17" or 18" Wheels ?

[Davismj711]

What are the advantages/disadvantages of going with a 17" wheel compared to an 18" ? Or vice versa.

It seems that if ride is set at a premium then the taller sidewall on the 17" would give a better (softer) ride.

Thanks for any and all input...

Ian are you selling those sweet looking wheels you posted in my last thread ??

 

[87M-GTE]

16" FTW!!!

It all depends on what you want from your car. A thicker sidewall is better for launching, traction, grip, ride quality, etc....

 

[rtrdpenguin]

I like 17s. The smaller wheels are lighter, and rubber is cheaper =) Plus big ones look kind of goofy if they're oversized... the only real problem you'll run into with smaller wheels is not enough space for brake upgrades.

 

[shenronzero]

like he said its all about personal preference... also you have to take your driving and road conditions into a big consideration. if you drive like a jackass, and im not saying you do, go with a smaller wheel. if you drive nice and stay off roads with pot wholes go bigger. lets also put it this way. 16'' rims equals about 4'' of tire. 17'' rims is about 3'' of tire. 18'' is only about 2'' of tire.

so think about it and be honest then make a decision

 

[Davismj711]

Appreciate the input so far.

ShenRon, I don't drive like a jackass, but if one were to do so wouldn't the 18" be an upgrade in handling ?

Perhaps we need to discuss wheel width along with diameter ?

So smaller = more tire which = better ride.

What type of width would be recommended for a 16" or 17" wheel ?

 

[IJ.]

If I had to do it again I'd go 17's with taller profile tires the 18's/35 series are prone to killing wheels on our roads
(I have a stack taller than me of dead ones)

 

[upgradedsupra]

Both :icon_bigg

 

[shenronzero]

Appreciate the input so far.

ShenRon, I don't drive like a jackass, but if one were to do so wouldn't the 18" be an upgrade in handling ?

Perhaps we need to discuss wheel width along with diameter ?

So smaller = more tire which = better ride.

What type of width would be recommended for a 16" or 17" wheel ?

well lets see... if your standard 16'' rim is 6.5'' wide i would say a 7.5'' or 8'' wide tire would be good. but you also have to think about it this way too. if you dont have enough HP/torque along with the wide tire it may cause problems, most likely it wont but it may.

becasue now you have a wider tire, you have more surface area to move as well. so if you dont have the HP/torque to move it it may be a bad idea. if your car is stock i would go no wider than 8''.

 

[foreverpsycotic]

16s here, and when I drive the car, I love it. 16x8 and 16x9, with 225s up front and 245s out back. Someday soon, I will be using 225s up front with 275s out back, but that is after I graduate.

 

[Sawbladz]

16s here, and when I drive the car, I love it. 16x8 and 16x9, with 225s up front and 245s out back. Someday soon, I will be using 225s up front with 275s out back, but that is after I graduate.

Who makes a 275 for a 16" wheel that isn't a competition tire? When I was looking such a tire did not exist. For this reason I feel the 16" wheel size is limited by tire availability.

I like my 17's because I think they suit the car. 18's are the max I think is suitable for the Mk3. I hope my 17's can clear the ARZ big brakes or else I may need to replace my rims in the future.

 

[cool chuck]

17s are a good compromise. Generally lighter with more tire choices. They are also less expensive than the 18s.