Going from stock 18s to 16s - going lightweight

8592 Views 37 Replies 10 Participants Last post by mumixam, May 6, 2017

mumixam

Discussion Starter · Apr 28, 2017

Philosophy behind the choices is strong and lightweight. I am looking for improved performance and comfort with the change. Looks come in last but i do like the look of bigger sidewalls and the oz wheels. I have a white m3 s-touring model for reference.

https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/Whe...h=Black+Painted&showRear=no&packageFlow=false

OZ Ultraleggara black 16x7 45mm offset - 14.7 lbs which isnt the lightest on tirerack but close. From what i know OZ makes some pretty high quality / strong wheels, the Kosei is lighter but the offset tucks it in more and i have read a few stories about them cracking under normal use. The RPF1s im not a fan of the look/ color available.

Was thinking of matching them to a set of 215/55r16 conti dws tires - they are 21 lbs and i think i would like to keep the same tirewidth. 205/60s dont seem to have as great of tire choices. They are slightly smaller diameter - 1.2% shorter gearing with the change, 69.2 mph actual at 70 indicated - doesnt seem bad to me. Looks like they will fit fine, not sure if scrub will be affected.

Was also thinking of picking up the Koni FSDs at the same time, or maybe slightly after to improve comfort a bit more - wasnt thinking about changing springs at all though, stock ride height is fine by me. Not sure if there is a spring setup more comfort focused - stock seems like it might be the way to go.

Feel free to leave a comment- im interested to hear thoughts or maybe other combinations i haven't thought of, i really have only been browsing tire rack because its easy and they will mount/balance for free and ship to me quickly.

-mum

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21 - 38 of 38 Posts

Midnightsky228

· #21 · May 2, 2017

arathol said:
17x7.5" rims are a good compromise. You can find light 17" rims fairly easily and somewhat inexpensively. Tralkites, Advanti and Konig are good ones to look at. The 7.5" Traklites are just a bit over 15 lbs each. Look at wheels for the 3rd generation Miata, 2006-2015 for a wider selection. Check out Goodwin Racing for more choices.

Better tires sizes are available for 17" rims too. 205/50s on 7.5" rims is a good choice for performance.

For the sake of curiosity, why not a 225/50? More potential lateral grip correct? Or is the downside to that the requirement of an 8 inch wide rim? Or could you fit a 225 on a 7.5inch rim?

Lanesky

· #22 · May 2, 2017

Midnightsky228 said:
For the sake of curiosity, why not a 225/50? More potential lateral grip correct? Or is the downside to that the requirement of an 8 inch wide rim? Or could you fit a 225 on a 7.5inch rim?

I really want 17 RPF1's in sbc and I was wondering this as well. Glad to see someone posting a pic with 17's and I assume a semi stock height. Gives me hope that my car off the stock 18's wont look silly. I like the beefy sidewall look.

arathol

· #23 · May 2, 2017

Midnightsky228 said:
For the sake of curiosity, why not a 225/50? More potential lateral grip correct? Or is the downside to that the requirement of an 8 inch wide rim? Or could you fit a 225 on a 7.5inch rim?

A 225 will work no problem. It depends on how big the tire actually is physically. The 205 in the pictured is more like some 215 tires.
It is quite possible to get more grip from a 205 as opposed to a 225 on the same rim. Read the posts on the first page of this thread. The sidewalls of a 225 on a 7.5 inch rim will be nearly vertical or have an outward taper, allowing the tire to roll under the rim. A 205 will have a bit of a stretch so will be stiffer.

Lanesky said:
I really want 17 RPF1's in sbc and I was wondering this as well. Glad to see someone posting a pic with 17's and I assume a semi stock height. Gives me hope that my car off the stock 18's wont look silly. I like the beefy sidewall look.

My car is lowered on H&R springs, 45mm R and 30mm F. 205/50s on a 7.5" rim using factory springs will probably open up that so-called "wheel gap" about a half inch or more depending on the tire. 225/50s will be a bit larger than OEM.

