tsyGT Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 This may sound like a dumb question, but what's the advantage (other than looks :D ) of going with bigger wheels? Doesn't that make the wheel heavier and increase rotational inertia? Shouldn't a low profile equivalent width tire be better (acceleration/fuel economy) and handle just as well? I was thinking of upgrading my wheels (and tires) and while I'm not a racer I'd like to autox and do some laps around a track nearby (not seriously competitive though). I also like the 'sleeper' look and am trying to make my car look as unassuming as possible. So I don't need huge rims for 'looks' (although I think 18s look better) Thanks tom tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rao Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 None - stick with the stock 17s Rob IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CAR YOU SHOULD NEVER DRIVE IT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxerGT2.5 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Some will say the only advantage is looks. Others will argue that your putting a bigger patch of rubber :lol: on the ground with a wider rim/tire. But honestly its mainly for looks. Put some 20in spinners and go pimp it...:) OBAMA......One Big Ass Mistake America! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trent Bates Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 I blame it on a deep seated and unconcious response to what children have seen from Hot Wheels and Matchbox the last few generations. Almost all of their wheels are way too big for the cars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rao Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Not bigger, just wider ;) Spinners are a different matter entirely, they make you car outperform ANYTHING on the road, except for a car with other spinners and then the fatstest car is based on wheel diameter :lol: Anybody see the spinner hubcaps yet? They are the BEST Rob IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CAR YOU SHOULD NEVER DRIVE IT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 [quote name='rao']None - stick with the stock 17s[/QUOTE] How about some really lightweight 17" like SSR Comps? :p Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Only reason anyone SHOULD go with bigger wheels is when they have REALLY BIG Brakes. Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxerGT2.5 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 [quote name='Trent Bates']I blame it on a deep seated and unconcious response to what children have seen from Hot Wheels and Matchbox the last few generations. Almost all of their wheels are way too big for the cars![/QUOTE] The ricers are putting plastic wheels on their cars now??? :lol: OBAMA......One Big Ass Mistake America! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxerGT2.5 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 [quote name='rao']Not bigger, just wider ;) Spinners are a different matter entirely, they make you car outperform ANYTHING on the road, except for a car with other spinners and then the fatstest car is based on wheel diameter :lol: Anybody see the spinner hubcaps yet? They are the BEST[/QUOTE] Oh yeah they do....and then you go get yourself some big ole 18' woofers in the rear for propulsion. You'll be friggin flying. OBAMA......One Big Ass Mistake America! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsyGT Posted October 21, 2004 Author Share Posted October 21, 2004 [quote name='Xenonk']How about some really lightweight 17" like SSR Comps? :p Keefe[/QUOTE] Keefe, I was thinking about a set of those. Are they strong? Anyone ever break one? There's always a trade off between strength and weight. Also, what's the widest tire you could mount on it for the track? BTW, thanks for doing all the stuff to your car. It gives me a lot of ideas. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get them past my wife! (perhaps the real reason for the 'sleeper' look!) :lol: tom tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsyGT Posted October 21, 2004 Author Share Posted October 21, 2004 [quote name='BoxerGT2.5']Some will say the only advantage is looks. Others will argue that your putting a bigger patch of rubber :lol: on the ground with a wider rim/tire. But honestly its mainly for looks. Put some 20in spinners and go pimp it...:)[/QUOTE] YEEAAAHHH!!! Thanks for the idea!!!!! :lol: Do those things stop spinning when they get dirty? Do you have to oil them? Have any children been maimed by them? I would mount them but I'm worried about my kids. :lol: tom tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxerGT2.5 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 [quote name='tsyGT']Keefe, I was thinking about a set of those. Are they strong? Anyone ever break one? There's always a trade off between strength and weight. Also, what's the widest tire you could mount on it for the track? BTW, thanks for doing all the stuff to your car. It gives me a lot of ideas. