[man23ish]

Team, Need some quick inputs...

The recommended PSI value was 34 PSI for the 215/65 R16 on my Renault Captur's Apollo Apterra HP Stock Tyres.

I recently upgraded to a slightly Wider Continental Comfort Contact 235/60 R16 tyres; But I feel the vehicle is sluggish and I'm also having problems with the handling and cornering...

I'm still filling 34 PSI. But, I think it may not be sufficient. Anybody having a similar experience before... What should be the right tyre pressure for this vehicle/ Tyre combination...

Regards,
Manish

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by man23ish

Team, Need some quick inputs...

The recommended PSI value was 34 PSI for the 215/65 R16 on my Renault Captur's Apollo Apterra HP Stock Tyres.

I recently upgraded to a slightly Wider Continental Comfort Contact 235/60 R16 tyres; But I feel the vehicle is sluggish and I'm also having problems with the handling and cornering...

I'm still filling 34 PSI. But, I think it may not be sufficient. Anybody having a similar experience before... What should be the right tyre pressure for this vehicle/ Tyre combination...

Regards,
Manish

Wider tyre will increase the contact patch with the road and that will impact car performance, hence the sluggishness. Increased sidewall height also increases the sidewall flex in corners and hence, increased body roll. You can play around with the tyre pressure until you find the right balance, increasing it by a couple of psi will help.

[man23ish]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Wider tyre will increase the contact patch with the road and that will impact car performance, hence the sluggishness. Increased sidewall height also increases the sidewall flex in corners and hence, increased body roll. You can play around with the tyre pressure until you find the right balance, increasing it by a couple of psi will help.

Thanks Ashish,

I did some quick Math on the numbers before going for the Tyres... 215 to 235 is an increase of 20 mm or approximately 2 cms; This is the reason for the improved stability, grip and comfort...

With respect to the increase in the Sidewall height. Previously it was 215 * 65/100 = 139.75 mm and now it has been increased to 235 * 60/100 = 141 mm; Hopefully this marginal 1.25mm increase in height is more than compensated by the 20mm increase in the width...

But thanks for your suggestion on increasing the tyre pressures... What is the max PSI that we can go with these tyres? I'm planning a long drive this weekend...

[mygodbole]

Check with your mechanic on tyre pressure impact considering fully-loaded weight of vehicle and engine power going to the front wheels. The wider the tyre, the more power needed.

Over-inflating will negate the very purpose of wider tyres (better road-grip).

But as Ashis89 so rightly put it, play around with the psi and find your own happy zone. A little bit of extra body roll is expected when you go off-specs with tyres.

And remember, lower psi means lower speeds (Not equal to 'higher psi = higher speed').

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by man23ish

Thanks Ashish,

I did some quick Math on the numbers before going for the Tyres... 215 to 235 is an increase of 20 mm or approximately 2 cms; This is the reason for the improved stability, grip and comfort...

Yes, it should. Wider tyres make a difference in the straight line stability, braking and even corners.

With respect to the increase in the Sidewall height. Previously it was 215 * 65/100 = 139.75 mm and now it has been increased to 235 * 60/100 = 141 mm; Hopefully this marginal 1.25mm increase in height is more than compensated by the 20mm increase in the width...

Your calculations are correct. But tyre compound and stiffness also play a part here. Tyres with stiff sidewalls can arrest flex, improve grip but at the cost of comfort. Comfortable tyres increase the body roll but provide a carpet ride. I guess your current set falls in this category. If true, then I recommend you get used to the new dynamics of the car.

From my limited experience, I have been in that boat a few times. Once I changed from MRF 155/65 to Yoko 165/65 and my grip increased and body roll reduced considerably. Later I changed to MRF 165/65 and my grip fell, body roll increased but I gained a much softer ride now.

On other instance, I moved from 205/65 to 215/65 (Continental). I have a better ride with significant increase in body roll. I put 1.5 psi extra over what I did with my previous tyre. This doesn't compensate the increase in body roll but gives the best balance of ride and handling possible with the current tyre set.

But thanks for your suggestion on increasing the tyre pressures... What is the max PSI that we can go with these tyres? I'm planning a long drive this weekend...

The rated limit show be marked on the tyre sidewall. But I recommend you try increasing by 1 psi each time and try until you find the right one.