Midnightsky228

· #24 · May 2, 2017

Guess I'll be looking for 17x8 rims then for summer, or else im dropping my tire width to accommodate 17x7.5 rims. Hmmm maybe I can find 4 rear 350z wheels at a decent price, tho Im not sure the offset will be appropriate.

dradernh

· #25 · May 2, 2017 (Edited)

Midnightsky228 said:
For the sake of curiosity, why not a 225/50? More potential lateral grip correct? Or is the downside to that the requirement of an 8 inch wide rim? Or could you fit a 225 on a 7.5inch rim?

As @arathol says, a 225 will fit, and it will work on a 7.5" rim.

If you haven't already, you can dive into the specs of the tires of interest to you and see how they compare to what you're already running. For example, in the image below you'll see the specs for a pair of 225mm-wide Continental ExtremeContact Sport tires, one with a 45 aspect ratio and one with 50.

Note that the 225/45 has a measured rim width of 7.5" and the 225/50 has one of 7.0" - those are the widths of the rims on which the tires were mounted when the tread and section widths and the overall diameter were measured. What jumps out at me in those specs is that when mounted on those size rims both tires have a tread width of 7.6", virtually identical to the OEM US-spec car's 215/45-18 Dunlops' 7.7" tread width. If you were set on a 225-wide Conti ECS, depending upon what you're trying to achieve you might choose between the two based on one or more of these specs: weight, aspect ratio, or the overall diameter.

The data are from this page: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ExtremeContact+Sport

If you were to look at another 225mm-width tire, you might find some noticeable variation in one or more of these specs.

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Midnightsky228

· #26 · May 2, 2017

Ive got a rim/tire guy thru the local autocross club so maybe I'll have to go down and chat with him for 20 minutes or so about the variations and options he can offer. Im already sold on getting Firestone Firehawks as I am being offered a good price for them by my wheel/tire guy so now its down to rim/tire width choices.

dradernh

· #27 · May 2, 2017

Midnightsky228 said:
Im already sold on getting Firestone Firehawks...

The Firehawk Indy 500s? If so, that sounds like fun!

Midnightsky228

· #28 · May 2, 2017

dradernh said:
The Firehawk Indy 500s? If so, that sounds like fun!

Yup that's the one, I want maximum grip for a street tire simply for Autocross. Beyond that I have been told it has been an excellent tire sold under Bridgestone in other countries already. Wet grip was excellent and dry grip was excellent, so I definitely want a set.

arathol

· #29 · May 3, 2017

Midnightsky228 said:
Yup that's the one, I want maximum grip for a street tire simply for Autocross. Beyond that I have been told it has been an excellent tire sold under Bridgestone in other countries already. Wet grip was excellent and dry grip was excellent, so I definitely want a set.

Its a Bridgestone RE003. However there are better tires out there. If you want the best autox tire, the Bridgestone RE 71R should be at the top of the list. Dunlop Direzza ZII Starspecs are close behind. The new Hankook Ventus RS4 is said to be very good too. Yokohamas Advan Neova AD08Rs are pretty close also.

Midnightsky228

· #30 · May 3, 2017 (Edited)

arathol said:
Its a Bridgestone RE003. However there are better tires out there. If you want the best autox tire, the Bridgestone RE 71R should be at the top of the list. Dunlop Direzza ZII Starspecs are close behind. The new Hankook Ventus RS4 is said to be very good too. Yokohamas Advan Neova AD08Rs are pretty close also.

Very much aware of those tire choices, it comes down to price and how they perform as a daily driver. If it was an autocross only tire Id be getting the RE71's but I have daily driving that is required too, lots of highway and some gravel roads. This debate could go on forever but its personal choice in the end and Ive made mine

dradernh

· #31 · May 3, 2017 (Edited)

minsanity said:
Check Enkei, TSW, Oz, etc..... & the used market. 5x114 & our allowed offsets are not difficult to find. Rotas are made by PAWI, a known & certified OEM wheel supplier of nippon badges. They're affordable w/ some light, durable models.

