This is in reference to all those previous posts of how bigger wheels will slow you down due to unsprung weight and change your final drive (I'm not even sure what that means). So lets take for example, the 3.2CL and the 3.2CL Type-S. The former has 16 inch wheels, while the latter has 17's. So how does Honda compensate for this change? This is also for all those other car companies that have different size wheels on the same cars such as Camry and ES300, Avalon and GS 300/430, Maxima and I35, Sentra and G20, etc.

 

sometimes companies make the bigger wheels the same weight as the smaller ones...but in the case of the CL, the type s has 30 more hp which more than makes up for the increase

a lot of cars these days, sports cars mostly, require the larger wheels to clear large brakes...

even the dodge ram for example...base wheel is 17" just to clear the brakes

 

What about the final drive ratio?

 

you adjust the size of the tires so the diameter is the same...wheel size has nothing to do with that


[Modified by 01GSR, 11:43 AM 4/1/2002]

 

my moms 99 3.2TL has 17s. her tl pushes 220hp, the type_S is rated 260hp.

im pretty sure that when you change the overall diameter of the wheel/tire that you effect the final drive ratio. for instance: with my stock 60 series tires on 15" rims i would finish the 1/4mi in 3rd gear at about 6K rpm. with my khumo 55 series i finish the 1/4mi in 3rd at or slightly above redline (so about 7500rpm). yet when i used my friends nitto 555R on 15" rims i shift into 4th gear at about the 1100-1200 foot mark on the track.




[Modified by exaccord, 10:01 AM 4/1/2002]

 

yes, the tire size effects the final drive, but not the wheel size

and a base TL (non-type s) only comes with 16" wheels, and has 225 hp

i have 205/55-14 drag radials on my accord...i finish the 1/4 at redline in 4th

 

****, if I had those tires and crossed the trap at redline in 4th I'd be getting 13 second quarters no problem. Ummm I think.

 

want them? lol