Why 16s and 17s are so good on most e34s?

[CharlesAFerg]

I used to feel the same way with my 15" bottlecaps. Earlier this year I installed the Sachs performance kit and last week I installed some E39 BBS Stlyle 5 - 17 x 8" using the hubcentric rings and WOW! What a difference. The ride is smooth and the performance in turns feels like 10x better.

Hey cool you did the same as me!
Except I'm going to install the sachs kit within about 2 weeks.

The bottlecaps rode great, but what really is an issue for me was the width of the tire, you could slide around anywhere and there was severe sidewall flex if you tried to corner at all lol...

If you drive like a grandpa and NEVER even attept to have fun in a corner, they're great because you will get better mpg - otherwise the style 5s.
I did notice a moderate change in ride quality, so you will be giving that up, even without a sport suspension, which as i said ebfore i haven't applied yet.
Ride quality suffers, but holy hell, i can tell my car sticks to the road better including less understeer, even without new suspension parts.

[Brandon J]

i went from 15" basketweaves to 17" throwing stars and you can feel more bumps on the road. the ride isn't better but it grips at higher levels.

Hey, I remember us talking and how I was asking about your suspension upgrades. Didn't you use H&Rs and konis? With huge swabars. When we were talking I said to you before the H&Rs are stiff and the swaybars you have are too large. The bars are transmitting too much energy towards the other wheel. You lose some of that indpendent suspension. I bet if you change the swaybars you will see a big difference. What sizes were your swaybars and who makes them?

[BigKriss]

Thats right H&R and Konis, I inflate my tyres to 40psi front and rear with the 15"s and 17"s, I have whiteline adjustable swaybars, 27mm for the front and 22mm for the rear. They are both on the soft setting. I threw out my old swaybars, so I don't want purchase new (smaller / oem) ones again though. I did notice more grip though when I changed the rear swaybar, that was two years after i changed the front one and I had to get the rear swaybar mounts reweled and reinforced and one side completely broke off and the other side almost broke off also.

Hey, I remember us talking and how I was asking about your suspension upgrades. Didn't you use H&Rs and konis? With huge swabars. When we were talking I said to you before the H&Rs are stiff and the swaybars you have are too large. The bars are transmitting too much energy towards the other wheel. You lose some of that indpendent suspension. I bet if you change the swaybars you will see a big difference. What sizes were your swaybars and who makes them?