need help on front rim selection/sizing, enkei rp03's
#1
Eats, Sleeps, Dreams Rotary
Thread Starter
need help on front rim selection/sizing, enkei rp03's
hey guys been talking to rishie at autord. he is setting me up with a set of enkei rp03s for my fd. there is one issue with selecting the front rim that i am struggling with. I really want to run an 8.5 up front as oppose to 8.0 simple because i want the rim to match the rear. the rp03s are pretty convex. the inside is deep and the spoke bows from in to out. as a result as u can imagine the rears which are 9.5 will be pretty convex thus i want to go with th widest up front i can fit.
Now here is the question. would a 8.5 x 17 +35 fit up front. Rishie said it woul be 5mm out of spec. that doesnt sound like alot to me. Do you think it will work? if i do have to roll the fenders what is the result of that? is there any other way to make them fit....can i run more camper? what would be the effects of that?
oh yeah the tire size is 235 x 45 x 17 kumhos.
Now here is the question. would a 8.5 x 17 +35 fit up front. Rishie said it woul be 5mm out of spec. that doesnt sound like alot to me. Do you think it will work? if i do have to roll the fenders what is the result of that? is there any other way to make them fit....can i run more camper? what would be the effects of that?
oh yeah the tire size is 235 x 45 x 17 kumhos.
#2
Mr. Links
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I would trust Rishie.
You might be able to get away with it using a smaller (stretched) tire. You will have to roll the fenders for sure. If you aren't planning to hit some road courses with those rims, then 17x8 and 17x9.5 wouldn't be bad. Depending on the rear offset, you might not get anything larger than 255's on it anyway which would work fine with a 225 or 235 sized tire up front.
IMO, if 235 is your target tire size for the front, just get the 17x8.
You might be able to get away with it using a smaller (stretched) tire. You will have to roll the fenders for sure. If you aren't planning to hit some road courses with those rims, then 17x8 and 17x9.5 wouldn't be bad. Depending on the rear offset, you might not get anything larger than 255's on it anyway which would work fine with a 225 or 235 sized tire up front.
IMO, if 235 is your target tire size for the front, just get the 17x8.
#3
needs more track time
iTrader: (16)
2 things to look out for:
1. You risk chipping the paint when you roll the fender.
2. Even a roll might not be enough depending on road conditions and ride height.
I caught the lip of my fender recently going up a driveway while turning to the right for the first time ever. I'm running 17x9 +45 with 255/40/17 all around. Slight damage to the fender lip which I worsened (paint chip/flake) when I tried to fix it by rolling the fender slightly using a bat.
More camber can equate to more tire wear on the inside of the tire. It also makes the car a bit more twitchier on the highway.
1. You risk chipping the paint when you roll the fender.
2. Even a roll might not be enough depending on road conditions and ride height.
I caught the lip of my fender recently going up a driveway while turning to the right for the first time ever. I'm running 17x9 +45 with 255/40/17 all around. Slight damage to the fender lip which I worsened (paint chip/flake) when I tried to fix it by rolling the fender slightly using a bat.
More camber can equate to more tire wear on the inside of the tire. It also makes the car a bit more twitchier on the highway.
#5
Eats, Sleeps, Dreams Rotary
Thread Starter
one last question.....what are u guys liking on the fd 17s or 18s? i always thought 18s looked big but broswing around i am starting to think 18s in a 5 spoke dont really look big.\
is there a performance difference?
oh yeah keep in mind these are on a stock bodied FD..wi a 99 front lip.
is there a performance difference?
oh yeah keep in mind these are on a stock bodied FD..wi a 99 front lip.
Last edited by matty; 10-29-07 at 06:59 PM.
#6
needs more track time
iTrader: (16)
It'll be mostly a matter of personal preference.
I prefer the extra sidewalls of 17s to help on rougher roads. Other people say they don't notice a difference between 17s and 18s in that respect. I'm sensitive to that kind of stuff though.
From a looks perspective, I can't tell the difference from a distance. I'll tell you this though - bigger wheels make the brakes look smaller.
Good luck.
I prefer the extra sidewalls of 17s to help on rougher roads. Other people say they don't notice a difference between 17s and 18s in that respect. I'm sensitive to that kind of stuff though.
From a looks perspective, I can't tell the difference from a distance. I'll tell you this though - bigger wheels make the brakes look smaller.
Good luck.
