Hi all.....just got the turbo install (B18C with a 60-1) and I'm making 398hp to the wheels, My question is that some people have told me I need to get rid of the 17'' wheels and go down to a 15'' or 16'' wheel with a thicker side wall any thoughts ?????????

 

I think you're getting advice that's either bad, or poorly explained. There is no reason to get taller sidewalls, just because you've added power to your drivetrain.

When you do a major horsepower upgrade, what you really need is to get stickier, higher-performance tires. Now, depending on what kind of car you have (model, year, version), which you haven't told us, you may need to get a different diameter of wheel if really sticky tires aren't available in the size you need. But it's not because of the sidewall height.

If you'd like to tell us what year/model/version of car you have, we'd be happy to make recommendations. You might also mention what make/model of tires you have now.

 

Yea sorry about that. it a 96 civic ex right now I have 17x7 wheels with 205 40 17's I also have a set of 16x7 wheels with 205 45 16's.....that were saying that if I ran a tall side wall......I could lower the tire pressure when I go on hard runs for more grip.....I'm running Kohmo tires on the 17's and General altra high performance tires...I don't know they were probably just shooting off their mouths..... thanks for the reply

 

Here are the stickiest street tires you can get for your high-horsepower '96 Civic EX:

16x7 wheels - Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 205/45-16
16x7 wheels - Toyo Proxes R1R 205/45-16
16x7 wheels - Kumho Ecsta XS 215/45-16
16x7 wheels - Falken Azenis RT-615K 215/45-16
17x7 wheels - Falken Azenis RT-615K 205/40-17

The RE-11 is the stickiest, but also the most expensive. The XS is the least expensive and is similarly sticky on dry pavement, but it and the Falken aren't as good in rain.

Lower the tire pressure for straight line at the dragstrip, not for the best cornering or for street use. And if you go to the dragstrip a lot, you're probably better off getting a separate set of (two or four) drag radials, whose sidewalls are designed to withstand the deformation of lower tire pressures at the dragstrip.