R56 Large wheels vs small wheels - pros and cons?
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#29
Yes, there are 15's that will fit the R56...I have JCW brakes on my R53 (same brakes as the R56) and run 15 x 7 Kosei's with Falken Azeni's on the track, no spacers required.
It is a dramatic difference going from 17's to 15's. I'm also running a smaller diameter than stock tire, which also has something to do with it (The gears are shorter, acceleration is quicker), and dropped significant weight off each wheel. I read where an earlier poster couldn't tell the difference between his 18's and lightweight smaller rims, but going from my 17's to 15's is like driving an entirely different car. Maybe its more the diameter difference than the weight, but the difference in the two tire/rim combos is jaw dropping.
It is a dramatic difference going from 17's to 15's. I'm also running a smaller diameter than stock tire, which also has something to do with it (The gears are shorter, acceleration is quicker), and dropped significant weight off each wheel. I read where an earlier poster couldn't tell the difference between his 18's and lightweight smaller rims, but going from my 17's to 15's is like driving an entirely different car. Maybe its more the diameter difference than the weight, but the difference in the two tire/rim combos is jaw dropping.
#30
To me, all else being equal, 17's felt a little quicker at turn initiation and 16's felt a little smoother over pavement nonuniformities. The differences were subtle, IMO. E.g. I virtually never initiate turns as quickly as I did during portions of my test drives, and normally I try not to drive over every bump I see. You may feel different things. Heck, I may feel different things after driving my new MINI for a while. But FWIW, those are my impressions.
Now, back to your physics discussion...
#31
I read where an earlier poster couldn't tell the difference between his 18's and lightweight smaller rims, but going from my 17's to 15's is like driving an entirely different car. Maybe its more the diameter difference than the weight, but the difference in the two tire/rim combos is jaw dropping.
the OD has more to do with acceleration than the weight difference does. My 18" set was shorter than stock while the other sets I compared it to were stock OD. Weight diff = nullified.
#32
Ok, makes sense. I am still trying to decide on wether to stay at 15 or not--I'm still not entirely comfortable with the gearing change; I'd like something in between stock and the 15's. I really don't want to go with a wider sidewall because of turn in issues, so I'll probably stay where I'm at or go to 16's. I'm beginning to think 16's may be the best overall for the track, when it comes to tire diameter/gearing change and weight. I could see how 15's would be preferred (with a smaller tire diameter) for autocross though.
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