hey guys, i just got done talking with a few friends and we had a giant discussion about 18s vs 17s on my FD. first off someone brought up the point that 18s are reinforced and much heavier, and that 17s are optimum for racing. Second they said that the sidewall is too small and wont have any room to flex making you lose tracktion. can someone help me out here on 17s vs 18s? pros and cons? thanks much

russell

 

18's will look better on your car... bottom line



and between the two, i dont think you will feel the performance difference,

 

I'd go with 18's too. Looks nicer.

 

18" looks cooler.



17" for racing. If you are really serious, Then the 17" wheels are probably faster, given the same weights. I read an article in Sport Compact Car, and they compared 16 vs 17 vs 18 wheels. They had Rhys Millen ( A kick *** pro driver ) drive a Lancer Evo, I think. The only thing they varied was wheel and tire size, but kept the rolling diamter the same.



His opinion was that the 17" accelerated harder and braked better. The weight of the wheel is close, but the 17" rotating mass is closer to the center, making it easier to accelerate, turn, and stop. Also, the extra sidewall helped the suspension set better for harder braking, the 18" wheels broke loose.



I looked at a lot of show cars, which ran 18" or 19" wheels, and they all looked cool. If you have 400+ hp, then 18" shouldn't be too bad, as you have more power to play with.



Let me know what you decided on. I'm looking to buy new wheels soon too, and wanted to see what everyone else is running out there, and WHY.

 

ya whiley i am planning on about 400 to the wheels, i think the power loss feel would be gobbled up on acceloration due to the single giant turbo pulling you...i think...but what you say does make alot of sense, and even though the 18s would look better, i could care less about looks when im off the side of the road wraped around a tree cause my tires were too thin....anyone else have any imput please?

 

I'm happy with my 17s.

 

i have 18X9, 18x10 with s-03's.



GOBS of traction and still looks good.

 

I think I'm gonna go with 17s. They are a little bit cheaper, but they will be a lot cheaper in the long run if you race.



18" tires are more expensive.



Racing eats lots of tires. Expensive tires + Racing = broke dude.



Again, do you race often enough for it to really matter to you? They both look good, its just that the 18" will look more so. I'm sure 18" are fine on track, but the 17" will be better suited to it.



Besides, I figured if you were SUPER serious racer, you'd have an extra set of wheels for the track, 17" or even 16".



Hehehe, I'm guessing since you're looking for opinions on this matter, you're probably caring a lot about what people think...this means you're gonna want 18" wheels.



I'm still undecided as to what to do, but the "cheap factor" I have will probably land me on 17".

 

The 17s seem to be the weapon of choice for street driving and racing. The bigger the wheel, the more uncomfortable the ride. The 17s give you the best of both worlds, performance and looks. Not to mention the money you'll save.

 

What you state does make a lot of sense, and in spite of the fact that the 18s could look preferable, i might give a hoot for looks when i'm off the side of the street warped around a tree create my tires were too slight.