why go for such small wheels? (honest answers only)

[sirwags_np]

okay, i am new to this forum, but have been in the wheel industry for over 2 1/2 years.

why do you guys always tell people to go for 14/15/16" wheels?

i know some of you will say "lightweight" "improve performance" etc, but most people are doing up "street cars" not drag/curcuit cars.

When i look at a car, im looking at the overall results of the mods that have been done, and how well intergrated they are to the car.

if i saw an accord on wheels smaller than 18" then i would think the owner ran out of money before he brought wheels.......

also on the subject, why does everyone want to be "jdm"? arent we in NEW ZEALAND? cant we have our own style?

P.S. this is in no way a flaming post, it is meant to be informative to someone that doesnt understand the style,.....

[Logger]

The main reason I have 15's on my Civic is that are lighter than my dirty great 17's and tyres are much cheaper. If I could afford it I'd get some nice 16 inch JDM style wheels (TE37 replicas etc) as they are a perfect size for my Civic.

[tjones]

I run 15 inch light weight mags on my crx, Main reason why i chose these were that if any bigger can risk gaurd rub on weels on full lock, Tyres are cheaper more choice, Mags are small and light weels spin easyer with my gearbox ratios (b16a Y1) and with larger weels i have found the gearbox diff seems to bugger out and the car does not seem to stay on the road as well with 17" + weels as used to 3 weel a bit at speed

Thats why i chose 15inch weels for my EF honda

My choice really and i think it looks lower on the smaller weels.

[BHybrid]

Big wheels= poor acceleration
Small wheels = good acceleration

From my point of view buying big wheels has nothing but negatives, it makes your acceleration worse, they rub against the guards and they cost heaps.

As for JDM ( Japanese domestic market ) It is mainly people in America etc that do this. They don't receive the same models as us where we get them straight from Japan etc so we find it rather boring to keep them almost factory hence why most people in NZ buy bodykits or rice their car up in some form.

[CIVTEC]

I went for small wheels for a couple of reasons ...

1. I liked the look of VTi-R alloys
2. I liked the price of VTi-R alloys
3. I can't afford, and do not want 17/18" wheels
4. I don't like the look of 17" wheels on an EK Civic hatch unless it has a big kit, which I'm not a fan of either
5. Not sure of the weight, but I'm sure my 15"s are lighter than some off the shelf 17" chromies au
6. Also, with 15"s, I believe my car will perform/handle better
7. Save a bit of money when it comes to buying some new tyres

Originally Posted by sirwags_np

why does everyone want to be "jdm"?

I think you'll find there's actually only a handful of people here who 'want to be' JDM.
Whatever you mean by that ...

[BTLF3D]

Originally Posted by BHybrid

Big wheels= poor acceleration
Small wheels = good acceleration

From my point of view buying big wheels has nothing but negatives, it makes your acceleration worse, they rub against the guards and they cost heaps.

As for JDM ( Japanese domestic market ) It is mainly people in America etc that do this. They don't receive the same models as us where we get them straight from Japan etc so we find it rather boring to keep them almost factory hence why most people in NZ buy bodykits or rice their car up in some form.

i dont get that, it will rub on the guards etc if you get the wrong offset, and big chunky tyres

[fr3ek]

Originally Posted by sirwags_np

why does everyone want to be "jdm"?

Because NZDM pwns me

For me -

1. They were what was on the car already
2. Keeps the car low
3. They don't rub too much
4. In this part of the woods everyone has huge wheels
5. Tyres are cheaper
6. Smoother ride. The tyre also acts as suspension, and has a bit of 'give' in the handling. Note that F1, Supercars etc, don't use low profile tyres.

[UnitedWeFall]

I run 16"s on my ITR because many people have told me any bigger and you'll compromise the excellent factory handling of the car. Plus most Honda's don't suit big wheels.

We like JDM because JDM is cool.

/end.

[Soichiro]

Same as above, practicality on the street, less likely to get nicked? I like the chunky look of smaller wheels, had 16" Vallens on old EF7 and it looked right to me.

I like KDM, i.e. adapt things to fit

[lowproz]

i TOTALLY agree with the top poster. i know a dude who just bought 13" black mags. you cant even tell he has mags. hed have bin better off taking off his hubcaps and calling them black mags. i think its because people cant afford bigger mags. i have 17's on my car and take them off for the track.

