present, then it's a delight!

That, in principle, is all the pluses, the most important thing is the increase in the speed limit, namely the entry into turns at high speeds, a sharper reaction to the steering wheel, a decrease in rolls, etc. If the roads are perfect, then the advantages are really obvious! But often in Russia the road surface is, to put it mildly, imperfect, so the minuses begin to appear.

Cons of low profile tires

• If you “scored” on the manufacturer’s recommendations and installed such huge “rollers”, then the suspension will suffer first of all, and all at once, namely, shock absorbers, stabilizer struts, silent blocks, bushings, ball joints and even a rail. Well, they are not designed for such rigidity! Therefore, outages will be frequent.
• Ride comfort - will fall at times. You will feel every bump, your fifth point, it will shake like on a cart.
• Holes on the roads. They can become simply insurmountable obstacles, if you fly in at speed, you can easily break through the rubber (damage to the cord) - just replace it with a new one. You can also damage the disk, if the casting simply cracks - of course, you can solder it, but it's better to change it to a new one, for your own safety.

• Noise. Some say that the noise from the road increases - debatable, but logical, because the rubber is hard, and accordingly it will make more noise. Although on higher profiles, there are hard options, here you need to look for exactly “your” manufacturer.

TOTAL

In the end, I want to give a couple of tips:

• If you do not upgrade the suspension, then do not exceed the recommendations of the manufacturers, set the maximum size that is recommended to you
• Low-profile tires improve cornering and maneuverability, but reduce ride comfort and suspension penetration. In our Russian realities with dead roads, it is better to take a high profile than a low one. After all, there is simply nowhere to drive on such roads!

• If you are into motorsport, and the races take place on smooth, ideal roads, then low-profile tires will give you a gain in maneuvering precisely in corners - I recommend it here.
• Guys, don’t do nonsense, don’t cut arches in our PRIORs, Kalinas and other VAZs, “16”, and even more so “17 - 18” disks, I emphasize once again - without upgrading the suspension, they are disastrous.

Here is such an available information, now we are watching a short video.

The car market quickly responds to requests from motorists. That is why the concept of universal all-season tires was developed, which are suitable for any season. The result is a symbiosis of summer and winter tires, which has the characteristics of both types. However, it was not possible to embody all the advantages without disadvantages.

It is possible to better understand the specifics of all-season tires only after a certain analysis of seasonal tires.

1. For the manufacture of the summer version, hard rubber is used. Low wide tread with various types of pattern prevents premature wear of the tire and provides the necessary coefficient of adhesion of rubber to the road surface. A high tread will significantly increase the mass, which means it will reduce the contact area. It is recommended to use this type of rubber at a temperature not lower than +7 °C. Otherwise, the material becomes stiffer, wear increases, the risk of tire damage and accidents increase.
2. Winter tires are made from softer rubber. The softness of the material provides better grip on wet or slippery surfaces. Soft elastic material perfectly tolerates low temperatures, does not tan. On winter tires, tread patterns are applied more deeply, Velcro is also applied - a small zigzag tread pattern - or spikes (read about which is better -). In warm weather, the use of winter tires complicates driving, increases fuel consumption, and the tire wears out faster.
3. All-weather tires are made of elastic rubber of medium hardness. In terms of hardness, this type of rubber occupies an intermediate position between soft winter and hard summer. The tread is relatively low, the pattern is applied wider and deeper than in summer, but not as deep as in winter. The number of spines has been reduced and they are much smaller. The size of Velcro is also reduced, they have light adhesive properties. The optimum temperature range for these tires is +5 to -10°C. Use in other temperature conditions reduces tire performance.

You might also be interested in the article where our expert talks about how to choose and install .

Main advantages and disadvantages

Comparative characteristics of advantages and disadvantages will help to evaluate all-season tires. First of all, you don't need to buy two sets of tires. In addition, the cost of all-weather tires is much less than winter tires. The price is about the same as the summer one.

Benefits of all season tires

The main advantages of "all-weather" are the following nuances.

1. No need for seasonal change.
2. No need to change tires often and worry about where to store them (read about). Owners are only required to monitor the balance and condition of the rubber.
3. Efficiency in changing winter conditions.
4. In the conditions of the middle and southern lanes, when snow replaces rain in winter, combined tires with a low tread and elastic tires noticeably win.
5. Low noise.
6. On the asphalt road surface, they practically do not make noise and “go easily”.

Important disadvantages

Of course, you should think carefully about whether the pros outweigh the serious cons of this type of tire. Such tires have a number of disadvantages.

