i want to end this debate I have with a friend.

He swears that the larger the diameter the better handling it is.

in his case he has a E46 M3. Stock is 18", he upgraded to 19".

I say that (granted that a car can except this size) that 17" is the best since it's the smallest diameter wheel size that offers a wide range of width.

I think there was a Car and Driver article that addressed this on going debate once and for all.

where can i get good and reputable info?

If I understand it correctly bigger wheels = higher top speed but slower accelleration. I'm not sure about handling... would it really make a difference? I would think you're probably right, though.

F1 cars have tiny wheels.

So according to his logic they suck in handling.

Just imagine F1 cars with dubs.

:rofl:

That's a pretty rock-solid point, actually.

Le Mans cars race with 18" rims.

Other similar car races (based on street car chassis) use 17 - 18" rims depending on the class.

there's no ultimate 'best diameter' for a wheel. it depends on the type of car and the application.

for a daily driven m3, i think 19" is pretty retarded.

he might feel it handles better because he runs skinnier and skinnier tires to keep the overall wheel/tire diamater the same. less sidewall flex, etc.

if that's the case, he could get the same benefit without the detriment of shittier acceleration. he could just use the smaller sized wheels and run smaller tires on them. that would probably mess up his speedo, of course.

It looks funny since the lip of the wheel sticks out as if the tires are thinner than the wheel.

Kills the point in rim protector with the amount of metal that would protect the tire.

From my understanding, the height of the wheel really only affects acceleration while the width is what really determines handling.

for a daily driven m3, i think 19" is pretty retarded.


I agree.... Anything more than 18" is just for show.

now what in GOD's name posessed u to get 18" on a FD?

now what in GOD's name posessed u to get 18" on a FD?
Leviticus 5:15 - Thou shall have 18" wheels to improve handling.

I like 16".

The roads around here are rough, so anything bigger is asking to break a wheel. Plus I've always found that a little bit of sidewall flex helps keep the tread firmly planted.

your FD is sex.

Link doesn't work...but I'm sure your FD is a POS.

between god and motorcycles, i keep forgetting yzf is a rx-7 guy.

more updated pics of you BB fd batman

larger rims/lower profile tires make for better traction when cornering (the sidewall can't 'give' as much, therefore doesn't tuck under the wheel as the contact patch slips sideways) BUT the larger the rim the greater the sensitivity to bumps and the higher the unsprung weight.

The bigger the rim, the more unsprung weight. I'd imagine a real light set of 17s would be optimum. I know a lot of the track guys are running 18x10 CCWs at all 4 corners with hoosiers.

Personally, I run a staggered setup of somewhat heavy 18s on the street because I think the gorgeous looks of them go a much longer way then the small but noticeable loss in performance.

I keep the stockers around for any auto-x or track events.

and updated compression numbers for engine #8

;)


ur about to get cursed to drive a Cavalier.

19" wheels make the car feel sharper because of the low-profile tire. That is their only benefit. 17" wheels will be lighter, and 17" rubber will be lighter and cheaper. IMO, 40 and 45 series tires are the perfect comprimise between sharp handling and reasonable ride.

YZF, have you ever actually driven a Miata? Most people agree that they're quite nice to flog around. Keep in mind that a properly-sorted turbo Miata will wipe the motherfucking floor with just about anything it comes toe-to-toe with on the track. You just can't touch a car with 300hp on stock internals and 2300lbs with a driver and a full tank of gas.

Here's a video of a 250hp, 2000lb turbo 1st gen Miata on 205mm Toyo RA-1s running with the Porsche Club at Putnam Park Road Course. There were three cars that could keep up with him that day: An SL65, and two Porsche 996 GT3s. He's passing Carreras, M3s, 944s, older race cars, Corvettes, and most everything else on the track.

BTW - They built that car for the 2004 Grassroots Motorsports Challenge. The car was built for $2004, including the cost of the vehicle.

why don't we ask the Russians?

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/Sup1661/2b9659c5.jpg

Rollin on dubz, yo.

wtf is that thing?

miatas are driven by three type of people

#1 track racers
#2 women
#3 gay men

Bigger wheels have alot more unsprung weight and larger rotating mass.

I wouldn't go above 17" on an RX-7, or any Jap sports car I can think of actually.

M3's on the other hand, I don't see a problem with 19"s. 18"s are stock and look good, but M3's also have a large wheel well and the space to go with a lower offset wheel and larger tire combo. 19"s would fit real nice.

As a matter of fact, Beemer's, Benz's, and Chrysler 300's are the only cars that I think look good with 19"s and above.

miatas are driven by three type of people

#1 track racers
#2 women
#3 gay men

Hmmm....I hope DAK is a track racer... :gay2:

yes, I have driven a buddy's turbo Miata, but that wasn't the point...my point was it looks like a girlie car or a gay guy's car


Agreed. Miata's are quick and all, but they're fag-mobile's. I wouldn't be caught dead in one.

