Bigger tyres on the back?

[demuire]

From what I understand, people put wider tyres on the back of the car (RWD) so that they can accelerate faster etc (no/less wheelspin)

How does this affect handling? I keep thinking that with wider tyres on the back, there would be an increased grip level on the back so the car would understeer more (because the front tyres are still small and skinny)?

Someone I was speaking to recons the car would oversteer more with wider tyres on the back? I can't see how this works...

Why I'm asking is I'm getting 4 new tyres tomorrow (175/65R14), and I've only cleaned out 2 of my rims so I was thinking of just putting them on the back while I clean up the other two (and also just for kicks admittedly ), am wondering what the car would be like... The tyres I have now are 165/75R13...

[Kinks]

If the front tyres are less grippy you'll get understeer. Likely to be the case with fat sporty tyres on the back and skinny stockers on the front

[demuire]

Thought so... Darn! Oh well, will just have to throw the car around a bit more *noooo* I'm nice, I'm good, I'm the perfect role model of a driver. Uh huh... *nod nod*

[demuire]

Heh, maybe I should put big tyres on the front

[Kinks]

yeah, something like that...

[karl_2ltGC]

if youve only got a small diff, say 195s rear and 185s front, it wont mean crap....mut if you have 285's rear and 165s front...well you probly wouldnt like corners anyway

[rowdytoot]

Dem, I had 205/60 13s on the rear of the KE30 and 185/65/13s on the front... and it was an understeering dog til I got the rears down to the canvas...
probably didn't help that rears were a lot softer and grippier than the fronts either..


RT

[Nick]

Yeah I have 255's on the back with 235's on the front and it does understeer little more than it had 225's all round. But there is more grip so I can put more power though and understeer becomes history I also put on a strut brace on the front that helped alot!

[demuire]

Hmm, I'll give it a go, at least I won't have to light it up everytime I try to reverse out of my drive way...

And if it understeers real bad (the tyre sizes aren't too different - 165/75R13 vs 175/65R14 but the quality of the tyres is quite...) then I'll swap them back to the 13's all round till I get the 14's all sorted.

[Turbo4WD]

I did some experimenting on my car. I stuck some wider sticker tyres on the back and and sme crap ones on the front and it was crap - heaps more underster. I then jacked up the car and did the reverse and it was so much fun!! ...

This was not on the street though.

[demuire]

Hmm, well I've put the bigger tyres on the front After all they are only 10mm wider... And it reminds me of those Commy utes you see running around with burnout tyres The rims are identical (apart from the size - 1 inch difference) so you don't really notice anything when you look at the car.

But wow it's fun Now when you jump on the brakes it locks up the back, which is just bizzare... At least I stop WAAAAY faster now...