Pros and cons of high profile tyres. Low profile tires - pros and cons. So what to choose

One of the fashion trends in recent years has been the focus on low profile tires. This is especially evident during the sale of summer tires. About, how to treat a low profile tire, what features of operation it has, will be described below.

What is low profile tyre?

In today's world, a low profile tire is one that has a profile height (tire height) to width ratio of 55% or less. Thus, low profile tires include, for example, the following dimensions:

Given the current trends in the development of tire sizes and the emergence of new cars, we can say that the 55th series, as the border between standard profile and low profile, will no longer be considered as such in the near future. In reality, this has already happened and among those who are deliberately looking for a tire with a narrow sidewall, the size 205/55 R16 is not considered low profile. And if we turn to history, then at the dawn of the appearance of low-profile tires, the parameter separating them from standard tires was generally 70%! And, for example, the size 195/70 R14 was already considered low profile.

The first low profile tires were produced by Michelin in 1937. However, the condition of the roads and the equipment of mass-produced cars did not allow such tires to be widely used and they were installed exclusively on racing cars.

The lack of necessary depreciation can lead to more unfortunate consequences than the loss of comfort, as, for example, the load on the car's suspension increases. It is also worth remembering that the transition to low-profile tires is always accompanied by an increase in the landing diameter of the disks, which means that a purchase is necessary. In addition, low-profile tires themselves tend to cost more.

How to choose?

Choose low profile tires costs in accordance with the recommendations of the automaker. As a rule, a car manufacturer offers 3-4 sizes for each model, among which there will be low-profile ones. Below is an example of tire selection for a Ford Focus:

Tire profile

MICHELIN tire model

Standard

A car tire is an important element of a vehicle, on which the main operational parameters depend, namely:

  • controllability;
  • speed;
  • load capacity;
  • patency;
  • braking properties.

Low-profile tires are considered to be tires whose profile height in relation to the width is at least 70%. For the first time such a tire was created in 1937 by Michelin and was used for sports racing. These tires received a second development in the late seventies of the last century, when Pirelli mastered mass production.

Currently, almost all the world's leading tire manufacturers have such tires in their production line. Unlike standard (Standard) they are marked as Performance (low profile). There are also sports tires (High performance), which has the lowest fit.

The development and demand for low-profile tires is primarily associated with the emergence of high-speed and dynamic cars. It is these vehicles that need tires that have strong grip on the roadway and high braking performance. Low profile tires always have a high speed rating:

  • H - 210.0 km / h.
  • V - 240.0 km / h.

Standard tires for cars have a speed index T (190.0 km / h).

Advantages of low profile wheels

Compared to standard tires, low profile tires offer the following advantages:

  • gives the car additional features of a sporty and dynamic external image;
  • has increased braking qualities, provides a more efficient braking process;
  • generates high speed performance;
  • increases the stability and controllability of the vehicle;
  • allows you to take turns and turns at higher speeds;
  • reduces fuel consumption;
  • use in conjunction with light alloy wheels reduces the weight of the car and increases the dynamic parameters;
  • reduces acceleration time.

Almost all of these parameters allow us to talk about an increase in safety during the operation of high-speed cars with low-profile tires. In order for the listed advantages to be used most fully, it is necessary to control the set pressure in such wheels. Increased pressure in low-profile wheels dramatically reduces ride comfort, and reduced pressure leads to overheating of the tire with possible damage.

Disadvantages of low profile wheels

Despite a wide range of advantages, low-profile tires also have a number of specific disadvantages, of which it is necessary to highlight:

  • increased noise generated due to the increased area of ​​contact between the tire and the road;
  • lower resource compared to standard wheels;
  • reduced resistance to damage and wear;
  • not intended for use in wet weather due to a tendency to hydroplaning;
  • increased load on the steering;
  • a more time-consuming process of tire fitting, in addition, not all workshops are equipped with machines for the repair and maintenance of such rubber;
  • high price;
  • the possibility of operation only on high-quality roads.

The existing shortcomings of low-profile rubber allow it to be safely used only on urban and suburban roads with high-quality hard surface. In other cases, it is necessary to use standard tires.

If the car is not equipped with electric or power steering, low profile tires dramatically increase effort. The increased load requires additional physical efforts from the driver, and also worsens the maneuverability of the car, especially at low speeds.

