New wheels/tires, bigger

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Mar 17, 2014
Messages
1,203
Location
Sunshine State
Hi all,

Thinking about putting some new wheels on my Sonata, currently has 17's. Going to go up to 18's. I have the Limited trim and it came with 17's and the Sport trim has 18's. I'm wondering what the overall difference might be by doing so? I know it won't ride quite as well but I don't think it'll be a huge degradation. I am hoping however that it'll help the handling because right now it's not that great. I'm a pretty spirited driver most of the time and the handling just isn't made for that. Biggest problem is body roll in corners (really needs stiffer springs) and I'm hoping the less cushy tires will reduce that. Just wondering how other's cars have changed by putting on larger wheels.

Thanks!

And if you're wondering which wheels: https://cdn.discounttire.com/sys-master/...kes_5_20_dp.png

And yes I know that the larger wheels will reduce the life of my shocks, struts, and other suspension components.
 
The only reason is look or to fit big brakes.

Otherwise new tires can improve anything you find deficient with the current ones.

be it handling, traction etc.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
The only reason is look or to fit big brakes.

Otherwise new tires can improve anything you find deficient with the current ones.

be it handling, traction etc.


For sure, the OEM Kumho's are eh. I'm not enthralled with them to say the least. Main reason is looks but a super close second is truly to try and improve the handling even marginally. I thought about lowering springs but that's just not my style. Never really understood the desire for lowered look (nor the practicality) myself but to each his own.
 
18" wheels and lower profile tires will make the ride rougher, and make turn-in feel a bit sharper (depending on the tires). However, the amount of body roll will not change much, and the 18" wheel/tire combo is likely to be heavier (but very dependent on wheel and tire choice), more expensive, and more fragile. I see you are in Ohio, and I know the roads there are not glassy smooth. The trend towards bigger and bigger rimz on normal cars is almost completely to maintain the styling proportions with rising belt-lines.

I would stick with the 17" wheel size and consider switching to some high quality, high performance tires. You could try going an inch or so wider on the wheel, and slightly wider on the tire.

Does the Sport trim have different (stiffer) suspension such as coil springs, dampers and/or anti-roll bars? If so, consider looking up the parts in a Hyundai catalog and comparing the part numbers. It may be worth it to install the Sport suspension for your driving style.
I am in a similar quandry with my Fiesta, but Ford has made it easy by offering a Ford Racing handling pack for just over $200. I am sticking with the 15" wheel size all day long. They are extremely lightweight, and the tires are dirt cheap.
 
Swaybar(s) would help. What tires do you have, and what pressure do you run? I just put on some good tires on my Focus and it certainly corners faster, with slightly more bodyroll due to more grip. Probably just upping your tire pressure 5 psi would be a good simulation of what 1" larger rims will feel like, handling and ride wise.
 
I’ve got 16” wheels on mine, and I don’t think handling is bad at all.

I’ve got the Kumho Solus TA11’s too, hate them. They were new when I bought the car, but 18k miles later they’re really loud. Handling is ok I guess.

I’d love 17” wheels!
 
Originally Posted By: Throt
Biggest problem is body roll in corners (really needs stiffer springs) and I'm hoping the less cushy tires will reduce that.

Bigger wheels are not going to do anything for you as far as body roll. The only thing you might gain is quicker steering response due to shorter sidewall. However, you could also improve steering response just by putting on more sporty/stiffer tires on your current 17" rims.
 
I had a 2013 Sonata until it got totalled. Its a family sedan, meant to be safe reliable transportation. You can spend a lot of money on a plus 1 setup and see miniscule gains. I think Quattro Pete has the right idea.
 
Unless you really want to spend money on new wheels too, you can just change the speed rating and performance rating of the 17" tires that you have now and increase your handling, steering feel, less body roll.

I just did this(inadvertently) with my 2015 Altima 2.5SV, which has 215-55-17 Michelin MXV4 "V" speed rated. I have changed to a set of Cooper CS4's "T" speed rated that I had on hand from my other/previous 2004 Altima 2.5S. Not because I wanted the CS4's, I did this mainly due to just needing a better tire for the winter without investing in winter tires.

