Please post pics of your Yaris with aftermarket rims here

[Captain Yaris]

Thanks guys, your opinion is appreciated greatly! Now I just want to drop it about 1-1.5 inches, put high performance struts/dampers, and a rear sway bar on. I think that will finish off the stance nicely. I don't know if its's the tires themselves or the width of the wheel but I do notice more wandering on some road surfaces. I haven't checked the speedo yet to see how much its off but the mpg has increased about 3 mpg, which I can't explain as I am coming from stock steelies and tires. I have noticed a little less pep due to the new increase in weight.

[kimona]

Originally Posted by Captain Yaris

Thanks guys, your opinion is appreciated greatly! Now I just want to drop it about 1-1.5 inches, put high performance struts/dampers, and a rear sway bar on. I think that will finish off the stance nicely. I don't know if its's the tires themselves or the width of the wheel but I do notice more wandering on some road surfaces. I haven't checked the speedo yet to see how much its off but the mpg has increased about 3 mpg, which I can't explain as I am coming from stock steelies and tires. I have noticed a little less pep due to the new increase in weight.

^^^ When I changed my OEM 185/60/15's to 205/50/16's on my 2007, the MPG's dropped a bit as well, but the speedo was suddenly dead on. (The speedo was not accurate out of the box).

I initially installed Nitto NeoGens (which handled extremely well), but the car seemed to follow the uneven and scratched road surfaces at lower speeds and wandered terribly on the highway at higher speeds... even more so than with the OEM junk. So I began experimenting with tread patterns and found that lower speed tracking and higher speed wander could be reduced or completely eliminated depending on the tread pattern.

Just by looking at the left rear tyre on your car, I can see that the pattern is not one I would install on my Yaris; those tyres will tend to drive the car for you as you fight to maintain control.

[Captain Yaris]

Great info Kimona. I was a little afraid of that after I started driving it home. It's not horrible wander, but I definitely notice that I have to pay attention to what I'm doing. I'll keep the tires for a couple of years and then I'll need new tires again so I'll go a different route at that time. What type of tire works best with our cars? A softer directional? I chose these tires because I felt that they'd work best during our rainy season. I guess it's live and learn, but I'm completely satisfied with this car, if anything it's these little nuances that make it more interesting. Thanks again!

[kimona]

Originally Posted by Captain Yaris

Great info Kimona. I was a little afraid of that after I started driving it home. It's not horrible wander, but I definitely notice that I have to pay attention to what I'm doing. I'll keep the tires for a couple of years and then I'll need new tires again so I'll go a different route at that time. What type of tire works best with our cars? A softer directional? I chose these tires because I felt that they'd work best during our rainy season. I guess it's live and learn, but I'm completely satisfied with this car, if anything it's these little nuances that make it more interesting. Thanks again!

It was when I was living in Florida that I began experimenting with tyres. Here's what I found: avoid aggressive tread patterns and always look for a wide, continuous centre rib to improve straight-line tracking. Also, I understand that tyres with high silica content contribute to superior wet and dry handling.