Selection of tires

When choosing low-profile tires, you must first focus on the conditions in which the car will be operated. Such tires are not designed to work on poor-quality road surfaces. In addition, the design of the vehicle suspension must allow the use of this type of rubber, as specified in the relevant vehicle operating standards. If the tolerances of automakers do not allow the use of low-profile rubber, then its installation is strictly prohibited. When used, the vehicle suspension resource will decrease, which is extremely dangerous during operation.


The following point should be attributed to the features of using low-profile rubber: when the vehicle is parked, such a tire remembers its position. This is characterized by the appearance of even flat areas on the tire. Therefore, in such cases, it is necessary to perform a certain warm-up of the wheels in order to restore their technical characteristics. The use of tires with such sections at high speeds sharply reduces safety. It is also necessary to follow the rules for long-term storage of such tires in order to avoid the occurrence of such flat surfaces.

In addition to the operating conditions of the car, when choosing low tires, you should pay attention to the manufacturer. The most famous and high-quality are the following brands:

  • Bridgestone.
  • Pirelli.
  • Michelin.
  • Nokian.
  • Hankook.
  • Google.
  • Dunlop.
  • Continental.
  • Yokohama.

The tires of these manufacturers have the following design advantages:

  • increased shoulder blocks for high stability;
  • special anti-wear composition of the rubber compound;
  • special compacted placement of lamellas to increase traction characteristics.

Conclusion


Each owner decides to install low-profile tires on his car independently. In this case, it is necessary to carefully analyze the possible advantages and disadvantages when using this rubber. In addition, such wheels require more careful maintenance, as well as a careful and accurate driving style. Aggressive driving style and the use of rubber on bad roads can lead to a quick loss of technical qualities of expensive wheels, as well as to possible breakdowns of discs and elements of the chassis of the car.

It is also not recommended to use such rubber for drivers with little driving experience. Lack of experience can be accompanied by collisions with various bumps or falling into even small pits, which definitely leads to deformation of low-profile rubber and an increase in financial costs.

Video

For many people, the most attractive part of a car is its wheels. Still would! Neat alloy wheels combined with low-profile tires are a great accent to any vehicle. Of course, the profile of the “shoes” plays an important role in the issue of the exterior of the car, but it is rather difficult to name a single optimal size. Let's try to understand this issue in a little more detail.

1. About the profile of automotive "shoes"

1.1 Marking

When buying car tires, the first thing that car owners pay attention to is the size, which looks something like this: 195/65 R 15 91T. In this marking, the number "195" indicates the width of the tire and is calculated in millimeters, "65" - is the percentage of the profile height and its width(this parameter determines the height of the tire at a given width).

If this value is not on the tire sidewall (for example, the marking looks like 195 / R 15), then the profile height corresponds to 80% (full profile tires). The letter "R" in the marking indicates the type of construction of the tire(radial), although many car owners believe that this is an indicator of the radius. It must be said that passenger tires with a diagonal design are practically not produced.

Next in designation the number "15" - indicates the value of the diameter of the disc in inches, that is, the inner diameter of the tire(not the radius, but the diameter). "91" is a conditional indicator of the maximum possible load on the tire. For light trucks and minivans, today they produce special multi-layer reinforced tires with fairly high load indices. Depending on this parameter, they are indicated by the inscription REINFORCED(if we are talking about 6 layers and a reinforced tire) or the letter "C", which is immediately after the tire diameter, for example, 195/70 R 15 C (8 layers, truck tyre).

The last letter "T", or the tire speed index, is a conditional parameter that determines the maximum allowable vehicle speed allowed when operating the specified type of tire.

As you can see, car tires have a fairly large number of different markings, which depend on their parameters. In particular, you can determine the profile of a particular tire based on the names standard (standard), performance (low profile) or high performance (sports tire with the lowest landing profile).

If we compare the standard and low-profile types, we will see that the latter differs not only in the height of the fit, but also in its width (the value is indicated on the tire). If you notice the number 45 on a 235 / 45R17 tire, then know that it indicates the ratio of the profile fit height to its width (the so-called “tire series”). In cases where the tire series is below 55, then it is considered to be low-profile rubber.

