has anyone here stayed with 17" for aftermarket wheels? and why? thanks

 

Reasons for using 17” wheels:

-- 17” wheels weigh less.

-- 17” wheels allow more flexibility mounting various tire widths because of a higher sidewall.

-- Tires for 17” wheels cost less.

-- A tire setup on 17” wheels provides a more comfortable (“cushioned”) ride.

-- The optimum size for snow tires and a Z is 17” wheels.


Of course there are many counter-points for going with larger wheels (appearance, stiffer sidewall, ect.), but my intention was to show the benefits of 17”wheels on a Z.

--Spike

 

He's got a point^

 

yeah i kind of figured, right now i have falkens 225/45/17 on my fronts. i went with 45 because it provided more stiffer sidwalls. don't they have 50s with stiff sidewalls? but then again, the 45 increases the wheelwell gap. plus i am also concerned with the prices of tires increasing along with the size of rim. but all that out the window. would 17" provide the best performance in regards with size, radius, tire availablity, etc....

thanks

 

I’m a little confused by your question… You’re not very clear on what you want.

Are you looking for esthetics, price, available sizes, or is performance your main concern?

--Spike

 

But they are so so so so so ugly
Unless u got like hoosiers on them and they are volk te37's in black

 

I put 17" Borbet wheels on my Z when I first got it because I had the wheels and tires sitting in the garage. It looked pretty good to me. I used them for about 6 months before getting some 18" wheels.

Les

 

You seem more interested in esthetics than performance.

All kidding aside… The OP appears confused as to what he really wants.

17” wheels are popular for the track since they are light weight and adapt well to a variety of tire sizes/configurations.

19” and 20” wheels look great on the Z and are best for show cars.

18” wheels are the best compromise (performance and show).

And, the Z handles any size wheel quite well. "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." Use a stopwatch to measure performance.

--Spike

 

Meaty tires ftl.

 

After all the researching I did, 18" seems to find the best results, as in many options in choosing brands. With the 17", I didn't find too many "good" tires in the oem 225/50; 235/50 sizes, especially where I live. Not too many places carrying them in stock. Its either one or the other or none. I could find many, and I mean many 18" 225/45; 245/45 in almost every brand I wanted to use. 18" wheels seems like the best of both worlds: convenience and appearance...well, at least for me.lol

 

sorry, i'm aiming towards:

1. performance
2. aesthetics
3. price

18" tires costs so much more compared to 17s". i think 18" looks just perfect on the z, but i don't want to worry about spending $1k+ on tires down the road. i like the concave look of the wheels, deep dish looks sweet as well, but those only look good on 18-19", you can't really do deep dish on 17s with fat tires.

the reason i ask is because im expecting a hefty tax return + the "up-to" $600 tax break and i'm due for tires now. my fronts are still good, but i need to replace my rears very soon, and i was thinking i'll be tires for it, and maybe i'll get rims when im ready. i expect my tires to still be in good condition, so i'll get 17" rims to fit my exsisting tires.

 

^^ OK, I think I’m getting it… and apparently even before you do.

You really want a larger wheel… You know you do.

Here’s what you do now: Get a pair of Avon 235/50-17” tires to replace your worn rears. The Avons are dirt cheap (certainly noisy), and will wear quickly (probably within a single season). You will wear out your existing fronts (that have some tread left) and the cheap Avons at nearly the same time. With all the tires worn out at once, you have not guilt feeling tossing some tires with a useful life, and you’re ready for new tires at all four corners.

When all your 17" tires are shot: You buy a set of OEM 18” wheels in the Classified section (there some good prices from members who go to aftermarket wheels and want to get rid of their stock 18” wheels). What a deal. You get your 18” wheels cheap and the esthetic look you obviously want. 225/45-18” and 245/45-18” tires are a common size and are not that expensive.



--Spike

 

I went with 17X8.5 and 9.5 wheels. Rubber is cheaper and I go through two sets per year.

They also weigh about 16 lbs ea.

 

^^ Are these 17" wheels (the picture above)?

--Spike

 

here's 3 different pics of my autoX 17's:

+1 on cheaper tires for 17" rim!!

 

i have the stock 17" wheels on my Z and I love them. I love the "cushioned" and smooth ride feel. I barely feel any bumps on the road.

 

^^ I can confirm your statement from personal experience since I run 17” wheels as my winter wheel/tire setup, and 18” wheels with summer performance tires the rest of the year.

The higher profile tires on the 17” wheels provide a significantly more comfortable ride than the lower profile tires on 18” wheels.

--Spike

 

SSR GT7 17x8.5 +35
I paid $119 each and they're only 18.5 lbs.

 

Yes. The SSR Comp-H wheels, 17X8.5 front and 17X9.5 rear.

DD and track. (I don't change wheels or tires for the track. I "run what I brung.")

 

I run a lower profile. 255/40 17 F and 275/40 17 R. I had to lower the car just a little (.6" with RS-R Ti2000 springs) to get it back to stock fender gap, but now the car sits a total of about 1" lower than stock Z's. (the slightly shorter tires lowered it the extra .4")