Quote:
Originally Posted by Kathyo
I was told that the ride would be smoother.
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"smoother".. That concept is related to the overall diameter of the tire; and to the width of the sidewall.
A larger diameter tire normally would have a slightly larger contact patch with the road. It might not be as likely to react to uneven pavement to the same degree as a smaller tire. That is very minor though.
If the 8" diameter rim has a tire with wide sidewalls, but the 10" rim has a tire with a short sidewall then the diameter could be the same. Think of low rider cars, and the huge rims with very thin tires. Those are a terrible ride.
A wider sidewall will have better ability to flex. That is a smoother ride. A larger rim diameter might also trigger a smaller sidewall, and thus give a worse ride.
Lower air pressure will make the ride smoother. But then there are driveability concerns then come into play. Lowering pressure makes more of the tire sit on the road, and could make the tire less grippy because the load weight per square inch of rubber is lower.