The forerunners of modern low profile tires are tires manufactured at the Michelin plant. Regardless of the characteristics of the vehicles, all these tires of the 88 series were installed on a wide variety of cars, while being very popular with racing drivers. After almost 40 years (more precisely, in 1978), the Italian company Pirelli began to produce tire models of the P6 and P7 series with low-profile rubber. It is these tires, and with them the cars on which they were installed, that have gained immense popularity all over the world. It is not surprising that all major manufacturers of car tires immediately launched the production of this series at their enterprises.

2. Benefits of low profile tires

As you probably know, the standard one is 235/45 R20, where "20" is the diameter of the rim on which the tire is mounted (measured in inches). The value "235/45" tells us that the width of the tire is 235 millimeters, and the ratio of the height of the tire profile to this width is 45%. There were times when it was believed that if this ratio is less than 60%, then the rubber can be called low profile. However, in fact, a tire with a rate of 55% is considered really high-speed and low-profile.

One of the main benefits of using low profile tires is the increased agility of the vehicle. Cornering at high speed is not accompanied by the buildup of the body, characteristic of conventional rubber (due to deformation of the tire under heavy load). Such "stability" of rubber makes it possible to maneuver at high speed without the risk of falling off the track, and also affects the quality of driving - the driver "feels" almost every hole or mound and can easily correct the behavior of the car.

In cases where low-profile tires are installed on lightweight alloy wheels, then, due to the reduction in the total mass of the wheel, acceleration is even faster, and braking deceleration only improves.

3. Features of the operation of low-profile tires

Like any other part of the vehicle, a low profile tire has its own characteristics of operation. Of course, the key parameters of such tires play the main role in their determination.

3.1 Minimum profile values

According to the standards of the European Tire and Wheel Manufacturers Community (ETRTO), since 2009, the minimum tire profile has been set at 20, that is, the size 375/20 R21 is considered the standard in this regard. However, during the North American show Sema, Nexen and Kumho presented the world's first tires with a profile 15. In the case of Nexen, we are talking about the N3000 model with a size of 365/15 ZR 24, mention model Ecsta SPT KU31 with size 385/15 ZR 22.

3.2 Tire pressure

The design of any automobile wheel often causes deformation of the chassis of the vehicle, which often leads to rapid wear of the rubber, and as a result, to an increased risk of an accident on the road. This fact also applies to low-profile tires, since even insufficient or excessive air pressure can lead to undesirable consequences, for example, in the form of loss of controllability. For this reason, such tires need regular checking of the available pressure with the recommended technical indicators for high-speed tires.

Also, the inconsistency of pressure with the established norms affects another quality of low profile tires - the ability to remember the position during a stop. After hard braking, the contact points of the tire may be in a deformed state, and when cooled, just such an incorrect position will be fixed. With the beginning of the movement of the vehicle, some discomfort may be felt, but after the rubber warms up, it will take its original position, and the temporary inconvenience disappears.

If low-profile tires have been idle for a long time before use, then before moving on to operating the car, you should check the tire pressure without fail.

3.3 Impact on the suspension

The impact of tires on is another fairly relevant issue. Many leading experts in this field believe that if low-profile rubber was originally included with the vehicle, then all body elements (in particular, suspension) should be fully adapted to it. There is nothing strange here, because cars produced today are tested, and if something goes wrong, the manufacturer simply will not allow the car to be sold. This fact can reassure many motorists, convincing them of the correct functioning of low-profile rubber on new machines.

However, if you want to “tuning” your car and didn’t guess with the proportions, then the chassis may simply not be ready for the use of large wheels. In this case, low-profile tires will easily cause rapid wear of all suspension elements. Therefore, when choosing new wheels and tires, you should take into account all the characteristics of your car as fully as possible.

4. Disadvantages of using low profile tires

One of the main drawbacks of all quality items is their expensive cost, due to which many buyers are forced to purchase more affordable counterparts. This problem also applies to low-profile tires, in which excellent speed characteristics are complemented by a fairly high price. Also, the problem is the unevenness of the road surface, which directly affects not only the comfort of movement, but also the “well-being” of the suspension and the entire chassis in general. Breakdowns of such tires and a split of the disk itself are a common occurrence when entering a pit.

There are some other disadvantages of using low profile tires. These include:

- low level of wear resistance of the tires themselves (they wear out faster);

High noise level when driving, due to the increase in tire width (a larger contact patch with the road increases the noise effect produced);

Higher likelihood of hydroplaning, which is also associated with an increase in the width of the rubber and, as a result, with more difficult moisture removal;

Increased load on the hydraulic steering wheel as a result of tighter control;

Frequent problems with tire fitting (the equipment of outdated service stations is simply not suitable for working with low-profile tires);

The need for increased attention to the level of tire pressure (if you miss this point, then even a slight loss of it can cause serious trouble).

