the heaviest 17" wheel you would get?

[GulfCoastGTS]

Hey Im looking into getting 17" rims. Ive been very reluctant until now because of the price tag, $1000+ for looks and to be slower??? But I want a body kit and dont think the kit will look good w/ stock 16". Does anyone know how much a 17" wheel has to weigh to be exactly as fast as with the stock 16" rims? I think its like 14% or so lighter, but I dont know how much the stockers weigh. And how much over this weight before the car actually starts getting significantly slower. Someone has to know the equation. The wheel weights website is very helpful, but I dont know what weight range Im looking in. BTW anyone wanna sell me their TE-37s for $1000? :chuckles:

[nyoneway]

Stock 16" weights about 19lbs.. you need a 17" that weights between 15-16lbs to be same rotation mass as stock.

You could go for OZ Superlegerras, Volk, SSR Competition, Centerline, etc.

I think with all these Celica out there with bodykits and stuff, its the RIM that makes your car. Spend a little more and be diferent.

[GulfCoastGTS]

Alright, so if I get one that weighs 15-16lbs it will be the same rotating mass as stock. How much above that will I actually start being noticibly slower? AND could I get heavier wheels but offset the weight by getting lighter, lower profile tires. Say Pirelli p7000s?

[nyoneway]

You can maybe save 1-2 lbs by getting smaller tires. It ain't gonna make a big difference. You need tires for handling and to protect your rim.

I think you can go as high as 19-20 lbs on a 17" rim and not notice much difference on acceleration. A heavier rim affects more than acceleration, notably handling, steering feel, braking, etc.

[Peab0dy]

You'd think you save tire weight by going to a lower profile, but you really don't. Check out the manufacturer websites for tire weights. Guess they bump up the sidewall thickness a bunch on those tires

[kabal57]

I made the mistake of thinking smaller sidewalled tire = lighter too
but most of the 17" tires I was scoping out were in the 19-21 lb range, i looked into yokos, bridgestones, kuhmos , all the major ones seem to weigh about the same.
18" usually weigh about 24-26 lbs from what ive seen
now this is not definate for ALL tires, but all the ones ive looked into fall into this general range
if youre gonna go with 17"s and are that concerned with keeping the weight close to stock, get some volk t37s or something.
the lighter wheel weight will make up for the extra tire weight , making it pretty close to stock

oh ya the explanation i got when i asked about why smaller profile tires were heavier than the higher sidwalled ones is because they have to use more reinforcing material to make them stiffer, so they weigh more

[JaCelica2k]

What about the weight of stock rims on a GT? 5 spoke Alloys? I am interested in getting 17" wheels and I have to do it soon if I am going to do it because I need new tires, but I am reluctant because I do not want to decrease handling at all or speed by much at all. After all, the celi (especially GT) is already slow enough. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

[JaCelica2k]

anyone?

[Peab0dy]

dunno what the weight of just the stock rims is. Probably has been discussed here before tho, try a search.

I think it's 35 lbs for the 15" rim with tire, and a typical 17" setup would be about 40 lbs (19 for rim, 21 for tire)

[Jesse IL]

If you are getting a 17" wheel, IMO you should go for the lightest one you can find. A 17" wheel does not look as cool as an 18" wheel, so i say if you are going for looks, get the 18 and not worry about weight so much. If you are going for performance, go for the lightest wheel. A heavy 17" wheel is pointless, you are sacrificing on both looks and performance.

[GulfCoastGTS]

Yeah the wheel weights chart really helps. I look until I find a good looking wheel and then check the weight. I think now Im settled on the 5zigen fireballs, just wondering what color. Does anyone have any pics of a 17" vs. 18", same rims, same kind of car type thing. I have always liked 17s and not really liked 18s, IMO 18s are too big on our cars.