#7
Mr. Links
iTrader: (1)
one last question.....what are u guys liking on the fd 17s or 18s? i always thought 18s looked big but broswing around i am starting to think 18s in a 5 spoke dont really look big.\
is there a performance difference?
oh yeah keep in mind these are on a stock bodied FD..wi a 99 front lip.
is there a performance difference?
oh yeah keep in mind these are on a stock bodied FD..wi a 99 front lip.
http://mahjik.homestead.com/files/FD...3/MVC-006F.JPG
Two FD's with 18's and mine (stock body with 99 spec lip) with 17's:
http://mahjik.homestead.com/files/FD...3/MVC-002F.JPG
My car to give you an idea of 17's with a stock body and 99 spec lip:
http://mahjik.homestead.com/files/FD...4/MVC-001F.JPG
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#8
Eats, Sleeps, Dreams Rotary
Thread Starter
Here's a shot of my car with 17's next to another FD with 18's. It's not a direct comparison since the cars are not equal distance apart, but it can give you an idea:
http://mahjik.homestead.com/files/FD...3/MVC-006F.JPG
Two FD's with 18's and mine (stock body with 99 spec lip) with 17's:
http://mahjik.homestead.com/files/FD...3/MVC-002F.JPG
My car to give you an idea of 17's with a stock body and 99 spec lip:
http://mahjik.homestead.com/files/FD...4/MVC-001F.JPG
http://mahjik.homestead.com/files/FD...3/MVC-006F.JPG
Two FD's with 18's and mine (stock body with 99 spec lip) with 17's:
http://mahjik.homestead.com/files/FD...3/MVC-002F.JPG
My car to give you an idea of 17's with a stock body and 99 spec lip:
http://mahjik.homestead.com/files/FD...4/MVC-001F.JPG
what about performance other than comfort? does the increase in wheel diameter slow the car down (ie change the gearing)? i think the weight difference is modest like 1-2 lb difference or soemthing...so i doubt that matter much.
also here are the rims i aminterested in:
https://www.rx7club.com/showpost.php...40&postcount=8
#9
Mr. Links
iTrader: (1)
Those rims are 17x9 +43 with 255's all around. They aren't what I use on the track, so I haven't noticed a difference driving the car around with them (and they are much heavier than the stock rims). I would probably notice it if they were track rims rather than "cruising around the street" rims.
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#14
Eats, Sleeps, Dreams Rotary
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hey guys...i need to order this wednesday. do 18 inch rims effect the handling of the car? i am very concered that tjhe 18s will make the car less responsive. is this true? or is there little to no difference in the feel of the 18s vs 17s?
again i really dont care about comfort.
again i really dont care about comfort.
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why not order the 9 or 9.5 for up front?
you can still run a 235 tire on there and have plenty of clearance at a good offset.
go wide on the wheels at least, if you want to run a 235 tire it still works out well and gives you good clearance, later on if you want to run a 255 or 265 up front then you still can without needing new wider wheels.
nice wheel choice too btw.
you can still run a 235 tire on there and have plenty of clearance at a good offset.
go wide on the wheels at least, if you want to run a 235 tire it still works out well and gives you good clearance, later on if you want to run a 255 or 265 up front then you still can without needing new wider wheels.
nice wheel choice too btw.
#16
Eats, Sleeps, Dreams Rotary
Thread Starter
why not order the 9 or 9.5 for up front?
you can still run a 235 tire on there and have plenty of clearance at a good offset.
go wide on the wheels at least, if you want to run a 235 tire it still works out well and gives you good clearance, later on if you want to run a 255 or 265 up front then you still can without needing new wider wheels.
nice wheel choice too btw.
you can still run a 235 tire on there and have plenty of clearance at a good offset.
go wide on the wheels at least, if you want to run a 235 tire it still works out well and gives you good clearance, later on if you want to run a 255 or 265 up front then you still can without needing new wider wheels.
nice wheel choice too btw.
whats your view on 17s vs 18s from a perfoamnce stand point?
http://www.autornd.com/catalog/produ...e748f349af30bd
#17
Mr. Links
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hey guys...i need to order this wednesday. do 18 inch rims effect the handling of the car? i am very concered that tjhe 18s will make the car less responsive. is this true? or is there little to no difference in the feel of the 18s vs 17s?
again i really dont care about comfort.
again i really dont care about comfort.
Also look at tire selection. I still find it easier to find 17" tires in the sizes and brands that I want. 18's are getting better, but still some brands don't have useful sizes in 18's.