Knowing the pros and cons of low profile tyres, you can easily assess their suitability for your driving style and most road conditions in your area, and the results of this comparison will tell you whether or not to change to a proven high profile tire.

5. Conditions in which the operation will take place

When buying a new “shoe” for your car, each car owner must take into account the features and terrain of its future use. For example, if you are accustomed to frequent trips out of town, which are accompanied by driving on rough roads, then it is best to choose tires with a high profile. In this case, the reliability and flotation of such tires can be much more important than speed performance and stability when overcoming turns. In addition, spending money on low profile tires can easily ruin them even in a small pothole. Therefore, when choosing low-profile tires, think carefully about whether you really need it. Perhaps, even in the conditions of your city, this will be a completely useless acquisition.

You know, I honestly don't understand the many "types" of tuners who put low profile tires on their cars! We have already been accustomed to a radius of 16 inches, although I think this is also a lot for our roads. But if I see, let's say, some Priora pumped “to death”, already on 17 - 18 wheels, goosebumps run down my skin! In general, today I decided to think about low-profile tires, namely, about the main pros and cons - is it worth installing in our realities or not? Like Shakespeare - to be or not to be ...


I asked folk tuners who install discs that are not the right size - WHY? There is only one question - well, it’s beautiful, “like very” cool! No doubt, but guys everything should be in moderation, well, our Priora is not designed, whatever one may say on wheels of 17 or even more so 18 inches, and many of them cut out arches to put such rollers in there! But let's sort it out in order.

About manufacturer's approvals

Any car is sharpened to fit its wheel size and you don’t have to think if you put a low profile and big wheels your car will simply “shoot”. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of the issue.

The point here is this - each manufacturer lays down their tolerances in the suspension - these are the characteristics of the shock absorber struts, and stabilizers, and all kinds of bushings, etc., the profile here plays an important indicator. After all, if you choose too low, then the suspension will simply break quickly - its resource will be reduced many times, if not dozens of times.

Therefore, we remember - do not neglect the "run-up" that the manufacturer recommends to you, usually on the body you can find the profile size from and to. So put it on - if you want more, then in a good way you need to upgrade the suspension - racks, rubber bands, etc.

Understatement of rubber

What entails an increase in the radius of the disk - yes, everything is simple, by understating the rubber profile. After all, the overall size of the wheel almost always remains unchanged. For example - on a 15 inch wheel, the rubber will be higher, but the size, say, will remain within 63 cm. If we change to 17 inch, the disk size grows, but the rubber profile decreases - but the overall size also remains within - 63 cm .

Thus, we increase the rigidity of the wheel by reducing the profile. Why is this done, what advantages can be squeezed out of this tuning?

Low Profile Pros

If you follow the dimensions, for example, you had 14 disks, and you set 16 (the manufacturer allows this), then you will need to lower the profile.

But there are still positive points, I will list the points:

  • This is a lower fuel consumption, especially the owners of mechanics will feel it. Since the wheel has become stiffer, it slips less (cushion effect), the car will coast perfectly. Accordingly, the consumption will fall - albeit not much to 5%, but the fact remains.
  • Better handling - if you take a test of the car for demolition in corners, then with a larger wheel profile, you need to slow down the speed, already at 55 - 60 km / h the car goes into a skid. With a smaller profile, the disk is installed more - which means the rigidity of the wheel grows. A car with such wheels can enter turns at high speeds, up to 75 km / h. Such an increase in handling is just given by 2 inches.
  • Well, probably the last thing is the external effect. Really big wheels look more spectacular than their "small" counterparts, and if chrome is still present, then it's a delight!

That, in principle, is all the pluses, the most important thing is the increase in the speed limit, namely the entry into turns at high speeds, a sharper reaction to the steering wheel, a decrease in rolls, etc. If the roads are perfect, then the advantages are really obvious! But often in Russia the road surface is, to put it mildly, imperfect, so the minuses begin to appear.

