Upgrading wheels. Why stay with 17" instead of moving up to 18"

[Geordon]

I like the style of the stock 1 gen R/T TT rims, but want to get something lighter, as mine are getting worn out in more than one way. Do I stick with 17x8.5 for ultimate weight loss and economy in wheels and tires? Or do I bump up to 17x9 with 255/40 wheels? Or make a bigger jump to 18x9, and live with the higher up costs of rims and tires. I am only interested in making a little nicer looking, well handling daily driver street car, without making a huge investment.

The pluses I hear about 18" is that they match the larger curvature of the wheel well, and that it often allows for better spoke styling if a more aggressive or concave face is desired.

The plus I see with 17" is lower cost, but can still have wider tires if I go 9".

Does the 1/2" wider tire of the 255 really make much of a visual difference?

Geordon

[MR2]

17"s clear the strut with wider tires...

larger rims allow larger brakes though :| WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[blackjdmpower]

Get some 5zigen FN01R-C. 17X9. It will change the look of your car and they are pretty light and won't break the bank. Also...they look great on a 3S.

[Geordon]

Get some 5zigen FN01R-C. 17X9. It will change the look of your car and they are pretty light and won't break the bank. Also...they look great on a 3S.

What is on your car, in that pic? Those look close to what I am looking at. The Advan RS are way out of my price range, so I was looking hard at the GTC01 Hyperblacks, however, Enkei has no stock in the 17x9. I could wait awhile, if I knew they were coming back. If the PF01 were in hyper, instead of bright silver, I would probably go that route to save on weight and cost.

In the 5z, I like the 6 spoke GN+ which TT Eric has, but those are not manufactured in 9". I think the FN01R-C leave the wheel too "open" or bare.

I could go cheap and get some Rotas. They have some nice 17x9 in DPT and G-Force
http://www.wheeldude.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=6300

One advantage I see of the 17", is if I move up to 9.5 wide, I could mount 265/40/17, which are a more common size than 255/40/18. With a 17" I would go with a slightly lower profile to reduce the amount of tire, but with 18", I would go (relatively) higher profile to make up for the 1" loss on the rim. Maybe I should just buy TT Eric's set, so he can upgrade to 18s?

[blackjdmpower]

I've got Advan RS in 18X9. What is your price range? GTC01 is a good choice. Me personally, I dislike any rota wheel.

[92RT-TT]

I've got 5zigen fn01r-c's. 17x9's on the car in my sig. But my old stealth had 5zigen fn01r-c's 18x9.5. I have a set of the 18x9.5's sitting in boxes that I need to sell

[Geordon]

I've got Advan RS in 18X9. What is your price range? GTC01 is a good choice. Me personally, I dislike any rota wheel.

The $2100+ for a set of Advan RS is a bitter pill to swallow. So far, I have gotten a delivered price of $1460 for GTC01 18x9, which is hard enough to take. The $900 price of Rotas is quite comfortable, but in the end, I am not convinced I will be happy with them. If the GTC01 were in stock at 17x9, I would probably take it.

If I use Tein H springs (or must I stay at full stock suspension), is there any reason I can't do GTC01 17x9.5 +38mm with 265/40R17 (Dunlop Diressa DZ101) tires all the way around? I think the +22mm will be woefully off. Or, is this combination going to hit inside or stick out past the fender, or cause grief with steering?

[92RT-TT]

My last 92 Stealth Had tein S tech springs w/5zigen fn01r-c 18x9.5 et 35mm. 265-35-18's and I'd say it was a perfect setup. Here's a pic or two so you can see what that size and offset looks like w/teins.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2225/59/70/184901749/n184901749_32679346_7971.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2225/59/70/184901749/n184901749_32679353_9556.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2225/59/70/184901749/n184901749_32679344_7519.jpg
Sorry I dont have any better pics at the moment, I'm at work :/

[i3igpete]

the 17x9.5 +38 may cause strut clearance issues. from my calculations, it will be awful close and may make contact.

the one problem i forsee changing to a non-standard tire size is that it may render your spare useless if there is a significant difference in rolling diameter.

[Geordon]

the 17x9.5 +38 may cause strut clearance issues. from my calculations, it will be awful close and may make contact.

I was afraid of that. Might have to suck it up and get the Advan RC 17x9.5 with +35mm offset, like The Hustler. However, isn't the Gunmetal a flatter, darker color than the Hyper? Or do I put the silver on my black TT?


the one problem i forsee changing to a non-standard tire size is that it may render your spare useless if there is a significant difference in rolling diameter.

Hadn't thought about that. I have only used the spare once, anyway. Guess I will have to rely on AAA's 100 mile flatbed service.

[91stealthrt2]

I'm running 18x9.5 fn01rc's with +45mm offset and using a 5mm spacer in the front. I bought them from another 3S owner who ordered the incorrect size. But they do clear both first and second gen TT brakes. I can post some pictures when I get home.
I would actually consider selling them if someone is really interested.

