Wanted to know if switching from a 17inch wheel to a 15 inch wheel is worth it for some fun drifting.

Are there any negatives? Do tires get ruined a lot faster? My logic is the wheels would break traction easier due to less weight.

Any info would be appreciated. My setup will be the stock turbo 13b, 15x8 +15 or 20 f, 15x8 +5 or 10 r. Im picking up these wheels thursday and im unsure about t the exact offset. Full T2 tranny and diff.

 

its going to break loose easier. but not because its lighter. your final gear drive will shorter. shorter final drive = more torque.

the only downside is that you are going to be more limited in your rpm range because the smaller rear wheels make your gears shorter. for example if you normally clear a corner in mid-2nd gear, youll probably have to be pretty much redlining to get through the same corner on significantly smaller wheel/tire setup. Also, your wheel speed increases/decreases proportionally to the diameter of your wheels at a given engine rpm. and we all know more wheel speed = more smoke. basically if you have a 15'' wheel and a 17'' wheel and they both have the same tires and the engine is spinning at the same speed, the 17'' wheel should put out more smoke because its spinning faster. that probably doesnt make sense in writing

but if your just starting out, you should be good to go. drift on anything you can. any seat time is good unitl you can figure what you personally prefer

 

i would go with 17 18 setup edd.. 15s will be wayy to easy to spin, and you would have to lift more, or else youll spinn outtt. just have something in the neighbor hood of 18x9.5s in the rear and 17x9 ish front with low offsets around +10 area. a stock turbo 2 can spin 235s/40/18s no problem, and run at least a 215 or 225 in the front... it will be really controllable.. pretty much a petal to the metal neverlift setup lol. easy to drive.

but yeah, to start out and learn, anything 215 and greater will work.. but once you get better you will realize you wannt more grip and wider tires to go faster and more angle more smoke...

 

Awesome detail Russ...appreciate your feedback. I like the last part you mentioned. Yes, I am just starting out and Im fully willing to drift whatever "spare" wheels I can. Money is so tight right now, that Im breaking the bank every pay check I get just to afford to practice. Thanks again brotha..I'll keep you posted on my progress.


I see. It's apparent that a larger wheel is preferred. Because Im just starting out, I'll tear up my 15's for a while and of course, Im keeping my 17's for when I reach an advanced level of experience. Wish me luck....I'll be attending willow springs in May soI hope to see you there

 

It really depends on your style and how you like your car setup. Some people like 15s and 16s, some people like 19s with a stretched tire.

 

yo edd, come out to adams kart track every thursday nights. Its only $20/an hour to drive!!!! 6-9pm... its wayy more cheaper than driving out to willowsprings and spending $110 on the drift events.. the only down fall is that the track is really tough, its as narrow as two car lenghths and if you fly off the track your aero is guranteed to be destroyed... other tthan that its a good track to get down on the ebrake , clutch kick techniques , and the crazy transfers..

 

why are you giving set up advice?

17/17 is fine, and tires are way cheaper.

 

And here I had lost total confidence in this section. Learning on 15s is cheaper and give a decent response depending on what size you go with. Make good friends with your local tire shop and grab any matching set they have around. After going on a 215/55 then go to a 225/55 and you will start to feel that the 225 is slightly taller and even though the contact patch is greater you will be able to feel more sidewall flex then the 215s.

 

I'm just writing to back what russ and fcdrifter12 are saying. I run 16's and do a good job with em. I think russ already kind of mentioned this but when cornering with smaller wheels it's harder to accel faster because of the smaller diameter. Some guys with 17's can get up to speed faster and drift through the turn faster as compared to myself with 16's. I like drifting on 16's tho and I am also thinking about going to 17's now, but I'm NA

 

There are a couple of different ways to look at it. Both have strong points. A bigger tire offers more grip and lower engine speed vs tire speed, which is great on the long drifts that most events are made up of. The only thing is that the larger wheels 16, 17, 18 and so on do not accel or decel as fast as the smaller diameter tires. This does a couple of things initial lock up is harder on the drive train due to the increased weight that a larger tire has, even the lightest of 17s with tires are heavier than 15s or even 16s and this weight is multiplied as the wheel spins, this causes the drivetrain to feel sluggish, and unresponsive to throttle, braking, and lock up. The higher wheels speed at a lower rpm is great though, longer drifts are more stable, the car is not as twitchy or flick happy.

The 15" rim and tire is nice for a tighter course. Its lighter weight and responsiveness to inputs is great when learning to do quick transitions. The lower tire speed is nice, not because it is slower, but because the speed can be changed very quickly, a simple shift lock, or side brake is quicker acting to lock up, but going back onto throttle you can overspeed the tire quickly. Remember the smaller tire has less contact area, and heats faster overspeeding a smaller tire at a lower speed is easier because the tire does not have the area to spread out the heat, so you end up with a tire that has no grip at all in the rear and you slow down in your drift. A tighter course is half momentum half traction, you are still getting pushed along by your rear but more so than on a larger track where the momentum you already have built up is keeping you going.