Any wheel can be subjected to bends and cracks no matter what pothole or road hazards you hit.

But when I switched from 17lb 16s to 13lb 15s I noticed a huge difference even if I went from a better geared 215/40x16" to a 205/50x15" which is closer to stock diameter.

Any weight you take off your driveline, braking, and suspension components wil make the car respond quicker. Going from 17s to 15s was also a huge difference.