This an example of a light, strong wheel: BimmerWorld TE:AL TA16 Forged Race Wheel - 17"

Just a bit of text from the description:

"Wheels are also shot peened and heat treated for exacting strength and increased durability. The construction of the rear rim portion emphasizes extreme strength and quality to be used with super low profile tires and the thrashing typical of pounding curbs on a racetrack, or daily street obstacles."

Granted, this type of wheel won't suit the needs of many drivers, especially given the cost. These are a bargain at $400 each - too bad they're for BMWs.

arathol

· #32 · May 3, 2017

dradernh said:
This an example of a light, strong wheel: BimmerWorld TE:AL TA16 Forged Race Wheel - 17"

How much do they actually weigh? I have noticed that many vendors don't or won't post weight.

johnzcarz

· #33 · May 3, 2017

I didn't read through all the responses, but one thing I want to point out is that you are going to get better ride quality out of the 16's (or 17's) than you would for an 18" tire. I actually went through this on an ATS. The one I bought had factory optional 18" rims. I was OK with it on the test drive but after living with it through 1 winter (and our Northeastern pot holes) I dreaded driving the thing. So I went with an aftermarket 17 and conventional tire (vs. the run flats). The change in ride was night and day. I know your M3 doesn't have RF's, but the more sidewall you have the less harsh the ride. The penalty is slightly less responsive steering - the extra flex in the sidewall that helps absorb road imperfections also absorbs some of the steering 'feel'. The good news is I bet 99% of people wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Reactions: 1

arathol

· #34 · May 3, 2017

johnzcarz said:
I didn't read through all the responses, but one thing I want to point out is that you are going to get better ride quality out of the 16's (or 17's) than you would for an 18" tire. I actually went through this on an ATS. The one I bought had factory optional 18" rims. I was OK with it on the test drive but after living with it through 1 winter (and our Northeastern pot holes) I dreaded driving the thing. So I went with an aftermarket 17 and conventional tire (vs. the run flats). The change in ride was night and day. I know your M3 doesn't have RF's, but the more sidewall you have the less harsh the ride. The penalty is slightly less responsive steering - the extra flex in the sidewall that helps absorb road imperfections also absorbs some of the steering 'feel'. The good news is I bet 99% of people wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

This ↑ ↑ ↑

And if you are worried about steering response, there are tires with stiffer sidewalls to restore that too.

dradernh

· #35 · May 4, 2017 (Edited)

arathol said:
How much do they actually weigh? I have noticed that many vendors don't or won't post weight.

Good question - I got out of BMWs before I had a chance to find out. Given the volume of spokes, I'd guess ~18# for the 17X9s. The most interesting thing about them is the price.

What's always impressed me about lightweight and inexpensive aftermarket wheels is the weight variation. I've had examples with six ounces difference across a set of wheels.

mumixam

Discussion Starter · #36 · May 4, 2017

placed an order for the traklite gear 17x7.5s in gunmetal last night - get a call today after work that their inventory was messed up, items were actually other colors and gunmetal is discontinued from traklite in this size now so not possible anymore

i was offered black instead - it was my 2nd choice and a close one so i said yes- they were going to throw in rings for free now as accommodation.

2 hours later - sorry, we dont have black - can you take silver?

sdkagfjasdgk;lja

arathol

· #37 · May 5, 2017

Here is a good alternative in grey

Konig "Hypergram" 17x8 Matte Grey for MX5, 17x8

mumixam

Discussion Starter · #38 · May 6, 2017

Much appreciated Arathol - i did like those alot, and they were on sale!

Ended up going with a wider tire now that im getting a 8" wheel.

This is what i now have on order:

Konig "Hypergram" 17x8 Matte Grey for MX5, 17x8 (konig hypergram 17x8 45mm 16.3 lbs)
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...5WR7FHI5&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes (225/50r17 - 24 lbs)
2100-4166 - Koni FSD - Shock Kit - Import Replacement Parts (koni FSD - will install in my brothers garage, should be first time using a spring compressor, only ever replaced the entire shock/strut assembly all at once)

Pics incoming - traveling a crapton for work in the next few weeks, hopefully i get these soon and have time to install

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