Correct about frame not being lowered. Frame appears to be higher than it was with 18" stock wheels. Albeit I have no way to compare because I didn’t own the vehicle prior to new wheels. I have seen many cars, with low profile wheels, & they are low to the ground on purpose! I can’t see a reason for driving slow though as those cars are meant to go Very fast, provided of course the suspension is fully functional & there are NO potholes in the way!
Do you think, if computer programming is the issue (or partially the issue), if 20" wheels could affect the vehicle’s performance? If not, who would have this information? A mechanic at a Honda dealership? Thanks!!!
Please tell us your tire size
I will try this again. The wheel size has nothing at all with how the vehicle runs, shifts or effect programing.
It is probably to late now but the next time you go used vehicle shopping if it has anything that was not factory standard or option walk away.
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Yes!
Aftermarket equipment can be of decent quality, or it can be close to… garbage.
Why take a chance when buying a new (used) car?
With a 235/65-17 tire, take “235” the width in mm and divide by 25.4 to convert to inches. That’s roughly 9.25 inches wide, now multiply that by 65% or .65, that comes out to about 6 inches. Double that number and add it to the rim diameter. 17 inches plus 12 inches = 29 inches overall diameter of the tire.
Do the same with the 235/35-22
9.25 inches times 35%=3.23 inches. Double that = 6.46 inches. 22 inch rim plus 6.46 inches = 28.46 inches overall diameter. The actual inflated diameter may be a little more or less but it will be close to these figures.
Did you read the first response to my original question? I was asking him/her this question; not you. A mechanic friend proposed this theory and my first responder agreed a larger wheel could possibly affect performance due to the car not being programmed to the larger wheels. I put this theory out here for some professional information. Tell me, scientifically, why this can not be possible?
I’m not sure what you mean by “scientifically.” Perhaps you meant “precisely?”
The size of the wheel will not effect how the engine runs for the same reason that the windshield won’t. It’s not part of that system. You could take the wheels off entirely and the engine would continue to operate as it did before you removed them.
Big wheels are both heavier and have more weight farther out, which will make the car accelerate slower than it would on stock wheels, but they will not make the engine run poorly.
The tire size is an important detail for this discussion, the tires on the 22" wheels can be the same size, smaller or larger than the original tires.
For the selling dealer to provide replacement tires and wheels after the sale would be very generous, I would want an agreement at the time of sale and a “Due Bill” stating the new or used OEM alloy wheels and new tires will be installed on the vehicle. Without this in writing the outcome is uncertain.
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The car does not measure speed directly, it counts how many times the transmission output shaft rotates every second and converts it to MPH. If a larger diameter wheel is in stalled, the car will NOT know this. It will continue to count revolutions from the transmission as the car now goes faster than the speedometer. As far as the engine computer knows, nothing has changed.
You acceleration performance will be a touch weaker because the wheel diameter is larger. Lots of physics reasons, so I won’t go into that here.
Re-programming the engine computer will do nothing but correct the speedometer. The reduced performance will be exactly the same – i.e. not fixed.
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I don’t like the look of low profile tires on a truck. They just don’t look right. I saw a full size F-150 with something like 26" wheels and low profile tires. The driver thought they were cool (I hope).
A tire is also an integral part of the suspension. The vehicle suspension system was designed with 18" rims and a higher profile tire. The bigger rims and the low profile tires may effect the vehicles handling.
The OP is convinced that the 22 inch tires are the problem apparently and does not want any opinions otherwise. As for performance the acceleration of vehicle decrease is most likely less than having a passenger. They are returning to the place they bought the vehicle and we can only hope that 3 month warranty is actually worth something.
@Rachel.nicoll72 - If you’ll tell us the current tire size, we’ll be able to give you more info on your problem. But the basic message you’ve been told here is correct: you might notice a difference in performance with your current tires/wheels, but you’d need a stopwatch to tell. They’re almost certainly not the cause of your performance problem.
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Keep in mind that you’re talking about unsprung rotational mass here. Being unsprung will effect the handling. Being rotational will effect the acceleration.
If you have two identical cars that weigh 2500 pounds, the only difference being that one car has 200 pounds in the wheels, while the other car only has 100 pounds in the wheels, the second car will be faster than the first because a 25 pound wheel is easier to rotate than a 50 pound wheel.
It gets even worse when the heaver wheel is also significantly larger than the lighter wheel, because now you have a longer torque arm which increases the work you have to do in order to turn it.
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Your vehicle originally had 235/60-18 tires. Other than the 22" rims, we don’t know what size tires you currently have.
But to answer your question. If you have ever driven a manual transmission and tried to start off in second gear instead of first, then you can get an idea. IF (and based on your actual tire size, this may not be) the current tires are larger in total diameter (tread to tread), then that is like having a higher gear ratio. A higher ratio means the engine is running at a lower RPM for a given speed and therefore lower on the power curve.
If the tire is significantly wider as well as a larger diameter, then you also have additional drag from the tires. Additional drag and being lower on the power curve will certainly affect performance. There could also be other issues due to the custom wheels such as wrong hub size which will feel like bent rims while driving and improper offset that can cause issues with your wheel bearings. Custom wheels CAN be done right if it is done by a professional that has had proper training.
But, sometimes cool comes at a price.
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Thanks for all the awesome education! The person I am dealing with, at the dealership’s accessory shop, is out for jury duty. Therefore I do not know if the dealership is going to completely cover the new tires which will be needed for the new wheels. The 2 front wheels are bent, from prior owner, so they are putting new wheels on (for high profile tires). I am still undecided regarding wheel size; back to factory 18" or go with 20". I understand performance will be affected with the 20" wheels. However, will the affected performance be significant or negligible? Additionally, if I get to choose my tires from a wide selection, any recommendations regarding manufacturer & model for very long wear & thick tread for snow?
Service department mechanic drove Pilot this AM & said they found no problems with transmission shifting or sluggishness. Will wait & see how vehicle performs after new wheels & tires because as of now the steering wheel vibration, at high speeds, is extremely annoying. Hoping the new, balanced wheels, will remedy that. Although I did read today that there is a problem with 2013 Honda Pilots vibrating at high speeds due to the VCM; poorly designed i assume.
Yes, I have driven a stick shift!!! Been driving one, till now, for the past 40 years. Had to say goodbye to that because I am stuck in rush hour traffic too frequently. Not to mention, my left lower leg is significantly larger than my right leg which is probably contributing to my back pain.
18 inch,That is what the vehicle came with. Honda knows what works best on their vehicles.
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It’s impossible to say without knowing what wheels we’re talking about. Not all 20" wheels weigh the same. Good ones focused on lightness might be around 25 pounds a wheel. A crappy one might double that weight.
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Performance change according to Car and Driver. They used a 1.6 VW golf : 15 inch wheels 0 to 60 7.6 seconds. 19 inch option 0 to 60 7.9 seconds. Not even enough difference to talk about.
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I doubt the accessory clerk has the authority to give away a set of tires, this will require something in writing from the sales department. The person that promised new wheels (size unknown) might be the one to approve the new tires.
A set of quality wheels cost about $1000 or more and quality tires $1000, this is a great expense for the sales department after the sale. These things need to be in writing at the time of sale.