Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now

2112 Views 39 Replies 26 Participants Last post by GTIGuy01, Feb 11, 2002

1.8Dub

Discussion Starter · Feb 6, 2002

Lets do it one last time...My main goals are power, ride quality..I love the looks of a 18 inch wheel..but I drive a auto tip so I need as much launch and low end power as possible...so what to do..IO am thinking a light wheel like a oz, or maybe racing harts. I have Longbeachs now so I am thinking of getting a lighter wheel in a gunmetal color.

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2kjettaguy

· #2 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (evanb)

keep the lbs and do some power upgrades!

1.8Dub

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (2kjettaguy)

Well I am already at the point of power I want, I am getting a CG downpipe and HF cat next week...and that will hold me over for any big power mods until the K04 next year...my car is only 3 months old...have to have something to look forward to..

1BadAzzVR6

· #4 · Feb 6, 2002

2

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (evanb)

get some lightweight 17's....

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

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waka

· #5 · Feb 6, 2002

3

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (evanb)

SSR Comp's http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

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Godlike

· #6 · Feb 6, 2002

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Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (1BadAzzVR6)

quote:[HR][/HR]get some lightweight 17's....

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif [HR][/HR]

agreed... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

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Green-Golf

· #7 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (evanb)

The lighest wheels will work the best. You'll get a little better ride with the 17's also.

John A

· #8 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (evanb)

there is no question. a 17 inch wheel will ride better than an 18.
on the power thing, the lightest setup will most likely be the best, and it's easier to get a lighter setup with 17s...

burdelli

· #9 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (John A)

Get some 17" Superleggeras in gunmetal...

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1.8Dub

Discussion Starter · #10 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (burdelli)

Superleggas in gunmetal was exactly what i was thinking..anyone know the weight difference between the 17 and 18 supa?

TyrolSport

· #11 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (evanb)

If you're truly after both power and ride comfort, I would consider going down to 16". SSR Comp 16x7 @ 11.2lbs...mate that with a 205/55-16 performance tire and you will have sub 35lb tire/wheel package.... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

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lowblackdub

· #12 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (tyrolkid)

I'm keeping the stock 15's and throwing some good rubber at them... I think big wheels are so played out.... getting them powdercoated black though.

1.8Dub

Discussion Starter · #13 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (lowblackdub)

also kepe inmind my main reason for getting rid of the longbeaches...is so my car looks different from others...

Sc0

· #14 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (evanb)

How do the OZ Superlegger's fair against pot-holes and other unavoidable road obstacles? I am in the market for some 17" wheels but for strength and durability I like the Borbets, the OZ's caught my eye because of their weight and price.
(Audi Avus wheels also look nice)

1.8Dub

Discussion Starter · #15 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (Sc0)

keep the votes coming..this is interesting...I am sure most people here will go for 18's due to the look factor...but keep in mind I want look and performance...so you guys voting for 18's tell me why I shouldn go with 17's

pyroguy

· #16 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (evanb)

What performance gains do you get with bigger wheels in general? More control over the car? Drag racers always use iddy biddy wheels with a lot of rubber for traction, so I'm confused.

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Overdrive

· #17 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (pyroguy)

quote:[HR][/HR]What performance gains do you get with bigger wheels in general? More control over the car? Drag racers always use iddy biddy wheels with a lot of rubber for traction, so I'm confused.

[HR][/HR]

The biggest advantage is traction. Bigger wheels means less tire side-wall. Less side-wall means less tire flex. Less tire flex means more traction when you corner. Also, bigger wheels usually means wider tires... so there's more rubber on the road. That's obviously a traction advantage.
An indirect advantage is bigger wheels also allows for bigger brakes.
Also, bigger does not always mean heavier. If you choose the right wheel, you can lose weight and still go bigger. I just recently went from a 17" wheel to a 18" wheel and lost 8 lbs per corner.

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1.8Dub

Discussion Starter · #18 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (Overdrive)

which wheels did you put on?

Imola Yellow GTi

· #19 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (evanb)

I have OEM 18x7.5" BBS RC from the 25th GTi and my old set was 17x7.5" LB's.
I do not notice a diff in ride quality; however, I notice a change toward accurate/lighter/responsive steering!

ThunderGolf

· #20 · Feb 6, 2002

Re: Power, Ride Quality ...17's or 18's....Lets put this to an end right now (evanb)

There's a decent writeup regarding the effect of wheel weight on performance here:
http://www.audiworld.com/tech/wheel13.shtml
To sum it up adding X pounds in rotating mass is at worst equivalent to adding 2X pounds in non-rotating mass. (e.g. - in Overdrive's case a difference of 32 pounds has the same effect as about 60 lbs of extra passengers on acceleration and braking.)

[Modified by ThunderGolf, 4:17 PM 2-6-2002]

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