Plus it's not like there is a new idea there. You could do the same thing with a go-kart, but I wouldn't drive one of those on the street either.

I would so pimp a go-kart and drive it on the street. I bet it wouldn't be hard to liscence one here either. Probably cheaper then a car too.

honestly who wouldnt rock a shiney miata here? id rock it as a daily... cal me gay or w/e id still rock it. turbo/supercharged... or swap a rotary in it... awesome..

honestly who wouldnt rock a shiney miata here? id rock it as a daily... cal me gay or w/e id still rock it. turbo/supercharged... or swap a rotary in it... awesome..
I agree....only if it was this Miata:

http://articles.motortoday.com/news/MX5SpecMiata/MX5SpecMiata-1.jpg

go for it

http://www.arielatom.com/ariel/site.php

Pretty sweet but it looks more like a miniture dune buggy then a go-cart

id rock a stock ment gen 2 or even gen 1 miata as long as its not red or pink or a fruity color.... those things are sweet. hell i bet if someone gives u guys a mint gen 1 miata for free you'd be so happy youd shit your pants.

go for it

http://www.arielatom.com/ariel/site.php
I meant go-kart as in golf gocart. THe atom is an entire class unto itself.

this is what I'm talking about:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/Sup1661/10752fd4.jpg

miatas are driven by three type of people

#1 track racers
#2 women
#3 gay men

You should add a #4 to that list:

Old guys who used to have an MG or a Healey, who want to revisit their youths, but don't want the hassle of a car that constantly breaks down.

It may be a girlie car, or a gay man's car, but they're the ultimate cheap track bitch.

...which is exactly why I want one. :)

i'm running 17's with 40 ratios.

IMO it's the best in handling and comfort.

still no new pics of your fd batman...and update on the little accident you got into last time which almost totaled your fd.

nothing has changed

yeah. its got over 220k on the chassis eh? and youre on your 6th motor?

Mark,

I have 270k miles on the FD.

AMazingly it doesn't squeak.

Ever since I had that accident that warranted new rear suspension, including cross member, and when I had the car lowered, with sway bars, there is squeeking.

I've surprised people that have FDs on how many miles is on the chassis.

When you had the car lowered, did they install poly bushings on the swaybar? If so, just slip the bushings off, add dry silicone lube, and reinstall. The squeaking will vanish (don't use wet lube - it'll attract road grime and make a sandpaperish paste that'll chew your bushings to hell)

The front are poly bushings with Redline Grease (wet lube). 150k miles and never had to relube. No noise and no wear. I took a look at it 2 weeks ago.

Rear were custom CNC milled delrin 7075 alloy housing with custom CNC milled Delrin bushings. Same deal here.

Redline > all grease.

I thought about installing zerks, but Redline simply won't get washed out with water.

I talk to guys that 4x4 and have their wheel hubs exposed to dirty water as they cross creeks and so forth. They might look at it once a year, only to find out that water is not an issue in washing out the Redline Grease.

BNR are solid. Just need to get my lazy ass to tune the darn car. It's running rich.

Red Line CV-2 Grease is designed to withstand the extreme temperatures and pressures which occur in high-performance wheel bearings and CV-joints. The excellent high-temperature stability, extreme- pressure protection, and water resistance enables it to out-perform even the best conventional or synthetic greases. Red Line CV-2 Grease can be used in a wide range of applications at temperatures ranging between -100°F to 500°F and provides good oxidation and corrosion resistance, low evaporation and oil separation, and has a minimum effect on rubber seals. Possesses a very high melting point, excellent water washout resistance and superior antiwear which makes it excellent for high temperatures and extreme loads. CV-2 contains an organic moly and is for wheel bearings, high angle and conventional CV joints, chassis lubrication and high temperature, high speed industrial equipment. The exceptional extreme- pressure performance and the fluidity of the synthetic oil allows increases in bearing life of 200% to 800%. Red Line CV-2 Grease will retain its consistency and extreme-pressure performance under high- temperature and high-shear conditions for extended periods, which extends the performance ranges of the lubricated components. Red Line CV-2 will darken after high-temperature use; this darkening will not detrimentally effect the performance of the grease. Although Red Line CV-2 is compatible with small amounts of many petroleum-based greases, it is always good lubrication practice to thoroughly clean out the old grease to eliminate abrasive particles and to minimize the possibility of grease incompatibility.

Mark,

I have 270k miles on the FD.

AMazingly it doesn't squeak.

Ever since I had that accident that warranted new rear suspension, including cross member, and when I had the car lowered, with sway bars, there is squeeking.

I've surprised people that have FDs on how many miles is on the chassis.

How long have you had your FD?

http://www.redlineoil.com/prdImg/54.jpg

How long have you had your FD?

I think 6 or 7 years.

i actually forgot......