17" Wheels?

[mherman18]

Has anyone every thought about putting 17" wheels on to help save some weight? I saw some deep dish style bullitt wheels that were black with a chrome lip and came in 16"-20". A smaller wheel should be a lighter wheel in theory. Kind of like these. Would they even fit?

http://www.americanmuscle.com/17x8-bullitt-black.htm

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Has anyone every thought about putting 17" wheels on to help save some weight? I saw some deep dish style bullitt wheels that were black with a chrome lip and came in 16"-20". A smaller wheel should be a lighter wheel in theory. Kind of like these. Would they even fit?

I have deep dish style 17"x9" rims with a 38mm offset for the track setup with Mickey Thompson ET Street Radials (275/45) on the rear. There are pictures here (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/4/2/7/5/enkei_mt-03.jpg), here (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/4/2/7/5/enkei_mt-04.jpg), and here (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/4/2/7/5/enkei_mt-05.jpg). I only saved about 2lbs per wheel, granted it's a savings on rotational mass.

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

The wheels may weigh less but the tire will be heavier! You will not save much in the end.

This car is so heavy, that a few lbs weight savings is a huge waste of time.

If you had a 2,000 lb race car, a few lbs is important. Not on this car. You could lose a few lbs if you want the car that much lighter, by skipping lunch a couple days a week. Cheaper and easier.

Some of the weight you may save going to an aftermarket cast wheel, will result in you haveing a weaker wheel than the OE forged wheels. Also not a good idea.

[red]

The wheels may weigh less but the tire will be heavier! You will not save much in the end.

Why are the tires necessarily heavier? This is a big "depends". If you put ET Streets (bias-plys) on there, there is a big weight savings (e.g., the 28X11.50-16 weighs only 24 lbs). There was a weight savings with the tires I selected (3 lbs for each front--new weight 27 lbs, 4 lbs for each rear--new weight 28lbs). Unfortunately, the wheels I selected were heavier than stock (but dirt cheap!).


This car is so heavy, that a few lbs weight savings is a huge waste of time.

Not true. Savings on unsprung, rotating mass is huge. I was not willing to pay the cost to have a large net weight savings, but had I gone with lighter wheels, the extra savings would have helped that much more. The less unsprung weight you have, the better the vehicle's "road holding" ability. The less rotating mass, the higher the rate of acceleration--the choice behind a lighter flywheel is analogous.


If you had a 2,000 lb race car, a few lbs is important. Not on this car. You could lose a few lbs if you want the car that much lighter, by skipping lunch a couple days a week. Cheaper and easier.

The weight savings is not important for race weight, rather, as I mentioned, it is a savings on unsprung, rotating mass.


Some of the weight you may save going to an aftermarket cast wheel, will result in you haveing a weaker wheel than the OE forged wheels. Also not a good idea.If you're willing to pay, you can get forged wheels with significant weight savings.

[mherman18]

I thought any savings would help but you confused me with the tire quote. I would be running regular street tires dont know what brand yet. I used to have a 2000 eclipse gt with 18" 5zigen lightweight wheels thats why I was asking. I see a better selection of tires in 17" thats why I am asking about them instead of 18" and of course the weight difference.

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I thought any savings would help but you confused me with the tire quote.
It all depends on the size and construction of the tire. I went with smaller fronts and rears, saving weight on all corners and increasing my effective gear ratio. The fronts are regular street tires.


I would be running regular street tires dont know what brand yet. I see a better selection of tires in 17" thats why I am asking about them instead of 18" and of course the weight difference.
I agree that there's a better selection (especially for competition tires), which is part of the reason why I chose 17" rims. The stock tires are 30lbs in the front, 32 lbs in the rear. Considering your concerns, just keep in mind the weights when you're looking for tires. Also, make sure that you match the "rake" when choosing tire sizes. If you find a particular model of tire you want, I can help you determine whether compatible sizes are available. Or, you can see this article (https://www.mymarauder.com/wiki/index.php?title=Tires). The estimations there are on the conservative side.