1. Continuous wear.
2. The operation of rubber year-round, in any weather, significantly reduces the shelf life. In summer, elastic rubber can melt under high temperatures. In this regard, Velcro and spikes deteriorate and fly off. In hot summers or harsh winters, these tires last for 6-7 months.
3. Ineffective in mid-winter conditions.
4. For winter in most regions of Russia, this type of rubber does not fit well: insufficient softness and elasticity cannot provide the proper level of adhesion to the surface. Small spikes and Velcro have less grip. Insufficiently soft rubber for a harsh winter dubeet, crack and can scatter right in the process of movement.
5. Not designed for aggressive driving.
6. Professional drivers compare all-season tires to the effect of a "bald tire" when driving aggressively. Textured details make it difficult to move off-road. Only new all-weather shoes will help you get out of the liquid mud.
7. Increased risk of loss of control in extreme weather conditions.
8. The poor maneuverability of the car on all-season tires complicates its management. They cannot cope with heavy snow or ice. There is also a high risk of tire damage right on the road.

Another important nuance that you should pay attention to when buying is this. What do they mean, our specialist will tell.

Competition does not benefit all manufacturers of goods - some companies lose, others win. But consumers always win because they end up with the very best.

Firms that produce tires are no exception, because they are constantly in a rather fierce competition. And today, as a result of this competition, we will consider a special type of tires, which is called low-profile.

General characteristics

You can find the differences between a low profile tire and an ordinary tire on the side surface of the wheel: this is where the special marking is applied. This marking indicates the parameters of the tire, thanks to which you can always find out if it is a low-profile rubber or not.

For example, let's take a typical 225/40R16 tire marking and try to decipher it:

• 225 is a number that determines the width of the tire in millimeters;
• 40 - the percentage value between the height and width of the rubber. We obtain the profile height as follows: we multiply 225 by 0.4 and we get - 90 mm;
• R is a type of rubber. In this case, this index indicates that the tire is radial.
• 16 - this value indicates the radius of the tire. In this case, 16 inches.

If once considered low-profile tires, whose height-to-width ratio did not exceed 0.8, now this value has decreased significantly. Low profile tires are less than 0.55 these days.

Therefore, the 225/40R16 marking we reviewed has an obvious low profile, with a difference in width and height of only 40% (0.4).

For clarity, let's compare a tire labeled 195/45R15 with a tire labeled 205/45R15.

To do this, we will perform the calculations already known to us both for the first tire and for the second:

1. 195 x 0.45 = 87.75 mm
2. 205 x 0.45 = 92.25 mm

As the next difference between low profile rubber and conventional tires, consider such a characteristic as the speed index (the maximum allowable speed for the operation of certain tires), which is also applied to the side surface of the tire.

For tires with a low profile, this value exceeds 210 km / h, while standard tires have a speed index of no more than 190 km / h. In addition, a special so-called “stiffening rib” is inserted into the low-profile tires, which protects the rim from possible deformation.

Such a "rib" is available only for low-profile tires. In the absence of a “rib”, it is no longer possible to classify a tire as a low-profile tire.

Advantages of low profile tires

Low tires have the following advantages:

• increase the speed parameters of the car;
• make braking faster and more reliable;
• enhance the stability of the car during maneuvering and at high speed as well;
• provide a wider area of ​​contact between the rubber and the road surface;
• provide fast acceleration from the starting point of the car;
• increase the stability of the car on sharp turns;
• are decoration of the car, giving it an attractive and noble appearance.

Disadvantages of low profile tires

Despite the listed advantages of low tires, this rubber has a number of disadvantages:

1. High dependence of low-profile tires on the quality of the road. That is, all the advantages of this rubber listed above take place only when driving on a high-quality road with a good even surface. It is not recommended to use such tires on off-road tracks.
2. The lifespan of low profile tires is much shorter than conventional tires. This is especially evident on bad roads - the likelihood of a puncture and damage to the discs is quite high.
3. A long idle car with low tires is highly undesirable. The fact is that at the point of contact of the tire with the coating, the rubber undergoes deformation. Approximately the same thing happens when leaving the garage - the steering wheel begins to vibrate. However, after the first 4-5 km, the vibration disappears.
4. Since such tires are quite low, the depreciation of the car is noticeably reduced. This is especially true on rough roads.
5. Impact on driving comfort. The contact patch with the road of such tires is quite extensive, and as a result, noise increases, which can be unpleasant for the driver.
6. Such rubber costs much more than ordinary tires, and its installation will also require considerable costs.
7. Low-profile tires require increased control of inflation pressure: even small deviations from the specified parameters can lead to undesirable results.
8. Aquaplaning. This effect is greatly increased in low tires due to their large width. Therefore, driving in rainy weather requires caution.

