Help with picking Rim size

[Satan]

I have 18s and love 'em...

OP, you did not say what your suspension mods are. If it's stock, I'd go with the 18s. If it's dropped, using Eibach springs, I'd still go 18.

The only way for you to do this right, is to see pics in the wheel thread and decide on the stance you want. Find out what sizes/offsets are being used and go from there.

This is sounding like you're going to order something that you may end up unhappy with.

Here's a link to mine... 18x8.5 front, 18x9.5 rears (35 offset all around)... Eibach springs/Tokico struts.

Good luck!
http://www.g099521.net/pics/MKIII_2x2k9.jpg

 

[kamikazemkiii]

18's are the sexiest for sure. i wouldnt mix up the profiles tho id keep it the same with just wider tires in the back

 

[honestabe]

Why would you get 17x7.5's? I won't go less an a 17x8.5 in the front and 17x9.5 in the rear. That's my current rim size, with +27 and +28 offsets. I'd stay away from 18" rims personally. The cost of tires gets pretty insane, especially if you have wide tires like me (245 up front and 275 in the back). Of all the rim sizes, I think 17" is ideal since you have the best selection of rims and tires, and the pricing is pretty decent too.

Don't cheap out on your tires, remember, they're the only thing preventing you from slaming into the car in front of you or the guard rail next to you. If I'm correct, I'd assume you have an N/A motor? If that's the case, having really wide tires in the rear isn't necessary, although it does look nice and still helps you stop better. Personally, I buy some of the best tires I can, which unfortunately come with a hefty price tag.

If I were you, I'd just get a new pair of tires to replace your bald tires and save up until you can get a full set of 17" rims with a decent set of tires. Example, my set of rims and tires cost me $1600 new, but the tires were more than half of that cost. My rims were only $130~ each.

 

[Satan]

^^ Tru. Look at TOTAL cost of ownership of whatever size you go with. The 18" tires are usually quite a bit more pricey than the 17" ones (19s will kill your wallet for sure).

So, using Excel (or whatever spreadsheet app U prefer)... Look at the size/fitment of the wheels you want, in the sizes you think you might want. Document the costs involved for each (shipping, lug nuts, etc). Select the tires you think you might want for each different size wheel (add mounting & balancing, etc) and put your package together.

Then you can decide if the price differences significantly impact your options and downselect from there.

 

[honestabe]

^^ Tru. Look at TOTAL cost of ownership of whatever size you go with. The 18" tires are usually quite a bit more pricey than the 17" ones (19s will kill your wallet for sure).

So, using Excel (or whatever spreadsheet app U prefer)... Look at the size/fitment of the wheels you want, in the sizes you think you might want. Document the costs involved for each (shipping, lug nuts, etc). Select the tires you think you might want for each different size wheel (add mounting & balancing, etc) and put your package together.

Then you can decide if the price differences significantly impact your options and downselect from there.

I got my wheels through discounttiredirect.com (my rims are their house brand), and if you buy a set of wheels with tires, they'll mount, balance, and ship them for free When I was doing my research to buy rims 2 years ago, the 16's were out of the question since I knew I wanted larger/better brakes in the future and that selection sucks, especially if you're looking for wide tires like I did. If I were to go to an 18" rim with the same size tires (except for lower profile sidewalls) my tire cost would increase by over $100 per tire.

In all my research, the 17" rims were the optimal size since they offered the best selection of tires and rims and the pricing was also respectable. That, and 17's (depending on the spoke design) can accomodate decent BBK's like the Arizona Performance BBK I have.

 

[hcorea]

Well I'm definetly not going 18'' it's stock suspension. And Ya 17'' is what I want but I don't care about offset and all this stuff I care about how the rims themselves look. I wanted black with red rims and these seemed nice. And all the 17'' are 17x7.5

I am interested in 17x8.5 on the front with 17x9.5 on the rears but I hate finding the rims that I like are never those sizes..

