simba

Winter is round the corner for many of us and here is UK it means rain, rain, rain(well I guess apart from the more northerly parts)... so my question is related to low profile tyres, like the 19" 172's and performance/grip in the wet - are such tyres more likely to suffer from aquaplaning/loss of grip in the wet...?

MacSid

Unless I have got my physics totally wrong, the profile of your tyres or the size of your wheels should have ZERO effect on your propensity to aquaplane. Aquaplaning is essentially an issue of traction, and the key factors here are therefore the width and pressure of your tyres. The wider your tyre, the less likely you are to aquaplane, all other things being equal.

sx125

Completely wrong, the wider the tyre the more you are to aquaplane!!! Ever heard of aquaplane with your bike?

rsyed

...and 19" wheels are relatively wide at the back. but then again, physics is physics and reality is different. question is, how often does it happen that you have aqua planning and if it does happen, question would be: would that also have happened with the slimmer tires??? i dare to say yes, since the difference between the two wheels are something like an inch...

525d MSport

I have has no issues with any car including my E60. I have only covered 600 miles with my 172Ms although plenty of that was in the wet though.

Theoretically you are more likley to aquaplane with wider tyres but don't forget that for most of the time the rear tyres follow the same path as the front and the fronts clear a good amount of water out of the way.

Sounds silly to say "most of the time", but look at how many tracks you leave if you turn in a circle.

Regards,

s4iscool

summer high po tires typically have great wet weather performance, because of the water channeling. BUT if you are talking about colder temps (below 50F), then the rubber starts to lose its pliability, and ALL the tires performance starts to decline. narrow tires can aquaplane, even rain tires on motorcycles will skim the surface at times..not fun

simba

Found this on the www...Seems that if the tyre inflation on low profiles is correct with the right tread pattern for wet surface, there is no greater tendency for aquaplaning. Also that wider tyres distribute the car weight over a larger surface area compared to same weight over a thinner tyre - making aquaplaning a higher possibility with wider tyres...

MacSid

You're quite right - I got it back to front there!

Westcoast M5

I live in a climate with very rainy winters (and summers thanks to global warming). Temperature is the big factor. My 172s with Conti Sport Contact 2s have great wet traction down to about 5 degrees C, then they seem to lose all grip - traction control light comes on regularly as does ABS.
I switch to my winters (see sig) and the traction differnece is very noticable. I can drive with my regular habits with no loss of traction. This is NOT in snow, just cold rain (O - 5 degrees C).

It may seem a bit expensive to buy a set of wheels and tyres for such a mild climate but it makes a real difference. Besides my summer tyres last twice as long so you can't really count the cost of the rubber and when done with the car, I can sell the OEM winter wheels for 50% of what I paid anyway.

Highly recommended.

colejl

Like-for-like, yes. There are of tyres that perform better in the wet than others (and not so good in the dry, a compromise as ever). One option is to get a set of 'winter' tyres in 17" in 225 width for those dark, wet English evenings...

However, just be careful when it's wet - always ensure you have at least 4mm of tread. BMW's, contrary to popular belief, cannot defy the laws of physics!