The "T's" actually out handle the "V's" in normal type of driving. IDK if higher performance driving would be different as I only drive normally.

But, what a difference(SOTP) it made in less body roll around the corners and the steering feel is more direct as well. I don't particularly like the extra firmness and more audible sounds of the CS4's but, I'll accept this tradeoff for the winter and put the Michelin's back on in the Spring. Both tires are on their own set of wheels.

IDK exactly you're looking to increase with your Sonata, if it's just a little or a lot however, you can do this with a different tires and still stay with 17" tire(if money is an issue) without spending the extra money on wheel/tire pkg...unless as I stated, you want new wheels too!
 
Last edited:
Ohio?

Pick up some nice 18's with a decent set of summer tires. If you do it right they'll be lighter, look better, have sharper response, and they'll be quieter with better handling in the dry AND wet. Impacts like expansion joints a potholes may be a little sharper but the overall ride quality won't change much like the sensitive butts here would have you believe.

Don't buy junk wheels or tires; the goal is light and strong, not heavy and weak.

Slap some good winter rubber on the 17's.
 
Body roll? You're not going to fix that much with tires - unless you're going from a 70 series down to a 45 series.

If that's your goal: Springs, sway bars, and shocks. Kind of expensive!

Unless you are like spending money, my advice would be to wait until those tires wear out and replace them with something more sporty.
 
I will chime in since I had a Sonata with 18's.

I had a 2011 Sonata Sport that had the 18 inch factory rims. I thought they looked beautiful and filled the wheel wells well. My wife has a 2012 Sonata GLS that came with 16's.

The 2011 Sport or SE at the time, did handle better, but I dont think it was because of the rims and tires. The Sport model has different shocks, spring rates, different sway bar diameters plus I noticed my car had aluminium lower control arms front and rear where as the GLS and others have stamped steel.

So if your wanting to go up to 18's from 17's? I dont think you will notice much of a difference other than having to watch for pot holes now since you would be riding on 40 series tires. There are so many other bits that are involved model to model than you realize.

If you want a better handling Sonata I would check out a site called SharkRacing.com These folks are the performance arm of Hyundai and sell performance oriented parts for your car. Look into a different Strut/Spring set up and anti roll bars set up. You could even order the parts off the Sport model and install them on your Limited.

This I believe will net you the best "handling" without having the drawbacks of a 40 series tire. Aesthetically I think 18's or larger look fantastic, but first pot hole you hit and bend a rim? Just not worth it for what little added benefit there really will be.

Just my thoughts..


Jeff
 
If your goal, as stated, is improving the looks and marginally better handling I would just replace the Kumho's with something that's more aesthetically pleasing in a sportier tire classification.

My '13 Accent came with Kumho KH25 tires which are labeled as "Grand Touring". I noticed a vague drift that was more the tires than the electric steering. I replaced the Kumho's with some Hankook "High Performance" ( not UHP ) tires that noticeably corrected the issue and didn't degrade the ride very much. IMO, although it ain't cheap to replace tires, that would be your best bet versus spending two grand on larger wheels and tires that might give you something else you wouldn't like beyond a lighter wallet.

The Sonata is not a performance machine but IMO it'll likely respond to incremental changes in tire classification that might answer what your looking for at a much cheaper price. It sounds like you're looking for closer to a marginal change than making over your tires, wheels, and suspension.
 
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Don't buy junk wheels or tires; the goal is light and strong, not heavy and weak.

Cheap, strong, light. Pick two.

Yeah that's about right. I always say look up what an OEM wheel costs: that's the minimum you should spend when shopping aftermarket.
 
Go with a bigger rear sway bar. Relatively cheap, will cut down body roll and make the car feel more planted. Try some W rated cooper cs5 ultra touring on your 17" wheels. I'll think you'll be pleasantly surprised
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top