Would this be better?:http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findWheelDetail.do?bp=5-100&yr=1991&pc=49251&counter=1&wd=17&rw=7.5&vid=006535

 

[honestabe]

The bolt pattern won't work. 5x114.3 and 5x4.5 are the bolt patterns that fit the MKIII and MKIV. Don't use their thing that chooses the wheels based on your car, choose the wheels based on the size. You do know you can always have the rims painted right? IE find a design you like and then have them painted or powder coated to your liking. As far as offset goes, you really do need to care about it. The offset determines how far out or in your rims are, which determines what tire sizes you can get. IE, if you have an offset of +50 on a 17x7 rim it will be sunken in, but if you have the same rim with an offset of -10 you're wheels will stick out past the fenders a good bit (think 100 spoke daytons you see on low riders). Offset is very critical.

 

[Davismj711]

hcorea

Do yourself a big favor and "listen to the advice you have received thus far.

The sticky link you were given by poodles has a tire size calculator and an offset calculator. If you plug in your current stock size, and then play with the new tire size you can very closley match stock tire height and rotation. Thus making your speedo closer to accurate.

If you really dont care if your speedo is accurate, at least these calculators will help you determine if your offset, tire size and rim size will even fit on the car. It also will help you decide which way you prefer the tire and rim to be oriented with the body.

Use the tools and research some, or you may be very unhappy with your choice. An $800 wheel wont look to good if you cant even mount it.

 

[Hmong_1G]

I'm rocking 18" enkei Rp01. 18x8 in front and 18x9.5 in the back. Tires are (fronts) Continental Conti-sport contact 2 245/40/18 (rears) was 285/30/18 Pirelli P-zero rosso - Switching to 275/35/18 Toyo Proxes4 (for winter). I'm kinda a tire fanatic.

 

[steven89]

What do ya think about these?
http://www.rbwheels.com/index.php?m...d=2240&zenid=fe4860670a989c3f9ece3642bf32ba3a

I searched the discounttire site a lil, and couldnt find any staggered setups with the style rims you wanted.

 

[SupraMario]

Pandagarage.com or Rbwheels.com or hell search ebay for staggered wheels. You will find plenty.

 

[hcorea]

What do ya think about these?
http://www.rbwheels.com/index.php?m...d=2240&zenid=fe4860670a989c3f9ece3642bf32ba3a

I searched the discounttire site a lil, and couldnt find any staggered setups with the style rims you wanted.

omg those are perfect! Thanks man ya those are awesome and the offset for them is almost exactly equal to the stock offset which I like. Ya thanks for the help everybody i'm not the total car enthusiast so I'm not like totally into all this wheel width/offset/etc. But I like those rims is there any reason not to get them(other than personal taste)?

 

[steven89]

omg those are perfect! Thanks man ya those are awesome and the offset for them is almost exactly equal to the stock offset which I like. Ya thanks for the help everybody i'm not the total car enthusiast so I'm not like totally into all this wheel width/offset/etc. But I like those rims is there any reason not to get them(other than personal taste)?

Well, theyre used; but thats what RBwheels does.. Sell you rims imported from Japan. They can refinish the rims to whatever color and look as if new if you want. Of course they charge for that.
But no, there's no reason that I can see to not get them. Unless you're against having JDM tyte stuff. :sarcasm:

 

[91T breezen']

I won't go less an a 17x8.5 in the front and 17x9.5 in the rear. That's my current rim size, with +27 and +28 offsets

:umno:They don't make your rims in those sizes! Or, did you have them widened?

Size

15"

15X7 4-100 35GM

16"

16X7 4-100 38GM 16X7 4-100 38BR 16X7 5-114.3 43GM 16X7 5-114.3 43BR

17"

17X7 4-100 38GM 17X7 5-100 48BR 17X7 5-100 48GM 17X7 5-114.3 43GM 17X7 5-114.3 43BR 17X8 5-100 46GM 17X8 5-100 46BR 17X8 5-114.3 28BR 17X8 5-114.3 42GM

Size

17"

continued

17X8 5-114.3 42BR 17X8 5-114.3 28GM 17X9 5-114.3 27BR 17X9 5-114.3 17BR 17X9 5-114.3 27GM 17X9 5-114.3 17GM

 

[honestabe]

I guess I mistook my rim size. I'm looking at the receipt and the are 17x9 +27 and 17x8 +28. Mind you I bought my rims in December 2007. And to think I was thinking my rims were 1/2" wider this whole time, lol.