ok, lets say you have 16 inch rims with 205/50 tires, and 17 inch rims with 215/45 tires so they both equate to the same height, radius, diameter, etc. buuut, the 17's with the rims weigh more. i know that with rotational intertia and everything the 17's would make the car a tad slower than if it had the 16's all around even if its the same rotating diameter (a matter of weight).

i have 2 good tires on my 17's, and 2 good tires on my 16's (for my T2)...with no money for a new set for either. soooo, which do you think would would make the car slower...17's in the back (causing the axle to exert more force when accelerating) or 17's in the front (i guess needing more force to push the car with overall weight..)

haha, i guess this is a real stupid question, and i'll prob just put the 17's in the back anyway since they are wider and i'd look japanese drift style ...just curious though...

 

The difference is probably pretty minute, but the 17"s should go on the back. Assuming you have good traction, it won't matter either way, but putting the easier-to-accelerate 16s on the back would mean they would probably spin a little easier rather than accelerating the car. With the 17s on the back, you will get more acceleration of the vehicle before they spin, so the 17s on the back should be better from that perspective.

Of course, tire width and tractive qualities (which are influenced by sidewall height -- notice drag cars have tall sidewalls) are probably just as important as the factor mentioned above, but much harder to figure out.

-Max

 

From a sheer style perspective, you're making the right decision by putting the 17-inch wheel/tires in back

 

Keep in mind that the 17's will have smaller sidewall height, and assuming the tires are the same brand, the shorter sidewall will mean less flex and quicker response. It will also reduce usable slip angle, but will increase your overall traction on whichever end you put them on.(that and the fact that they are wider already) I definently agree you should put them on the back. Expect a little more understeer then you had in the past. The front end might feel a little "washy" as the sidewalls will flex more and allow the front end to wander more in cornering while the rear-end hooks up more quickly. The average driver wouldn't even notice such things on the road however.