Hi,

I find the ride in my 2016 Focus MK3.5 Titanium to be a little too on the bumpy side, I have had the suspension, tyres etc checked and found to be okay.

What I am thinking to do is fit larger profile tyres, I currently have 205/55/R16' s fitted. What I would like to know is if anyone else has done this and what was the outcome.

Were there any problems with the speedo accuracy, was there any problem with the tyre catching in the wheel arch and what was the largest profile that could be fitted.

I would prefer not to change the size of the rims.

Any advise will be appreciated.

Best regards,

TECHY7

Does your door sticker list that size?  The pre-facelift Mk3's came with 215/55/16 so it's possible that someone fitted the smaller size.

16's are the smallest rim size that Mk3 came with and 55 is already a chunky profile.  You might get away with 215/60/16 but I doubt you could go any more than that without rubbing.

As Tom says, 55 is high profile by today's standards. Other way to go to get a higher profile while keeping a similar diameter would be a narrower 185/60x16 but I wouldn't recommend it.

Have a play with a tyre calculator such as this:

https://tiresize.com/tyre-size-calculator/

3 hours ago, TECHY7 said:

205/55/R16'

Hi Ken, @TECHY7 I might be about to teach your granny how to suck eggs as the saying goes (or at least in my part of the world).

Using the above example of the tyre size the 205 is the width of the tread in millimeters, the 55 is the height of the side wall, it is a percentage of the width of the tread which in this case is 112.75mm, and of course R16 is the rim size in inches, just to add a bit excitement to tyre sizes.

So if the original tyres were as Tom suggests 215/55/R16 the increase in tread width would result in an increase in the height of the side wall to 118.25m

Using the tyre size suggested by Roger 185/60/R16 would reduce the tread width to 185mm and give a side wall height of only 111.0mm which would actually be a reduction in the size of the wall.

I apologise if I'm telling you something you already know.

Hi Ken. So you say the ride in your focus is bumpy? Firstly I find that very surprising. 

How long have you had this car? What are the roads like where you suffer the bumpy ride? Have you experienced the bumpy ride in any other car you've been in?

Playing about with tyre sizes is futile. I say this because I've had low profile tyres on large diameter rims and the ride was compliant. No bumps unless a pothole was hit.

You say you've had the suspension and tyres checked. Who did the checking? I Hope you don't say halfords. 

I suspect the suspension is at fault. Possibly dampers on the way out. Get a 2nd and 3rd opinion for your issue. 

 

4 hours ago, tazzman600 said:

I say this because I've had low profile tyres on large diameter rims and the ride was compliant.

Yes, debates on this seem to continue on most car forums. It often strikes me that Alpina BMWs are generally praised for their ride over BMW M and M-Sport versions, yet they have 20" rims so other factors are obviously involved.

My prime suspect is always road condition - and particularly "dressed" roads which are prevalent round my way.

I found the Mk3 Titanium too rough riding as well.  It replaced a Mk2.5 Titanium so I had a direct comparison between them.

The suspension is firmer on the Mk3.  It did handle better, so that's probably why...but people buying Titanium's want comfort, not handling! 

The seats are also firmer on the Mk3.  That's a safety requirement unfortunately, to stop people slipping under the seatbelt in the event of a crash.  It means that more of the bumps and vibrations are transferred directly to your body instead of being soaked up by the seat foam.

I ended up swapping the Mk3 for a same age, but much higher mileage Golf.  The ride on that was much better, almost identical to the Mk2.5 Focus.

Stupidly, I then bought a Mk4 Focus...and the ride on that was again too firm, and the seats were too hard!!  (That's also gone, and replaced with another Golf).  Hopefully I've learnt not to buy any more Focus's now...but it's hard to break a habit.  

14 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

I found the Mk3 Titanium too rough riding as well.  It replaced a Mk2.5 Titanium so I had a direct comparison between them.

Yes, I had a Mk 2.5 Titanium and found that had a decent ride. Never warmed to the Mk 3, although I didn't find the ones I tried (Zetec S and Titanium) particularly uncomfortable either.

But as I'm forever saying, we're all different and possibly the only answer is to try as many cars as possible to find one that suits your requirements best. Of recent test drives, the current Toyota Corolla stands out in my mind as one that rode well, and still cornered without too much roll.

WOW I'm surprised how some find the ride of a mk3 focus 'hard'. I've had 2 titanium x 1.6 diesels. One a 62 plate and the other a 64 plate. Both were super compliant. Soaked up bumps really well. My current 65 plate zetec s is surprisingly compliant. 

This is certainly a weird one where a bumpy ride in one car is a compliant one in a similar model car.

16 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Does your door sticker list that size? 

Yes, it would be helpful to know that. I've seen references to both 205/55x16 and 215/55x16 as standard fits on the Mk 3 but the latter would give a useful.increase in sidewall as Unofix mentioned earlier.

