What Wheels

[Anonymous]

Hi guys. Ive got 15" with 45 tyres. Ive got a 1.2 and i was woundering how big i can go without effecting the performance?

Nova say never

[Anonymous]

What you've got is spot on for the engine/box, as the 45 profiles on 15" wheels are the closest to the original rolling diameter of the original wheels/tyres.
Anything larger will effect gearing, even if you had 195-50-15 tyres instead of 195-45-15 tyres for example, you'd loose some on a 1.2, so going up to 16's will definitely have an effect.

The question is though, how much of an effect this will be?

Well, on my old A-reg 1.2L, I went from 145-80-13's (:D) to 175-65-14's which were about 20mm larger on rolling diameter, and I didn't notice any difference in performance....if anything, they were better.....the Nova 1.2's got a lot of low end torque (hence why it's called an LET engine), so the larger diameter which effects the gearing, had little effect in performance....the engine didn't seam to loose anything.

If you go up larger though, the effects can be a lot more noticeable.

[Anonymous]

right thanks. Do you think i should stick to my 15s then?



Nova say never

[Anonymous]

Not being funny, but as a 1.2 isn't the quickest of cars i wouldn't worry about performance loss. Go for a nice set of 17's. They look loads better, might handle a little worse, but give better top end!

We like a smooth behind

[Anonymous]

When you've got a 1.2, you want the most performance you can get...not loose even more :O

15's are the best for performance full stop.
In the end, it's down to personal choice.....do you want mint handling, better acceleration, and decent looks or larger wheels, which can look better, but not always.
Personally, I'd never fit larger than 16's on a Nova 'cos I'd rather compromise looks than performance.
Saying that though, 15's look mint on a Nova imo.

[Anonymous]

Fair enough. If I had a 1.2, I wouldn't want to loose performance. But as i've got a GTE on 17's, i've got performance and good looks :) Bigger wheels always look better, plus i wouldn't say my acceleration has suffered much. I saw a 0-60 day in Revs not long ago, it had a GTE on 17's that did a 9 second 0-60, which means they can't affect performance that much. Yeah, i'll admit my handling is worse than shite now, but you can't beat 17's for looks. imo, for performance, get a bigger engine, then wack 17's on. Best of both worlds :)

We like a smooth behind

[Anonymous]

Go as big as poss. Fuck the handlin. Stick in a 2.0 turbo as start pissin all over scooboes. Im runnin 18's and soon i will be gettin a 2.0l turbo.

[Anonymous]

Well, I prefer to bomb down tight twisty country lanes at stupid speeds, so handling is my number one priority.
My 15's look pretty good on my GTE....I would like 16's though, and sure, big wheels can look mint.....personal choice like I say.