If you decide to purchase low-profile tires for your car, then pay attention to two more problems that cannot be bypassed:

1. Large load on the suspension due to the increase in the width of the rim.
2. Difficulty mounting wheels with low profile tires.

To solve the first problem, you will need to purchase alloy wheels.

The second problem is considered by many motorists to be more difficult - not even every professional can solve it. Therefore, always before purchasing a low-profile tire, try on the rim to the suspension and check whether the wheel will catch parts of the body after installation or not.

Well-Known Low Profile Tires

When choosing low profile tires, you will have to take into account not only the recommendations of the car brand, but also the tire company - avoid fake or low-quality tires, otherwise you may run the risk of becoming the culprit of an accident.

Here are some brands of low profile tires that are the most trusted in the motoring world.

Tire BFGOODRICH G-GRIP 255/35R19

These are summer tires made in the USA. Its main advantages:

• provides the car with increased stability due to a special rib located in the center of the tread;
• has self-locking sipes, making braking more reliable;
• shoulder blocks are significantly reinforced, which increases the machine's directional stability;
• high-quality drainage from the contact patch of the tire with the road.

The disadvantages of rubber of this brand include its increased noise during movement.

Tire Pirelli Winter SottoZero serie III – 225/45R17 91H

These winter tires are produced in Italy. They are mainly used for high-speed machines of high power. Main advantages:

• the tread pattern is made in a symmetrical form, due to which the wheels have a sufficiently high grip with the road surface;
• provides reliable stability to the car;
• fairly high speed parameters;
• 3D sipes allow you to move without spikes when needed;
• A special rubber compound is used in the manufacture, which gives them durability.

Disadvantage: it is undesirable to use these tires in harsh winter conditions.

Tire Goodyear Wrangler F1 – 275/40 ZR20 102W

American rubber designed for crossovers and SUVs. Her virtues:

• the projector layer is equipped with special blocks that enhance traction;
• give the car excellent stability and controllability;
• with such tires, the car accelerates quickly enough;
• little noise;
• you can drive in urban areas.

Disadvantage: easily pierced.

Tires Continental ContiWinterContact TS 850 - 245/40 ZR18 97W XL FR

Developed in Germany. Advantages:

• special blocks in the tread layer provide high permeability;
• the lamellas are placed quite tightly, which makes the car more stable on slippery slopes;
• The lateral parts of the tires are designed in such a way that the machine acquires good stability and maneuverability.
• fast and reliable braking.

The disadvantage is the high cost.

When installing low-profile tires on your car, you need to know that it is produced in a variety of sizes for any brand of car.

Before purchasing such tires, be sure to consider the conditions in which you plan to operate the vehicle, because these tires will be more reliable on high-quality road surfaces.

Also, follow the machine manufacturer's recommendations and do not reduce the profile of the tires below the norm specified in these recommendations. Otherwise, undesirable consequences may occur, such as a reduced level of safety and comfort, as well as premature wear of the undercarriage parts of the machine. Good luck and safe journey!

Low profile tires - consider the pros and cons in this article. If, when “changing shoes”, a company is usually chosen based on finances, then choosing a “profile” will be a little more difficult.

It is no secret that automobiles have a large number of indices and classifications according to various parameters. We learn about the profile from such inscriptions as:

• standard (standard);
• performance (low profile);
• or high performance (sports - even more low-profile).

If you compare standard and low profile tires, the differences will be that the low profile tire has a lower profile height and a larger width, which naturally gives a larger size. For example, index 45 in a 235/45 R17 tire is the ratio of the profile height to its width. This is commonly referred to as a series.

Low profile tires are usually tires that have a streak below 55.

Low profile tires have a high speed index H (210 kilometers per hour) or V (240 kilometers per hour). On sports tires, it is even more - W, Z, Y (more than 240 kilometers per hour).

On standard tires, it is noticeably smaller (with a speed index T - up to 185 kilometers per hour) and their purpose is for cars. The advantages of these tires are special endurance and a rigid frame, and hence durability.

The appearance of low profile tires is due to the fact that new cars develop high speeds. Naturally, such a machine needs good grip and good brakes. The size of the brake disc is limited by the size of the rim.

But it is impossible to increase the diameter of the rim without changing the outer diameter of the tire - there will be a lack of air. And by reducing the profile, the width of the tire increases, and therefore the size of contact with the surface increases.

This tire is for fast cars only. On such tires, even the tread pattern resembles a sporty one. A small buildup, a stronger fight with side slip, excellent car handling - these are the advantages of low-profile rubber. Naturally, they perform much better when braking.

