im going to be buying some rims pretty soon. im thinking of the piaa supermesh 2 but any way im not sure what size i should get. i want to go with either a 18" or 19" whats the pro's and cons of both setups? i want the car to mostly look good but i do plan on takeing it to the track for track days once in a while. i dont really plan on drag racing. so i guess what im getting at is what size is better for the road track? and whats better for the street?
thanks

 

For performance go forged 17-inch wheels
For bling go cast 20- inch wheels.
Anything between is a compromise.

 

get what you are happy with for looks and price...tires for 19's and 20's are considerably more $$ than 18's

 

I personally like the look of 19's a lot better, as a rule of thumb, and I'm sure some people would agree with me, but when getting aftermarket wheels, I usually go up an inch over my stock wheels. Since I had 18's as stock, I went with 19's. SB04 is right, tires from 18 to 19 do have a good jump in price. As far as width, some guys do 8.5 front, 9.5 rear, which is a full inch wider in the rear. I did a 9.5 front and 10.5 rear, low offset, which gives you a wider wheel and a more bad *** look.

 

I think anything over 18" is going to seriously compromise the perfromance, both in power and braking. Even forged 19s will have significant weight to them. Add the tire that is further away from the center of rotation and you have significantly larger inertia in that wheel.

I think 18s offer best look/performance compromise but then I am more of a more go/less show type of guy

 

Very well summarzied. A few additions:
track: 17" forged - agreed. Plus cheaper tires.
Bling: 19-20", expensive tires. The higher the quality the wheel (fabrication technique) the higher the cost.

Best might be to go in the middle at an 18", although I'd never track my street wheels and tires. Use your stock set for track until you have enough coin for a better track-only set-up.

 

22"

 

I thought we figured out that there wasn't much difference in performance between 18-20 if you're using it for (even pretty hard driving) street applications?

 

i ran a statistical regression and suprisingly enough, 25.63" diameter wheels would be the optimal size...so get 26's

 

What tires do you recommend using the regression thing?

 

well, the system says to go with 25.63 x 13 wheels with 215/40/25.63 with a -50 offset...computers like ghetto VIP whips, son

 

How did you guys figure that out? I hope it wasn't the good ole but dyno

Any weight you can shave off the corners will help. Generally, 18s will be lighter than 20s, by at least a couple pounds. I'd say that is noticable when you drive the car. I know I notice. The overall weight is one thing. Changing aspect ratios changes weight distribution oof the wheel and tends to push more weight towards the other edge of the wheel diameter. That will compound the effect and make you even slower.

 

19s for me.

 

The man knows what he talks about. Remember that the width is just as important...Don't go too wide. 9.5 is the max is the max you want to go.

My track wheels are 9.5 fronts (275/35/18's) and 10.5 rears (295/35/18's). While I stick VERY well, my stocks just spin up faster.

Rolling resistance is a powerful thing.

 

12 inch

 

We all know 17's would be ideal for performance .. but lets face it .. they look like $hit In my opinion ... 18's are best for performance while maintaining a stylish look. 18's give you great tire choices as well. 19's your compromising a little performance but go with some high quality light weight wheel and your not that bad. They look visually the best at 19's I think. 20" is just stoopid and out of the question. Buy a Chrysler 300c on dubs if thats your interest.
For width .. I think 9.5 front 10.5 rear is perfect for running a nice size tire for traction while not being overkill. Looks nice and aggressive. Anything under a 9.5 is no bueno... again for anyone who disagrees ... these are not facts, its my educated opinion.

Thats why my set-up is Volk Time Attacks 19x9.5 +22 front 19x10.5 +22 rear. I'll be throwing on my spacers in the rear too shortly after I get my coilovers on.

 

Old-school gold BBS 14's.