What size/type wheels do you use?

[EVOclipse]

I am looking at doing my 5lug conversion and getting a new set of wheels for my 240/s15 project. and while doing so i wanted to ask what others have used, as far as types or sizes mostly. I am looking for a nice deep lip , probably going to try out those sportmax wheels i see advertised so much. Also i am planning on doing a fender pull on the rear so im not overly worried about size of the rims im going to use. Any advice or what you might have done would be appreciated.

[slideways...]

sportmax = not that cool

get some gravity gullflames or SA70s, or better yet, some M2 Hanbai DT-05Rs



i swear these are the coolest rims available. bar none.

[Miles Prower]

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[slideways...]

Originally Posted by Miles Prower

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[Raistnar]

5zigen FN01R-C's Silver
17x9+18s in the front
17x9+15s in ther Rear

FN's always look super clean on S13s

[slideways...]

Originally Posted by Raistnar

dont get 5zigen FN01R-C's Silver
17x9+18s in the front
17x9+15s in ther Rear

FN's always look super played out on S13s

fixed.

[93-240SX-COUPE]

Originally Posted by slideways...

fixed.

+1

Im rolling on 15" stockers. If I didnt have a house (and a mortgage payment), I would have gotten the 17X7 Motegi Track Traklite's (flat black) already. 14.5 lbs per. Sexy.

[slideways...]

if you want sexy lightweightness, enkei just released a satin black version of their rpf1 wheels. 15x7 = 9.5 lbs, 17x9 = 15.5 lbs

the only problem (not a problem for me, but maybe for some) is that i believe +35 or +38 offset is the lowest they come. which means wheel spacers if you want 17x8 or 17x9 on an s13.
im thinking of getting those for my car...

[slideways...]

[93-240SX-COUPE]

Those are pretty nice. And the price isnt bad either. Only about $260 per for the 17x8's and $285 for the 17x9's.

The 17x7 Motegis are like $280.

I dont really understand wheel construction, so whats the difference between those? I would assume for regular daily driving there really isnt a difference. Right?

1pc. Gravity Cast w/ MAT Technology (Enkeis) vs. 1pc. Forged (Motegis)

Ps. those enkeis look dope on the rx7.

[slideways...]

for daily driving, the difference is all in feel. believe it or not an overly heavy wheel can make your car feel sluggish in every aspect i.e. braking, turning, accelerating.

if you plan on doing some more spirited driving, light wheels are unsprung weight. basically, when the suspension compresses or expands, the heavier wheels have more inertia so it takes longer for them to change direction. this makes them not stick to the road when you are going over rough patches(and you can guess how much your tires affect your car when they arent on the road).

plus they are connected to your drivetrain, so like a lightweight flywheel or driveshaft it will help acceleration by reducing weight wherever possible.
if you want to get super serial about it take a 15x7 wheel that weighs the same as a 17x7 wheel. the smaller wheel is always superior because the greatest percentage of weight is from the outer rim hoop and the tire. the farther away from the hub you get with the biggest part of the weight, the worse it is.

imagine the radius of the wheel tire combo as a lever arm acting on the hub. the rim hoop/tire is basically a weight acting on the other(outside) end of the lever arm. the longer the lever arm, the more impact the weight of the rim and tire will have on your drivetrain.

[Miles Prower]

You've overevaluated that in all the wrong places.

Yeah, wheel weight matters, but don't ever tell someone to buy a smaller rim compared to a larger rim on the basis of weight. Yeah that 15 is 5lbs lighter, but who cares, the tire is gonna weigh 5lbs more, if the tire doesn't weigh 5lbs more its because the sidewall is total mush and all that turn in and response you preached about is gone.

17x9 +20 with a 245/40/17 all around is what I tell people to buy that don't know any better themselves.

Bigger Power, 265/275 in the back with a 18x10+ done.

Good Grip, reasonable for use on from like 140hp to 300hp, good fitment, cheap wheels available.

and yeah, people hating on FNs, sick, half your shit is twice as stale.

Enkei is basically a cast wheel with a forged barrel.

[slideways...]

Originally Posted by Miles Prower

You've overevaluated that in all the wrong places.

Yeah, wheel weight matters, but don't ever tell someone to buy a smaller rim compared to a larger rim on the basis of weight. Yeah that 15 is 5lbs lighter, but who cares, the tire is gonna weigh 5lbs more, if the tire doesn't weigh 5lbs more its because the sidewall is total mush and all that turn in and response you preached about is gone.

17x9 +20 with a 245/40/17 all around is what I tell people to buy that don't know any better themselves.

