rim size

[deuce bigelow]

new to the car purchasing and hoping someone can help with the pros/cons to 15" vs 16/17" rims?

thx

[davidI]

Pro's to 17's - Look Hot
Con to 17's - Cost a lot

[davidI]

oh yea, and weight too....you can pick up lightweight 17's but it's more $$$

[deuce bigelow]

are there performance issues??

[FiveFreshFish]

Don't forget that the tires to go with your rims also get more expensive with larger diameters. You also need to consider the offset and how your handling will be affected.

Another thing to think about is with larger rims, your brakes will look puny. More $$$ to upgrade to big brakes!

[ninspeed]

Buying larger rim may sometimes help performace, or in some cases make the car a little slower. There are a few things you wanna look at.

1. Weight. The lighter the rim, the less loss in power there is. Unsprung weight is your rim/tire/brakes.
2. Roling Radius. You can slap on 16/17 ect, and it can change your roling radius if you dont put the proper tire on. Put a smaller tire on, faster acceleration, but slower top speed, (or is it vice versa?? cant rember now)
3. Your tire selection. you can put a smaller profile tire on a larger rim and not have the chasis rubbing the ground, and your wheel gap does not look like ass. smaller profile (vs. a 70, or 60 profile) means less flex in the tire, and more of the tire is contactin the road/surface.
4. Looks.. 15's dont look as good as 16's or 17's :D (And then there is me with my nice old 14's)

[Hipermax_d]

15's give you a little more comfort
17's let you feel more bumps on the road
15's rubbers are cheap
17's are expensive

might as well get a size around 16's. but its up to you

[schlong8]

U have to remember that the size of the rim also affects the gearing of the car.

smaller diameter results in greater acceleration, while
larger diameters result in slower acceleration but higher top speeds.

This is to a minor effect but it still is a difference.

[FiveFreshFish]

Originally posted by schlong8
U have to remember that the size of the rim also affects the gearing of the car.

smaller diameter results in greater acceleration, while
larger diameters result in slower acceleration but higher top speeds.

This is to a minor effect but it still is a difference.


Actually, it's the height of the tire that affects this, not the rim's diameter.

[SpoonEK9@STRD]

17 inch tires are dirt cheap.

[missblondie]

17's are way bumpier... but they look good, so that is all that matters. Depends on the rubber you put on them too.

[schlong8]

Originally posted by FiveFreshFish



Actually, it's the height of the tire that affects this, not the rim's diameter.

Yah, caught my mistake. Replace "RIM" in my post w/ "sidewall" and it'll be right.