ek/em owners who've upgraded to 16" wheels

[henrygiang]

do you think i would notice a difference if i changed from 14" stocks on an ej8 to 16" WORK EMOTION STYLE rims??? would it be an improvement or would i be worse off?? rims are found here.... http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=86154

[LiKPiC]

yeh. it's as dsp26 said.

the increased width of the tyres will increase fuel consumption. (increase friction)
the upgrade for 15" to 16" (assuming they are the same weight) will increase fuel consumption b/c extra weight further away from centre of the wheel.

but honestly. i dont think it'll affect it drastically!
you say you got an em1 with a 1.6L. whats it drink 7-8L/100km stock?? surely you can afford an extra dollar at the pump? haha

but up to you. remember, tyres for 16" are probably going to be a bit more expensive too...

[LiKPiC]

henrygiang.
get the wheels. they look hot

oh, and the increase weight further away from the centre of the wheel would probably cause slower acceleration...i think, not 100% sure on this. anyone?

[kraiye]

2 questions
when you upgrade from the stock 15" to 16" (ensure wheel circumference remains the same, ensuring the change in wheel weight is minimal, though width would probably go from the 195 to 205)

i) does it affect acceleration?

ii) does it affect fuel economy?

i know to search...but i want the answers specific to ek/em.

thanks peeps

City fuel economy may be down ever so slightly but highway cruising may actually be better.
Again acceleration may slightly decrease. If you're a hardcore dragger your 1/4 times may drop but the extra traction may help launches and 60' times.
And what about handling and comfort?
I guarantee the wider and lower profile tyre will make your handling and response feel more precise and tighter.
The comfort may drop a little as your ride will be bumpier because of the lower profile tyres which are less 'squishy'.

Oh, and like likpic said... they look HOT! That outweighs the comfort/acceleration/consumption factors that you may or may not even notice!!!

swing a baseball bat with your arms, now swing a bucket filled with water to equate to the same weight....

what about swing a baseball/cricket bat by the handle, then swap and swing it from the other end

[RtN]

even though doesn't really relate.. but massive difference from the rims that came with car (18" Vault Savannahs - low profile )... to 15" integra blades. it's like the feel... no scrappage of fender lining... handling all feels better... feels even lighter and responsive since integra blades are like half the weight of the 18" Chromies... But yeh I think less traction when going smaller wheels.. i sometimes lose control in wet driving normally on 15" while never did on the 18" maybe coz of width and same case as wheelspin. But yeh thats from 18 to 15, but in ur case .. 15 to 16.. shouldn't be really noticeable mate.

[kraiye]

wider wheels dont necessarily mean better traction in the wet. it can actually make it worse... more surface area to aqua plane. depends on tyres a lot.

[RtN]

Oh ok.. but yeh .. my 18" were like nankangs (heard they budget) and my 15" were yokohama fronts and falken rears.. so yeh.. thought wider = more surface area etc. or maybe my 15" needed to have the "break-in" period?

[LiKPiC]

kraiye is right. wider wheels will equal increase your risk of hydroplaning because you're spreading the mass of the vehicle over a larger area.

[souperman]

hey, thanks for info ppl.
still havent got around to getting 16".
i've been wanting to do a 5lug conversion first...but cant afford it. and it doesnt help that i just got my rego papers this week.
Gotta keep saving dosh.

[AKILYA666]

At the end of the day its not going to matter too much unless your going to either track or drag your car. (are you, you havent stated that) if its for daily use then why worry. weight will only be a little bit more so it wont really effect drivabilty of the car. and as per width in the dry they will be better but on wet more chance of aquaplaneing. im running 17/7 on my ej8 and its lowered. there's been a little bit of scrubbing. fuel wise no real difference on daily basis.

[souperman]

not sure if i'll track the car. it all comes down to dosh really.
dosh and time. uni is killing me.
but back to the topic.
i'll prob get 16" once i get some $$...which will be a while. maybe summer hols?

17" look good but i dont want to deal with scrubbing later, i mean. atm, it's stock but i am goin to lower it aswell.

[diffuzn]

changed from ek4 rims to gmax 17s. now my car is slower :P