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Originally Posted by LuisR
Why are recomending to use 17" wheels if you are using 18"??? Are there any advantage of the 17" wheels other than the broader availability of tires and wheels??? In other words, the tire profile offered by the 17" wheel setup provide better performance than the 18" wheels??? It seems that the 17" wheel setup will absorb better the track/Autocross bumps, but I don't know if overall the low profile of the 18 will be better. There are some pretty good deals on ebay, so please help me out!!!! thanks, again, I am just looking for a used spare set of wheels that I can use for track/autocross so that my original wheels don't get damaged! Thanks!!!
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I am running 18"s because when I bought the car last fall, that's what it had. I don't want to sell them because they are correct for the option codes the car has and I appreciate originality
While I did PM you, let me share some of those thoughts here too:
The 255-40-17 that was the standard size for rears on the 17" rim has a nearly identical OVERALL DIAMETER as the 265-35-18 that is the OEM rear 18" tire size.
So, going from 17 to 18", you will likely be keeping the same outside diameter, which means gearing remains unaffected.
The trade off of going "down" to 17"s will be a slightly taller side profile. Depending upon your driving skill, you may or may not notice the slight, if perceptible, change in turn/cornering response due to the oh, approx 1/2" (10mm) difference in sidewall heights when comparing the two tires.
Ultimately, for AX or Track useage, you would want to search out the [i]lightest[/] weight rim/tire combo possible. It is possible that you could reduce unsprung corner weight by 10lbs/corner.. thus a 40 lb saving on the car. That may be a more noticable change than wheel diameter.