i really don't know where to post this but here's my question, i was wondering the difference between 17", 18", and 19" rims? acceleration? cornering? response? a friend told me that he accelerates faster since he changed his 18" to 16". another friend told me 18" is a great balance between response and and handling. can somebody tell me the answer for this physics, someone who is very knowledgable?

 

anyone?

 

Well running a smaller outer diameter tire is like lowering your gearing. So if you go down 2 inches on the wheel diameter (18 -> 16) AND you keep the tires low profile, your wheel/tire will spin faster at any particular speed, making it easier for your car to accelerate. Your top speed will suffer though and the speedometer will be off. (it determines you speed by the number of revolutions the wheel is turning per time unit)

Bigger wheels also tend to weigh more, hurting your acceleration.

Handling tends to be better with larger wheels and lower profile tires as long as the pavement is smooth. Rougher pavement can be too much for the thin tire profiles and you can actually go faster on rough pavement on tires with taller sidewalls.

BTW, there is a handling forum for this type of discussion. ("Evo Tires, Wheels, Brakes, & Suspension...")

 

I personally wouldnt go any higher then 18.. I think that is even too big.
The lighter the wheel the better.

 

It is pretty simple..... Lighter rims are always better. If you can get a light 16" over those massive brakes then you be set. Also, 16" tires are ussually quite a bit cheaper, you can replace them almost twice as ofter as a 18".

That being said, they definately don't look as good as a 17 or 18" rim, but we are talking about EVOs here right? ;-)

/<