Bigger tyres on 17'' wheels?

[Easyrider]

Hi all

We've had a 1.4 TDI Sport 90Bhp for some time now and now need a full set of tyres.
The 17'' wheels and low profile 205/40 tyres look just the job but there is no wheel protection and the alloys are quite damaged, plus the we've had enough of the horse and cart ride and the ''tramlining'' steering.

Does anyone have any experience or views on putting slightly larger tyres, i.e 215/45's, on the 17'' wheels and will it improve the ride and handling any?

I guess at the end of the day 16'' wheels may have to be the answer.....but the 17'' ers do look nice!

Cheers

[xenon]

The handling could possibly be worse by putting even wider tyres on. Look for tyres that have built in rim protection. These tend to be at the performance tyre end of the spectrum rather than budget but they do a good job of protecting against minor scuffs.

[Cloth Ears]

I completely agree about the looks of the 17" wheels, I love the way they make the car look and much prefer them to the 16" ones. But, I also completely agree about the awful ride they cause.

I replaced the worn 205/40 ZR17 Michelin front tyres at the last MOT. I put 205/45 VR17 Avons on instead and the ride has been transformed. Now I don't have to avoid every little pothole,and no longer fear that the alloys will be damaged by the shock in a deeper pothole.

BUT, a garage I went to later (not the one where I got the tyres fitted, but one which wanted to sell me some more tyres) told me there are signs of scuffing on the wheelarch liners. I'm not convinced, but certainly wouldn't go any bigger. Also, I checked the speedo accuracy against my GPS and it is now absolutely spot-on. Before it had over-read by about 2-3 mph. So I wouldn't go any higher than 205/45 17s if I were you.

One other caveat, I'm going to post another thread about it because it may not be related, but the change of tyres occurred at about the same time as I noticed the average fuel economy dropping from 52mpg average, to about 45mpg average (1.4 TDi 90).