17 inch wheels, how do they look & perform?
 

i'm interested in some 17 inch wheels...but kind of wary of how it will look on a Z...if any of you guys can post pictures, that would be greatly appreciated!

also, what tire size/rim width are you running? offsets would be great too...i also had a hard time finding 265 wide tires in the 17 inch size...they had a few, but all of them were 265/40/17...which is obviously way too short for a Z...is there a solution for this?

thanks in advance!

btw, if you guys are wondering why i want to go 17 inch...i want to gain some performance...if i can find a lightweight 17 inch wheel for the Z...especially if it's 16lbs...then i'll knock of approximately 225lbs of dead weight...

this is all assuming i use the formula for 1lbs of dead weight = 7lbs of rotational mass

Don't trust too much these "magic" spring vs unspring weight equations...

I run 5zigen FN01RC 17x9 and 17x10 +35mm wheels with 255/40R17 and 275/40R17 Toyo RA1 for the track.

Weight about the same as the OEM track wheels. Overall diameter is smaller so it helps with acceleration.

More importantly, 17in tires are much cheaper!

With a bigger budget, I'd run larger rims.

35mm is cool on both f/r? i was thinking thats kinda too high...but anyway...yeah the price difference is why i'm in the market for 17s as well...

about the magical equation...well....there has to be some kind of difference being felt...especially when you knock off like 8-9lbs of dead weight...compared to the stock 18 inch 350z wheels...which weigh 26lbs...then add some lightweight tires (couple more lbs)...and also the fact that your running 1 inch smaller in rim size....i'm sure with all that into consideration, the acceleration should be greatly improved?

Yep, +35mm front and rear is fine.

Of course, reducing unsprung weight is better and will be felt. Steering is more responsive, better accel, better braking and faster suspension response. All good things.

It's the idea of using a conversion factor that bugs me. The car won't feel 500lb lighter. You still have the the mass of the car to carry through the turn.

By the way, my 17 wheels weight the same as my forged Track 18. I have more rubber, and better rubber too.

hey thanks for the tip...it sounds like your track knowledgeable...maybe you can answer my next question?

what other weight reductions can i do for the Z? lightweight rims/tires and removing spare + jack is already on my list...is there other modifications i can do? how heavy is our hood? i currently don't own a Z...which is why I can't feel how heavy it is...but I'm going to be picking one up pretty soon...:icon44:

The hood is alloy. Nothing short of a true (rare and expensive) carbon fiber hood will be lighter.

Options are somewhat limited. Lighter battery, thin walled Ti full exhaust, race seats will all help. You can get rid of some internal garnish. Engine cover too.

Get to know the car first. It's heavy, but pretty much on par to the competition. Stiff chassis, good weight distribution with a great engine.

that sounds good...just for clarification, how heavy is the stock hood, and how much weight do you save (generally) when you switch to a cf?

how reliable are lightweight batteries? odyessy batteries stand out in my head, when i think of them...i just don't want my accessories to be in danger, becuz of a lightweight battery...i don't plan to run a system or anything...possibly just speakers and a navi system...i'm not into bass at all...will racing batteries be okay with this kind of setup?

I have never seen a real c/f hood on a Z. They're almost always a glass fiber core with on sheet of c/f for aesthetics... The OEM hood is pretty light.

I can't help much for the batteries as I haven't researched the weight reduction issue much.

There are some weights in your hatch under the plastic cover you can take out.

Also here is a thread about more weight reduction and other ideas:
https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....eduction+hatch

ahh, so you're talking about the dry carbon hoods that all those JDM guys sell? sh!t, i'll never buy one of those...it's just not worth it! i heard they do save some serious weight compared to a stock hood...but compared to a fiber glass based cf hood, i don't think its a big jump, considering how much money you're spending on it!

anyway, thanks for the link...apexi97, do you have 17 inch wheels? or know of any info discussed in this thread?

I have stock 17s but i'll help you with visuals:

https://my350z.com/forum/attachment....9&d=1136866822
https://my350z.com/forum/attachment....9&d=1134348347
https://my350z.com/forum/attachment....0&d=1134348347
Pics from other members with MB Motorsport Weapon Wheels 17x9 I think they weigh up to 19lbs though. IMO 17s do not look bad at all, but that's my 2cents.

i definitely agree...17s do not look bad at all...maybe at stock height they do...but if you can close the wheel gap with aftermarket, i'm all for 17s...lightweight and 1 inch smaller in diameter...i bet driving the Z would be much more fun with these!

plus the tire sizes are cheaper than 18s! hehe...i'm not at all shooting for looks with my 350z...i mean it already looks nice as it is...if i put 19 inch Volks or SSRs, man I bet they would slow me down...and attract more attention (cops and thieves!)...which i would like to keep at a minimum

Here what my 17" setup look like on stock ride height.

http://images17.fotki.com/v294/photo...36_3700-vi.jpg

oh btw, i'm wondering if Z's will be okay if I run non-staggered? i'm thinking of 17x8.5 all around +31 offset....with 245 or 255 all around?

will the handling of a Z be significantly effected if I run this setup? does it HAVE to be staggered?

You can get rid of the crash beam. Someone said it weighs 25 lbs.

Color:
Sterling Mist Z/G Owner:
no Trim Level:
performance Location:
Cerritos

What model 350Z do you have? With or without VDC?

I'm planning to get the Enthusiast...which I believe comes with VDC?

oh btw david...do you know if 03-06 Z brakes remain the same size? non track models that is..

on the nissan website, they say 06 Z non track is 12.6 rotors...was this the same throughout 03-06? if so, that means whatever rims I get, should fit for any model, whether older or newer?

LOL. Jesus do you plan ahead.:) The Enthusiast has TCS. 90 percent of members with TCS can run the same size tires all around and have no problem.