Rims - 16" or 17" - Pro's & Con's?

[[J]]

I've got an EK VTi-R which has currently got the stock 15" rims on it and I'm currently looking for a new set of rims, however I'm not sure whether to go for 16's or 17's?..

I'm trying to come up with the pro's and con's for each and have so far thought of the following -

16" -
- Cheaper tyres
- Smoother ride?
- Better handling?
- Do they look too small though at stock height?

17" -
- Fill the arches out better
- However will the ride/ handling suffer?

The car is not/ will not be lowered at the moment and is purely used as a street car - so track work or anything like that does not really play a part in my decision.

So ideally, I guess what I am after is a size that will look good at stock ride height, but will also not have too much of a negative effect on the ride/ handling quality of the car..

If anyone has had experience with the above, or currently has 16's or 17's and can offer any input, please post your comments.

Thanks! :wave:

edit: Didn't realise I posted this in the Noob Section - If a Mod thinks it should be moved to the Civic 2000 below forum, could you please move it. Thanks!

[steve88]

sticking 17's on stock suspension will make your car very high, the arch will be bigger if anything.

[[J]]

Yeah, I had thought of that, however the other day I swapped over my stock rims with my brothers 16" buddy clubs/ tyres, and the rolling diameter was virtually identical.. There was no raise in the car's height what so ever..There was just more rim and less tyre.

So I was of the impression that an extra inch in rim size might lift the car slightly, however it may also fill the guards out more?? (I could be way off the mark though?).. Just looking for peoples thoughts?.

[englee]

I've downgraded from 17" to 16" and it made a world of difference. I'm getting better fuel economy, response and feel. The car doesn't feel that sluggish either. I drive an EM1.

16" doesn't look small. Looks just proportionate to the car.

17"
----
- Higher fuel consumption due to rolling weight.
- Expensive tyres.
- Slower response.
- Have to be more careful with offset and car height as it may scrub the fender.

[englee]

When doing any wheel upgrades, its better to stick to the factory rolling diameter as close as possible to keep the original readings on your speedo. When I had my 17's on, they didn't actually fill much of the guards. Its only after lowering the car that it looked much nicer. On stock, it looked like the car was going for WRC.

So if you're thinking of upgrading wheels for filling the gap, then you'll have to look at lowering springs as well.

[[J]]

Thanks for the helpful reply englee!

I realise that going with bigger rims is not going to eliminate the gap, however I don't have the funds for lowering at the moment and don't want to lower my car unless I'm going to do it right the first time round. :)

Will probably end up going with 16's..

[defect]

yea just stick with 16s champ.

[Dreams]

says who 16's tyres are cheaper?

[rayb3na_]

says who 16's tyres are cheaper?

agreed! lol 17inch low profile roughly around 150 for nankangs! 16 inch u can almost get andrenalins for 150

[DC4Integra98]

my car looks 4x4 atm with 17s and stock height. Well I guess I've gotten used to them at the height. At least i feel less worried when I hit a pothole etc. Will take some pics for you sometime....

/lazy

[steve88]

thats wrong, 18"s nankangs cost 150, 17" nan kangs are between 100-120

i got 18's and i love it, i dont know what 15-16s are like i never gone that low :)

[xtercii]

17s will make ur car look funny and too high...

15 or 16 for EKs...

[BiLL|z0r]

Another vote for 16" here. I went fro 15" to 17" on my previous lancer and iot was worst thing I ever did. Should have gone 16". 17" too heavy.

[doggys_fan]

17" diablo racers m88

[Gio]

17s are good imo. Since u are just street and not track it shouldnt really worry u. 17's stick to the road so well but u do need ur car lowered. Its personal preference, do u like the look of bigger magz?

[baeshin]

get 16s .. i went from 17s to 15s... the larger the rims the harder to maintain wif tyres n all... like potholes n etc.. the tyres are lowprofile n youll feel more force or more force will be transfered to the rim which may damage the rim as for mine got buckld a few times

[Gio]

shit rims?

[power_of_dreams]

since stock is 15, i would go to 16s

[circuit_DC5]

16s the way to go.. though abit small lol


FS: white ITR, 2000 model, 135kms, NO REGO $13k pm for details

[WTFSIR]

go 16's.... but make sure its 16x7 then ur wish will be fulfilled... rims size is fine.. if u find 16 is too small then lower your car abit... then youll feel satisfied with 16's :D

[pauli20]

mate i offer you go with 16's due to the fact that it has less fuel consumption and puts less stress on the engine then having 17's on them, i have 17's and oh man its a bitch, scrapes the guards and you can feel the lag
go 16's man fuel economy and "faster" LOL! XD

[Gio]

i need 16's somone swap with me

[circuit_DC5]

mate i offer you go with 16's due to the fact that it has less fuel consumption and puts less stress on the engine then having 17's on them, i have 17's and oh man its a bitch, scrapes the guards and you can feel the lag
go 16's man fuel economy and "faster" LOL! XD

thats right! :thumbsup: spamming:cool:

[4age8u]

go 17s 16s look puss# haha i have an eg4 yes 17s raise your car like crap but yea

[SiReal]

why perform a modification which may potentially make things more difficult? Go the modification which improves the situation. Hence, go 16inch.


17s are fine if you have a bodykit to match.

[4age8u]

body kits dont suit civics in my opinion but go 17s make sure u lower though

[milkman]

16 inch work equip 03. :)

[Sherweeeny]

17's are fine as long as you lower it! eww bodykit?

[T-onedc2]

Depends on the style you like, 16's are perfect with race style rims, and legal. 17's look out of proportion and hinder performance.

[DC4Integra98]

I personally have 17s and wish i had gone either 15s or 16s. Might look good but definitely needs some lowering

[Gio]

lol 15s look gay, more rubber then rim :S

[NightKids]

This is my car with 17" rims, hope it helps your decision:-

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6914/myegzx7.jpg

[VTECMACHINE]

All this Nankang talk... they are crap tyres!

[VT1-R]

go 17s 16s look puss# haha i have an eg4 yes 17s raise your car like crap but yea

lol.. yeah go 17s if u dun care about saving weight and also scrap the shit out of urself when u lower for tat sexy height..

Go 15s or light weight 16s for better handling and lighter rotational mass which ultimately can give u better lap times.. In N/A, every bit helps.. Esp. when u shave kgs of a car at the point(wheels) that moves the car..

[Alexx]

I have gone from 17s to another set of 17s and back down to 15s on my EG.

As above, unsprung weight makes a big difference to our little torqueless cars. Lighter wheels, nuts, and the hardcore guys with ceramic disks all add up. The difference was immediately apparent when i got my 5kg 15s compared with my 12kg+ 17s.

However, having said that there are other things to take into consideration. On the smaller rim, the sidewall is larger due to the larger profile. This distorts easier on a smaller rim. I have found that the 50 series tyres on my 15s have a much greater sidewall flex than the 40 series tyres i had on the 17s.

With the 17s, the car did feel more planted around a corner. But it did feel alot more sluggish off the line.

This can be fixed on a smaller wheel by using a tyre with a stiffer sidewall, such as a semi slick. I know thats what i will be doing for my next tyre :cool:

So yes, tyres are cheaper for smaller wheels - but i feel compelled to spend more on my 15s than i did on my 17s for tyres....

Sorry if i have repeated anything, i didnt read the entire thread

[VT1-R]

I went from Lightweight 17's(8kg) to Lightweight 15's(3.8kg) and the diff is there.. It all adds up like what the above guy had said...

[Jarkz]

I reckon 15" with moderate rubber looks fine... & nice & cheap when replacing tyres.

With that said 16" is basically the same scenario.

17" looks to big and cause's unwanted attention like T-onedc2 mentioned.

It's your car but 15" or 16" (depending on style etc) looks best on EK imo.

[Gio]

17's stick to the road so well but i do think 16's look better and are better for performance. yes replacing tyres for 17's fkn sucks, that why i have a mum :)

[4age8u]

just gota flaty on my 17s cost 250

[EK9]

16" for sure... lowered a tiny bit or dumped and your ek will look awesome.

17" imo are just too big... yes they fill the guards but look way too big for the shape of the ek.

[AzKik-R]

Normally, I would say 17" without a doubt, however, because you have a civic, take the 15's, unless you're planning on getting bigger brakes.