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16" vs 17" wheel debate

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Old Aug 4, 2009 | 06:16 PM
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Default 16" vs 17" wheel debate

What are the pros and cons of the 17" wheel/tire over the 16" wheel/tire?Is it worth the extra cost?
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Old Aug 4, 2009 | 06:20 PM
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looks mainly, you can also fit C5 brakes under almost all 17's
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Old Aug 4, 2009 | 06:24 PM
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you can get wider tires onto a set of new 17s as opposed to the ones you can fit on the stock 16s
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Old Aug 4, 2009 | 07:53 PM
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Yea, really the main reason why people go with 17s is looks (they do look ALOT better on our cars then 16's and I still have the stock 16's on my car although the chrome 5 stars dont look bad, just those snowflake wheels look horrible IMO) and wider tire. Breaks is also a benefit if you get that far with the car.

16's MIGHT be a little lighter and I think you can still fit a 265-275 tire (not 100% sure) but theres nothing wrong with them just 17's are better.

Is it worth the money? Yes... and I really wouldnt consider this a debate, IDK anyone who would prefer the stock 16's over 17's and am pretty sure the ONLY reason people still have the 16's are b/c they dont have the funds for 17's or are spending $$$ for other parts
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Old Aug 4, 2009 | 08:01 PM
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main reason i went to 17's was tire selection, the choices for 16's are limited. other than that you can run wider tires, fit bigger brakes, and they look better.

only downsides are price and maybe a slightly stiffer ride. also, you can actually get curb rash with 17's haha. curbs by me aren't tall enough to hit my 16's yayyy.
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Old Aug 4, 2009 | 08:04 PM
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One reason for keeping 16's is they are lighter which means less unsprung weight.
If you can get tires for them that will hook you'll be faster.
I went from 16's to 18's and noticed a difference in traction mainly because the 18's were heavier and harder to turn over.
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Old Aug 4, 2009 | 08:12 PM
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17's all day. Unless you're a track junkie or abuse your car by racing daily. 16's are better for drag, but u can also fit wider tires on i7's for better traction. I went 17's and when i go to the track i release my tire psi from 38 to about 23-26 and havent had any "hooking up" issues.
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Old Aug 5, 2009 | 02:01 AM
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17's:
-Looks better
-Handles better due to less sidewall flex in my experience.
-Better tire selections/higher performance tires
-Heavier, but greatly depends on the wheel/tire
-Can run wider tires in a stock heigh so better overall traction

16's:
-Tires are cheaper.
-Little ligher.
-Not as many tires, especially high performance (excluding DR's)
-Cheap to find
-Good for running DR's. MT Makes a 295/50 16 you can run on those wheels since its 28" tall.


Bottom line: Just about everybody prefers 17's on a street car.
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Old Aug 5, 2009 | 09:59 AM
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I would say that it is worth the extra cost. You have tons of selection for 17" wheels. There are not too many attractive 16" wheels out there.

You tell me:

(Yes, it's the same car)



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Old Aug 5, 2009 | 11:08 AM
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you have the nicest formula i've ever seen haha
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Old Aug 5, 2009 | 11:29 AM
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Just skip 17s all together and go straight to 18s.
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Old Aug 5, 2009 | 05:32 PM
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What do you think? obviously the pic with the 17 is more current.
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Old Aug 5, 2009 | 10:44 PM
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I think 17's just look so much better on fbodys.
16's

17's
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Old Aug 5, 2009 | 11:06 PM
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Originally Posted by therealcreeper
you have the nicest formula i've ever seen haha
Thank you! That means a lot!
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Old Aug 6, 2009 | 09:12 AM
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Go with a staggered 17x9.5/11 set up. The price on our wheels is extremely reasonable even when compared to 16" set-ups.

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Old Aug 6, 2009 | 09:57 AM
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^^^ car looks familiar

X2 for the 17x9.5 / 11 stagered look. The tires are cheap and plentiful and you can not beat the look of a 315 out back. Def call OE for a complete package.
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