Civics & wheels

Ok... April is here and so is the time for me to get some wheels. :)
But, it's hard to make a decision between wheel sizes... 16" or 17". :(
The general concensus seems to follow the notion that 17" wheels are purely for show. On that note, I feel that 16's are a good marriage of show and function because unsprung weight is decreased while maintaining some flash. You see... I'd like to cruise the streets and engage in the occasional autoX events w/ these same wheels/tires.

I dunno... 17's would look so much better though and I'm unsure if it's smart to race w/ 17's also.

Based on the 1 lb per inch ideal of a wheel, which would you recommend or go with? :confused:

thats the same dilemma im facing, the 17 looks so much better but 16 are more suitable. So i dont know what im gunna do either

16"


That's not a suggestion Xivera.


That's an order! :D

Hmmm...16's with 205/45/16 tires. That with a 1.5-2'' drop will be fine for looks. :)

im in the same boat but im not going to purchase till summer but another plus for 16s is that they are alot cheaper

Originally posted by VTEC_boi
16"


That's not a suggestion Xivera.


That's an order! :D
[clicks heels & salutes]
Sir, yes sir! :D
Originally posted by onesojourner
but another plus for 16s is that they are alot cheaper
Yeah, no shit! :)

15" wheels are :cool: :D

I would try to pick up some Kosei K1 wheels myself. I've had 17" wheels and I regret doing it. I now ride on 15" wheels and I like better. Looks lower, too.:D

17's aren't purely for show. I would even venture to say that 18's aren't either. I have 16's and wish I could move up to 17's. It fills up the wheel well so much better and I could drop it more and reduce wheel gap compared to me 16's.

I'm just thinking about looks. But frankly are you seriously gonna notice the difference between the same brand 16 or 17" wheel? If I were thinking purely for go, 15's would be the order of the day.

15s and slam it. You don't lose any performance either.

I've actually seen a lot of people move from big wheels to lightweight ones over the past few years. I guess you can thank all that JDM crap for that.

15" wheels are cheap, 15" tires are cheap...you can't go wrong:D

Originally posted by madtownhonda
15" wheels are cheap, 15" tires are cheap...you can't go wrong:D
i agree w/ madtown.
It looks stupid when i see a 17 in wheels and 9in brakes behind them.
To me it looks like he/she spent so much $$ on wheels that he cant afford good brakes
Unless your 15in cant clear your brakes, there is no point in going big.
just my 2 cents

To me, unless the Civic has a bodykit, 17" wheels just don't look right. They look too big. But that's just me *shrug* I went with 16"ers and they look great, perfect size. But then again I'm rolling a Sol, which is smaller than your car.

As for what wheels you should get, how much do you wanna spend?

I vote 16s. They look at least as good as 17s IMHO. You get good looks, better performance, a more compliant ride and if you're going lightweight the extra sidewall height if you go 16 will decrease the chance of you bending a wheel. I say 15 but if its between 16 and 17 my two pennies go toward the 16.

gunmetal kosei k1's for me!! so nice and light and strong!! xivera... everything u want in a rim

assuming wheel size are gonna be 17's...
which is better for a 2door 97 black civic:

Konig Rated R's or Tantrums.... (wheels will be white)

16's All the WAY...:silly2:

Thanx guys!
I'll be going w/ some Basel [Model] 7's then. (I like polished lips! :))
Originally posted by emerge
assuming wheel size are gonna be 17's...
which is better for a 2door 97 black civic:

Konig Rated R's or Tantrums.... (wheels will be white)
Konig Rated-R (Cast) 17x7 19.2 lbs
Konig Tantrum (Cast) 17x7 19.2 lbs

It doesn't matter they weigh about the same. It's just a matter of your taste/style.

i still say 17ins......if u get the right tire size which i believe is 205 35 17 its the same tire size if u had 14in stocks on your car.

Originally posted by JayFidizzy
i still say 17ins......if u get the right tire size which i believe is 205 35 17 its the same tire size if u had 14in stocks on your car.
As the inner diameter changes, so does the sidewall. Moreover, as the wheel increases in diameter, so does its weight. (about 1 lb. per 1 inch; ie. 17" = 17+ lbs) Also, note that stock OEM 14" steelies weigh 18 lbs. I'm aiming for 18 lbs. or less w/ a plus 2 wheel size.

Originally posted by JayFidizzy
i still say 17ins......if u get the right tire size which i believe is 205 35 17 its the same tire size if u had 14in stocks on your car.

It's 205/40/17's and actually it'll be a few mm's bigger. Nothing that'll mess you up tho.

Originally posted by emerge
assuming wheel size are gonna be 17's...
which is better for a 2door 97 black civic:

Konig Rated R's or Tantrums.... (wheels will be white)

DONT GET KONIGS...ive had them before. the tantrums will chip.

anyways...you should get 18s. everyone and their grandma has 16s and 17s. yokohama paradas will fit on them perfectly and they WONT rub.

