Quote:
Originally Posted by NeverEnough007
You must not drive close to the city much. The potholes require 18” as a max unless the wheel wells all of a sudden fit those larger size wheel with big thick sidewalls... even 18” will not last with snow tires like the blizzak. To go up to 18”, you need the strength that nokian provides as a minimum.
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Sadly i do drive in Boston. You are correct - they are the worst roads I have tried - and i tried many (Mexico, Russia, Kazakhstan).
19s with Michelin pilot sport 4s do Ok. Actually better vs my wife's former 440 with 18s. (says a lot about how good the suspension is on M340).You have to be slow on raised manholes and obvious stuff.
I'm a big proponent of smaller wheels for cars - summer or winter - track included. I'd much rather drive 16, 17, 18 inch wheels vs huge 22 disks. Mass, rotational weight, no air in tires, stiff ride, torn tires will all disappear with small wheels. People forget how nice small wheels feel and how light and nimble they make the car. Instead at least 50 Hp is wasted on rotating huge and heavy rims and tires - all for looks.
In the performance cars the reality is - bigger brakes are installed to tame heavy weight and more HP. So only 19s clear the brakes. Same on M2 comp.
As for winter - I still prefer Highway snow tires. Like Michelin Pilot Alpine. We do not have winters harsh enough in Boston to justify the noise and handling deficiencies of Hakkapelitas or snow blizzaks. Russia or Finland - would be different story.