[americ_ian]

i actualy like my car to handle on the street

[DanSir]

My honest answer is I certainlly prefer a "functional" wheel, including all those weight/performance/keeping correct ratios/etc reasons, but overall appearance wise, I like a subtle tidy "period" look , and often I feel like new big wheels look out of place on older cars.

if i saw an accord on wheels smaller than 18" then i would think the owner ran out of money before he brought wheels......

I must be poor my Accord has 15's, I must be broke :wink
to be honest if there was a Honda 16" wheels from that era that fit properly I would consider it, however I don't intend keeping it forever and Mags don't add value to a car.

[Non Vtec]

ride comfort, big wheels have a lower profile, matched with hard suspension and you get sick of driving the car on long trips..
I've thought about putting 19's on my euro R but honestly I prefer to fit in with all the other euro's around..
big wheels are like a plate they make your car easier to spot and stand out more which means if its faster than most of the other ones people can find it easier to steal it..

[lowproz]

i think small mags look good on hatches and my 16's look good on my lude. but on my eg sedan anythin less than 17's looks gay (i can post pics of eg sedans on 15's as proof but the owner mite be offended lol)

[the_chad]

Originally Posted by sirwags_np

okay, i am new to this forum, but have been in the wheel industry for over 2 1/2 years.

why do you guys always tell people to go for 14/15/16" wheels?

Surely with 2.5 years experience you could answer that question for youself? Are you unaware of the effects of larger diameter wheels on handling and accelleration, and also the concept of unsprung weight?? I wouldn't want to take advice from you when buying wheels then.

[Integrated4Life]

Im a student and im poor,

Cant afford 17's. Lol na, coz 16/15's are less likely to get stolen and it gives a more comfy ride and keeps you low to the ground.

And the look of 16's look proportional for integras.

Oh yea and depends what car i have, smaller wheels for FWDs and i would prefer 17's on 4WD turbos

[EVLEVO]

Put some 17" Momo's on a 1600cc N/A and THEN you will know why

[Esprit]

Wheel weight makes a HELL of a difference.... especially on smaller cars.

Larger wheels in general spoil the road manners of a car (agian, worse on smaller cars).... generally speaking, bigger wheels spoil the perforance and balance of a car, particularly on the road.

If you had a big heavy car like a commodore, the difference would be less noticeable, but on a civic, going from 15" to 17" (or bigger) rims would make a hell of a negative difference.

[evil_elmo]

its just cheaper overall

you rather have a good branded 15" compared to a crap 17" rim

again a 15" top quality tyre compared to a ultra crap 17" tyre

you get for what you pay for

[Trivium]

I've got 17's on the EK, only because I got a REALLY good deal on them when I traded in the chromeies that the car came with, and cos they are lightweight so I dont have to worry about lack of performance.... Looks wise they suit as i've got a full kit and the standard 15's would look a bit silly

[lowproz]

Originally Posted by the_chad

Surely with 2.5 years experience you could answer that question for youself? Are you unaware of the effects of larger diameter wheels on handling and accelleration, and also the concept of unsprung weight?? I wouldn't want to take advice from you when buying wheels then.

yeh but you can take them off for track use though.

[sirwags_np]

Originally Posted by lowproz

yeh but you can take them off for track use though.

exactly.......

99% of my customers cars are driven at road legal speeds, on public roads, for 99% of the time.

and yes i do know all about unsprung weight, braking,acceleration etc, but in the real world(as in public roads) i went from 17" with 225/45/17 michelins(these came with my wagon) to 215/35/18 goodyear eagle f1 on a 18x7.5. in my opinion these 18's far outperform the 17's.

road holding, aquaplanning, tyre noise, have all improved, and with the SMALLER curcumference of the 18"s it has improved throttle response.

let alone the improvement in looks........

[SoL]

Originally Posted by sirwags_np

why does everyone want to be "jdm"? arent we in NEW ZEALAND? cant we have our own style?

read this...

http://nzhondas.com/phpBB2/jdm-redef...-vtu61063.html

[hontegra]

Meh i still would prefer my 15's

1. I like the look of the on my car
2. Lighter
3. There JDM 8)
4. Nowhere near as much rubbing as my old 17's
5. unsprung weight is reduced
6. 17's are ok and 18's are gay
7. with my fully adjustable suspension the ride on the road is not as harsh due to bigger sidewalls etc
8. same as 3.
9. Tyres are in some cases cheaper
10. JDM 15/16's are nicer then big heavy Chrome 18" spinners from crap brands

[defy]

I think big wheels on most hondas look silly, bar a few.

i went for 16s on my ek, cos it was the samllest size to fit over my brakes and 17's looks too big. and i think 16's is the perfect size for an ek