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Originally Posted by Sirbelch
Why do F1 cars have such high side walls on their tires? Does this have some advantage that I don't know about? Sports cars don't. Turing cars don't. Nascar does, but thats due to the rules.
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Taller sidewalls allow for the stiffer damper/spring settings used in race cars. The tire actually serves as part of the suspension. In addition, taller tires can adapt more to drastic camber changes, whereas low-profile tires can have the tread lifted.
Plus I'm pretty sure it's a safety thing mandated by the FIA. Taller tires tend to be more forgiving at the limit AFAIK.
I got a question for y'all (esp HighRev). I'm looking to change my wheels, in part for aesthetics but in part so I can take advantage of wider tires. I'm debating between 17x8 et42, 17x8 et32, and 18x7.5 et35. Now I know going too low from the stock offset can cause more torque steer, uneven tread wear, stress on wheel bearing, etc, but I was wondering how low you can go before this really adversely impacts your handling? I also know lower offsets have a wider track, which would contribute to more stability in corners, and give more road feedback through the steering wheel. I kinda want to stay away from 18" (extra unsprung weight), but that width/offset seems like a happy medium between the two. That, and I have a set of 17" RE070 tires sitting on my patio waiting to get installed (going 18" would be a lot pricier). Fender rub wouldn't be much of a concern to me, since I could always just roll fenders.
Any thoughts/experiences would help.