I was just wondering what the good and bad it does for you for running 16' wheels instead of 17' wheels. I know they're most likely cheaper and lighter, but what else? Any info appreciated. THanks.

 

16'' would be faster acceleration, better braking, better handling.
17'' is for looks(yoyo), not performance.

 

17's will make your car look better and tires will usually cost more but you can get better tires for Honda/Acura than 16's. 17's are just slightly heavier (2~3 lbs per wheel) if you compare the same wheel in 16 and 17's so it's not that big of a deal. I say buy a set of the 17 for regular driving, keeps the car look clean and pretty and keep your stock wheels for track if you do race occationaly. Unless you track your car alot then go with the lightest 15 wheel you can get which will not only save you money on tires but weight as well.

 

16's won't be faster acceleration if the overall diameter of the tire is the same.

 

Yes they will.

Much of the weight in a wheel is in what I will call the "rim" itself. That is the part of the wheel with the lip that holds the tire on. Basically every part of the wheel except for spokes and center hub. A 17" wheel's rim will lie farther from the center of the wheel. The farther the weight is placed from the center the more force will be needed to drive it. So basically a smaller circumference wheel will require less force and will give better acceleration, assuming other variables such as weight distribution are equal.

 

I say stay with 15 inch rims. Still looks great in my opinion. Best for accleration and great for handling. Cheap to keep good tires on it as well. If you want the car to look better spend money on a good suspension. The lowered ride height will take care of the wheelgap and suspension actually increases the performance of the car. I wouldn't go bigger than 16's. If you want looks sell the Type-R to someone who will really use it. Not flaming, just not sure if you knew much about rims and performance.

 

And the 16's will be better if they are lighter than what you have on your car now, whic will also make you faster, keeping in mind what TypeRP said aout overall diameter. 16>17 for performance.

 

Everything is a compromise. But 16" is the best compromise.......

 

If I were going to keep my car I would get 16's so I can fit a larger tire under the car but I would only do it if I was intending on changing the final drive.17's are overkill on a Honda.

 

a heavier 16 can out accelerate a slightly lighter 17... do the math. The farther you move the weight from center, the more mechanical advantage you lose... or "give up".

 

It's called inertial momentum....
A quiz: What will roll faster down on a ramp? A massive wooden cylinder or a hollow steel cylinder with the same diameter, form and mass?

 

Get 15" and track the damn thing!