tire and wheel question
#4
RE: tire and wheel question
Here's some technical babble that should help.
http://dsm.aenewton.com/wheel_offset.htm
http://www.vfaq.com/mods/macross/2Gfitment.html
Just know that 18s on a GST means more rotational weight. I realize that you most likely don't care since you ask about 18s...I'm just stating the obvious.
http://dsm.aenewton.com/wheel_offset.htm
http://www.vfaq.com/mods/macross/2Gfitment.html
Just know that 18s on a GST means more rotational weight. I realize that you most likely don't care since you ask about 18s...I'm just stating the obvious.
#6
RE: tire and wheel question
Here's one post that sticks in my head from Talk.
There are a bunch of posts like this too, I just like this one for some reason, even though Taboo is no longer around.
Original poster: Taboo
I used to run 18x7 wheels on my car. I managed to bust a couple of my $180 tires and bend one of the $300 rims in one year. I learned to read the road, knew every ****ty street, memorized every single pothole in town and almost stopped before going over every unknown railroad crossing. Then I realized the wheels - and fear of busting a tire or bending a rim - totally compromised and took over my driving style. The 18" wheels looked nice and were great for highways and roads with perfect surface, but they absolutely sucked for every-day in-town driving. I switched to 17x7.5 wheels and couldn't be happier since I can drive the car the way I want to, not the way the 18" wheels were limiting me to.
As for PhilthMonger's argument regarding 16 and 18" wheels at 145 mph, if the outside diameter and the width of the 16 and 18" tires is the same, they also have the same contact patch. The size of the rim affects only the sidewall height and possibly its stiffness (when comparing the same brand and model of tire). If one selects a 16" tire with stiff sidewall, the tire will actually outperform 18" tire with soft sidewall during a high speed cornering. Low profile tires - as usually mounted on 18" wheels - are also more prone to blow-outs at high speeds than tires with taller sidewalls due to less air volume at the same pressure in the low profile tires. The stiffness of the sidewall is actually more important than its height (example - Nascar, F1, etc) when it comes to handling, but the contact patch is what matters the most.
There's nothing wrong with running 18" wheels for the bling factor, though, but the argument that they outperform 16 or 17" wheels isn't simply valid. One doesn't go 145 mph every single day, but more likely drives on less than perfect streets in heavy traffic. If someone is willing to sacrifice the ride quality and take the chance of ruining a set of expensive tires on potholes, then be it. It's not a matter of right or wrong, it's just a matter of personal choice..
I used to run 18x7 wheels on my car. I managed to bust a couple of my $180 tires and bend one of the $300 rims in one year. I learned to read the road, knew every ****ty street, memorized every single pothole in town and almost stopped before going over every unknown railroad crossing. Then I realized the wheels - and fear of busting a tire or bending a rim - totally compromised and took over my driving style. The 18" wheels looked nice and were great for highways and roads with perfect surface, but they absolutely sucked for every-day in-town driving. I switched to 17x7.5 wheels and couldn't be happier since I can drive the car the way I want to, not the way the 18" wheels were limiting me to.
As for PhilthMonger's argument regarding 16 and 18" wheels at 145 mph, if the outside diameter and the width of the 16 and 18" tires is the same, they also have the same contact patch. The size of the rim affects only the sidewall height and possibly its stiffness (when comparing the same brand and model of tire). If one selects a 16" tire with stiff sidewall, the tire will actually outperform 18" tire with soft sidewall during a high speed cornering. Low profile tires - as usually mounted on 18" wheels - are also more prone to blow-outs at high speeds than tires with taller sidewalls due to less air volume at the same pressure in the low profile tires. The stiffness of the sidewall is actually more important than its height (example - Nascar, F1, etc) when it comes to handling, but the contact patch is what matters the most.
There's nothing wrong with running 18" wheels for the bling factor, though, but the argument that they outperform 16 or 17" wheels isn't simply valid. One doesn't go 145 mph every single day, but more likely drives on less than perfect streets in heavy traffic. If someone is willing to sacrifice the ride quality and take the chance of ruining a set of expensive tires on potholes, then be it. It's not a matter of right or wrong, it's just a matter of personal choice..