17"s VS 18"s wheel
Thread Starter
Just Hazin'
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 191
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From: CA
17"s VS 18"s wheel
Right now i have 17"s that weigh 26 lbs... If i upgraded to some rota 18"s that weighed 18lbs, would i gain acceleration, or lose some because of that extra inch?? LMK what u guys think...17s look way too small on my accord. 
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,163
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From: Atlanta/Statesboro
the smaller ur overall diamater (wheel+tire) the faster u will accelarate. When I put on my 16's with low profiles for auto-x the car is really FAST and the gears become closer together. If u get the lighter 18's with a low profile tire (see my sig) then u will have a diamater really close to stock. With the lighter wheel u should be faster. Get the 18's anywayz couse they look better on accords.
Senior Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,049
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From: OH
Originally posted by HAZE
well, ive heard that one pound on each wheels is like 100lbs onto your car, so would i actually gain speed?
well, ive heard that one pound on each wheels is like 100lbs onto your car, so would i actually gain speed?
One source: "The use of light-weight alloys in wheels reduces rotational mass. This means that less energy will be required to accelerate the wheel. Given that each pound of rotational mass lost provides an equivalent performance gain as a 10 pound reduction in vehicle weight, the benefits of light alloy wheels on vehicle performance cannot be overlooked.
For example:
A reduction in the weight of the rim/tire assembly of 5lbs x 4 (all around the car) is equivalent to a 200lb weight reduction in vehicle weight (thats worth 0.200 in the 1/4 mile)"
If you are really into increasing accleration, get 16's.
If you want the looks of 18s, just get them. Some lightweight 18's won't slow you down any more than those 17s. 26lbs for 17" is pretty heavy.
Also, as tire sidewall gets shorter, it generally gets thicker and heavier. even though an 18" tire has less sidewall, it's likely significantly heavier than a stock 15" tire (some due to wider width too).
Thread Starter
Just Hazin'
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
From: CA
hmm..i was planning on getting some 215/45/18 tires with it for daily driving.....actually, Jschmid, i was planning to get the subzeros in 18s like i think u have...how much acceleration u lose over stock? LMK