4 minutes ago, tazzman600 said:

WOW I'm surprised how some find the ride of a mk3 focus 'hard'. 

As my post above - we humans are not standard and bum sensitivity varies greatly!😀

54 minutes ago, tazzman600 said:

WOW I'm surprised how some find the ride of a mk3 focus 'hard'. I've had 2 titanium x 1.6 diesels. One a 62 plate and the other a 64 plate. Both were super compliant. Soaked up bumps really well. My current 65 plate zetec s is surprisingly compliant. 

This is certainly a weird one where a bumpy ride in one car is a compliant one in a similar model car.

It's a personal opinion rather than a quantifiable fact.  We don't all sense the world in the same way.

I do have specific health issues that make a smooth ride an absolute necessity, but without going so far as to create a lot of bounce or roll, so I am very sensitive to ride comfort and notice small changes that others either don't notice or find acceptable.

Given your job, I'm not surprised that you have a wider range of acceptable comfort levels.  

17 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Does your door sticker list that size?  The pre-facelift Mk3's came with 215/55/16 so it's possible that someone fitted the smaller size.

16's are the smallest rim size that Mk3 came with and 55 is already a chunky profile.  You might get away with 215/60/16 but I doubt you could go any more than that without rubbing.

Thanks for the reply Tom,

Yes the door sticker does list 205/55/R16, though the owners manual seems to suggest that either that or 215/55/R16 can be used.

1 hour ago, TECHY7 said:

Thanks for the reply Tom,

Yes the door sticker does list 205/55/R16, though the owners manual seems to suggest that either that or 215/55/R16 can be used.

Ah, that's interesting.  I'm not sure what decided each size in that case. 

The sticker is a little misleading, as it appears to suggest that 205 is for 1.0 and 215 is for 1.5 at first glance, but that's not what it means.  It's just different pressures for 2.0 TDCI compared to all other engines.

So you can definitely fit 215/55/16 which will give some extra sidewall.  Anything larger than that would be an unknown risk.

19 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

As Tom says, 55 is high profile by today's standards. Other way to go to get a higher profile while keeping a similar diameter would be a narrower 185/60x16 but I wouldn't recommend it.

Have a play with a tyre calculator such as this:

https://tiresize.com/tyre-size-calculator/

Thanks for the reply,

The sizes you list would actually give a slightly lower profile.

Thanks for the calculator, very interesting.

Regards,

Ken.

16 hours ago, unofix said:

Hi Ken, @TECHY7 I might be about to teach your granny how to suck eggs as the saying goes (or at least in my part of the world).

Using the above example of the tyre size the 205 is the width of the tread in millimeters, the 55 is the height of the side wall, it is a percentage of the width of the tread which in this case is 112.75mm, and of course R16 is the rim size in inches, just to add a bit excitement to tyre sizes.

So if the original tyres were as Tom suggests 215/55/R16 the increase in tread width would result in an increase in the height of the side wall to 118.25m

Using the tyre size suggested by Roger 185/60/R16 would reduce the tread width to 185mm and give a side wall height of only 111.0mm which would actually be a reduction in the size of the wall.

I apologise if I'm telling you something you already know.

Hi Unofix,

Thanks for taking the time and trouble of sending the description and explanation of the tyre  sizes.

Yes I am aware of their meaning, but I appreciate your advise.

Regards,

Ken. 

17 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

It's a personal opinion rather than a quantifiable fact.  We don't all sense the world in the same way.

I do have specific health issues that make a smooth ride an absolute necessity, but without going so far as to create a lot of bounce or roll, so I am very sensitive to ride comfort and notice small changes that others either don't notice or find acceptable.

Given your job, I'm not surprised that you have a wider range of acceptable comfort levels.  

Hi Tom. Since you have health issues and require a smooth driving car I strongly recommend you get rid of your Ford and buy a 4th gen Lexus GS. Why? Coz being in one of those is ultra comfortable and you absolutely do not feel any road conditions. 

There are a couple different engines but mainly hybrid. No you can't buy one new but as a 2nd hand car they're unbeatable. I'd have one but I don't need a big car.

4 hours ago, tazzman600 said:

Hi Tom. Since you have health issues and require a smooth driving car I strongly recommend you get rid of your Ford and buy a 4th gen Lexus GS. Why? Coz being in one of those is ultra comfortable and you absolutely do not feel any road conditions. 

There are a couple different engines but mainly hybrid. No you can't buy one new but as a 2nd hand car they're unbeatable. I'd have one but I don't need a big car.

That's your opinion again though!  

 

(Don't want to take this thread off-topic but those health conditions have now completely stopped me driving or being able to take any form of transport for the past 2 years.  I've made many threads on many forums about changing to ever smoother vehicles over the years, and always found that other peoples opinions did not match my experiences, so I don't bother asking for opinions any more.  )

Oh. I didn't know that Tom. Sorry if I caused any negativity to you.