I see absolutely no benefits on running a 19" over an 18".

Tires are more expensive, sizes are harder to find, and unsprung weight is unsprung weight, period.

 

We race on 18" wheels from Enkei. They weight just barely over 18#'s each and the price is good. When buying wheels dont forget about what the size and cost of tires will be. WE have Brembo's all around and the 18" wheels clear with no problem and we also dont get tire rub.

 

for the track, the smallest wheel that clears your brakes will be the best compromise. 17 ---> 19 (granted EVERYTHING is a compromise of something else).

bigger brakes = more weight too.

Why get a 19" magnesium wheel? Get a 17" magnesium wheels, and ligther more efficient brakes . For touring car, 17" is pretty much the sweetspot. i don't think 19" magnesium wheels and 380mm carbon brakes would be an improvement.. they would be hella bling though!

 

Sounds like you're from Cali!!

 

Some do, you can make sure by using Stoptech's fitment jig. Personally running 17x9 +27 in a MB Motorsports wheel from DTD. Really cheap, lots of rubber choices, and they still look pretty cool Are they the lightest choice out there? No, but they are economical and have lots of members who have tracked them and found good durability. Plus they clear my 13" Stoptech kit.

Oh and in terms of costs of tracking your car, make sure to consider other items such as brake pads, regular maintenance, safety gear / apparel, fees for track time, gas, etc. as they all add up and may affect your wheel / tire choice.

 

+1 on 18's.

 

Are the stock Track 18's sufficient w/ an R-comp?

 

Yes. There's a couple of guys running RA1 on the OEM Track wheels.

 

I ran my track wheels for a while...not R comp though. They worked great for me. I just wanted something wider.

 

A few 17" wheels will fit stoptech 14". I have wilwood 14"(355mm) brakes, with 17x9 and 17x10 wheels and they fit good(they also fit the stoptechs as I used their templates ). For cosmetics/street use, I have a set of forged BBS wheels in 18". (265/35-18 and 275/35-18 - slightly underdriven)

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Imho, 19" wheels require too low profile tires. On anything but marble smooth pavement, they are a liability with a stiff suspension. Then there is the weight(unsprung / moment of inertia) issue, no matter how you look at it, a 19" wheel will always weight more than the equivalent in 18" . From an all out-performance pov, 19" doesn't make sense on a car like the 350z.

 

What 17" rims do you have? I have a 14" rotora 4 wheel kit and want the smallest lightest rim possible for cheaper tires for track use

 

Good luck on fitting a 17" on the 355 Rotora. I tried 3 different wheels and got frustrated with it, so I bought some 18's. Here is a picture of my 18's at the track:

 

Which 17s did you find that fit?

 

One more factor to consider with 19s is experience on the race track. While it's one thing for a pro road racing Z or G team to use, it's another thing altogether when your pricey (forged, magnesium, whatever) alloys go two or four wheels off course during the course of the day. This will happen at some point, trust me. The larger mass of the 19" wheels, together with the shorter sidewalls of a 19" tire are a good recipe for a bent rim! Same thing applies to hitting the right size pothole on the street...

You DON'T want to know how MUCH it costs to fix a bent rim. Magnesium? Good luck!

The moral to all these stories? DON"T buy 19s unless you're gonna be just stylin' with 'em.

 

LoL, could have taken a picture FARTHER away!

yeah, the rotora seems to be the 14" BBK with the worst clearance.

I use 5zigen fn01r-c 17x9 +35 front and 17x10 +25 rear, I use a 10mm spacer in the front, but they actually fit even without the spacer (very tight though).

I will try to take a picture with the stoptech template

 

18" Work's baby.... 19's are horrible on the track, go with 18's at the most. A lot prefer 17's, but I went 18's for the look and track....

 

Hey - I was driving not taking the picture. And you couldn't stand any closer to that corner.
Here is a closer picture:

 

Oh ! It's picture time now ?

 

nice picture kolia, looks like a pirate 350z... you just need skull and cross bones

I tryied the template of the stoptech front ST40H(355x32), and it DOESN'T FIT on the FN01R-C. 17x9+35... maybe with a 25mm spacer it would fit, but then it won't fit the fender.

 

I guess I have to share too. 19s are not the ideal setup for track - but for me, I wanted a good mix between performance and looks: