[Shark_bite]

Why do peeps always want bigger rims? do they handle better? are they faster or lighter weight? Who decided that bigger rims are cool? Do they provide a better feel for the road?

from what i understand, the ride quality dimisnishes with large rims and that they pop alot faster (according to toyota, scion, and most rim manufacuters)

 

[Drift Motion]

IMO no more than 20
bigger usually means more weight, n ppl want bigger rims just 2 show their bling n eliminate the tire thing, so u only see the rim not the tire

i no wider tire r good, not bigger not always

 

[bsp05tc]

everyone has different taste, 2 me i love big rims,it changes da look of da car so much, i got 19's on my tc and i love da way it looks. it does not handle better, they weigh a little more, da feel on da road is da same, but da look of da car is incredible!

 

[Ryan'stc]

Ask your girlfriend lol sorry couldn't resist.

 

[nY1018]

aesthetics

 

[Drift Motion]

SAT word eh

 

[gottc?]

it has been proven that 17" wheels are the best overall for performance. best combination of lighter weight rim and low profile tire or something like that.

 

[lo bux racer]

Peeps don't always want bigger rims. People who care about visual impact like bigger diameter rims. People who care about mechanical performance like wider rims and tires because they put more rubber on the ground to corner faster (to a point). Everyone who has driven my car has been positively impressed by the ability of the 245/40/17 Proxes T1S to generate LOTS of grip.

 

[iGod]

^^^ indeed. lance's tC has a fabulous tire and wheel set up.

bigger isnt always better at all. not even for appearance, imho. i wouldnt stack on anything bigger than an 18 on a tC. still enough room to go wide with the rim, so performance wont have to suffer, an 18X8.5 with 245/35/18 would be my ideal.

 

[Dr. Isotope]

As any racecar builder will tell you, you put the smallest wheel that will fit over the brake. In terms of strict performance, a smaller diameter will outperform a larger wheel in every aspect. Of course, looking at it in terms of aesthetics, more rim and less rubber is almost always more visually attractive (to an extent).

People buy rims for a variey of reasons, but I can all but guarantee you that the appearance of the wheel is what initially attracts people to it. If that weren't the case, we'd all be running magnesium dish wheels.

 

[bluesciontc]

I personally cant stand rims that are huge. i see people around here (SC) driveing old impalas on 24" rims. I am just like WTF are you thinking. not only cant they turn or perform the way the car is supose to they have to raise the car so high to get them in there it is a waste of money. I am sticking with the 17" rims that the car came with there is nothing wrong with tose rims. If you have aftermarket rims and want to sell your stock rims there are plenty of people out there with other cars that would kill to have our rims. I have friends ask me if i want to sell my rims all i say is no way they are fine as is and i will keep them. All that i need rim/tire wise are some new tires i hatethe potenza RE 92s i hate them with a passion they dont grip worth a #### why they gave us these tires i dont know prob good tread life i guess. They arent sticky enough for me i want to get some NITTO NEO GENS or some Dunlop 9000 Now those are some good ass tires right there time for me to save some money lol but it will be worth it.

 

[JustWhite]

Off topic: when you says (SC) you mean south carolina correct...because im from the upstate i was jw where you were from...

 

[Ryan'stc]

Originally posted by inevitablegod@Sep 2 2005, 11:20 PM
^^^ indeed. lance's tC has a fabulous tire and wheel set up.

bigger isnt always better at all. not even for appearance, imho. i wouldnt stack on anything bigger than an 18 on a tC. still enough room to go wide with the rim, so performance wont have to suffer, an 18X8.5 with 245/35/18 would be my ideal.

With the trd springs by the way thank you D, I noticed that if I go any wider than my 245s I'm going to be scraping the fenders. Does anybody know a way around this without extending the fenders.

 

[91syclone]

ive always heard a taller rim with a lower profile tire handles better than a smaller rim with a taller profile, or highr aspect ratio.
i guess because the taller tires roll more to the side, with the lower profile the tire wont flex as much to the sides, keeping the car more level in a turn. but its all to true that bigger wheels will make your car slower, too much weight, but if you could find an 18 inch rim that weighs the same as a 17, it should be better than the 17 in the turns right? im sure im not explaining this correctly, or maybe im just flat out wrong. but this is what ive always heard.

 

[EddNog]

Originally posted by 91syclone@Sep 3 2005, 11:54 AM
ive always heard a taller rim with a lower profile tire handles better than a smaller rim with a taller profile, or highr aspect ratio.
i guess because the taller tires roll more to the side, with the lower profile the tire wont flex as much to the sides, keeping the car more level in a turn. but its all to true that bigger wheels will make your car slower, too much weight, but if you could find an 18 inch rim that weighs the same as a 17, it should be better than the 17 in the turns right? im sure im not explaining this correctly, or maybe im just flat out wrong. but this is what ive always heard.

This is only true to a certain extent and also depends quite a bit on the condition of the roads you drive on. If the tires are too low profile, they will not protect the rims from getting dented or bent by large, sharp bumps. Also, if you can find an 18" wheel that's as light as your current 17" wheel, the 17" version of the same said 18" wheel be even lighter.

-Ed

 

[TopeExplosivo]

I prefer to just go wider and lighter. That'll give you the best performance. With even a minor drop, the wider 17s look great to me.

QUOTE

ive always heard a taller rim with a lower profile tire handles better than a smaller rim with a taller profile, or highr aspect ratio.[/b]

Another performance consideration: The tC does lay down a surprising amount of torque. Any driver who knows anything will tell you that lower profile tires do not handle torque as well as a taller tire. (Look at what drag racers run!) You need more rubber to "hook up" well, and forthcoming engine mods that bring more torque will just add to this need.

Here's an SAT word for you...

reciprocity (recáiáprocáiáty)
1) The quality or state of being reciprocal
2) The practice of exchanging certain values for others for mutual benefit

In this case, you exchange the ability to handle torque with the ability to corner sharply when you choose a lower profile over a taller one.

I prefer to split the difference a little. I'll let the tire help handle torque more and accelerate quicker, and trust my suspension mods to help me take those corners. For my personal car, I'm thinking about some lightweight 17x8" wheels and a 235/45/17 tire. I'd be interested in hearing opinions of this setup w/ TRD Springs/Struts and Hotchkiss Sways...

Anyone have opinions? I really want to fill out those wheel wells. What about the above setup with a +35 offset? Would these flush out that space? Any pics available of this setup, or something similar?

Thanks in advance...