With tire 245/40-18 front and 275/40-18 rear, is there ride improvement between 18x8 and 18x9 vs. 18x8.5 and 18x9.5?


Also is it riskier to bend the rim with "lighter" wheel?

 

Lighter wheels are better. That usually means they are forged, and not cast. Forging improves the strength of the metal, even though they tend to be lighter. A light cast wheel, may bend though, so be careful and do your research.

You wont really get a ride improvement going with the wider whell, but your tire may look a little bulged out using the narrower wheels. My personal opinion is to go with the 8.5/9.5 setup.

 

personlly i say go with the 8.5 / 9.5 as well.. with a light weight rim, and light wiehg ttires... you can put 235 / 265 on them to save some sprung weight if they are really grabby rubber...