Rim Weight Differences

[jmew0ng]

Hey guys.. I'm trying to hunt down a set of wheels to get since mine are still stock.

I've stumbled across two of them both 17" but one's at 18lbs and the other is at 21... Would those 3lbs be a noticeable effect on the acceleration of the car? :x

How about compared to stocks? Big difference or too small to notice?

[SimmZ]

You'll loose a lot of performance by going from 14" to 17" wheels. That's the thing you have to care the most of! Trust-me... the 3 lbs difference must be the last of your concern!

I'm sorry and I don't want to hurt anybody, but I can't understand why peoples put 17" wheels with wide low-profile tires on a 105 HP car... and these peoples dare ask "what mod I can do to get some power gain on my car?". DAMMMNN!!! Stop putting big pimp' wheels on a sub-compact car and THIS will be a huge power gain!

You can get some 15" wheels under 10 lbs easily.

Just my 2¢!

[grimez]

I've been looking for a good set of rims around 15 to 16 inches with a wider profile. Mainly because of all the body sway and blowing around my car does. If anyone knows of any good cheap rims, and could point me in the right direction, that would be fantastic. (Not too cheap though, im looking for affordable quality)
-GrimeZ

[slvryaris]

People like bigger wheels on their vehicles. No offense taken but some people dont know why people would spend the money on 15 inch wheels. Might as well keep the stocks on it. Were not looking for performance anyway. If you want that you might as well buy a turbo. Stockvs. 17 is not that big of a difference depending on the wheel.

[SimmZ]

Originally Posted by grimez

I've been looking for a good set of rims around 15 to 16 inches with a wider profile. Mainly because of all the body sway and blowing around my car does. If anyone knows of any good cheap rims, and could point me in the right direction, that would be fantastic. (Not too cheap though, im looking for affordable quality)
-GrimeZ

Check for some KONIG HELIUM in 15", they are real cheap and great quality! The 15" Helium weight only 11 lbs!!! I can get them for around 120$ CDN, so check in your area and you'll probably able to find it around 100$ US a piece.

They, wrap them with not too much wide tire. 195-50-15 look to be a perfect choice for great performance and great confort. This size match for a perfect upgrade over 175-65-14 stockers.

[Hawaiian Bluzman]

Hey I got a set of Rims 7-1/2"x17", I sacrificed mileage (31mpg to 28.5mpg) cause the rims are heavy. But the handling with wide tires is great when I whip it around big curves or turns. If you can find lightweights that would be great and if your go for larger rims just remember to keep the same tire diameter size as your stock tires.You can go 3% larger of they will affect your ABS brakes. Go to Tirerack.com for more info on wheels & tech info.

[jmew0ng]

Well I'm trying to find a good spot between style and performance. It's mostly a daily commuter from work and back... I don't think I'd be tracking my car, but if I could I guess an Auto-x run every now and then would be fun.

I picked 17s just because all the nicer looking styles seemed to be in the 17" section >.> Haven't been able to find much that I liked 16 and under

But I'm still hunting around ^^

[SimmZ]

The real best size for Yaris liftback is definitely the 15".

It's absolutely false to think than 17" give better handling. You have the impression to have a better handling because you are obliged to have Z-Rated tires. That's where the handling difference is coming from. Put some 15" with high-end Z-Rated tires... and you'll get better handling than 17" wheels and you'll not loose performance and fuel milleage because 15" are a lot lighter. And 195 wide tires are sufficient for a small car like the Yaris.

[riceboy]

I run 17's and I have to say that for the fact that it's a slow car to begin with, it's not going to matter if I put on the bigger wheels.. the difference is not earth shattering, more importantly I think it improves the look of the car, and the wider grippier summer tires make it more fun in the corners.. true you can get it done w/ 15's but then you'll have big fat rubber that looks just like stock, or you'll have rubber bands but it'll give the car a nice stock 4x4 look... day to day i'd rather drive the limit, and enjoy having a nice personalized car.. if i want speed.. i'll take it to the track and put on some 15's w/ sticky non DOT approved tires and beat the crap out of it there....

if you're concerned about weight savings.. remove the seats, if you need those remove the spare and get a can of tire repair.. don't forget to keep subs and box out of the trunk,.. hell you can stop driving ppl too... that'll make the car real light... i dunno.. get what you want it's all personal preference and trade-offs.. you'll always lose out on one thing when you make a decision..

[SimmZ]

Do you want some big fat rubber? My Cavalier run on 195-75-14 stock... that's 5.8" sidewall height!!

A Yaris liftback, with upgraded wheels from 14" to 15" will need to use 195-50-15 to match stock height. This will give less than 3.8" of sidewall height.. that's not what I call "BIG FAT RUBBER"!

[riceboy]

My snows are 195-50-15, I call em big fat rubber because at that size I can withstand potholes, raised railway crossings, high curbs, and the girl with the dirty downstairs.... In any case.. that's just me... I prefer showcasing the wheel rather than the tire... my bro is driving an RS w/ stock alloys and tires and it looks great.. I just think the bigger wheels make the car pop...

[03Z33]

Heres are some actual numbers:

Stock 15" Steel wheels with stock Bridgestone 185/60/15 tires = 33lbs. each

Racing Hart CP-035 Wheels 17x7 +38 = 12.8lbs each
Falken Azenis RT-615 215/45/17 = 22.7lbs. each
Total = 35.5lbs each

RS-Watanabe Cyclone Wheels 15x7 +35 = 6.5lbs each
Kumho Ecsta V710 205/50/15 = 18lbs. each
Total = 24.5lbs. each



I agree that for performance 14/15's are best... my fun/track setup are 15x7 +35 that weigh 6.5lbs each (forged magnesium)

For everyday/street driving I went with the lightest 17's I could find (12.8lbs each) and even with oversized heavy Falken tires they are still only 2.5lbs heavier than the stock 15" steel wheels. The 17's are definetely slower, not only due to the slight increase in weight, but also due to the increased rolling resistance of the wider tires, and the fact that the weight is further outboard on a larger diameter wheel.
For me this was a compromise I was willing to make considering how much better the bigger wheels look (to me) and the fact that I can always throw on the 15's for some spirited driving

[Idjiit]

Yes, 3lbs on a 17" wheel makes a big difference - more than it would on a 15" wheel since a lot of that weight is further away from the axle. I wouldn't go larger than 16" on a car with only 105hp.

[dngz]

I agree with Idjiit. I would go max with 16" with 45s on the yaris. Ive been wanting to get the the 17" motegi traklites which are 14.5 lbs but everywhere I go, people say you should only go up 1" rim size or just stay with the stock size. They said even with 14.5 lbs 17" rims, the extra 2 inches would cause more stress on the tiny engine, make u slower off the line, and give you shittier mileage. Also heard something about tire wrinklage which I dont really remember what the guy said... Anyways.. Dont wanna be all show and absolutely no go now do we?

[jmew0ng]

haha... there's a 15" motegi traklite option :x

[Wayside]

Check out wheelweights.net.

Along with wheel weights the site has a basic FYI section worth reading.

[GabL]

Anyone know how much the stock RS rim on the hatch weight?

[manborn]

since u loose mileage on larger rims like 17"s so does that mean for those people who opted for the TRD 18" option automatically got a lower MPG than shown on sticker? (and i know you don't really get 34/39 but ya around that ball park as far as stock) coz if not, then i will just find some other wheels that are specified just like the TRDs so i can still keep my great stock MPG