Bigger Power, 265/275 in the back with a 18x10+ done.

Good Grip, reasonable for use on from like 140hp to 300hp, good fitment, cheap wheels available.

and yeah, people hating on FNs, sick, half your shit is twice as stale.

Enkei is basically a cast wheel with a forged barrel.

your only looking at one end of the spectrum, i.e. maximizing contact patch on the driven wheels. which is fine and all for most people. i may have gotten a bit too into the explanation but unless your drifting it quite a bit, theres not much downside to a 45 or 50 series sidewall(of course on a decent tire). if you want to i could really get into the details of why a tire weighs more than a rim, and why going to a smaller rim always is better if your ego can handle it(and if you can appreciate the little details that goes into making a complete package). drifting is really the only form of motorsport that has exposed the weakness that is a big sidewall. anything else its not much of a downside and the bigger sidewall protects rims and kidneys. and keeps the contact patch on the ground more since it basically reduces your spring rate. (reduces wheel rate if you know what that is)

i would run a 225/50/16 on 16x8s or 16x9s any car, expecially one that sees the street more than just on the way to the track. plus you can get a decent selection of R-comps in that size if its a serious track machine.

but to touch on your point, drifting puts such huge lateral loads on every part of the suspension from the strut towers down to the contact patches, and everywhere in between. which makes that sidewall flex sideways more than usual. this can make transitions and weight transfer sluggish and somewhat unpredictable. my car right now is scary to drift unless im in a huge parking lot. yeah my tires have huge sloppy sidewalls. (i havent saved enough money for the setup i want yet). but when im driving it without drifting, i can reach the limits of the tires with almost no body roll, and the sidewalls keeps the car from skipping around on the bumpy parts. its very predictable in that manner.

what is my personal selection? since its still a street car, probably either the enkei's in 17x8 or 17x9, with 235/45/17 or 245/40/17 or these rims, 16x7 +32 front and 16x8 +32 rear, with potenza re01Rs, 215/50/16 in front and 225/50/16 in rear.

on a 240sx or similar sized car, 18s are for show cars. since you can get 17x10s that are lighter and still look good.

this is what i preach because the only bandwagon that will never die is function.

[Miles Prower]

Thats the most rediculous thing I've ever read ever.

285/30/18 is what the people actually racing their cars will tell you to buy for an S-chassis. It also happens to be what the fastest S-Chassis in the united states runs. 18s are for show cars is the battle cry of people who can't afford hoosiers in 30 sidewall.

You're confusing racecars with 16s because of rulebook restrictions for something you should actually do if your building an unlimited car.

16s are a terrible idea, it couldn't be a serious track machine because you couldn't put down any power through a 225, a 225 could handle maybe 2 laps on a 240sx before falling off and overheating.

it sounds like you have no track experience and you're making stupid assumptions to validate your own shitty setup.

you can't fit shit for brakes under a 16

your car doesn't have any body roll because the tires give up so quickly

The only valid argument for sidewall is load rating, and typically street tires need more sidewall to really be able to throw the car around just to get the load rating up enough to be able to not roll over, but with hoosiers the sidewall is so stiff it doesn't matter and as long as you're not driving a 4000lb car or something, you can get away with a 30 sidewall.

also, rofl at advan 3 spokes, those things are so overweight and shitty, those 16s probably weigh 24lbs and will still crack easily.

[slideways...]

so maybe i cant afford hoosiers in a 30 sidewall. i dont pretend to be rich. 2 other things you arent considering
#1 dont comment on my setup with your 240sx mindset. an FC is a way different car. sticky 225s are plenty tire since i refuse to turbo. plus if i stretch it to 16x9s i can fit 245s on there if i can find some. and i dont see a problem with brakes since my 4 pistons fit under my stock 15s.

#2 just a guess but the O/P isnt looking for a max budget spends its life on a trailer track whore. so he really doesnt need a brembo setup that requires 18s. nor is he thinking of making the fastest s13 in the country. plus if that fastest car had same width 17s, would it be slower or faster? well, theres no way in the world it would be slower, so use the process of elimination.

on the street having sidewall is not a horrible thing. its up to personal taste if he wants a 40 or 45 or whatever sidewall. if his rims, car and kidneys can handle it, so be it.

oh and i know my car has a shitty setup. but the suspension is put together well enough so that i can tell how much short of the limit my tires hold me back. you cant do that with a tiny sidewall. keep in mind that upgrading one part that much more than the rest of the car will unbalance it more than help. when it comes to suspension/chassis/tires/ect. the weakest part always flexes first. keeping it all relatively similar in stiffness is how you build an easy to drive car.