TarkMalbot Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 I currently have standard 17x7" wheels on my car with 205/40/17 tyres. The have an offset of 55. I am looking at getting some after market wheels but don;t want to add weight if possible. I have been looking at Rota light weight wheels but 17x7.5" seem the most common size. The offset is either 45 or 48 but I am happy with that as I do like the wider stance and know from my last MX-5 that even with ET42 clearance isn't a problem. The wheel packages all seem to come with 205 tyres but I wanted to know if this was the best size on a 7.5" rim. Should I go for a 215/40/17 or is it not worth the extra cost and weight? I guess this will also be a higher profile tyre so will that affect the geometry and handling? Lastly I have been offered some new wheels with Yokohama Prada Spec 2 tyres. I was looking at the Toyo T1-R upgrade most wheel packages offer. I noticed some places offer the Yokos as standard and the Toyo option is an extra £55. Does this mean the Toyos are better or are the Yokos just a good deal? Sorry for all the questions. Thanks in advance Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 The extra weight between the 205/ 215 is negligible, what are your intentions for the car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted December 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 My intentions are to change the look from standard with slightly lower offset and a different style rim. Although I want the looks I still want it to be practicle and a good handling car hence why I am sticking with 17"s and trying to keep the un sprung weight as light as I can without spending too much money. The car will be used for general day to day car but with some fast fun at the weekend and maybe even a track day some time (I might stick a set of track tyres on my other wheels for that) It will have the Cosworth Supercharger so the extra weight of the tyres shouldn't affect the power delivery that much but don't want to change the handling too much. Is it worth going up a few tyre sizes with the extra power? I have read lots of different things about contact patches not increaded with wider tyres and it all to do with weight and pressure in the tyres and that a thinner tyre will have a longer contact patch? Can you shed any technical light on that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 The contact patch is like the patch of a foot taking a step, meaning the heel-to-toe contact patch is less affected than the width of the foot. Geometrically this is called the pneumatic trial distance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagitar Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 this is called the pneumatic trial distance. "trail" I think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 this is called the pneumatic trial distance. "trail" I think? I try me best..... Five years of primary school "ITA" had everlasting damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagitar Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 this is called the pneumatic trial distance. "trail" I think? I try me best..... Five years of primary school "ITA" had everlasting damage. I wasn't just being pernickety about spelling Tony. It's always a problem when re-arranging letters still results in a meaningful word, especially when the meaning of the "wrong" word could still be appropriate. The intended meaning is obvious to those who know that caster (or castor), trail and pneumatic trail are all variables in the same steering geometry domain, but not necessarily to other people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 I know you weren't being picky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagitar Posted December 13, 2008 Report Share Posted December 13, 2008 I know you weren't being picky You're being too kind Tony. You are in danger of ruining my hard earned "pedantic" reputation . . . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted January 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 I got a photoshop done of the wheels and I am not sure if I like them more than the originals. Any idea of what wheels would look good but are also light weight? I like the Jap racer style look at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 Look nice, can't deny that..... how we doing with the off-set though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted January 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 Offset shouldn't be a problem. I have been looking at wheels with offsets no lower than 45. I used to "roll" on ET42 which never caught once and did look pretty good too. I think the ET55 of the standard look too far set back into the Arches. What wheel manufacturers do you recommend for the Jap Racer/lightweight look? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Blimey it's hard to say since there are so many variations/ prices out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted January 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 I like this style: And also liking the more multi spoke style too: I want something light weight though and I struggle to find weights for wheels other than Rota, Momo and Oz. I ahve sent a few places E-mails to ask if they could weight the rims for me but no-on replied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 I'll do some scouting for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 I like this style: And also liking the more multi spoke style too: I want something light weight though and I struggle to find weights for wheels other than Rota, Momo and Oz. I ahve sent a few places E-mails to ask if they could weight the rims for me but no-on replied. do you know what the original wheels weighed ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted January 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 7.7Kg 17"x7" I am looking at OZ Racing Ultraleggera and then I can even go to 18" rims and still be lighter than the Standard 17"! 7.38kg in 7x18, 7.92kg in 7.5x18. I have found most of the Rota wheels are about 7.7Kg for 17" too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 What about the tyre weights? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIH Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Like the NSX wheels. Not sure what they are. Enkei, maybe ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted January 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 I guess that is true. Maybe sticking with 17"s would give a better look for me anyway. I like dift/jap racer style at the min not really bling style. I think I will be going with toyo tyres. Is there much difference between in weight between tyre manufacturers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted January 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Like the NSX wheels. Not sure what they are. Enkei, maybe ? My Standard wheels are Enkei. I don't know why I want to change them really. Some sort of modding infection I have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Like the NSX wheels. Not sure what they are. Enkei, maybe ? My Standard wheels are Enkei. I don't know why I want to change them really. Some sort of modding infection I have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR123 Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 I got a photoshop done of the wheels and I am not sure if I like them more than the originals. Any idea of what wheels would look good but are also light weight? I like the Jap racer style look at the moment. I can't offer you an opinion about the mechanicals, but if you've got an XBox 360 and a copy of Forza Motorsport 2, you can try on lots of different wheel styles, from real manufacturers (OZ, etc), albeit on a "Mazdaspeed" MX5 Mk2 variation. I don't think it gives the names of the wheel designs, but at least you can see what style you like, and you can paint them any colour you like too. I found it very useful when trying to decide on some new wheels for my old Mk2, but decided to get a Mk3 instead. I just couldn't make a decision on which wheels! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted January 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 I am still liking the Idea of Oz Superdoopers. Lighest wheels I have found so far. It is frustrating that all the 17" wheel packages come with 205/40/17 tyres and my standards are 205/45/17 so there would be more arch gap on show. And it costs a fortune to change the package to a different profile tyre! Although I am liking the look of an mx-5 I have seen with 18" Oz wheels on. Where can I find information regarding tyre weights though? I want to know the difference between the 18" tyre and 17" tyre to calculate the overall weights and see how different from standard it would be. Am I being OTT about un sprung weight and an extra kg make that much difference? If I was to go from a 17" rim with 205/45/17 tyres as standard to an 18" rim what size tyre shoud I be looking for? Options with alloy packages seem to be 225/40/18 as standard. Likely to be going with a Toyo upgrade. Should I go 225/35/18 but pay an extra £60 for it? Would that be better as the dia would be the same and radium only 3mm different? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIH Posted January 8, 2009 Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 I think 18s would be a little too large and demand too small a profile. but that's just me I liked the photoshop on the previous page. As for unspring weight, yeah maybe a little lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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