Hi ive just bought a built mk indy that seem to have a handling problem, i think the problem is that the car has to large tyre width and for this reason at the slightest provocation will swap ends ! it currently has 205/40 17's on it so i think not enough weight is being transfered to the road surface, what is the best wheel size and trye size and trye make to get the best from the car at the moment. cheers Floaty a new member

Welcome along..
A few more details on the spec may help. Im guessing its not a BEC cause they are always tail happy and fun to drive
Im not a big lover of big wheels.. Too heavy, rough ride and slow you down!! I like to have a nice high profile so the rubber can move around un-like those low profile rubber-band tyres

what spec would you like as far as i know its running a 2ltr into with a rs carb, rear suspension is adjustable the dif is a standard sierra one not a lsd and the tyres are cheap crap

quote:

---

Originally posted by floaty
what spec would you like as far as i know its running a 2ltr into with a rs carb, rear suspension is adjustable the dif is a standard sierra one not a lsd and the tyres are cheap crap

---

BEC = Bike Engined Car

Cheap crap tyres are not going to help one bit, being rear wheel drive and with a decent power to weight ratio you will spin crap tyres too easily! A decent set of tyres will help but I would consider going down to 15" wheels, it will give you a nicer ride and should improve handling.

quote:

---

Originally posted by pmc_3
BEC = Bike Engined Car

Cheap crap tyres are not going to help one bit, being rear wheel drive and with a decent power to weight ratio you will spin crap tyres too easily! A decent set of tyres will help but I would consider going down to 15" wheels, it will give you a nicer ride and should improve handling.

---

Where in the world are you?

My advice would be to get a proper suspension check and setup done. Two personal recommendations:
In the South West - www.trackdevelopments.co.uk
In the Midlands - www.procomp.co.uk

Good luck with it.

General consensus is biggest is best for looks and smallest is best for handling.
17's are about the biggest that ever get fitted 13's smallest.
Low profiles are also not going to help. 50 profile is faily normal.
Good quaility tyres are essential, to make the best of the light weight.
And you also need a much lower tyre pressure than a normal car, often 15-20 psi.

If the whole car is unknown then it would definatly be worth getting set up properly as well, it will all transform it.

Still even after all that, they still need treating with respect, to avoid provoking them going into ditches

Most probably old/cheap tyres and/or high tyre pressures, as said 15-20 psi for a car engine, 14-18 for a bike, makes a hell of a difference.

Been said.
The tyres are too low a profile and too wide!

First thing I did when I got my car was swap the 17" wheels for 15". I would have gone to 13" if they'd fit. I then swapped the vented discs for single, wilwood calipers and Procomp shocks. A nice set of Toyo 195 R888's completed the mods followed by a full suspension setup. It totally transformed the handling!

It's the unsprung weight that killed my car. Even a small bump in the road would try and throw me over a hedged before I had the work done.

Agree get rid of the 17's fit a maximum of 15's with decent tyres. also have suspension and wheel alignment checked

springs fitted back to front ?

if theyre the same length its possible to get it wrong , i did , first corner @120 = massive oversteer moment.... that was on a track tho....

i swapped them round and it was brilliant!! , but 17s arent the best thing either

my mini (600kg) tyre pressures are 28 front and 18 rear

good tires do make a difference.

It'll never handle that well with 17's on it to be honest

Check the tyre pressures as suggested above but if you want it to handle really well you'll need to be looking at going for smaller diameter wheels.

If you go for smaller wheels and decent tyres and then take it to somewhere like Procomp and you'll leave with a much better car that will be so much nicer to drive

quote:

---

Originally posted by perksy
It'll never handle that well with 17's on it to be honest

Check the tyre pressures as suggested above but if you want it to handle really well you'll need to be looking at going for smaller diameter wheels.

If you go for smaller wheels and decent tyres and then take it to somewhere like Procomp and you'll leave with a much better car that will be so much nicer to drive

---

I also have 205 40 R17's on my MK Indy. Just got myself some 15's wheels and considering 195 55 r15 Tyres (for Front) and either the same on the rear or 205 50 r15's if they will squeeze in and not fould the suspension. What do folks think of this idea ? Are 195/55's too tall ? Wheel alignment is currently very sorted with the 17's will this need adjusting when I put the 15's on ??

My last post on http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=180361 might be relevant.