I had 20" armanos and then I went down to 19" 5zegins and noticed a big difference in cornering and track times were alot better. But if you are going for looks ...go for 20"s.

 

I wanted 20's from the start until the track day I attended last week at willow springs.

the only person who had any issues with their tires was the guy who had 20's on his car. The very small sidewall (that i thought would help in the corners) actually hurt his driveability on the track! He broke the rubber loose from the rim in the first run and then later in the day it broke loose again AND he bent the rim!

i will not get 20's now just because of that....

 

20's are nice looking, but I think most everybody would agree that they probably hurt actual performance.

 

agree... the unsprung weight on 19s, let alone 20s, will affect your performance...

plus the extra rubber you get from running 18s and 19s will help protect your rim investment... not a bad idea considering volks (for e.g.) run 2200-2500 for just rims

I'm going with 18s for that reason (and price)... but IMO you'll be happy with 19s

 

Those LD5's in black would look very nice.

 

My 20's with tires weighed in just as much as my stock 17's with tires. It all depends on which wheel you get.

 

Remeber that it's not just that weight that matters. For example if you got 2 rims that weigh the same but one is 17" and the other is 20". The rim that is 20" will require more effort to turn then the rim that's 17". This is because more of the rim weight on the 20" is further out from the center, thus harder to turn. Bottom line is you will lose HP with 20's compared to 17's of the same weight. Performance at the expence of looks and looks at the expense of performance, your choice.



John

 

I've heard this same kinda thing from my shop guy. When we told him we were thinking of going to the track, he made a big point of recommending we bring an extra set of rims and rubber (17s or 18s), cuz he KNEW we'd get smoked in the 20s.
It's funny, I used to think looks for the sake of looks was enough, but this discussion on 20s has changed my mind: if the wheels hinder performance on the track, I don't even think they should ever get strapped to my car. My wheels should look good AND be functional (ie: 19s or less).
Thanks for the physics lesson D350z You've made up my mind: 19s it is!

 

But sometimes it's not just the weight of the wheel that makes it heavy. Tires are actually pretty heavy too. For example, the wheels I have now weigh in around 26lbs for a 20x11. I weighed the 17 and it was around the same weight. So I think I am ok as far as performance is concerned. I definitely did not feel any differance in acceleration afterwards. I noticed better cornering grip.

 

just keep in mind that 19's will left a untolerated gap from the fender. my wheels are going for $3500. i'm selling because i'm working on something new with iforged. the set up that i'm going with is something that they really don't do but, they will try it.

and yes those are the same wheels

 

Does anybody know how much a set of 20'' iforged swift's with tires cost and my z is lowerd with the eibach pro kit so how wide can i go and what size tires

 

Isnt it true though John that the performance lost on larger diameter wheels/tires is primarily on the acceleration end (with more power required to turn the wheel as you said), however once the wheels are moving, higher end speeds are improved as you have that inertia/weight working for you?

Personally, I'm very happy with the 19's, and glad I didnt go 20's

 

i cant beleive all you people are making such a big deal about the difference between 19" and 20" wheels. its a freaking inch, buy what size you like and get over it

 

The larger your rim, the slower the car. Every inch makes a difference, but how much of a difference. 17 to 20 is a big difference, and 19 to 20 is a small difference. How does your car look when it is standing still? Like this....20" rims with 1" lowered suspension..

 

Another pic of the rims

 

the "ONLY" 1" comment is a little scewed, since most 20" wheels are of a heavier variation (Chrome plated, or made out of cheaper materials, etc...) In other words, there are not many 20" wheels that are made for the track or to be light wt. Another thing, the wheels are only 1/2 of the equation, 20" tires are much heavier too.

But, I agree, buy what you like

 

and there is not alot of 19" wheels made for the track either and oh yeah i think 19" tires are also heavy. there is not alot of difference between 19's and 20's both are diffentely for show and not for the track. if you want some wheels for the track get some light weight 15's

 

I had 20"s....now this is when I didn't go to the track, but once I started I had them on just the one day and it was very bad because I also have a big brake kit and the 20s flexed and rubbed on my calipers. Then I changed to 19s, and noticed a big diffrence in handling and traction , it was a night and day diffrence. But you are right, a smaller rim helps.
Cheer: Jason
Doesn't nascar still uses 15" rims?

 

Whoa... what kinda cheap 20s did you have? Forged rims won't flex. I haven't had any problems with my rims and I have like 1 or 2mm space between my big brake kit.
15's won't fit on my car. Only some 18's clear my front brakes too.

 

I had lowenharts $6000...cheap...yeah right . Then I went to armanos which I didn't have any flex , but sucked for performance, I just liked the look of the 20s. Now I'm going for performance.
I had 1mm of space when I had the lowenharts and almost 2mm
when I had the armanos. But anyways they were too heavy since they were chrome.