the reason i'm asking is that i currently have 17" tuners w/ kumho tires, just wondering aside from the weight difference what other factors would handicap me or put me at an advantage? thanks.

i love the way 17's look, if i were to get lightweight ones, maybe like the guy from the other post is selling, or oz superleggera's, will that even it out more?

i'm asking because i'm possibly interested in ditching the illegal drag scene and doing the organized events.


[Modified by HuskerHybrid, 7:45 AM 12/14/2002]

 

I think 17's will be more of a hindrance than a help. A 17" wheel is adding unspring weight, which is the last place you want to be adding weight. Plus they have more inertia which is going to slow acceleration, and they probably have a larger overall diameter which will hurt it even more. The biggest selling point is that 15" tires are soooo much cheaper! Plus stiff sidewall tires don't loose much in terms of sidewall deflection. My recommendation would be 14 or 15" tires.


to you if you ditch street racing and hit the track...

 

What Joe said. Ditch them for some nice, light 15s.

 

I have 17's .....and I'm trying to sell them....cuz i've been biten with the AutoX bug

 

I run 17" on the street and have light weight 15"'s multi sets of them. I find that my (gsr) is quicker and feels more at home with 15"'s, 17" i find suck power and also make the car track more on uneven pavement. If you want looks stick with 17"s, but if you want to drive either keep the stock 15's or 14's and run the 17" when you feel like it i guess. I am selling my 17"s cause they just aren't worth it.

 

won't the stiff sidewalls help cornering and lateral stability, if i get super light 17's do you think i'd be ok? i know whe rally guys use atleast 17's, well the clips that i've seen.

 

a 17" wheel will weigh more than a 15" wheel of the same construction. And will cost more. Even if you got some very lightweight forged 17's that weigh the same as most 15's it will still slow you down since they have a higher polar moment of inertia (i.e. the weight is located further away from the center of the object, thus making it harder to accelerate it).

You can find 45 or 50 series 15" tires that have more than enough sidewall stiffness - and 15" tires cost alot less too. The rally guys may run 17's to clear the big azz brakes that are on the car due to the long stages they run.