Fun with 16" wheels!

[Sacrilicious]

well, thanks to clos561, i just HAD to go get me some '95 rx-7 FD wheels for my car! the specs on these wheels are: 16x8 @50mm offset and 16lb each. i didn't get a chance to take a good pic of it outside, but here's a sneak peek at what it looks like:

the fit is VERY snug, but there is no rubbing or funny business. my suspension is completely stock, so i do not know for sure if lowering will cause me troubles, although i doubt it. it could DEFINITELY use some lowering right now, though. the only real concern i have right now is that these tires have really thrown my speedometer outta whack (at least 3%+ faster) and that kinda sux. i'm currently running the 225/50/16 michelin XGTs that came with the wheels, but i will be changing them in the summer to summer tires. what do you guys think about these setups:

1. 225/50/16 potenza re-01r with cobb springs.
2. 245/50/16 f1 gs-d3 withOUT cobb springs...and likely with fender rolling in the rear.

the re-01r does not come in 245 for 16" wheels, so i'm SOL there. right now, i'm leaning towards option #1 because i am rather annoyed at the "floatiness" of our cars at highway speeds...that and it doesn't require fender rolling...=d

 

[clos561]

looks good

 

[Sacrilicious]

looks good

why ty...you must have great taste in wheels!

 

[clos561]

(cheers2)

 

[Sacrilicious]

btw...what kind of tires were you going to run when your 225/55/16s wear down, clos?

 

[clos561]

not sure, 225/50r16's tho

 

[Sacrilicious]

ya, i'm really jealous of you floridians, cause you get to run summers all year round! (argh)

(drive2)

 

[clos561]

move... lol

 

[Sacrilicious]

move... lol

haha...ya, i was actually in the process of setting up for a move to FL or TX, but i had to put it on hold for 1-2 years based on what's happening currently at work...=d fortunately, i'm going to be able to at least sneak a LITTLE bit farther south by moving to the DC area...

 

[JamJam]

Looks good! Not my cup of tea but it doesnt look bad at all. Still dont understand dropping rim size on a car that has such a nice factory suspension setup!

 

[driver311]

Im sorry but Im gonna be honest. All you guys putting those hideous wheels on, WHY?????? They dont go at all.
To each their own I guess. Why not go with some rx8wheels. Those look dope. These are a downgrade for sure. i could see if you are using them for autocross only.

 

[happy and angry]

235/50/16 or 245/50/16 will get your speedo within about 1%. Might wanna look at tires in those sizes. 8 inch rim should be wide enough, anyway.

 

[clos561]

Im sorry but Im gonna be honest. All you guys putting those hideous wheels on, WHY?????? They dont go at all.
To each their own I guess. Why not go with some rx8wheels. Those look dope. These are a downgrade for sure. i could see if you are using them for autocross only.

i dont have 1000+ to spend on some rims, these are cheap and alot lighter.

 

[JamJam]

i dont have 1000+ to spend on some rims, these are cheap and alot lighter.

How much lighter are they really, and was there something wrong with the stock rims? You have to figure weight of tire also. Some 16' tires are heavier than 18' because of extra sidewall so your doing nothing really for the weight if this is true. If money is a object than I would wait a extra month or 2 and get what is proper for the vehicle not proper for the budget. I keep hearing people say they dont have the money to do something! It may take u a little longer to get the money but thats it. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to buy buy buy not to save save save and then buy......

 

[Sacrilicious]

Im sorry but Im gonna be honest. All you guys putting those hideous wheels on, WHY?????? They dont go at all.
To each their own I guess. Why not go with some rx8wheels. Those look dope. These are a downgrade for sure. i could see if you are using them for autocross only.

ya, i understand fully that these are a downgrade performance-wise, but i just put a huge-ass dent in my 1-month old winter rims, and i'm freakin pissed off as hell at all the pot holes in my area, so i'm doing this for comfort and peace-of-mind reasons. with smaller and lighter wheels and tires with more sidewall, my suspension takes much less of a beating over bumps and the ride feels noticeably softer. the area i live in (jersey city) ruins suspensions, so for practicality reasons, this is a better choice for me in the long-run.

also, i don't think that particular picture does the wheels justice. after i pop some cobb springs + new tires on there, i'll take another pic and ask you guys what you think then!

 

[Sacrilicious]

How much lighter are they really, and was there something wrong with the stock rims? You have to figure weight of tire also. Some 16' tires are heavier than 18' because of extra sidewall so your doing nothing really for the weight if this is true. If money is a object than I would wait a extra month or 2 and get what is proper for the vehicle not proper for the budget. I keep hearing people say they dont have the money to do something! It may take u a little longer to get the money but thats it. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to buy buy buy not to save save save and then buy......

clos' wheels are 13lb each (stock = 24lb), and mine are 16lb each. assuming a few lbs extra for heavier tires (2-3lb), we are still 8-9lb lighter than stock.

money is not the main object for me...it's the reasons i listed in my post above. the money is just a nice added bonus on the side!

 

[Sacrilicious]

just to restate: i understand fully that this is going to land my with less-than-stock performance for balls-to-the-wall acceleration/cornering, but that's pretty much irrelevant for me for the above reasons...=d

 

[Andrewsmc]

not my thing, but to each their own.

 

[dgraf]

sorry but i think you purchased the wrong vehicle. you probably should have gone with a nice truck than a low, stiff ms3. you shouldnt have to buy a car that was designed to work on smooth roads then change it over to handle big dips and hard terrain. i dont think different spring are going to do any justice for your ms3. its going to make it stiffer and i think thats going to contradict what youre trying to do with your car. anyways, you shouldnt care what we think, just go have fun with your car.

 

[Sacrilicious]

for the record, although the handling is not as tight and responsive as it was before, i really feel like it was not a night and day downgrade. i still have very good cornering capabilities with a noticeable upgrade in ride comfort. i know this is one of those "whatever floats your boat" things, but i think some people are over estimating the performance gap as compared to stock rims.