FallenAngelHIM

okay i was reading about some stuff here and i'm sort of confused and lost, maybe someone can help me.

the bigger the rim, the heavier, the more it slows you down because you are adding more weight?
so why do people do it? besides for decorations.

so are 17" rims heavier than the stock hub+hubcap?

is it smarter to get rims of the same size as stock to replace the hub?

last question.
what is the deal with "get smaller wheels in the front?"

Misa

As long as you don't get big ass chrome wheels... you wont really notice a huge difference in acceleration with 17" rims with the extra weight.

its really your choice if you want same size, or larger rims.

tom15425

If you go to www.howstuffworks.com and look up tires in the automotive section you'll learn everything you want to know and more.

FallenAngelHIM

howstuffworks didn't really answer my question about wheel weight and smaller wheels at the front.

Macleod

what do you mean smaller wheels at the ffront? you must mean width, not diameter

skabone69

it all depends on what kind of rims you get. you can get some light 18in rims that are lighter than 15in rims. it all depends on how much you are willing to spend. what kink of rims are you looking at? post them up and we can help you out.

GenXer

Many put gigantic wheels on only because it looks "good". For a daily driver you need to maintain some sidewall thickness to keep a decent ride and avoid pothole damage. My personal opinion is to use 16"-17", but I tend to be conservative.

When you increase wheel diameter, you also want to use tires with a lower sidewall height. This keeps the overall diameter (O.D.) of the tire the same or close to stock. In this way your odometer and speedo will stay accurate, and you won't get too big of a wheel well gap. If you get a larger O.D. tire, then you may notice your car being a little more sluggish from a stop, especially if you don't have much h.p. On the other hand it might boost your hwy. mileage a bit.

As far as how heavy wheels are, I can't comment on large changes in size, but when I went to 16" aluminum wheels from 15" steelies, the weight of the two different wheel/tire combos. were about the same. I don't think you'll notice a big difference with 17" wheels.

On a FWD car just get the same size wheels all around unless your seriously drag racing, with slicks mounted on the front. If you get different sized wheels you can't ever rotate your tires, so tire life will suffer.

FallenAngelHIM

i'm not getting anything, this is just for my general knowledge.
don't some people put smaller diameter wheels in the front because it makes the pick up a little quicker?
so overall, size and weight varies unless you're going with big fat 20inch chromes right?

skabone69

pretty much. you could get some 18in volks they weigh less than stock rims. it just depends on what you get.

FallenAngelHIM

gotcha, thanks.