Discuss!

 

Lighter wheel

Lighter tire

Equals

Much better performance without the extremely hard ride of the 18's.

 

For go fast, choose 17 or even 16 as light as you can get. 18's are more for looks than anything, but they're no slouches either. For any driving on the street, all will work fine with the only difference being ride comfort. I have 215/40-18 Hankook Ventus V12's on my JCW wheels and I'm perfectly happy with them.

 

I had 18" Enkei RP07's when I bought my MINI. After replacing one of the front axles, I was told the front rims were slightly bent. The only time I noticed, was when I "took off" from a dead stop.
I replaced them with 17" Enkei EDR9's, and the ride is MUCH smoother. I loved the look of the 18" since my MINI has been lowered, but the mountain roads around here in Northern Colorado get a lot of weather, and therefore are HORRIBLE! I'm in the middle of a move to of all places, Las Vegas, and I'm considering going back to 18".
For looks 18", But for a daily driver 17" or smaller.

 

I'm going for lightweight 15's when I wear out my current tires, I think.

 

15's for the win. supa dupa light!

 

Thanks for all the replies. I think I have decided on 17' O.Z Ultraleggeras. At about 16 lbs. each, that's pretty light.

http://youtu.be/8xb-1yGI9Dg

 

I was looking at the 18" oz wheels, but due to financial constraints, I went with the 17" Enkei EDR9's.
Looking forward to pics once you get them on!!

 

Oh, I will for sure. I hope to have them before MTTS in July.

 

Don't forget to consider the tire weight, it is the combination that affects the performance. Also, farther from the center has more effect as it needs to be accelerated and decelerated more than at the center. So, a lighter tire with a slightly heavier rim might be better in terms of rotational mass characteristics.

 

That's a good point too. All things to think about while saving. ha!

 

When searching for rims I've always found it difficult to get accurate wheel specs from various wheel and tire manufacturers especially when it comes to weight of a wheel or tire.

 

You have to decide if looks are more important that performance.
The only argument for big dia wheels as far a performance goes is to allow larger brakes. Unsprung weight impedes acceleration and braking. You need to look at the overall weight of the wheel and tire assembly. You want the mass of the wheel to in the center (near the hub) with a minimum weight tire for best acceleration and stopping performance. The outer dia of the tire determines the size of the contact patch and the larger the outer tire dia the greater the patch (for the same width of tire). Altering the outer tire dia changes the torque and ride height. If you want more torque and a lower CG you can use smaller outer dia tires and they will not be as heavy (if you choose well). You will notice that your car will appear to travel more miles than before if you reduce the outside tire dia. Smaller overall dia tires produce less wind drag. Tire compound, tread pattern and side wall are responsible for grip and steering response. Lower tire wear tires usually have better grip.

 

Is it possible to run 17 in rims and tires on the front and 18 in rims and tires on the rear , I know I get the run flats with the new order but I want to buy a spare set up for a different look and ride your thoughts?
Thanks for the advice in advance

 

It would not only set the tires pressure monitors in a freaken tizzy but would also upset the traction control. I really don't think it would work to any advantage on a front wheel drive car except get some laughs when the car people run into you at an event or just tooling around.

If you could find rear tires with the same exact outer circumference as the front tires it would probably work OK but will still get you some laughs.

 

Provided you choose a tire diameter that is equal or roughly equal, it won't make any difference to the traction control system. The TPMS on R56's uses a pressure sensor in the wheel, so if you have the correct sensor, it won't care either.

Ex: (just numbers, but you can find the actual data.)

Say stock wheels are 17" with 205-45-17 tires. with a circumfrence of 24.3"

You could use a 18" wheel with a 205-40-18 tire with a circ of 24.5" and have no issues at all.