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get them past my wife! (perhaps the real reason for the 'sleeper' look!) :lol: tom[/QUOTE] SSR Comps are strong. I had them on my Rx-8 and loved them. Don't get me wrong they will bend like any other wheel out there. Lemme clue you in on a little secret about the wife thing.....DON'T TELL HER! OBAMA......One Big Ass Mistake America! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsyGT Posted October 21, 2004 Author Share Posted October 21, 2004 [quote name='BoxerGT2.5']SSR Comps are strong. I had them on my Rx-8 and loved them. Don't get me wrong they will bend like any other wheel out there. Lemme clue you in on a little secret about the wife thing.....DON'T TELL HER![/QUOTE] :lol: That's why it can't be too obvious! (she would definitely notice 20" spinners) :D thanks for the info. I think I'll get a set for the summer and track. tom tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 [quote name='tsyGT']Keefe, I was thinking about a set of those. Are they strong? Anyone ever break one? There's always a trade off between strength and weight. Also, what's the widest tire you could mount on it for the track? tom[/QUOTE] SSR = Strong enough for street use IF you have the right tire sizing and tire pressures. I have heard and seen a lot of BMW guys with SSRs bending rims cuz of the super low profile tires they use and not enough tire pressure. Anyone can bend a rim, even a steel one. Having a Semi-forged rim and full forged rim (like Fikse) is the way to have the best of both worlds (lightweight and strength). SSRs are strong, just take well care of them and they will take care of you [just like any other rim]. Fikse is probably the most reputable forged wheels to get and even their 18"x8" is 18 lbs. Anything lighter than that, and you'll lose structural integrity. For the track, it depends on what you want to run with (17"s or 18"s or even 19"s and width of anywhere from 7"s to 9"). There's a lot of advantages and disadvantages to going with "bigger" rims. If a car runs 205/75/15 tires stock, there is a darn good reason to go with lighter, wider, and possibly taller tires for better performance. For example: if a stock car has 205/75/15 tires on a 15"x7" heavy steel rim with a lot of fender clearance.. I dont see why anyone WOULDNT want to go with something like a 285/30/17 tire with a 17"x10" forged lightweight rim to put some rubber on the road.. you can also help on gearing by your choice of putting more torque to the ground (smaller overall diameter tires, for this case, run a 245/40/17 tire) or more gearing for more mph per gear (like a 285/30/17 tire). From my experience, I like to run with the wider tires on the track than I do in autocrossing.. just that in autocrossing, I dont want to carry the additional weight and a smaller overall diameter tire is better for torque.. on the track, I want to put taller tires because of gearing issues (I want the most out of each gear) [this also explains the GT only doing 5.8 seconds from 0-60.. 2nd gear only tops off at 58mph.. so if you use a taller tire, 2nd gear could hit 61 mph so that would cut down the 0-60mph time without the need to shift into 3rd]. For the GT's case, both of my tires are oversized (more than stock) but the Autocrossing setup is the smaller diameter of the two. Too wide of a tire in both cases wont get the tire warm enough across the whole contact patch.. I think for both cases, a set of 245s would be wide enough and a set of 8" or 8.5" rims would be good enough to hold the tire in place. A set of wide 225s feels good as well. usually, the wider the tire, the more weight you would gain than upsizing the rim. Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonlgt Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 do you know if any 225 tire fits with LGT stock wheels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agctr Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 Fine mine it would have to do with stability, cornering and stance. The car on the stock 17"'s from behind look like wagon wheels. Even though from the MY01 - MY03, the tyre size is up a whole inch, it still could go a lot more. The WRX and GT are two totally different cars in the way they corner and there ability to get the power down to the road meaning, the GT could be make to handle and look a lot meaner. Adam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 [quote name='jasonlgt']do you know if any 225 tire fits with LGT stock wheels?[/QUOTE] Yes, it does, you can fit a 225/45/17 tire on stock wheels. I put Race Compound Dunlop Tires on my stock rims. Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tallguylehigh Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 I think one of the proelbms with wheel sizes is that car manufacturers are making wheel wells much much larger than the rubber and wheels that do inside of them. For me the Legacy looks really good with the 17 inch wheels, the stance is nice and I dont really see a need for improvement. But to each their own. However, Honda and I think Infinity are notorious for oversizing their wheelwells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drift Monkey Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 The Spec B comes with 18s for a reason. Stiffer sidewalls with a larger diameter wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsyGT Posted October 24, 2004 Author Share Posted October 24, 2004 [quote name='Drift Monkey']The Spec B comes with 18s for a reason. Stiffer sidewalls with a larger diameter wheel.[/QUOTE] But is a 225/40-18 going to be noticeably stiffer than a 215/45-17? It's sounds like the general consensus is there's not much performance increase going from a 17 to an 18. It sure looks better though. ;) Thanks guys tom tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c_hunter Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 Tom, one downside of 18" wheels is that you are more likely to bend a wheel if you hit a pothole or something. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 [quote name='tsyGT']But is a 225/40-18 going to be noticeably stiffer than a 215/45-17? It's sounds like the general consensus is there's not much performance increase going from a 17 to an 18. It sure looks better though. ;) tom[/QUOTE] The idea is that you can get a faster steering feedback when running on 18". Aother reason of why people "should" be upsizing on the rim is for brake caliper clearance issues.. other than that, you want the smallest rim that can fit over your brakes as possible.. there's no sense in getting something that is oversized unless you want to vent out some air from the brakes. But it really depends on what you are doing with the car.. and what kind of "performance" you are looking for when you got with your rim diameter choice. If you are looking out to rip some pavement off the ground, go as wide as possible and as light as possible. Your rim diameter also determines your tire choices.. some performance tires dont come in particular sizing (like a 275/25/17 doesnt exist, but a 255/35/18 does). Overall, 225/40/18 is abundant now.. and it's more popular than a 215/45/17... a 225/45/17 has a lot more choices in tires for better grip. I like to run 18" rims cuz I like to minimize as much tirewall flex as possible. It gives me an understanding of when I am putting too much steering input into the car. If the GT track cars could get away with running with 17" rims, they would, but they have huge brakes and it's hard to find a 17"x11" rim with race tires to go with them.. so they go with larger sizings. Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 [quote name='c_hunter']Tom, one downside of 18" wheels is that you are more likely to bend a wheel if you hit a pothole or something. Craig[/QUOTE] Not if you get the right tire with the right weight capacity and check for tire pressures to prevent most of the blown tires from happening.. Just be more careful when you see a pothole, dont fly over it like it's some kind of rally-rut in the course, err, public road. Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnSub Posted October 25, 2004 Share Posted October 25, 2004 Why bigger wheels or tires for street driving? Leaving track considerations behind and looking at street driving, quite a few people, including some press have said that the LegGT steering feels just a bit light. All seem to like the responsive steering ratio, but it is a "feel" issue that will likely be improved by a "slightly" larger wheel/tire combo. Running a 17/225/45 or 18/225/40 would likely provide a heavier steering feel. Yes you loose a bit of of offline performance, but you gain a few things in feel and handling. I have new 18/7.5 Prodrive P1s waiting for my LegGT to be delivered. Most likely will be putting Toyo Proxie 4s on them. Only 2.5 weeks to wait if Suby date is correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtguy Posted October 25, 2004 Share Posted October 25, 2004 Buh-ling. Tire sidewall stiffness varies from tire to tire. A 45-series sidewall in one tire can be stiffer than a 40-series sidewall in another tire. 18s look cool, to be sure. As mentioned, downsides are rough roads, potholes, etc. I personally see no advantage to 18s. To get them light enough costs much money, and you have to be careful over speed bumps, potholes, etc. I recall the much-discussed Sport Compact Car test, where they took the same car with a 16, 17 and 18" wheel, same tire, etc, and did a series of tests. The 17 was the best mix, in terms of not costing that much time in the 0-60 run, but still handling well on the track. Of course, if you run a superlight 18 you can negate some of the weight disadvantages, but folks like me who don't like slowing down over potholes, etc, might find our style cramped. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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