Negative effects of larger wheels

[jfitz981]

Hello everyone-

I was looking into acquiring larger wheels for the Esprit. Has anyone known someone who has put 19front and 20 rears on their car?
I am trying to find out if this set up has any known negative effects. As I have been looking at upgrading my wheels, I have found that some wheel companies say that 18front and 19rear are the largest they will put on an Esprit, other companies say it is fine to have the 19/20 setup. Just looking for some clarification.

Thanks.
Jason S4

[cross-eyed-twit]

Mmm

Weigh the wheels
If they are about the same weight as the originals, ok
If they are more then this can have an effect on the suspension setup. Unsprung weight has a big impact.

Also, the steering rack will be under greater stress from bigger/wider front wheels/tyres
The speedo will be affected by the greater circumference rear wheel

Get a specialist to tune the geometry.

I have V8 wheels on my S4 and while they seem to be ok they are probably 'out' of alignment by a small margin





(or something like that anyway...)

[Autocross7]

My wheels are factory, however my tires are wider than the ones that were fitted to the car when new. I am changing back as soon as I can. The car is better in a straight line, but curves and twisties are no good. So, in my humble opinion, keep the same "foot print" even if you go with larger rims.


Drive topless!!!
Cameron

[toyroom]

The magicians at Hethel can take a car out on the track with over fifty different set ups and combinations of wheels tyres etc. I say leave it how the factory put it. Why not ask the motorsport division at the factory. Is the change being made in the hope of improving performance or appearance? Bigger wheels means lower profile tyres ( much bigger and they won't fit in the arches! Tyres any lower in profile than the V8 standard fit will be so low that any potholes or kerbs and the tyre's had it.

[karluk29]

you already know my opinion LOL

if you want it to look nice and your NOT a F1 race driver DO IT!!!!!!

its all about what you want out of the car, i know for a fact that
it makes not the slightest bit of difference on the road (harder ride yeah).
i went on a hoon with 30 esprits and it was a race basically, my little GT3
with its 2.0ltr engine, upset the big v8 boys in the lanes. but im running
19s and 18s and not even lotus suspension anymore. so just do what you feel
like i say

[toyroom]

He's got a point. The limits of the handling of a car like the Esprit are probably so much higher than most of us take them in the majority of situations. So, despite the factory doing their best, it probably doesn't make much difference what set up you use most of the time. One small drawback of using bigger wheels, however, is that they may foul the arches under heavy load (such as the rear squat on a standing start) Can't see it as a big problem as long as you keep an eye on your tyres. (Should be doing that anyway)

[jfitz981]

Thanks for all the replies...I am really leaning towards a 18 F 19 R set up as it seems this is the better overall way to go. I am looking for minimal problems...and the 19/20 set up may have some problems that I would rather avoid
Thanks
Jason