why did carmakers dip from 16" wheels (40's) to 15" (50's +) to 14 (80's +) then 15" & now boast 16" wheels?

Question

Some are even offering 17" wheels, but nowhere have I seen an explanation of the larger size advantages.

Answer 1

the larger sidewall is good for sidewall flex so u can hook up better when drag racing. the low profile tires on the big rims give u better handling and depending on the car better gas mileage.if u have larger rims u have to get low profile tires which also means u dont need weights most of the time. it also usually is all about style, older cars were huge and needed rims that would accent the car, but muscle cars needed the traction so they put 14 on them for the sidewall flex that u get.nowadays its the style to have low profile tires and big rims so lots of new cars come with factory 17's and even 18's. the corvettes and vipers need the handling so they have low profile tires usually, and the z06 corvette doesnt have a spare because of the different rim sizes (18s in front 19s in back) so they have runflats which only come in low profile.the advantage of larger size is really just handling, if u need good gas mileage use smalller rims with more sidewall at higher psi.if u need handling and gas isnt an object for u, then get the big rims.o and also u can put bigger brakes on the car with bigger rims.as for the guy below me talking about better fuel economy because of the rpm, hes wrong. most of the time the tire/rim diameter is the same as smaller the smaller rims, they give the tire less profile and make the radius the same. i actually just found out that bigger rims might be heavier and can give u less gas mileage as well.and the other guy is right about the ride it is pretty crappy unless ur suspenion is tuned for it.

Answer 2

Very good Question,
When they first had big wheels it was to keep the impact of bumps away from the axle, which keeps the jolting down. Like wagons. As suspensions and roads improved wheels could be smaller and this allowed lower car with better handling. The new big wheels are a different thing. The tires are shorter and shorter as the wheels get bigger and bigger, but the outside diameter is about the same. The bad thing about the new big wheels is that the tires are so small they don’t protect the rims very well and the wheels get bent a lot. They ride rough too unless the suspension is set up for them.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Tire design in the 40s required tubes and the first tubeless and radial tires allowed makers to go "low-profile" and the stylists took advantage of the sleek new look.

Now large diameter wheels with very low profile tires are the rage.

The advances in design, materials and construction of the tire give designers more flexibility and now "function" takes a back seat to "form".

Answer 5

one of the biggest advantages of the larger wheels now is they are good for fuel economy.......the larger the wheel, the fewer revolutions needed to travel a mile.... the fewer revolutions needed, the lower the rpms needed to achieve a given speed. It is part of the calculations going into performance versus economy.