 Does Size Matter?, a wheel question |
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| PORobinSCHE |
  Jun 10 2007, 12:11 PM
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#1
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Member  Group: Members Posts: 421 Joined: 22-July 06 From: Orlando,Fl Member No.: 6,484  |
hello all, i want to get new wheels for my project. is there an advantage going to a 16 or 17 inch wheel,versus a stock 15"?
thanks Robin |
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| So.Cal.914 |
Jun 10 2007, 12:15 PM
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#2
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"...And it has a front trunk too." Group: Members Posts: 6,588 Joined: 15-February 04 From: Low Desert, CA./ Hills of N.J. Member No.: 1,658 Region Association: None |
Other than looks there is a better selection of tires available for the larger Dia.
rims. |
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| JPB |
Jun 10 2007, 12:17 PM
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#3
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The Crimson Rocket smiles in your general direction. Group: Members Posts: 2,927 Joined: 12-November 05 From: Tapmahamock, Va. Member No.: 5,107 |
More rim less taya goooood. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)
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| scotty b |
Jun 10 2007, 06:24 PM
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#4
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rust free you say ? Group: Members Posts: 16,375 Joined: 7-January 05 From: richmond, Va. Member No.: 3,419 Region Association: None |
larger wheel = less sidewall on tire = less tire flex = faster lap times (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)
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| bondo |
Jun 10 2007, 06:32 PM
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#5
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Practicing my perpendicular parking Group: Members Posts: 4,277 Joined: 19-April 03 From: Los Osos, CA Member No.: 587 Region Association: Central California |
Bigger wheels = capacity for bigger brakes too.
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| Joe Ricard |
Jun 10 2007, 06:58 PM
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#6
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CUMONIWANNARACEU Group: Members Posts: 6,811 Joined: 5-January 03 From: Gautier, MS Member No.: 92 |
Agreed on all reasons above.
16" by 10" wide should give you all the tire you can use. However 15 x 10 allows you to runthe new Hoosier 275/35-15 or Hoosier 22 x 9.5 x 15 R25 FA slick. |
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| BMXerror |
Jun 10 2007, 07:12 PM
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#7
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,705 Joined: 8-April 06 From: Hesperia Ca Member No.: 5,842 |
QUOTE(scotty b @ Jun 10 2007, 05:24 PM)  larger wheel = less sidewall on tire = less tire flex = faster lap times (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) Not necessarily. Have you seen the size of the sidewalls on F1 cars? Huge. Less sidewall = less cusioning effect from the tire = less time of tire/pavement contact in the bumpy stuff. You have to weigh it for your intended use. It's a balance, just like everything else in engineering. Dispite what the pimps think, bigger isn't necessarily better. Mark D. |
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| customstarr |
Jun 10 2007, 08:05 PM
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#8
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King of the Nighttime World Group: Members Posts: 116 Joined: 13-February 07 From: Waterford, Michigan - Home of Waterford Hills Road Racing Member No.: 7,531 |
From my own scientific studies, I have found that 15" wheels have one huge advantage over the larger diameter wheels that you spoke of...
tons more cashes left in your pocketbook. |
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| 914nerd |
Jun 10 2007, 11:44 PM
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#9
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Who you callin' a "Member"? Group: Members Posts: 416 Joined: 18-July 06 From: Los Alamos, NM Member No.: 6,461 |
You can't forget that you have to take into account the difference in the rotational inertia of the smaller wheel & tire vs. the larger one
After all, more weight at a greater radius on a rotating object can make a significant difference in the acceleration & braking of the car Just another view (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) *insert nerdy smiley here* Charles |
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| Dave_Darling |
Jun 11 2007, 10:01 AM
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#10
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914 Idiot Group: Members Posts: 15,204 Joined: 9-January 03 From: Silicon Valley / Kailua-Kona Member No.: 121 Region Association: Northern California 
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A few points--
1: You can put tires with short side-walls on smaller diameter rims. There's nothing preventing you from doing that but the annoyance factor of running higher RPMs on the freeway. I ran 195/50-15s for quite a few years on my car, and those have short sidewalls. (And Clay's wife Betty's car had 195/45s or /40s for a while!) 2: Tires with taller sidewalls tend to weigh more than tires with shorter sidewalls. IF you keep the overall diameter the same, the weight distribution of the wheel/tire combo may actually be a little more central with a larger wheel and shorter tire. I have seen some research that supports this notion (someone I know weighed a few tires and wheels and did some back-of-a-napkin number crunching) but nothing definitive.... The two biggest factors, to me: The larger rim sizes have a greater variety of decent rubber to choose from; and they leave you more room for big brakes if you need those. And lots of people like the look, of course. --DD |
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