Have you considered a wider rim (at least in the rear)? Also, have you determined the rim offset? The wheels you linked to have a 30mm offset, which means they'll stick out another 20mm.

[mherman18]

I havent got that far yet. I would like to have it level all around so I can rotate tires. Offsets and all that I have no idea about so I need professional help.

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I havent got that far yet. I would like to have it level all around so I can rotate tires. Offsets and all that I have no idea about so I need professional help.
Are you generally aware of the ABS (and traction control) issues on our cars? Do you have a '03 300A?

[mherman18]

No I am not. Only had it since christmas still learning. I have an '03. Dont know what it is.

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No I am not. Only had it since christmas still learning. I have an '03. Dont know what it is.
You can determine whether it's a 300A or 300B using the information here (https://www.mymarauder.com/wiki/index.php?title=300A_300B_Comp arison). 300A's have no traction control and 300A owners have shared success with having same-sized tires on all corners. I do not know whether the 300B owners have had success. I have some information here (https://www.mymarauder.com/wiki/index.php?title=Tires#ABS_and_ Traction_Control) on the ABS / traction control issues, but the problem in a nutshell is that if you change up the relative difference in sizes, then your ABS might be disabled and (if you have it) traction control might engage.

[mherman18]

Ok by the sounds of that I have a 300a then. I don't have heated seats, manual fuel door, or mini spare.

[mherman18]

Well what offset would I need if I didnt want them to stick out.

[red]

Well what offset would I need if I didnt want them to stick out.
That depends on the widths you want to run. Considering that you want to rotate the tires front to back, I assume you're planning to use the same width on all corners. If you plan to drag race, or autocross for that matter, you'd probably want wider wheels (say 9", which is common on domestic sports cars). If you want cheaper options, sticking with an 8" might save money on wheels and tires. On my 17" x 9" (38mm offset), I opted for putting the extra inch on the outside for both axles. In the rears, I could have opted to move most, if not all, of the extra inch to the inside. In the front, I didn't want to take a chance with clearance issues, though a half-inch would have probably been safe.

[mherman18]

Ok Im a little lost. I don't plan on doing much racing or autocross. I want a different look than others. But to keep in mind the weight reduction.

[Icarus]

There's a big variation in weights for tire/rim combos, so unless you look close at that, you may end up with more weight!
The 20" Nitto tires I put on my car are only 2.1 lbs heavier than the 16" Goodyears I have on the OEM rims! I've seen 16" tires that weigh more than some 20's...

[red]

Ok Im a little lost. I don't plan on doing much racing or autocross. I want a different look than others. But to keep in mind the weight reduction.
As Icarus (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/member.php?u=6806) mentions, you will want to be careful in the rim-tire combination you choose when trying to cut weight. Concerning the wheels, if you plan to stick with stock width (i.e., 8"), then you want to have the offset as close to stock as possible (i.e., 50mm). If you want to go to a different width, the offset you'll look for will change. If you find a 17"x8" that has the right offset (they're out there), then you'll also want to make sure you have enough caliper clearance (top and face). My three-piece wheels barely (<1/4") clear the top and face of my stock calipers... see below. Finally, I'd make sure you go with a shorter diameter tire; if you try to match stock, you'll have a taller sidewall and likely more flex. You'll need to adjust your revs/mile accordingly with a tuner; see here (https://www.mymarauder.com/wiki/index.php?title=Tires) for calculations. Post up when you have some combinations you're considering, and we can provide a sanity check.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/4/2/7/5/caliper_clearance.jpg (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/4/2/7/5/caliper_clearance.jpg)

[Thomas C Potter]

My winter tire set-up are 17x8 billet with 255/50, and summer set-up is 18x10 billet w 285-35/295-35. The 17s came first, and I could feel the diff right away from the oem, not major but noticeable. I think the wt diff was 2 lbs with the 17s being lighter, with less inertia. In Spring when I put on the 18s, I notice the diff right away. For feel, I think the best would be 17x8 with 255/40 or 45, to further reduce the inertia. The 18s do look right. A nice forged 17x9 is the way to go, but $$$.