Thanks. I've checked that thread out.

I love the stock BBS wheels, but I don't want to keep mounting them on different tires for winter and summer. I'd rather just get another set of rims for summer which is why I keep bothering you.

I'm willing to sacrifice a little go for some show, do you think I'll really feel a big difference with the extra 4lbs per wheel?

I've seen others (in that thread) running 19x9.5 +22 on 255/35 tires. Maybe I should follow suit?

 

I personally don't have experience yet with going to a lighter wheel (I say yet because I just got the new wheels/tires mounted yesterday but haven't tried them yet).

Others have told me that it makes a noticeable difference.

A known good configuration is likely a good one to start with

 

Hey Trisco i have some Works Emotion XC8 in semi gloss black for killer price if your interested. They are 19x10+20 offset and will fit 275 35 19's perfect. These are still in the box with matching lugs. We ordered them and my girlfriend didnt approve of them so we are still looking. Pm me if you are interested.

 

I appreciate the offer LEESTEP, but my wife and I kind of have our heart set on the Rays.

goofygrin, I know normally that amount of weight wouldn't be felt, maybe because it's at the wheels?

I'm going to check that thread out again now, if I can get away with 265s I'd rather that, if not I'll just go with the 255s.

 

There are three kinds of "weight" (mass really) that you need to worry about:
1. sprung (on the suspension)
Removing weight here is the easiest, but has less effect than anywhere else. 10# removed is like adding 1hp, removing 100# = .1 off the quarter mile (as the old saying goes). This is things like seats, battery, your butt, spare tires, etc.

2. unsprung (suspension and below)
Removing weight here is harder, because this is suspension components like brakes, control arms, struts, springs, sway bars, etc. but because the weight is not distributed across the four springs, the effect of adding or removing weight here is equivalent to 4 times the change of sprung weight. (i.e. 2.5# removed = 1hp in theory). This is one of the reasons why the X has aluminum control arms.

3. rotational (wheels and tires)
Here's where it gets interesting. The car turns axles which turn the wheels. If you remember from physics class or from the teeter-totter on the playground, the further away from the fulcrum that a weight is, the more force or effort it takes to move it. So the same weight at 8.5" (1/2 of a 17" diameter wheel) will take less effort to move than at 9" (1/2 of a 18" diameter wheel) and even less effort to move than at 9.5" (1/2 of a 19" wheel). In your case, moving from a reasonably lightweight 18" wheel to a much heavier 19" wheel causes a triple whammy of increasing the distance from the fulcrum AND increasing the weight to be moved AND increasing unsprung weight.

Does that help?



Edit to add: all that said, if you LIKE the way the wheels look, BUY them and just add more power . A quick car you don't like the looks of isn't one you're going to enjoy driving.