Cons of low profile tires

  • If you “scored” on the manufacturer’s recommendations and installed such huge “rollers”, then the suspension will suffer first of all, and all at once, namely, shock absorbers, stabilizer struts, silent blocks, bushings, ball joints and even a rail. Well, they are not designed for such rigidity! Therefore, outages will be frequent.
  • Ride comfort - will fall at times. You will feel every bump, your fifth point, it will shake like on a cart.
  • Holes on the roads. They can become simply insurmountable obstacles, if you fly in at speed, you can easily break through the rubber (damage to the cord) - just replace it with a new one. You can also damage the disk, if the casting simply cracks - of course, you can solder it, but it's better to change it to a new one, for your own safety.

  • Noise. Some say that the noise from the road increases - debatable, but logical, because the rubber is hard, and accordingly it will make more noise. Although on higher profiles, there are hard options, here you need to look for exactly “your” manufacturer.

TOTAL

In the end, I want to give a couple of tips:

  • If you do not upgrade the suspension, then do not exceed the recommendations of the manufacturers, set the maximum size that is recommended to you
  • Low-profile tires improve cornering and maneuverability, but reduce ride comfort and suspension penetration. In our Russian realities with dead roads, it is better to take a high profile than a low one. After all, there is simply nowhere to drive on such roads!

  • If you are into motorsport, and the races take place on smooth, ideal roads, then low-profile tires will give you a gain in maneuvering precisely in corners - I recommend it here.
  • Guys, don’t do nonsense, don’t cut arches in our PRIORs, Kalinas and other VAZs, “16”, and even more so “17 - 18” disks, I emphasize once again - without upgrading the suspension, they are disastrous.

Here is such an available information, now we are watching a short video.


Modern car tires are high-tech and strictly divided according to purpose. The sidewall of the wheel contains a lot of useful information that not every user can decipher. For example, the inscriptions "standard", "perfomance" and "high perfomance" are not clear to everyone. However, it is these designations that determine the direct purpose of tires.

Tires of the "standard" type are used for urban conditions. Most often these are tires for compact cars. But the following two designations refer to low-profile tires. These are tires that are used for high-speed driving.

What tires are considered low profile?

The tire profile is indicated by the second digit in the size name. For example, tires 235/45/17 have a 45 profile. In this case, the number 45 indicates the percentage of the profile width to its height. Therefore, it is unfair to say that tires have a height of 45 mm. All profiles starting from the 50th are considered low.

Low profile tires are used on sports cars. The development of the automotive industry has led to the emergence of faster and more powerful cars. Such machines require better dynamic performance, including streamlining, reduced air resistance and improved braking.

A low car has an advantage over a high one due to reduced drag. But to ensure safety at high speeds, special brakes are required. For sports cars, an oversized brake disc was needed. The design of the suspension limits the size of the brake disc to the wheel rim. Therefore, the diameter of the tire has become larger. To maintain and improve traction, wider tires were required. This is how low profile tires were born.

Benefits of low profile tires

Like any type of tire, low profile tires have their pros and cons. The advantages of this type of tires include an increased speed index. The minimum speed limit for low profile tires is 210 km/h. Along with excellent speed characteristics, low profile rubber provides:

  • improved grip
  • increased maneuverability
  • cornering stability
  • confident braking
  • reduced rolling resistance
  • increased directional stability

All these properties are guaranteed not only by a low profile, but also by a special tread pattern and a soft rubber carcass. As a rule, high-speed tires have a directional pattern and a reinforced bead to resist damage.

Disadvantages of low profile tires

Unlike high profile tires, sports tires do not last long. Low profile tires have less life. In addition, the driver sacrifices comfort, making a choice in favor of speed.

"Thin" tires are more sensitive to road bumps, even the smallest ones. All the stones on the pavement, pits and potholes of Russian roads, the car owner will be able to feel in the literal sense on himself. The noise level of low profile tires is also higher. Due to the increased contact patch and directional tread pattern, tire noise increases significantly.

But the biggest disadvantage of low profile tires is their detrimental effect on the suspension. Parts of the chassis of the car suffer from a hard ride. So a reduced resource is provided not only for automobile rubber, but also for many suspension elements.

Wide low profile tires are heavier than standard tires. Therefore, it will become more difficult for drivers of cars without power steering to turn the steering wheel. In some cases, the weight of the tire affects the increase in fuel consumption.

Low profile tires have a narrow specialization. It is not recommended to use such rubber on standard city cars. In any case, tire selection should be based on the expected operating conditions.

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