bploz RX7

I will be going from the lighter (early 1993) FD stock rims to 17x8 Enkei RS-E... how much am I going to be able to feel (or lack there of) w/ the extra added lbs. of each rim?? I feel fairly in tuned w/ my car and don't want to be disappointed but financially these rims were soft on the wallet compared to the lighter alternatives.

SleepR1

It really depends how much heavier your new wheels and tires are...

My stock setup with stock R1/R2 wheels/tires (Expedia S-07s or P-Zeros) were 39 lbs each. My new street setup weighs 45 lbs each...that's with 255/40-17 Yoko AVS I's with 9 x 17 SSR Integral A2s at all four. I traded 6 more lbs each corner for 1 inch more contact patch, and slightly lower sidewall profile.

The outstandingly balanced handling was preserved (same sized tires all around), but the stick is a tremendous improvement over my old stock setup.

Yet I did feel a very slight loss in acceleration, but I've become accustomed to the slight loss (IOW it feels "normal" now).

Oh well--the car's aesthetics have increased, at least as much as the performance has

SleepR1

The 9 x 17 SSR Integral A2s were $289 each from the Tire Rack. It seems you all have taken my advice on these wheels; the Rack is completely out of 9 x 17 SSR Integral A2s. All they have left are 8 x 17s! It's a good thing, I have 5 of these wheels (the 5th serves as a full-size spare wheel/tire)! New replacements will be impossible!

SleepR1

Note that you are not gaining much more contact patch than stock, with only 8 inches of rim width (stock wheels are 8 inches wide!). You're merely shortening your sidewall profile with 17-inch tires.

Lower sidewall profiles only impact handling "feel" but NOT cornering potential. The only way to increase cornering potential is to put more rubber on the pavement with wider tires, supported by wider wheels!

You're taking a step BACKWARD in performance, but a step forward in aesthetics

In general, if you go with larger wheels, the width dimension should increase proportionally to the diameter dimension in order to maintain the best possible cornering potential. I realize that we're all constrained by wheel/tire clearances up front; but there-in lies the challenge with upsizing wheels/tires!

As always, it's your money, and your car, so you should do whatever makes YOU HAPPY

bploz RX7

yes, I realize its pointless to have the same width as the stock rim (not really an upgrade) but I tried to convince myself that w/ the lower sidewall I will feel a touch less roll. I was told the rims weigh about 17.5 lbs so hopefully it won't be to big of a deal... everything should remain the same performance wise except the added wt. slowing me down a bit

SleepR1

I guess if you're spending extra money to buy new wheels, they might as well be upgrades right? You need not have gone with 17-inch tires to decrease sidewall flex. You can choose stock sized tires with very stiff sidewall construction that minimizes sidewall flex. Yokohama AVS Sports and Pirelli P-Zero Asimmetricos have very stiff sidewalls.

I haven't weighed my 9x 17, SSR IA2s, as they came with 255/40-17 tires, but my guess is each wheel weighs between 18 and 19 lbs, while each 255/40-17 Yokohama weighs 26-27 lbs. I do know that the wheel/tire mounted together inflated to 32 psi, weighs 45 lbs (bathroom scale).

I hope you end up liking your new setup!

bploz RX7

I guess I could always try widening the rear rims ... You always know you're in trouble when Sleep R1 says: "As always, it's your money, and your car, so you should do whatever makes YOU HAPPY". I guess I need to save my pennies and get rims w/ aesthetics AND performance upgraded.

bploz RX7

anyone successfully widen rims without a lot of negative feedback?? I know of a place that can do it but I'm sure the rim won't be as strong and also not sure how much added wt. to expect...

SleepR1

Yes, it can be done. You'll need to add spacers to make the offset right (between 45 to 50 mm)...

saxyman990

bploz,

just to give you a reference, (along with some of my own opinions) I have 17x8 Enkei RSE's on mine.

1) I think they look AWESOME on the car. 10-million times better than stock, and much better looking than most aftermarket

2) I was able to fit 245 rubber on them and I believe that the handling on the car is noticebly better. The 17" wheels, along with the lower profile tires seem to keep the car a little more stable (not that the stock setup was horrible though). Plus, being a mechanical engineer, I feel that there is enhanced stability with the greater inertia due to a little more lower-mounted weight

3) Yes, the wheels are a little heaver than stock. I'm guessing that my car put on about 20lbs with this setup. But to be honest, a decrease in any type of performance is almost completely unnoticeble, and in my opinion, totally negligable.

In my own opinion, I really like the RSE's, and I'm totally glad that I have them on the car. Yes, you have to deal with a little extra weight, but I think that it is worth it. If you want any pictures of my car with the wheels, let me know (I got plenty of em)

Oh, quick question: Where did you find the 17x8's?? I'm pretty sure that they are out of production and the only ones Enkei currently makes are the 17x7's? Just wondering...

Lates,
Rob

bploz RX7

trust me... I saved every pic. of your car from your recent threads. I bought the wheels off another member of the forum but my only concern now is what to do if one of the rims gets damaged somehow . He also had 245/40/17 all the way around and loved the feel so thats what I'll probably stick with... BTW, seeing your car w/ these wheels is what made my final decision to get them (not to flashy yet still stand out)

peejay

Contact patch, believe it or not, is determined by two things... vehicle weight and tire pressure. The less tire pressure you have, the more the tire sinks, applying more contact patch until it's in equilibrium again.

SleepR1

Yes, that's true, but what you're doing with wider tires is to provide more rubber (and thus more opportunity) for a "larger" contact patch, more tire slip angle, and ultimately higher cornering speeds.

This idea is clearly supported by my experience at the track with road tires. I'm consistently two seconds faster on 255/40-17s on 9 x 17 wheels, than with 225/50-16s on 8 x 16 wheels. The 17-inch tires are AVS Intermediates, and the 16-inch tires were Pirelli P-Zero Asimmetricos.