At what point in handling is a 7" wide rim better than a 5.5", For a street driven car, will I miss that wider contact patch? Options

[Mueller]

'73 with rebuilt 1.7 that is assumed to be more or less stock, even if it is warmed over a tad bit it is still not a powerhouse of a power plant (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


I have a choice of rims for final build....

16x7 using one inch spacers (that more or less makes the wheel combo set heavier)
(currently has 205's)
or

15x5.5, no spacer.
(currently has 195's)

Both sets need brand new tires and since not a race car and it might see one auto-x a year no need for super sticky tires. So lets say both would get same brand middle of the road tire.

I'm thinking the smaller setup would be better right off the bat due to be a lighter combo however would the lateral grip be better with the wider setup?

Being a street car and being the responsible person I am, I'd venture to say that I wouldn't ever reach the point of needing the extra lateral grip if that is a something that the one combo would excel at. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[jmitro]

all things being equal, yes the wider rim would give you better grip, even with same size tire since less sidewall roll.

but there are many variables that go into your choice of narrow vs wide, and I'd say that tire grip is probably one of the least for a street car that never sees the limits of grip