[rbvg@]

Hello Bhpians,

I'm a proud owner of a Tata Altroz XM Plus (1.2P) which runs on stock 195/55 (R16 steel) MRF ZVTV tyres. The suspension on the Altroz does only one job: Keeping the vehicle planted. But that's it. Every minor road imperfection, no matter how slight, seems to filter through the cabin, making the low-speed driving experience less comfortable.

I have upgrade plans in the next year but have to live with this until then.

Hence I am planning to downsize to R14 alloys and fitting softer 195/70 R14 tyres. Given that this change would result in a mere 1.2% alteration in overall diameter, well within the acceptable 3% change limit, and with a 28% increase in sidewall height, I believe this combination offers a more comfortable ride.



I think that handling may not be significantly compromised, and might even see improvement, as switching from R16 steel wheels to R14 alloys can help lower the unsprung mass.

I would greatly appreciate your input on this modification. If anyone has had experience with such a change, your insights would be invaluable. Also, I've done some online research and come across the Michelin Energy XM2+ tyres. If anyone can vouch for these or suggest alternative high-quality, soft compound tyres, as well as aftermarket R14 alloys that are compatible with the Altroz, I'd be very thankful.

[GTO]

Unconventional, but go for it . Will make a significant difference to ride quality & comfort levels. It's also made easier as the Altroz has lower variants with R14 wheels.

Before you do that though, do check the tyre PSI levels & ensure your tyres aren't overinflated. Get your own tyre pressure gauge instead of relying on the petrol pump ones. You can also safely drop it by 1 - 2 PSI for city use only (increase for highway driving).

I absolutely hate this new obsession that car manufacturers have with large wheels. The new Harrier / Safari get a 19" option, while the Seltos Facelift has an 18" option! If I could change my 530d's wheels from R18 to R17, I'd do it tomorrow (but I need 275 mm at the rear due to the 600 Nm torque and that's unavailable in R17). I'd also looked all around for 16" rims for my Thar, but was unable to find fat tyres in that size. The choices & range were only for R18 and above.

Related article, poll & discussion (Tall tyres & regular wheels versus low-profile tyres & large wheels)

[Rodie09]

Originally Posted by rbvg@

Hello Bhpians,

I'm a proud owner of a Tata Altroz XM Plus (1.2P) which runs on stock 195/55 (R16 steel) MRF ZVTV tyres. The suspension on the Altroz does only one job: Keeping the vehicle planted. But that's it. Every minor road imperfection, no matter how slight, seems to filter through the cabin, making the low-speed driving experience less comfortable.
.

Hey @rbvg,

I can totally relate to what you are saying about the ride comfort and I am also very keen to do this to my July 2023 Safari XZA+ Adventure that came with 18" wheels. I had posted a similar query in Safari thread but got no response so am going to be keenly observing this thread. I really wonder how the 19" in facelift is going to impact ride further.

The harshness of the ride due to the thinner sidewalls takes away the comfort and enjoyment out. Safari too comes in 16" in lower variant and I think it is possible to downsize there too.

Only thing comes to mind is would it give an excuse to TAS to not honor warranty? The SA advised against it during first service but I didn't find him knowledgeable enough toe trusted. Is your car still under warranty?

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by rbvg@

...
I would greatly appreciate your input on this modification....

I would say this is a smart mod to improve the ride. Go ahead. My only concern was if the 14" wheels would foul the brake caliper and would have enough clearance.. However, the below reply from GTO solves it.

Originally Posted by GTO

... It's also made easier as the Altroz has lower variants with R14 wheels.
..

[Shreyans_Jain]

Pls set your ride’s air pressure to 30psi cold and then drive around for a couple of days. It is likely that this will yield acceptable results without spending money. If not, you can change to R14. There again, the magic will lie in lower tire pressures, which the fatter sidewall allows.

[condor]

Definitely can do that change. I too dont like the current trend of manufacturers giving larger dia wheels - both from the point of reduced comfort - and the higher cost of tyre replacements. I would also say that the smaller dia tyres are that little less prone to damage on pot holes.

[r24x7]

In the first drive reviews of both the Seltos Facelift and the new Safari, the ride quality was well appreciated given the upsize and past experience of stiffer ride quality in the previous models.

Manufacturers do not just retain the previous suspension tuning when introducing a tyre upsize, but rather also adjust the suspension accordingly.

Having said that, I echo my thoughts as well that smaller rim size with a bigger tyre side wall would always aid in better low-speed ride quality.

[saurabh041086]

A topic that I have lived through, so I will share my experience with Figo 1.5 TDCI.

So the stock car came with 14 inch 175 65 R14 tyres on a factory fitted alloy, which I changed to 195 55 R15 on the day of delivery. It gave a squat stance and wheelspins were much much better controlled compared to a friends stock car which i lived with for a week before buying Figo.