Quite serious positive qualities.

The most important thing is a short service life. And on our roads, unfortunately, even shorter.

The second is the deterioration of comfort. Regardless of the composition of the rubber, to feel the shortcomings of the road, you will be many times stronger, and this does not have a very good effect on the chassis. In the pits, depreciation is much worse.

Another big disadvantage of the low profile is the noise quality. Due to the high grip on the track, your ride becomes much noisier, which is not always pleasant. And if your car doesn’t have a hydraulic booster, then you will have to sweat a lot to enter a sharp turn.

Therefore, when choosing, just consider how your car will be used. In our country, especially in the spring, the quality of the road surface does not just want to leave the best, but simply cannot be criticized.

• If you often drive intercity routes, the car is in heavy use - choose a high profile. Still, quality, comfort and your chassis are more important than speed and spectacular external qualities.
• If you still choose low profile tires, be careful, because it is easy to punch or split the disc in the pit. And if you find yourself far from the city, few people will take up the repair of the wheel.
• But if you have a sports car, you drive on the highway or on the central streets of the city, it makes sense to think about a low profile. Complete with light alloys - it will look simply chic.

Video:

Therefore, it is better to look at the instructions for your car, almost always the manufacturer will leave you an article about which tires are best to use in a given situation.

The vast majority of car enthusiasts will agree with the statement that low profile tires significantly improve the exterior of almost any vehicle, giving it solidity, aggressiveness and style. It is for this reason that every year more and more drivers in the off-season prefer to “shoe” their car in fashionable summer models with a low profile.

A bit of history

The first low profile tires were introduced in 1937. These were tires of the 88th series, presented by the famous Michelin brand. Despite its external attractiveness, this rubber was not widely used, the reason for this was both the condition of the roads and the technical characteristics of the car of that time. These factors have made low profile tires unsuitable for everyday use. On the other hand, this model was highly appreciated in the racing environment.

The “wide” tire was remembered only four decades later, when Pirelli presented the P6 and P7 tires, which later became legendary. Appearing on the roads in 1977, these models aroused great interest among motorists, which only increased every year. This fact is confirmed by the fact that today such tires are in the lineup of every serious tire manufacturer.

Advantages and disadvantages

According to existing standards, low-profile rubber is a tire in which the ratio of the height of the profile to the width of the tire does not exceed 60 percent. For example, if the side surface of the tire is marked 210/70 R18 95 V, then this means that the model has:

1. The tread width is 210 mm.
2. Landing diameter - 18 inches.
3. The radial arrangement of the cord - R.
4. The profile height to width ratio is 70%.

If we compare the models under consideration with standard counterparts, we can see that the former differ in a noticeably large ratio of tire width to its height.

So, besides the stylish look, what makes low profile tires so attractive? Recall that low-profile tires are focused primarily on speed and it appeared exactly when this characteristic of transport began to increase. It is not difficult to explain this fact. High-speed cars need more efficient brakes, and low-profile models have a wider tread than standard models for better traction and a larger contact patch. Increasing this parameter while maintaining the proportions of a conventional tire would provoke an incorrect perception of the weight of the car.

Thus, the tire manufacturers increased only the tread width, creating a low-profile tire, which, compared to traditional models, has both pluses and minuses.

So, the indisputable advantages of low-profile tires include:

• Reducing the braking distance.
• Increased road grip.
• Fast set speed.
• Improved vehicle handling.

As for the shortcomings, they are obvious. Low profile tires:

• Noise louder.
• Less resistant to
• Creates a great return on the suspension.
• Worse absorbs bumps.
• Less comfortable.

Low profile tire pressure

Owners of cars shod with low-profile tires need to carefully monitor. Due to the design features of such tires, low air pressure in the chamber can cause distortion of the sidewalls, which leads to more intensive wear of the rubber. Therefore, experts advise regularly checking and maintaining the pressure at the level recommended by the tire manufacturer for maximum load and speed (usually this is the V or H index). We also note that this parameter is checked exclusively in the cold state of the rubber.

Among other things, it must be remembered that tires with a low profile in the parking lot “remember” their position. In other words, after stopping the car, the contact patch of the tire is flattened, after which it hardens, keeping the flat tread areas after the resumption of movement. As a result, the first few kilometers of the road can be uncomfortable, until the rubber warms up and takes the correct shape. In situations where the car has been standing for quite a long time, or the tires have not been stored correctly during the off-season, before using low-profile rubber in its chambers, the pressure should be raised to the level indicated above.