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You can find better offsets for the FD. I'd ask Rishie about other 5-spoke wheels in 8.5-9.5" width and 43-50mm offset. He might have a lead on a fit that's not listed on the website...
Performance difference between 17 and 18? If the wheel & tire packages have similar overall diameter & weight, any performance difference will be small. Very, very small. And if you don't have the budget to buy both for testing, stick with 17s and buy sticky tires (e.g. RT-615s). The tires will be a little cheaper, and you'll get far more performance with fresh tires than bigger wheels.
Performance difference between 17 and 18? If the wheel & tire packages have similar overall diameter & weight, any performance difference will be small. Very, very small. And if you don't have the budget to buy both for testing, stick with 17s and buy sticky tires (e.g. RT-615s). The tires will be a little cheaper, and you'll get far more performance with fresh tires than bigger wheels.
#20
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17x9.5 +38 all around or you can "wuss out" and go with the supermegalightweight setup with a 17x8 +48 up front, it will save you 2 pounds whcih is a good thing but I dont think it will look as good or perform as well as the 9.5 +38 up front.
go for it, 17x9.5 +38 all around. 235 or 245 tire up front and a 255 or 265 out back, nicey nice, if you want to roll some fender lips then you can run a wider tire up front.
you may have more fun for less money on the 17x8 front with a 235 and a 17x9.5 out back with a 255... but I want you to go bigger and wider!
have you decided on tires yet? some of the 18" wheels offer better sizes/offsets and the tires may be shorter in overall diameter giving you more clearance (like why I run 18's on my FC... 295/30r18 are shorter but wider than 275/40r17.
go for it, 17x9.5 +38 all around. 235 or 245 tire up front and a 255 or 265 out back, nicey nice, if you want to roll some fender lips then you can run a wider tire up front.
you may have more fun for less money on the 17x8 front with a 235 and a 17x9.5 out back with a 255... but I want you to go bigger and wider!
have you decided on tires yet? some of the 18" wheels offer better sizes/offsets and the tires may be shorter in overall diameter giving you more clearance (like why I run 18's on my FC... 295/30r18 are shorter but wider than 275/40r17.
#21
Eats, Sleeps, Dreams Rotary
Thread Starter
17x9.5 +38 all around or you can "wuss out" and go with the supermegalightweight setup with a 17x8 +48 up front, it will save you 2 pounds whcih is a good thing but I dont think it will look as good or perform as well as the 9.5 +38 up front.
go for it, 17x9.5 +38 all around. 235 or 245 tire up front and a 255 or 265 out back, nicey nice, if you want to roll some fender lips then you can run a wider tire up front.
you may have more fun for less money on the 17x8 front with a 235 and a 17x9.5 out back with a 255... but I want you to go bigger and wider!
have you decided on tires yet? some of the 18" wheels offer better sizes/offsets and the tires may be shorter in overall diameter giving you more clearance (like why I run 18's on my FC... 295/30r18 are shorter but wider than 275/40r17.
go for it, 17x9.5 +38 all around. 235 or 245 tire up front and a 255 or 265 out back, nicey nice, if you want to roll some fender lips then you can run a wider tire up front.
you may have more fun for less money on the 17x8 front with a 235 and a 17x9.5 out back with a 255... but I want you to go bigger and wider!
have you decided on tires yet? some of the 18" wheels offer better sizes/offsets and the tires may be shorter in overall diameter giving you more clearance (like why I run 18's on my FC... 295/30r18 are shorter but wider than 275/40r17.
#22
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18x10 +50 fits FDs up front under certain scenarios.
a 17x9.5 +38 will be half an inch outboard (50-38=12mm).
but the 9.5" is also a quarter inch less in width on each end of the wheel (6mm)
so with the 17x9.5+38 you are only outboard 6mm more than the 18x10+50.
people have run a 285/30r18 on a 18x10+50 up front (WOW!)
if you run a 235 or 245 or 255 tire on that 9.5 wheel you should have plenty of clearance with a low sidewall / aspect ratio tire and a small O.D.
and it looks GREAT!
a 17x9.5 +38 will be half an inch outboard (50-38=12mm).
but the 9.5" is also a quarter inch less in width on each end of the wheel (6mm)
so with the 17x9.5+38 you are only outboard 6mm more than the 18x10+50.
people have run a 285/30r18 on a 18x10+50 up front (WOW!)
if you run a 235 or 245 or 255 tire on that 9.5 wheel you should have plenty of clearance with a low sidewall / aspect ratio tire and a small O.D.
and it looks GREAT!