My use case was mainly NCR paved roads but at least 3-4 trips to hills. Ride on paved roads wasn't that bad but over potholes and expansion joints I used to feel the jolts. Broken patches in hills were always scary with 55 profile.
After putting up around 50k kms on 195 Yokos I was looking for options and realized S Drive was the only tire in that size. They were a noisy tyre so I thought why not to move to a thicker side wall. I went to evaluate options at a known outlet. Got a good deal on new set of alloys and buyback for older alloys by somebody at the store. So got a new set of rims and Conti CC6 185 65 R14. This made the steering a bit lighter and the ride quality in terms of bumps improved noticeably. I was elated with the switch. Lesson learnt in car ownership journey. No matter how good it looks, anything lesser than 60 profile is just not comfortable for our roads.
With 185 65 R14

[PrideRed]

If the car is predominantly used on highways, stick to 16, may be get slightly higher profile. While the 14inchers will make you feel good at slow speed inside city or while driving through bad roads, on open roads higher profile can make the car bouncy and will roll more roll on corners. Don't blindly go for 14inchers rather do the swap based on your driving style/usage and what is acceptable to you.

[iamgyan]

Originally Posted by rbvg@

Hence I am planning to downsize to R14 alloys and fitting softer 195/70 R14 tyres.

Keeping ride comfort aside, if your car comes with ESP and ABS, which I'm sure it does, the change will affect their function. By how much? I can't say but even basic ABS calibration is done for specific tyres sold as OE spec. While stock tyre changes are common, the impact of kind of change you intend to do which changes sidewall stiffness, wheel moment of inertia etc is much bigger and may affect the electronics adversely.

These may be used to decline insurance coverage or warranty in case of a bad accident.

Your call.

[SmartCat]

Do not downgrade tyre size like that.

If you are feeling even minor road imperfections, it is very likely a wheel alignment problem. These imperfections are transmitted to you via the steering wheel.

(a) Reduce tyre pressure to 30 or 32 psi
(b) Ask somebody else to drive.
(c) You sit in the passenger seat.
(d) Check if you feel those road imperfections.

If no, head to wheel alignment shop and get the issue fixed. Note that there could be a wheel alignment problem even if the readings are within the prescribed limits. Solving this might take multiple visits/trial and error.

[Kashief]

Originally Posted by rbvg@

Hello Bhpians,

Also, I've done some online research and come across the Michelin Energy XM2+ tyres. If anyone can vouch for these or suggest alternative high-quality, soft compound tyres, as well as aftermarket R14 alloys that are compatible with the Altroz, I'd be very thankful.

I’m using 2nd set of Michelin XM2 in Amaze and it’s good in terms of comfort and road noise. Have driven 70k plus kms. Unfortunately it’s not in production and Michelin is still scouting manufacturing set up in India and it will take a year or two to roll out. I haven’t used Bridgestone but I have got recommendations as alternative for Michelin.

[rbvg@]

Thank you all for your valuable suggestions. While I have tried dropping the tyre pressure to 32 PSI, I will once again try lowering the tire pressure to 28~30 PSI as another step to see how it affects the ride quality. While addressing my primary concern, it's clear that there are larger issues to consider – warranty, insurance, and the potential impact on ABS and ESP systems.

For those who have made similar upgrades, I'm interested to know about your experiences in these areas. How did the change affect your vehicle's warranty, insurance coverage, and the functioning of ABS and ESP systems? Did you encounter any risks, and do you feel that the improvements in ride quality outweigh those potential concerns?

I have my 4th service scheduled next week, and I plan to discuss this matter with the service advisor. Any insights or lessons learned from your experiences would be greatly appreciated as I navigate this decision.

[Viju]

You’re thinking in the right direction. Go for it.

In the 2023 Alphard, Toyota has equipped the highest end Executive Lounge model with smaller, 17 inch wheels for improved ride comfort, where as the lower versions come with 19 inchers.

The effect of sidewall heights on ride quality is not well understood.

[audioholic]

Increasing tyre profile so drastically will make handling worse, especially on a heavily built car where the stiffness of the tyre will help in mitigating body roll to some extent. You will end up with a worse steering response which will also affect safety since your steering will no longer be so accurate as before due to increased tyre flex.

Please dont go ahead with such ideas even though it wont affect any functioning of ABS ESP etc, instead get softer tyres if you want a plush ride quality. The undulations of the road that creep into the cabin are not due to lesser profile of tyre but due to crappy sidewall that cant flex within a short time. Ditch those MRFs for Michellin or Conti and you will feel the difference without actually compromising on grip or handling.