Performance and ride

[noah1551]

What is the best size rim for performance and ride

16's, 17's, or 18's

 

[AndrewGS]

I like 17"s for a good balance of ride and handling.


Tapatalking on my iPhone 6.

 

[TheGreenDragon]

It really depends on what you intend to do with the car.

The larger and wider the rim you mount on the car, the more weight you are adding which negatively affects acceleration. Smaller sidewalls from larger rims running low-profile tires also negatively affect the ride quality. Larger rims also transfer more of the road impact to the suspension, which can cause greater wear over time.

However, wider tires add more grip, allowing you to take turns more aggressively. Stiffer sidewalls can also make the car feel more 'firm' and connected to the road, rather than 'floaty'. Just be aware that excessive grip on the tires while running stock suspension can result in lots of body roll.

If you are looking for a daily driver with a bit of added zip, stick to a 16x6" or 17x7.5" rim. If you plan to do a bit of stoplight drag racing on the weekends, get a wider 15x8" rim for the front.

 

[sonic_braaappp]

The larger and wider the rim you mount on the car, the more weight you are adding which negatively affects acceleration.

this statement is only partially accurate, the weight of the wheels depends on what wheels you get, bigger diameter doesn't always mean a heavier wheel.

as for the question, i believe i commented on another one of your threads already OP, but my wheels are 18x8 with 225/40-18 tires up front and 215/40-18 tires in the rear, im lowered on coilovers, and my car rides like poo but it looks good so who cares right? lol jk jk, it does ride like poo, but only because i have my coilovers set pretty stiff to help the car perform better in the type of racing i do. i could easily adjust the coils after each event but I'm lazy lol

 

[Natesriv]

17" baby!

 

[kevjam79]

this statement is only partially accurate, the weight of the wheels depends on what wheels you get, bigger diameter doesn't always mean a heavier wheel.



as for the question, i believe i commented on another one of your threads already OP, but my wheels are 18x8 with 225/40-18 tires up front and 215/40-18 tires in the rear, im lowered on coilovers, and my car rides like poo but it looks good so who cares right? lol jk jk, it does ride like poo, but only because i have my coilovers set pretty stiff to help the car perform better in the type of racing i do. i could easily adjust the coils after each event but I'm lazy lol

Not necessarily heavier....but the potential for increasing your moment of inertia and unsprung weight is there.


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[sonic_braaappp]

Not necessarily heavier....but the potential for increasing your moment of inertia and unsprung weight is there.


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true but you can increase inertia and unsprung weight with same size/smaller wheels. there are plenty of light weight options out there. Now i will say that as for performance/aggressive driving i highly prefer 17" wheels, the only reason i have these 18's is because they were to good of a deal to pass up lol

 

[skyRS]

is 17x9 rim too wide for our Sonic?

 

[sonic_braaappp]

i wouldnt say so, but it really depends on the offset, how low the car sits/is going to sit, tire size etc.

 

[TheGreenDragon]

is 17x9 rim too wide for our Sonic?

Your biggest obstacle is going to be getting the tire/rim to clear the suspension components at the front of the car. Steering and suspension parts I don't fully know the name of and such.

There was a set of 16x9 et 20 rims (Lenso BSX) I was looking at for my Sonic, and the trouble was that the inside lip of the rim wasn't going to clear part of the steering components. Now, with a 17" set of rims, you might just have enough diameter to clear that part, but if the offset is greater than 25, you're going to start getting pretty close to some of the other suspension components, like the shocks.

I decided for myself that 8.5" was the widest rim I was willing to risk putting on the car. But that's just my opinion.

 

[MidnightClub3]

How much of a ride comfort difference is there between 17 and 18" on lowered RS suspension? Very noticeable? I want to get 18x8's when my stocks vest in April.

 

[TheGreenDragon]

Chances are with the combination of 18" rims with low-profile tires AND a lowered suspension, you will be feeling the expansion joints in concrete pavement with a degree of accuracy hereto unknown to your butt.

You will feel very, VERY connected to the road.