Why the big wheels?

[turbomacncheese]

Are there any legitimate benefits of 17" or 17"18" wheels? I've always like a little sidewall on my tires, and smaller wheels can be cheaper...

[Aceflo]

Less sidewall stretch and aesthetics.

[myjones]

The other two that come to mind are more tire choices and bigger brake rotors.
Every inch further off center gives the caliper more leverage to stop the spinning rotor/car
FWIW
I like the taller sidewall look and how that helps the ride but I did opt for 13" disc on my 33 because of their no power brakes issue.
DB
Hemi33

[cChrisM]

I just saw this video and was amazed how much the tire moves around even with a low profile.

Check this video out and go to 27:33 - they show what happens to a tire when turning. Just imagine what it looks like with a 15" rim with a big sidewall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMDDm765Ec8

[SingleMaltWSKY]

Bigger brakes are a benefit if you want more stopping power. The other issue I have found (not sure if I'm the only one here) is that if you go with 15" wheels and want to go with big/wide rubber, it can be tricky to find a decent selection of tires. 17" is super common, lots of selection for manufacturers that make all kinds of profiles, compounds, tread patterns etc etc......15" I just can't find the selection.

[billjr212]

this is an oldie and it focuses a bit much on the aesthetic side, and i'm a little impressed that I remembered this article 6 years later (a quick google search revealed it). http://www.caranddriver.com/features/effects-of-upsized-wheels-and-tires-tested
I tend to agree that 17" is kind of a sweet spot for performance and appearance on anything "normal-ish" (ie excluding supercars and tiny or classic sports cars like a lotus 7).

of course, i can't remember a person's name 3 minutes after I've met them, but...ummmm...what was I talking about?

[SixStar]

215/40-17 tire at 32psi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACoiNcZC3KY

[dspellman]

Big Wheels Keep on Turnin'...

[turbomacncheese]

Thanks. That's something to think about, especially brake selection. We used to just stuff wide tires on the rim so when it flexed one side in a turn, the other side got super loaded. Never lost a tire off the rim after I started doing that. Variety will be the biggest impact, I think. If there are tons of 17s, it'll be easier to find a tire in the budget, right? I remember trying to shop for 225/50 r15, and getting to pick between two. I thought sidewall might not be such a big deal in a car this light, since I used to slide around in 2500-3000 pound cars. On the other hand, maybe this one will be faster :)

SixStar, sweet video. Great fun to watch (which is part of why wifey thinks I'm a little weird)

cChrism, I've bookmarked that video, and I'm going to go back and watch the whole thing. I did skip to the tire part, and I wonder how much force they put on that thing. I guess I don't really understand how much force we're talking about in this car, either, right now.