For style only I have no problems with 17" wheels and
tires. From a performance standpoint a 14" wheel and
tire combo is all you can use. The tires make all the
difference. If you are going to mount slicks you may
see a slight improvement with 15" wheels, but the amount
of rubber on the road is the important thing. The
contact patch does not change significantly between a
195/60/14, 195/50/15, or 195/40/16. However, the
angular momentum does change as more of the area is
metal instead of rubber. Sport Compact Car (or GRM, I
can't remember) magazine had a good article a couple of
months ago where they fitted plus size wheel/tire
packages and found the bigger wheels to negatively
effect handling and acceleration. The unsprung weight
and increased angular momentum from big wheels offsets
any gains in contact patch and sidewall stiffness. Have
fun, and post some pictures when you're done. One thing
you may have problems with is finding 17" wheels. The
funky offset eliminates most aftermarket wheels.
Andy
> In a message dated 08/09/2000 4:50:44 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> datsunmike@nyc.rr.com writes:
>
> > The problem of running such large wheels is that they weigh so much, add a
> > lot of unsprung weight and don't necessarily make the car handle any better
> > than 15" wheels with good tires. And they cost a fortune. 17" wheels and
> > tires typically add more than 40lbs and more of unsprung weight depending
> on
> > the manufacturer and style of wheel. This is a constant topic in the Miata
> > forum.
>
> Wow, small world...!! I recently bought new wheels for my miata too. Went
> with something larger, and lighter than stock, and noticed a definite
> improvement in performance.
> But for my roadster, I'm building it to mostly be a street cruiser, so I
> figured the larger 17" wheels would be a nice fit. I'm really into the whole
> modern restomodding scene with american hot rods (where they stuff up to 20"
> billets under those 70 year old cars! yum yum), so I'd like to carry some of
> those design aspects over to my little roadster.
> I do plan on taking my car to the track though, so I will probably also end
> up buying a set of dedicated 15" lightweight forged wheels with slicks
> expressly for the track and strip. As far as the cost is concerned...I figure
> it's all worth it. Some folks spend four digits making sure all their numbers
> match, and use all NOS parts...I put it (actually, less $$) into something
> which I think will make my car look better and stand out from the rest of the
> crowd...and has prob never been done before.
>
> \/ /\ /\/
|