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Does anyone know the wherabouts of a thread, website, (or can post the answer) that explains the advantages and disadvantages of bigger rims/wheels, and also how to choose the right rims that will fit your vehicle properly?
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Depends on what you consider advantages I suppose.
For one, the larger the wheel is, the larger brake you can put on the car. Other than that, I see no advantage in getting a wheel with a larger diameter.
Width thought is different. The wider the wheel, the more contact patch you're going to have.
I had a set of 15 x 6.5" wheels that weighed 7.8lbs a piece, Now that sounds more like an advantage to me. That's alot of weight shaved off, and unsprung weight too.
But if you like big wheels, then more power to ya.
::: Also, like I said, it depends on what you are looking for. Because if you are after performance, the tire itself that you chose will be far more important than picking a wheel size.
Usually when you increase the size of the wheel, you put wider tires also.
If the overall weight is heavier than what you are replacing, the car will feel more sluggish.
If the tires are wider, and you use higher performance tires, be prepared to have your fuel consumption increase. But they will help the car handle better.
Usually when you increase the size of the wheel, you put wider tires also.
If the overall weight is heavier than what you are replacing, the car will feel more sluggish.
If the tires are wider, and you use higher performance tires, be prepared to have your fuel consumption increase. But they will help the car handle better.
Also, the better performing a tire is, the more loud it will generally be, and the less miles you can expect it to last.
Thanks for all your replies guys.
From what I understand so far, bigger rims will result in better handling, but more road noise, a bumpier ride, and more strain on the suspension?
I have been thinking of buying 17" alloys to replace my 03 LE's 15" steel wheels with hubcaps, but I'm gradually getting turned off to the idea.
the extra wear and tear on the suspension is nigh negligible
but yes, a harsher ride due to less rubber sidewalls to ride on, and usually more road noise. but the road noise is also dependent on the tire itself. from riding in other people's cars, the top rated street tire, the toyo t1-s is pretty quiet, and the newere t1-rs are supposed to be even quieter. my kuhmo 712s are also high performance, but are much louder. but you get what you pay for.
but personally, I've always thought that the benefits outweigh the costs. with bigger wheels, you usually get wider tires=much better contact patch, and also the smaller the sidewalls, the less sidewall flex there is during cornering. on lighter cars, this is not as big of an issue, but with our front-heavy cars, side-wall flex can be pretty severe.
17s are the maximum size usually when it comes to performance. after that, it's more about looks.
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I just bougt a set of Fuzion HRIs' and even know they are a preformance tire the noise level is quite low. I am pretty happy with them and will but another set. The HRIs' are a all season performance tire and they have a ZRI which is more of a summer tire and I have those on my wifes rims and again they are not too noisy and the ride is great. I had Kuhmos and they were ok. Toyos are a bit noisy but the ride is nice. So I hope this helps you out a bit.
what happens if you just get wider tires with the same size like for example 15" wouldn't it be the same handling performance upgrade like having 225/55/15 compared to 225/45/17? hell it would be better anyways because it will be lighter too.
what happens if you just get wider tires with the same size like for example 15" wouldn't it be the same handling performance upgrade like having 225/55/15 compared to 225/45/17? hell it would be better anyways because it will be lighter too.
The contact patch width is the same, but handling in a sharp turn will be different since you have a much bigger sidewall in the first case (124 mm) compared to the second (101 mm). The larger sidewall will flex when cornering and let the tire partially tuck under with some degradation of handling as a result. OTOH, the deeper sidewall is better when you want to absorb some roadshock and will protect against damage to the tire and/or rim when hitting potholes. For everyday driving I'd be inclined to go with the stock wheel size unless you're always driving on very good road surfaces - or prefer the aesthetics of the larger rims.
The weight of the two alternatives will depend on the particular rims being considered. The rim will generally be heavier in the second case but the tire would weigh a bit more in the first.
Putting wider tires does not give you a larger contact patch. It will only change the shape of the contact patch. What you gain in width (side to side), you loose in length (front to back). This increase in width is partially what helps you in the corners.
Your tires are still filled with the same pressure, approx 30-35 PSI generally. At 30 PSI, you have 1 sq in of contact patch on the ground for every 30lbs of vehicle that the tires much support.
Putting wider tires does not give you a larger contact patch. It will only change the shape of the contact patch. What you gain in width (side to side), you loose in length (front to back). This increase in width is partially what helps you in the corners.
i dont quite understand this. so if i had 17" x 8" rims verses 17" x 10", the contact patch is the same size? if each wheel has the same PSI, wouldnt they deflect/sag/whatever-you-call-it about the same amount in length (not exactly even because the weight is being distributed over a wider amount, but close)? im just wondering because corvettes use wider back wheel for what i thought was better traction due to a larger contact patch.
The tire itself can make a huge difference in handling as well. Even two tires with the same size sidewall can have very different characteristics.
I used to use 205/50/15 Falken Azenis on a car I used to have. With the tire dismounted laying on the side, you cound stand on the sidewall and it wouldn't move! But they were also very noisey, lasted 8,000 miles, and un-driveable in the rain.
If it were my car, I'd go with a 16" wheel. IMO for the Camry it's the best balance between weight/performance/looks
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But they were also very noisey, lasted 8,000 miles, and un-driveable in the rain.
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