I just lowered my 1200 by 1.5 inches. Makes a huge difference, and was easy to do.

So you going to tell us how DD?

Sorry I was busy posting the picture. Here's how I lowered my 1200:




low profile tires

The new tires makes a *huge* difference in handling. No more body lean in corners. No more understeer.

June 10 - Canby, Oregon



old school wheels

What tyre size have you used there?
Never mind, I saw the other post 165x55xR12

They are Yokohomas, 3" shorter in diameter than stock, and so lowered the car 1.5".

They weigh 22.5 pounds each mounted, exactly the the same as the stockers.

I figure the effective final gearing has been changed from 3.9 to 4.4. It sure feels like it, definitely more torque. Now I gotta change the speedo gear.



165/55-R12

the tread pattern is certainly made for the bitumen.
You said handling is better, but do you think thats due to the lower profile tyre, or the tread pattern/compound of the tyre?

Yes and yes. And maybe even because the car's center of gravity is lower.

There is almost no body roll now when cornerning. There was a lot with the stock 155-SR12 tires. I'm guessing the biggest factor is the short sidewall (profile). The tire is nominally only 1cm wider. But that tread pattern is probably putting twice the rubber to the bitumen.

I haven't pushed it to the limits yet so am not ready to comment on the tread compound. Suffice to say it corners much faster now, how fast I dunno..., but it doesn't scrub the tires (screech) taking corners as the stock tires did.

Lower profile tyres have good and bad points as far as cornering goes.

My understanding is that the low profile tyres will help with cornering, but can roll off the bead eaiser than a tall profile as they have very little flex. But too tall, and you get too much flex, which is the reason that bead locks are fitted to 4WDs with monster tyres.
Have you increrased the tyre pressure in the new tyres to compensate with the increased bead roll risk?
And... have you noticed a decrease in ride quality?

The fact that body roll is noticablely better with the lower tyres confuses me somewhat. i would have thought that body roll is more a result of suspension setups rather than the tyres.?

Quote:Maybe it is the lowering that did it? I'm just trying to describe what it feels like, a student of steering geometry can set us straight.

Quote:No way. The tires are rated for 960 pounds each, and a 1200 weighs less than half that on each corner. I think you read about the theoretical risk, certain off-road or racing trucks will stress it closer to the limit.

Quote:Let's say this application doesn't get close to a tire-to-bead separation problem. Then I can think of no downsides.

Quote:Not really. The 1200 is not noted for a 'isolated' ride quality to start with. The stock rear suspension is so stiff I don't notice any difference. But in the front, maybe a little harsher. On road expansion joints the fronts seem to 'slap' the pavement a little (is noiser).

These tires also have a really interesting sound like a low jet engine spooling up. It is very faint but pleasant sounding. At about 40mph I can hear it most -- if I listen carefully.