[Geordon]

I'm running 18x9.5 fn01rc's with +45mm offset and using a 5mm spacer in the front.

So that would be an effective +40mm? Which means +38mm should work, even though not as perfect as +35mm.

[92RT-TT]

Buy my 35mm 5zigen 18x9.5's lol. They are boxed and ready to ship :D

[Geordon]

Buy my 35mm 5zigen 18x9.5's lol. They are boxed and ready to ship :D

13 posts, and 2 of them are people trying to sell their FN01RCs? What's going on here? That's okay. Unfortunately, I prefer the GN+ in that brand.

The 17x9.5 rim with 265/40/17 all around is looking like my best bet, unless I just play it safe and stick with the stock size of 245/45//17 on 8.5 wide.

[92RT-TT]

haha well I just sold my vr4 with a set of 5zigens and I have one set left so they gotta go. Anyhow, good luck with whatever size you choose and post pics once you get them on :)

[Polygon]

Buy my 35mm 5zigen 18x9.5's lol. They are boxed and ready to ship :D

You have a PM.

[Jimvr4]

I was afraid of that. Might have to suck it up and get the Advan RC 17x9.5 with +35mm offset, like The Hustler. However, isn't the Gunmetal a flatter, darker color than the Hyper? Or do I put the silver on my black TT?

Hadn't thought about that. I have only used the spare once, anyway. Guess I will have to rely on AAA's 100 mile flatbed service.

Use a tire size calculator to make sure your tire choice is close to the stock rolling diameter (I believe it is about 25.75 inches tall).

[Geordon]

Get some 5zigen FN01R-C. 17X9. It will change the look of your car and they are pretty light and won't break the bank. Also...they look great on a 3S.

What tire size would you recommend for the 9" wide? Stick with 245/45/17 to keep stock diameter? Will the GTC01 9" +40mm rim give a more aggressive look than 8.5 +35mm? (Specs (http://enkei.com/size_chart/GTC01.pdf))

[Mr Faust]

+35 would look more aggressive and with a 9" wide rim you can fit a 275 on the front and not worry about rubbing, any higher offset and you'll be pushing it, my front is a +43, but I have a 5mm spacer so that it doesn't rub on the brake hose mount/caliper. Also the FN01R-C is a great looking wheel with a real nice weight to cost ratio, I wasn't really a fan until I read Snakeskinner's for sale thread.

[Geordon]

+35 would look more aggressive and with a 9" wide rim you can fit a 275 on the front and not worry about rubbing, any higher offset and you'll be pushing it, my front is a +43, but I have a 5mm spacer so that it doesn't rub on the brake hose mount/caliper.

However, the GTC01 comes in a +40 offset on the 9" rim, and a +35 offset on the 8.5" rim. I don't want the tires to stick way out past the fender, and I do have stock struts, though I will be replacing the springs with Tein H.

[3KVT]

Are there any rims that don't require spacers for our car, without special ordering them? I've been searching for a while now, and it seems that every set I find or have tried has clearance issues with my TT calipers.

[hotGTO]

My TT has 18" Mazda CX7 Wheels with spacers ... I love the look, and they handle great...

[Polygon]

Are there any rims that don't require spacers for our car, without special ordering them? I've been searching for a while now, and it seems that every set I find or have tried has clearance issues with my TT calipers.

There are a lot of wheels that will clear TT calipers. However, a lot of them are going to be special order from most places. I've gone through three sets of my wheels and each time it took a month. It was the same story everywhere I looked.

[hotGTO]

There are a lot of wheels that will clear TT calipers. However, a lot of them are going to be special order from most places. I've gone through three sets of my wheels and each time it took a month. It was the same story everywhere I looked.

Just curious, did your wheels get damaged from racing or something? Those wheels do look good on your ride. (I don't like black wheels on cars, but yours look good on the white)

[Polygon]

Just curious, did your wheels get damaged from racing or something? Those wheels do look good on your ride. (I don't like black wheels on cars, but yours look good on the white)

Thanks!

I love the wheels. Sadly, 5Zigens, at the FN01R-C seem to suffer from a VERY delicate finish. I first went with silver and I ended up with clear coat failure. After seeing the the black/polished on another white car I decided to switch to them. Luckily they were under warranty. Then, less than a year later I started having the same issue with those. So I got them replaced again. Now I use covers over the wheels. Wouldn't be an issue if I could park the car in a garage.

[92RT-TT]

crap I keep forgetting to take the addt pictures of those rims for you Polygon :/. I'll try to do that this weekend!

[Geordon]

I've got Advan RS in 18X9. What is your price range? GTC01 is a good choice. Me personally, I dislike any rota wheel.

I know you said yours are +29mm. Is the GTR face obviously more concave than the flatter +35mm? Did you camber to keep the fronts from poking? Are you running 245s on those? Are yours gunmetal or silver? Thanks.

[Mean Green]

I love my 17's..

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m74/nismo200r/Pensky3Thousandthrottlebody001-2.jpg