I'm down w/ my 16's. Look a helluva lot better than 15s.

Go with the 17 inches. I have 18 inchers on my EK 205/35/18 w/ATL 191 wheels in chrome. I have had these wheels for 4 years now and love them. Very lite but a bit too much flash for me now. If the chrome starts to chip I will get them painted white or black.

BIG AND BEAUTIFUL :sun: :confused:

everyone worries about weight in their wheels, but how about tire weight?

Originally posted by igo4bmx
everyone worries about weight in their wheels, but how about tire weight?
Because not too many people are aware of what's involved in making a low-profile [performance] tire, consumers focus on something that is more accessible... wheel weights. You have to do a litlle homework to hunt down tire weights.

I believe Dezoris was working on a tire weight list but, Lucas (Tire Rack rep. & resident AF wheel + tire forum moderator) did not have weights listed as of yet...

In my opinion, tire weight would take a back seat to tire grip and tread life and all that. If an S-03 weighed 10 more pounds than a Grand Victor all-season, I'd still go with the S-03.

I'm with madtown on this one, 15"... I'm ordering mine in a week or so... but then again I have a whole different view of cars than everyone on this board... except maybe madtown :rolleyes:

Originally posted by delsolguy
In my opinion, tire weight would take a back seat to tire grip and tread life and all that. If an S-03 weighed 10 more pounds than a Grand Victor all-season, I'd still go with the S-03.
That is so true.

So xivera...got any pics of these wheels?

Originally posted by delsolguy
In my opinion, tire weight would take a back seat to tire grip and tread life and all that. If an S-03 weighed 10 more pounds than a Grand Victor all-season, I'd still go with the S-03.

when i questioned tire weights, i wasn't comparing tire to tire but weights between sizes... I was wondering if higher sidewalls found in small wheel tires would have a dramatic change in weight from a low profile 45' series tire.

Originally posted by delsolguy
So xivera...got any pics of these wheels?
They look similar to these...
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/images/kosei/swap/kos_race_seneka_w_ci3_l.jpg

Originally posted by igo4bmx
when i questioned tire weights, i wasn't comparing tire to tire but weights between sizes... I was wondering if higher sidewalls found in small wheel tires would have a dramatic change in weight from a low profile 45' series tire.
Low profile tire tend to be heavier than stock ones.

It seems that the rim that I want is currently available only in 17's. (Dammit!)
I dunno what I'm going to do now... :(

Ive got 15's and Im pretty happy. It would be kinda cool to go 16, and Im even thinking 17, but to me it isnt practical. For one, the wieght issue everyone talks about, but there are other factors. I or my wife drive the car every day around the city, so I was afraid a low profile tire would create too rough a ride. Also, it leaves the rims a little more vulnerable, there is less tire to protect it from curbing and just the general potholes you encounter while driving. That more than anything influenced my decision. I think if I were to get bigger wheels now, I would get 17"s and keep em as my "show" wheels! :D

Originally posted by xivera
Ok... April is here and so is the time for me to get some wheels. :)
But, it's hard to make a decision between wheel sizes... 16" or 17". :(
The general concensus seems to follow the notion that 17" wheels are purely for show. On that note, I feel that 16's are a good marriage of show and function because unsprung weight is decreased while maintaining some flash. You see... I'd like to cruise the streets and engage in the occasional autoX events w/ these same wheels/tires.

I dunno... 17's would look so much better though and I'm unsure if it's smart to race w/ 17's also.

Based on the 1 lb per inch ideal of a wheel, which would you recommend or go with? :confused:

Do you have a body kit on your car? If not 16" I cant stand people that put 17" rims on cars with no body kits. Looks so damn goofy. but 16" rims with nice tirez is unbeatable on a simple looking car. Do you want to slam it to the ground or put a kit. I have a 3" drop on my sol so the only thing I can put on that will look decent would be some 16's. I mean its all up to you though just throwing my opinion out there...

Originally posted by SkiesThaLimit


Do you have a body kit on your car? If not 16" I cant stand people that put 17" rims on cars with no body kits. Looks so damn goofy. but 16" rims with nice tirez is unbeatable on a simple looking car. Do you want to slam it to the ground or put a kit. I have a 3" drop on my sol so the only thing I can put on that will look decent would be some 16's. I mean its all up to you though just throwing my opinion out there...

do you have a pic of your car on 16s

GET SOME DUBS!!!!!!!

ok...seriously tho....i'd say 16s....im prolly gonna go with 15s myself (HOPEFULLY....sparq...) :D

xivera,
that rim you posted looks just like a kosei rim. but kosei makes them in 16 inchers

Originally posted by igo4bmx
xivera,
that rim you posted looks just like a kosei rim. but kosei makes them in 16 inchers

They are Kosei Racing Seneka's to be exact ;)

Originally posted by igo4bmx
xivera,
that rim you posted looks just like a kosei rim. but kosei makes them in 16 inchers
At a whopping 19 lbs. though...